De Gulden Passer. Jaargang 84

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Gilbert Tournoy & Harald Deceulaer
Justus Lipsius and his unfinished Monita et Exempla Politica
The Royal Privilege of 1597^*

Before Lipsius finally published his two books of the Monita et Exempla Politica al the Plantin press in 1605, the work had been in gestation for quite some time. It was designed as a commentary¹ on his first and most important political treatise, the Politicorum sive civilis doctrinae libri sex, which had come out at Leiden in 1589.² The fourth book especially, in which he focused upon the relationship between Church and State, freedom of religion and the way the State should deal with heresies, immediately met with strong opposition. Dirck Volckertsz. Coornhert, after having polemicized with Lipsius for a few months, brought their controversy into the open by publishing at Gouda in August 1590 his vernacular treatise Proces vant Ketterdoden ende Dwang der Conscientien. Within a few weeks Lipsius retaliated with his De una religione, in quo tria capita libri quarti Politicorum exponuntur (Leiden: F. Raphelengius, 1590).³ After his return to the Catholic fold in 1592 he started the reworking of his Politica, which - according to his Jesuit friend Francesco Benci in Rome - risked being put on the Index librorum prohibitorum.⁴ The new version was ready in May 1593,⁵ but it was nearly another three years before it came off the Plantin press, at the very beginning of 1596.⁶

Meanwhile Lipsius had realized that the best way to clarify his position and to disseminate his political ideas was to illustrate them by composing yet another treatise, which would serve as a commentary on the Politica. In his Letter to the Reader Lipsius confirmed his inten-

* We want to express our gratitude to Dr. R. Truman for his thorough revision of the English, to Dr. M. Oosterbosch for his help in matters palaeographical, to Dr. J. De Landtsheer for her valuable suggestions and to H. Peeters who is currently preparing a critical edition of Lipsius's correspondence of the year 1596 and generously put a transcription of the relevant letters at our disposal.

1 See Lipsius's letter to Nicolaas Oudaert of 27 September 1596 (Leiden, Univ. Lib., ms. Lips. 3(18), f. 72, no 169 and ms. 3(19), f. 8): ‘Quod equidem faciam aut potius iam facio totus in Monitis et Exemplis, quae vicem iusti commentarii Politics nostris erunt.’ Similarly in his letter to Juan Fernández de Velasco of 4 December 1596 (Leiden, Univ. Bibl., ms. Lips. 3(18), f. 80-80v, no 188, printed in A. Ramírez, Epistolario de Justo Lipsio y los españoles, 182-186, no 43): ‘Sed praemittimus Monita et Exempla Politica, quae velut iustus laxusque commentarius ad Politica nostra vetera sunt Excellentiae tuae fortasse visa.’ [our italics]

2 Modern edition: Justus Lipsius, Politica. Six Books of Politics or Political Instruction. Edited,with translation and introduction by J. Waszink, (Bibliothecae Latinitatis Novae), Assen 2004. On Lipsius's political ideas, see the introduction of this book, and further: K. Enenkei, ‘De Neolatijnse Politica: Justus Lipsius' Politicorum libri sex’ in Lampas, 18 (1985), 350-362; C. Oestreich - N. Mout, Antiker Geist und moderner Staat bei Justus Lipsius (1547-1606). Der Neustoizismus ais politische Bewegung, Göttingen 1989; R. Bireley, The Counter-Reformation Prince. Anti-Machiavellianism or Catholic Statecraft in Early Modern Europe, Chapel Hill - London 1990, 72-100.

3 On this controversy see F. de Nave, ‘De polemiek tussen Justus Lipsius en Dirk Volckertsz. Coornhert, hoofdoorzaak van Lipsius' vertrek uit Leiden (1591)’, in De Gulden Passer, 48 (1970), 1-39; H. Bonger, Leven en werk van D.V. Coorhert, Amsterdam 1978, 143-157; A. Vanhassel, ‘La liberté de conscience selon Juste Lipse et Dirck Coornhert’ in D. Letocha (ed.), Aequitas, Aequalitas, Auctoritas. Raison théorique et légitimation de l'autorité dans le xvie siècle européen. De Pétrarque à Descartes, 54, Paris 1992.

