Flandria illustrata, sive Descriptio comitatus istius per totum terrarum orbem celeberrimi, III tomis absoluta [...].

2 vol., large folio: [24]-403-68-[2]; [18]-(405-654)-38-[3] pp. (missing pl. "Duynkercken a septent" on pp. 628-629, half-title of 1st vol. also missing, engr. title and margins repaired, marg. tears, a few foxing holes, like most of the copies browned and dampstained).

Contemp. vellum (new flylvs, rebound).

1st edition with a run of 500 copies of the most famous chorographic work on the former county of Flanders with descriptions of its main towns and villages, in addition to a description of its counts and bishops. Beautiful full-page or in text engraved illustrations: 2 titles, 35 double-page maps, views and plans, full-page portrait of François de Mello, 66 half- or quarter-page portraits in text, more than 200 plans and views in text, all covering Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, Courtrai, Cassel, Veurne, Aalst, Geraardsbergen, Ninove, Waasland, Bailleul, Bergues, Bourbourg, etc. Our edition comprises the plates "Ecclesia collegiata divi Pharahildis, comus praetoria castellaniae Auderburgensis et Petra Comitis vulgo het Graven Casteel" (p. 100), "Aula principis Gandavi" (p. 147), "Palatium principis in ure Brugensis" (p. 188), "Praetorium Dni Baronis de Wingene" (p. 432) which are all no longer present in the 2nd ed., and does not include the later added plate "Cast. D. Caroli Rijm" (p. 170). Given all this, we have an early copy. Also, the detached leaf (pp. 191-192) with "Sacellum Sacri Cruoris" comes from a 1st ed. With 2 (of 3) pl. outside collation: "Curia antiqua [- nova] Gandavensis" (pp. 96-97) and "Ekelsbeke/Esquelbecq" (p. 572), and a note on Paddeschot (p. 36, 2nd vol.). Although Sanderus intended to make the Protestant Henricus Hondius publish his work, it was eventually the brothers Blaeu who published the first edition. In order to bypass censorship by the Catholic church, it was already decided to publish the edition under the false address of a Catholic publisher from Cologne.
Ref. BB V: 28-35.