Mundi lapis lydius siue Vanitas per veritatem falsi accusata & conuicta [...].

4to: [28]-249-[27] pp. (f. +2 bound after ++3; cut short at top, toned, bottom dampstained, some spotting, def. at top margin of Index f. Ll6 with loss of a few letters).

Mod. blue paper cardboard, flat spine. Good copy with crafty impressions of the emblems.

Original ed., with the extensive prelims, of one of the most beautiful emblem books of the Spanish Netherlands. Engr. title page featuring three female allegories of Truth, Justice and Vanity by Th. J. van Merlen after A. van Diepenbeek, and 50 oval engraved emblems by A. Pauli (after Van Diepenbeke). "An emblem book with a uncommon didactic twist: the typical pairing of each image with an instructive motto has been split in two, one describing the scene untruthfully ("vanitas"), the other its reality ("veritas"). For instance, surrounding an image of a printing house (p. 10) it is said that Verborum copia and Nihil copia, sed usus: although there is an abundance of words and writing, abundance means nothing without use [...]. The volume is a fresh and innovative continuation of his earlier emblem book, Linguae vitia et remedia (1631) which focuses on remedies for the abuse of language through insults, lies, blasphemies, and calumnies." (Sokol). Without the extra Errata leaf found in a few copies.
Ref. STCV 12917123. - Cp. Landwehr 98 (other ed.) and Embl. books Leiden 83. - BCNI 9195.