4 See Lipsius, Politica, ed. Waszink, 173-178 and ile vi, 93 05 13.

5 ile vi, 93 05 30 bel and 93 05 30 ben.

6 Copies were sent to a small number of friends and acquaintances in the middle of February 1596, cf. ile [ix], 96 02 12; 96 02 19 b; 96 02 19 h.

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tion to maintain in this supplementary work the same order and structure as in the Politica: ‘Est scilicet eadem divisio et ordo, qui in Politicis nostris fuit, quorum luci aut assertioni haec scribuntur.’ At some point in the summer of the year 1596 he started upon this Herculean labour, to which he was soon devoting all his energies, as one can read in his letter to Jacques de Carondelet of 22 October 1596:⁷

Sum nunc totus in libro atque opere grandiore, cui titulum facio Monita et Exempla Politica, et erit quasi flos et excerptio, per locos suos certos salubrium monitionum aut historiarum ex vetere, medio et nostro aevo. Videbis, cum perfecero, si Deus perficere dabit. Strenue quidem pergo. Equidem hoc quasi Herculaneum opus, ut sic dicam, inter mea fore confido et quod aevum vitamque ferre possit.
I am completely taken up with a sizeable undertaking, a book which I am calling Monita et Exempla Politica. It will be a selection - the finest flower, one could say - of profitable admonitions or stories from Antiquity, Middle Ages and our own time, all set out in proper order. You will see, after I finished it, whether God has indeed granted completion. I am certainly pressing vigorously ahead. For my part, I am confident that this Herculean labour - to put it so - is within my reach and can be accomplished within my lifetime.

His work proceeded so well that only a few weeks later Lipsius was writing to Archduke Albert of Austria, recently appointed Governor of the Netherlands, to tell him that the Monita et Exempla Politica was already finished and that he was dedicating the treatise to him.⁸ This original letter, with autograph signature by Lipsius and dated by a Spanish hand ‘Bruselas, a 15 de xbre 1596 / Consejo Privado’, is kept at Brussels, Algemeen Rijksarchief, Audiëntie 1855/2.⁹

As he did not wish to trouble the Archduke every time with the same request, he furthermore applied for a privilege not only for this particular work but generally for all his works in the future, provided that they had already been approved by the Ecclesiastical and the Royal Censor. In order to strengthen his case he attached a copy of a similar privilege granted to him by the Archduke's brother, Emperor Rudolph ii.¹⁰ To the Archduke he wrote (in the third person):

[Justus Lipsius] has, even now, in hand now some writings ready for publication, namely the Monita et Exempla Politica, which he dedicates to Your Highness not out of an excess of boldness but moved, rather, by feelings of deepest respect and devotion. It has become customary in these and similar matters, and the proper thing to do, to apply for a Privilege to be granted by the King's Majesty. In order, therefore, to avoid that the same humble petitioner should be compelled on each occasion to present the same petition, his desire now is to be granted, by the generosity and benevolence of Your Highness, a single general Privilege for all his works, provided that they are previously approved and permitted by the Papal and Royal Censor, for neither the law nor his own desire would allow him to seek such a thing in any other fashion. In order that he may the more readily obtain such a Privilege from Your Highness, and with the aid of a dis-

7 Burmannus, Sylloges, I, 474, ep. 448.

8 The letter to Oudaert mentioned in n, 1 gives evidence that Lipsius already at that moment had it in mind to dedicate this work to the Archduke.

9 An undated copy of this letter is found in Leiden, Univ. Bibl., ms. Lips. 3(18), f. 79v, no 186.

10 Concerning the entire process of the petition addressed to the Emperor, see ile v, Index, s.v. Lipsius - privilege; D. Sacré, ‘An Overlooked and Unpublished Letter from Balthasar Moretus to Justus Lipsius’, in Lias, 22 (1995), 163-173, and especially J. De Landtsheer, ‘An Author and his Printer: Justus Lipsius and the Officina Plantiniana’, in Quaerendo, 37 (2007), 1-19. More generally, see P. Verheyden, ‘Drukkersoctrooien in de 16de eeuw’, in Tijdschrift voor boek- en bibliotheekwezen, 8 (1910), 203-226 and 269-278; M. Baelde, ‘De toekenning van drukkersoctrooien door de Geheime Raad in de zestiende eeuw’, in De Gulden Passer, 40 (1962), 19-58.

