"Mémoire historique sur les Troubles des Pays Bas".

Folio: [2]-753-[1 bl.-5] pp., on laid paper, in French (minor soiling).

Contemp. red morocco, covers with a gilt central floral ornament ruled by a gilt floral border and a gilt fillet, gilt orn. spine with raised bands, gilt inside dentelles, green moiré endpapers, a.e.g. (some scratches on covers, turn-ins with sm. def., corners and edges sl. rubbed). Nice copy.

Copy of the memoir relating the history of the Low Countries between 1495 and 1609 written by the historian Luc Van der Vynckt (1690-1779), member of the Council of Flanders. This work was made at the request of Karl von Cobenzl, minister plenipotentiary of the Austrian Low Countries, and finished in 1765. It strongly displeased the chancellor Kaunitz and Cobenzl asked to a French colonel named De Bon, recently entered the service of the empress, to propose a revised version which was sent to Vienna. Cobenzl kept the autograph manuscript and had printed 6 copies clandestinely on the press of the Lottery. Our copy belonged to Adrien de Ghellinck, Lord of Elseghem (1702-1779). Was it a gift by Van der Vynckt himself? The two men made a trip in France, Italy and Germany in 1724. The text was edited twice in 1822: by J. Tarted in a revised version and under the title "Histoire des troubles des Pays-Bas, sous Philippe II" (4 vol.) and by Fr. de Reiffenberg, based on the original manuscript (2 vol.).
Ref. Goethals, F. - Histoire des lettres, sciences, arts, IV:333-364.
Prov. Adrien de Ghellinck, Lord of Elseghem (1702-1779) and Thérèse de Nieulant (1706-1754) (bookpl. with arms of alliance). - Charles van Hulthem, bibliophile from Ghent (1764-1832) (bookpl.).