Third and most complete edition of the translation of B. Furmerus’s De rerum usu et abusu, which has the same plates. The poems are partly printed in civilité type. The emblems refer to the use and abuse of wealth and riches, hoarding money, avarice, gluttony, poverty etc. The rich must use their riches well, but on the other hand the poor must resign themselves to their fate.

Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert (1522- 590), Dutch politician, engraver and theologian, was known as a strong opponent of dogmatic Calvinism. He was spokesman for tolerance and against capital punishment for heretics. He made a lasting contribution to Dutch literature.

One poem included in the book is the Praise of prison, written during Coornhert’s detention in The Hague as a political prisoner. He came out a staunch advocate of decent treatment and rehabilitation of prisoners.

-Provenance: On upper fly leaf in pen: Elisabeth Lantgraet.

-Literature: Landwehr 179; Praz 308; Bibl.Belg. C 58; Brunet II, 1427; Carter et Vervliet, Civilité Types 355; Emblem Books in Leiden 171; Mauquoy-Henrickx (Les estampes de Wierix) 2289-2314; Scheepers I, 343; De Vries, Ned. Emblemata 18.

-Condition: Half torn of bookplate and erased name un upper paste down; partly a waterstain in the front edge; ca. 20 leaves wormhole in inner margin; Besides the mentioned defects a very attractive copy with strong impressions of the etchings in a contempoaray binding.