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tinguished precedent, he has attached a copy of the Imperial Privilege which - it should be said - he did not so much seek from Your Higness's illustrious brother, the Emperor Rudolph, as accept as something readily bestowed in response to the good offices of his friends.

Lipsius's request was readily accepted and was approved in less than three months. In the editio princeps of the Monita et exempla politica, a shortened version of the Royal Privilege is printed, referring to the official letter patent of 14 February 1597 which granted the privilege.¹¹ This letter patent was sent to Lipsius himself, but has not come to light yet. The minute of the letter patent, however, has recently been unearthed during a systematic cataloguing of the archival holdings of the Audiëntie in the Algemeen Rijksarchief at Brussels, carried out by Harald Deceulaer.

The three-page document starts, exactly as Lipsius's letter to the Archduke, by mentioning that he has over the past thirty years been devoting himself to the study of letters, of history and philosophy, and has done so in writing as well as by lecturing. Next, in both texts it is said that Lipsius has some further works ready for publishing, and especially the Monita et exempla politica, which he wishes to dedicate to the Archduke. Thirdly, since Lipsius does not want to bother the Archduke every time he has something ready, he is applying for a general patent, so that his manuscripts can go directly to the printer, after having been seen and approved by the Ecclesiastical and Royal Censor.

In order to understand the nature of this document, some information about the administrative procedure and the archival context maybe useful. Most letters patent were issued ‘on demand’, in other words, after a request had been submitted.¹² The Governor-General or one of his Councils (the Privy Council, the Council of State and the Council of Finance) received letters or requests from private individuals or from local or regional institutions. One or more councils then discussed the request. In the case of Lipsius's privilege, we can assume that it was discussed in the Privy Council, as this institution was the one responsible for issuing privileges for the printing of books.¹³ During the discussion of requests, third parties were often asked for advice, but there is no trace that this happened in Lipsius's case. When a request was granted, the audiencier, the most important Secretary of State in this period, or one of the other secretaries of the Collateral Councils, received the assignment to draft the minute of the letter patent. The audiencier or the secretaries sometimes passed this task to a clerk in their service. As a rule, parts of the argument presented in support of the request and recorded in the minute were copied into the letter. This explains why the first part of the minute contains almost all the terms and phrases used by Lipsius in his letter to the Archduke. After the minute was drafted, the President or a jurist of the Privy Coun-

11 Summa Privilegii Regii. Philippus Dei gratia Hispaniarum, etc. Rex Catholicus, diplomate suo sanxit, ne quis, Iusti Lipsii Historiarum in alma Universitate Lovaniensi Professoris et item Historiographi sui, libros quoscunque, a Censoribus legitimis approbatos, praeter ipsius heredumve eius voluntatem, intra triginta annos a prima singulorum librorum editione computandos imprimat, aut alibi terrarum impressos, in has inferioris Germaniae ditiones importet venalesve habeat. Qui secus faxit, praeter librorum confiscationem triginta marcharum auri puri illatione mulctabitur, uti latius patet in litteris, datis Bruxellae xiv. Febr[uarii] m.d.xcvii. Signat. Verreycken.

12 M. Baelde, De Collaterale raden onder Karel v en Filips ii (1531-1578). Bijdrage tot de geschiedenis van de centrale instellingen in de zestiende eeuw, Brussels 1965, 134-135; G. Parker - H. de Schepper, ‘The Formation of Government Policy in the Catholic Netherlands under the Archdukes, 1596-1621’, in English Historical Review, 359 (1976), 251.

13 References to documents in the Privy Council about printing in the seventeenth century can be found in M. Soenen, Inventaire analytique des documents relatifs à l'impression et au commerce des livres (1546-1702) contenus dans les cartons 1276 à 1280 du Conseil privé espagnol, Brussels 1983.

