First collected edition, based on four earlier editions of this classic songbook, This posthumous edition is divided in three separate song books, each with its own title.

Bredero (1585-1618), the son of a shoemaker, became the most popular Dutch poet and playwright of his time. He dedicated many of his drama’s and love songs to the poetess Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher, for whom he had an unrequited love. The titles of several of his plays are still known today - and, occasionally, they are still performed. Several of his poems can only be found in this edition.

-Provenance: With the ex libris of Victor de la Montagne.

-Literature: Carter & Vervliet 360; Graesse I, 527; NNBW IV, 309 ff; Scheepers I, 272 "very rare and sought after"; Scheurleer, 142, 2; Unger II-E; On the illustrators cf. H. de la Fontaine Verwey, Uit de wereld v.h. boek II, pp. 63-66.

-Condition: New end leaves of 19th c. paper; tail endband renewed; Part I: leaf B2 lower corner renewed, not touching the engraving; few small tears; small hole in f1 just touching one letter and teh signature; small ink stains on g8 verso; gathering L browned; small corner renewed on leaf P; Part II: gathering F browned, leaf M corner renewed; Part III: tear ca. 2 cm in the text; G3 mounted on a paper strip, cancellandum?; last leaf large repaired tear in the text; Although there are some minor damages and small traces of use, a very agreable copy, with strong impressions of the engravings in a sound contemporary binding.