Antiquitates illustrissimi ducatus Brabantiae [...].

4to: [8], [4-1]-11-182 (= 128) (Leuven), [8]-80-47-[1 bl.] (Brussels), [6]-82 (Arscotum), [2]-40-[2 bl.] (Tienen), [4]-24-[4]-40-[4]-40-[8]-36-[4] (Gallo-Brabantia), [8]-106-[8]-107/181-[1 bl.] pp. (Antwerp) (some plates and pages cut a bit short; browning, some minor soiling).

Contemp. calf (rubbed, exp. rep.), richly gilt spine with 5 raised bands, black leather title label (rubbed, head rep.), gilt sides, sp. edges. Good copy.

Rare large compilation of regional histories of the Southern Netherlands by the Leuven historian Gramaye (1580-1635), containing important historiographical and iconographical information on i.a. the cities of Leuven and Tienen. As usual the order of the various parts and the amount of engr. plates differ from one copy to another. Our copy contains 2 engr. pl. inside collation and 57 outside collation. Copies with such a number of engr. pl. are very rare:
1. "Lovanium Brabantiae Metropolis": 2 pl. inside collation (funeral monument, "Parcum Dominorum") and 6 full-page or folding pl. ("Castrum Lovaniense", "Templum S. Petri & Domus Senatoria", "Hallae Lovaniensis", "St Gertrudis", "Parcum" and "Florival" (Abbey of Bloemendael, misbound, should be in part "Gallo-Brabantia").
2. "Bruxella cum suo comitatu" (1606): 18 pl. ("Grimberch" repaired & stained).
3. "Arscotum ducatus cum suis Baronatibus" (1606): 3 pl. (p. 32 & "Heverle" repaired).
4. "Thenae et Brabantia ultra velpam quae olim Hasbaniae pars" (1606): folding city plan of Tienen (mounted) and 1 full-page pl. ("Landinum").
5. "Gallo-Brabantia" (1606) in 4 parts: 14 pl. (and pl. "Florival" bound in part 1).
6. "Antverpiae antiquitates" (1610). 1 folding city plan of Lier and 12 pl., i.a. large folding pl. of the abbey of Tongerlo (pl. "Hoochstraten" repaired). Enriched with 1 pl. (not listed in B.B.) showing 2 seals with inscriptions "Sigillum monarchic civitatis Antwerp" and "Secretum scabinorum Antwerp". 8 pp. part "Libri tertii caput ultimum, ubi recensiti aliquot viri & familiae illustres" bound between pp. 106 & 107. All, except 1., with separate titles within woodcut border.
Ref. B.B. III:277-282 G-100 (the copy described by B.B. is a virtual copy based esp. on the copies of the Belgian Royal Library and Averbode abbey). - Simoni (BL) G-139. - STCV.
Prov. Note on title and several sm. corrections in text. - Ownership entries on front pastedown.