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cil checked it and made corrections if necessary. These corrections were made in the lefthand part of the document, as the secretary or clerk used only the right-hand part of the page. Then, a secretary or a clerk copied out the minute into the official letter patent. This document was then sealed, signed by the Governor-General, registered if necessary, and sent to the petitioner.¹⁴ The latter had to pay stamp duties and a fee to the secretary who had drafted the document.

The minute was to be kept in the archives of the audiencier. Minutes of letters patent were threaded on a string in chronological order (which explains the hole in the middle of the minute under consideration here). Every half year, they were bundled up and a piece of parchment containing the dates and a reference number was attached as a label. Down to the present day these bundles have continued to form part of the archives of the Audiëntie. This large holding (345 metres) is one of the most important for the history of the Low Countries in the sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries. In this period, the audiencier held a pivotal position in the administration. As a secretary performing administrative tasks for the three Collateral Councils, he was situated at the confluence of several ‘data flows’. At the same time, he kept the archives, and therefore the memory, of the central government.¹⁵ Accordingly, it is not surprising that some audienciers became men of influence, or even important politicians. This is the case with the man who signed Lipsius's privilege, Louis Verreycken.¹⁶ Verreycken was audiencier between 1578 and 1621, and the fact that he was involved in the negotiations of the peace of Vervins (1598) and the peace of London (1604) amply indicates the weight he carried in matters of government.¹⁷ The records in the Audiëntie reflect both the activities of the audiencier, and the contents of the archives of the Council of State before 1632.

Unfortunately, in the course of the next centuries, the original order of this fonds was dramatically disturbed. Especially in the nineteenth century the National Head Archivist Louis-Prosper Gachard and his collaborators irreversibly broke up the order of the Audiëntie.¹⁸ The chronological series of minutes were re-ordered thematically in successive phases. In the nineteenth century, several minutes were removed from the chronological series and bound together into artificial, incomplete collections of ‘important’ documents. In the earlytwentieth century, the remaining minutes were rearranged rather inconsistently using several categories which did not exclude one another.¹⁹ As a result, minutes of more or less similar privileges, nominations or gifts to Lipsius can today be found in many different places.²⁰

14 For more details see Baelde, Collaterale raden, 131-149.

15 A detailed discussion of the responsibilities of the audiencier is given by C. Henin, La charge d'audiencier dans les Anciens Pays-Bas (1413-1744), Brussels 2001, and J. Houssiau, Les Secrétaires du Conseil privé sous Charles Quint et Philippe ii (c. 1531 - c. 1567), Brussels 1998.

16 His signature does not appear in the minute itself, but is mentioned in the shortened version of the Royal Privilege cited in the editio princeps of the Monita et exempla politica.

17 On this person and his family dynasty in the administration see L. Lefevre, ‘Les Verreycken’, in Intermédiaire des généalogistes, 45 (1953), 401-408.

18 The historical, scholarly and political background of his archival policy is studied in E. Aerts - L. De Mecheleer, ‘“Le César des Archives”: archivistiek en historiografie in de eeuw van Gachard’, in Bibliotheek & Archiefgids, 79 (2003), 24-35 and H. Deceulaer, ‘Uit de 19de-eeuwse kooi? Naar een betere ontsluiting van de Audiëntie in het Algemeen Rijksarchief, Archief- en Bibliotheekwezen van België [in press)].

19 Harald Deceulaer will publish a detailed discussion of the matter in his new catalogue of the Audiëntie.

20 The minute recording his nomination as ‘chroniste et historiographe’ in 1595 is kept in Audiëntie 1357 (described in the catalogue as ‘Commissions diverses de 1493 à 1721’) and that relating to his appointment as ‘conseiller aux honneurs’ in 1605 can be found in Audiëntie 1358 (until very recently wrongly labelled as ‘Commissions de fonctionnaires divers au Franc de Bruges de 1551 à 1741’). The privilege of 14 February 1597 discussed in this article, and two gifts of respectively 400 guilders (7 January 1594) and 3000 guilders (29 May 1597) to Lipsius are preserved in Audiëntie 2551(9) (a file with minutes of letters patent concerning the universities, 1559-1597). Minutes of gifts to Lipsius of 800 and 1000 guilders (3 June and 29 November 1595) are preserved in Audiëntie 2560(2) (‘minutes of letters patent to official personalities, 1595-1597’).

