MEERMAN,J. Josia, Antoninus Pius en Hendrik IV met elkander vergeleeken. Eene verhandeling, voorgeleezen in de Maatschappij van Natuur- en Letterkunde, onder de Zinspreuk: Diligentia, in 's Graavenhaage op Dingsdag den 13 en 20 January 1807 door Mr. Johan Meerman, Heer van Dalem en Vuren. The Hague (In 'sGraavenhaage), By de gebroeders Van Cleef, boekverkoopers des Konings, en der Koninklyke Bibliotheek, 1807. 8vo. (IV),126,(2 stocklist) p. Half calf 20 cm (Ref: ) (Details: Back gilt and with 5 raised bands. Red morocco letter label) (Condition: Binding slightly worn at the extremes. The small piece of leather which should protect the right lower corner of the upper board has gone. Some small damage to the leather along the joint of the upper board) (Note: The Dutch Republic was between 1588 and 1795 a Confederation of the Seven United Provinces. This period ended with the French occupation in 1795. In this year the French established a vassal state called the Batavian Republic, which lasted till 1806. On May 24, 1806, the French introduced in the Netherlands a hereditary monarchy. The first constitutional king of the newly created Kingdom of Holland was Louis Napoleon, the younger brother of Napoleon. The Dutch soon accepted the inevitable, and the not unsympathetic Louis Napoleon became even popular, too popular perhaps. Louis promoted in the eyes of Napoleon the Dutch interests too well, and consequently he dethroned his brother in 1810, when the Kingdom was incorporated into the French Empire. This annexation lasted till 1813. § The career of the Dutch politician, author and book collector Johan Meerman, 'Heer van Dalem en Vuren', 1753-1815, flourished under the domination of the French. From 1802 till 1807 he was a member of the 'Departementaal Bestuur van Holland'. From 8 april 1806 to 1 september 1809 he was Chamberlain of King Louis Napoleon, and from 1807 he was responsible for Education and Science in the kingdom, director of the Dutch Royal Library, and chief of Royal Museums. After the annexation in 1810 he was appointed a member of the 'Sénat Conservateur' of Napoleon. After Napoleon's abdication in 1813 he returned to the Netherlands. § As a member of the 'Maatschappij van Natuur- en Letterkunde', a 'Society of Arts and Sciences', (and as Chamberlain of King Louis Napoleon) Meerman published in 1807 a historical treatise 'Josia, Antoninus Pius en Hendrik IV met elkander vergeleeken', in which he compared the lives of 3 great royals, the biblical Joshua King of Juda, the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, and the French King Henry IV. A contemporary reviewer wondered what the heck these three royals had in common. ('Vaderlandsche letteroefeningen', Jaargang 1807, p. 441-444) The parallels which Meerman sketched seemed too far fetched. This reviewer is probably right. Meerman had possibly another purpose. Though he wanted his readers to believe that he wrote a historical work in the tradition of Plutarch's 'Vitae Comparatae', the work is seems however to serve two goals. First it seems propaganda for the establishment of a monarchy. After a time of discord, revolts and the collapse of the republic, it is time for the stability which a heriditary monarchy can offer. Why should not the country prosper under the guidance of wise kings, Meerman rhetorically askes. 'En waaröm zouden wij, onder eene reeks van wijze en het geluk des Volks bedoelende Koningen, bij de Goddelijke medewerking niet op vernieuwden voorspoed kunnen hoopen?' (p. 3) The work might also be a kind of Mirror of Princes (Speculum Principii) through which Meerman, Chamberlain of the King, hoped to inspire Louis Napoleon to be a good king, and instruct him on aspects of rule and behaviour. Mirrors for Princes aimed at creating images of kings for imitation. Louis Napoleon tried indeed to be a responsible and independent ruler, he even tried to learn Dutch) (Collation: pi-2, A - H-8) (Photographs on request)
Book number: 130457 Euro 125.00

Keywords: (Oude Druk), (Rare Books), Antoninus Pius, Dutch history, Dutch imprints, Henry IV, Johannes Meerman, Josua, Lodewijk Napoleon, Louis Napoleon, niederländische Geschichte