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Conclusion

After his return to Louvain Lipsius very quickly succeeded in acquiring a position of trust in his relationship with the authorities of the Low Countries. On 14 December 1595 he was appointed Royal Historiographer by King Philip ii. No wonder then that his application for a general privilege was granted within only some ten weeks. There was, however, as things turned out, no need for such a haste: Lipsius never finished the planned six books of his Monita et exempla politica, and it is very likely that, at the time of this application, he had only one third of the entire work ready, apart from a few scattered chapters.²¹ He may have hoped for some years to finish it, but he grew ever older and contracted a serious illness. And since he had taken the firm decision that after his death nothing further of his should be published, his desire was to bring out at least that first part of the Monita et Exempla Politica, that is, its two first books.²²

21 A manuscript at the British Library (ms. Harley 4122) containing a few chapters of the unfinished last two books of Lipsius's Monita et exempla politica has recently been studied, and its text published, by J. Papy, ‘An Unpublished dialogue by Justus Lipsius on Military Prudence and the Causes of War: the Monita et Exempla Politica De Re Militari (1605)’, in Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance, 65 (2003), 135-148.

22 Cf. his letter to the reader, introducing the editio princeps of 1605: ‘Ecce duos istos libros, Lector, trientem operis destinati, et addam, affecti. Nam duo alii sequuntur, qui Civilem prudentiam habent, itemque duo, qui Militarem. Est scilicet eadem divisio et ordo, qui in Politicis nostris fuit, quorum luci aut assertioni haec scribuntur. Sed cur non confeci igitur? aut certe cur non distuli? Utrumque ab eadem caussa. Fatebor enim ingenue: postremus ille gravior morbus me deiecit, et a stilo arcuit; atque idem impulit vel incohata haec sic edere, quia post me nihil edi, adamantinum est meum decretum.’

1. Lipsius's request: Brussels, Algemeen Rijksarchief, 1855/2²³

Ser[enissi]me Gubernator,

Supplex ad Cels[itudinem] Tuam venit Justus Lipsius et significat, quod iam ab annis circiter triginta pro copia virium suarum et ingenii studia litterarum, historiae et philosophiae adiuverit promoveritque, et id publice, voce ac stilo. Qua in re dum sedulo versatur, et putat a Deo decretum in hoc stadio sibi cursum, ecce etiamnunc quaedam in manibus habet scripta sua editioni parata, et nominatim Monita et Exempla Politica, quae non ex confidentia, sed ex cultu et devotione animi Cels[itudini] Tuae dicat. In his igitur talibusque cum de more obtineat receptumque sit Privilegium a Regia Ma[iesta]te peti, ne idem ille supplex adsidue iterare petitionem hanc cogatur, semel vellet liberalitate et benignitate Cels[itudinis] Tuae commune omnibus Privilegium impetrare, ea lege, si iam ante a Censore Pontificio et Regio approbata ea et admissa sint. Neque aliter sane peti id aut ius fert aut eius voluntas. Quo magis id et sub magno exemplo a Cels[itudine] Tua impetret, adnexuit Exemplar Privilegii Caesarei, quod ab Augusto Cels[itudinis] Tuae fratre, Rudolfo Caesare, non tam impetravit (res dicenda est) quam opera amicorum ultro delatum accepit. Ille vero tanto magis sperat Cels[itudinem] Tuam benigne hoc largituram, quo et propior nostri cura eam tangit, praesidentem his terris hominibusque et gubernantem, tum etiam, quo magis palam professa semper est amorem et patrocinium ingeniorum artiumque. Ac tempora Deus dabit (speramus) tum Regis tuaque fortuna et industria, ut a bellicis curis aliquo laxamento civiles etiam et pacis has artes, otium et voluntas suble-

23 Marginal note in the upper left corner ‘Relacion faicte a son Alteze / icelle accorde le priviliege / etc comme il est requis. Aprez / neantmoins que les livres de/ ce suppliant seront visitez / et approuvez par tes examinateurs/ ad ce auctorisez par sa Majeste en la / maniere accoustumee. faicte a Bruxelles / le 14 febvrier /1597.’

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vandi sint, nunc sane per Martis hanc diutinam tempestatem pressas. Ita Deus, ita Rex, ita Cels[itudo] Tua faciat; nec solum praeclara vobis gerere cupiditas sit, sed et ad posteros ea propagare, in gloriam vestram, in alienum exemplum. Id vovet Ser[enissi]mae Cels[itudini] Tuae

Humilis et devotus servus I[ustus] Lipsius.

2. The minute of the letter patent: Brussels, Algemeen Rijksarchief, Audiëntie, 2551(9)

The text presented here includes the additions and corrections proposed by the official in charge; the original passages which were unacceptable for one reason or another can be read in the apparatus criticus.

Abbreviations are expanded and resolved between brackets. One single oblique stroke marks the end of a line, two the end of a page. A few French accents have been added to avoid confusion.

Octroy g[e]n[er]al de faire imprimer pour / le professeur Justus Lipsius 1597²⁴/

Ph[i]l[ipp]e, etc. A Tous ceulx qui ces p[rese]ntes / verront salut. De la part de n[ost]re bien amé Juste / Lipsius professeur en n[ost]re Université de Louvain / nous a esté remonstré com[m]e ia passez trente / ans il auroit faict profession publicque de /l'estude des bonnes l[ett]res, signam[m|ent des / histoires, et de la philosophie, tant à enseigner / qu'à escripre. En quoy com[m]e il s'exerce du tout / (si qu'il tient dieu l'at appellé a ceste profession),/ il a p[rese]ntement es mains aulcunes oeuvres ia / prestes a mectre en lumiere, no[m]meement celles / intitulees monita et exempla politica / lesquelles il desireroit voluntiers dedier a / nostre treschier et tresamé bon frere nepveu et /cousin Albert Cardinal Archiduc etc. Lieutenant / Gouverneur et Cap[itai]ne General de nos pais de pardeca. /

Mais comme a cest effect il a besoing de nostre / octroy et previlege afin de ne retourner si / souvent a demander une mesme grace, il a tres humblement supplié qu'il nous pleuist luy / accorder previlege g[e]n[er]al de povoir faire / imprimer toutes les oeuvres qu'il vouldra / mectre en lumiere, pourveu que premierement / icelles soient veues et admises par les censeurs / des livres establiz en nosd[icts] pays de pardeca tant / de la part de n[ost]re S[ainc]t Pere le Pape que la n[ost]re / et sur ce luy faire despescher noz l[ett]res patentes en tel cas pertinentes. Scavoir faisons que / nous les choses susd[ictes] considerees, inclinant favorablem[ent] / a la supplica[ti]on et req[ues]te dud[ict] Juste Lipsius / suppliant, luy avons par la delibera[ti]on de nostred[ict] / bon frere nepveu et cousin le Cardinal Archiduc,/ octroyé permis et accordé, octroyons permectons /et accordons en lui donnant congé et licence / de grace especialle par ces p[rese]ntes qu'il puist et // pourra faire imprimer vendre et distribuer / en et par tous nosd[icts] pais de pardeca, signamment en cestuy n[ost|re pays et ducé de Brabant et d'Oultremeuze²⁵, tant lesd[ictes] / oeuvres intitulees Monita et exempla / politica, que toutes aultres qu'il vouldra / encoires mectre en lumiere à l'advenir, / pourveu qu'icelles soient preallablem[ent| visitees / et approuvees par le censeur et visitateur des / livres resident en nostred[icte] université de Louvain / ou en celle de Douay et / faisant au commenchement ou / fin des²⁶ livres qu'il fera²⁷ / i[m]primer note de la / visita[ti]on d'iceulx p[ar] les ce[n]seurs et examinateurs / les ayant approuvés./ En²⁸ / conformité de noz ordonnances sur ce faictes et publiees / et ce par telz typographes et / imprimeurs que bon luy semblera; mesmes pour / aulcunem[ent] recompenser led[ict] suppl[ian]t de ses paines, / travaulx et despens avons interdict et / defendu, interdisons et defendons par cesd[ictes] p[rese]ntes, / à tous typographes, imprimeurs libraires ou /aultres de quelque estat, qualité ou condition / qu'ilz soyent de durant le temps et terme de / trente ans apres l'édition de ch[asc]une desd(ictes] oeuvres / contrefaire, distribuer ou vendre icelles en / tout ou en partie en nosd[icts] pays de pardeca / sans consentem[ent] de celluy ou ceulx, qui par / led[ict] Juste Lipsius ou ses heritiers seront à ce / deno[m]mez ou aucthorisez, A paine de confisca[ti]on / et perte desd[icts] livres, Et oultre ce d'encourir / l'amende de trente marcqz d'or, A appliquer la / moictié a n[ost]re prouffict, et l'aultre moictié / au prouffict

24 Octroy... 1597: in columna sinistro adscriptum.

25 signamment... d'Oultremeuze: in columna sinistra adscriptum.

26 des: add. s.l., verbo desd. deleto.

27 fera: add. s.l., sera verbo deleto.

28 ou en celle... En: in columna sinistra adscriptum, et verbum en in textu deletum.

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dud[ict] suppl[ian]t et sesd[icts] heritiers. / Si²⁹ donnons en mandement à nos amez et feaulx les /³⁰ chancelliers et gens de n[ost]re conseil / de Brabant, mayeur de Louvain,/ amman de Bruxelles, escoutettes / d'Anvers et de Boisleducq et / à tous aultres noz iusticiers, officiers / et subiectz tant de nous que de / noz vassaulx et sei[gneu]rs bassains / de cestuy n[ost]red[ict] pays et ducé / de Brabant et d'Oultremeuze / cui ce regardera³¹ // que de ceste n[ost]re p[rese]nte grace, octroy et permission / et de tout le contenu en cesd[ictes] p[rese]ntes pour le / temps³² aux conditions selon et en la forme / et maniere que dit est ilz facent seuffrent / et laissent led[ict] Juste Lipsius³³ suppliant et sesd[icts] heritiers / plainement et paisiblement joyr et user / sans leur faire mectre ou donner, ny / souffrir, estre faict, mis ou donné aulcun / trouble, destourbier ou empeschem[en]t au contr[air]e./

Car ainsi nous plaist il. En temoing etc./

Donné en n[ostr]e ville de Bruxelles le quatorziesme de febvrier l'an de grace mil cincq cent nonante sept, de noz regnes etc.

29 Si: deletum et iterum scriptum.

30 sequitur, linea subducta: Chief President et gens de noz privé et grand / consaulx, chancellier et gens / de n[ost]re conseil en / Brabant, Gouverneurs, Presidentz et gens de noz consaulx provinciaulx de Luxembourg,/ Artois, Flandres et Namur, Grandbailly de / Haynnau et gens de n[ost]re conseil a Mons, / Gouverneur, Chancelier et gens de n[ost]re Conseil / en Geldres et Overijssel et a tous aultres noz // iusticiers, officiers et subiectz cui ce regardera.

31 chancelliers et gens... regardera: in columna sinistra adscriptum.

32 post temps deletum est verbum selon.

33 led[ict] Juste Lipsius: add. supra ledict deletum.

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Samenvatting

Deze bijdrage bestudeert de historische, administratieve en archivistische context van het privilege dat Lipsius had aangevraagd zowel voor de Monita et exempla politica als voor al zijn andere toekomstige werken. Justus Lipsius verkreeg dit privilege op 14 februari 1597. Het rekwest en de minuut van het privilege worden in appendix uitgegeven.

Summary

This contribution discusses tire historical, administrative and archival context of the privilege for the Monita et exempla politica by Justus Lipsius, as well as for all his other future works. This privilege was granted on 14 February 1597. The request and the minute of the privilege are published in the appendix.

Résumé

Cet article étudie le contexte historique, administratif et archivistique du privilège pour les Monita et exempla politica, et pour tout ouvrage futur de Juste Lipse. Lipse obtint ce privilège le 14 février 1597. La requête et la minute du privilège sont publiées en annexe.