Descripción
Folio (14 6/8 x 10 inches). Letterpress title-page with woodcut arms of William III of England, additional engraved allegorical title-page, and 11 EXCEPTIONALLY FINE double-page plates, and 3 full-page plates (bound without the portrait of William III, short worm track to title-pages). Modern tan calf, the spine in six compartments with five raised bands (extremities a little scuffed). Provenance: from the library of H.R.H. The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester KG, KT, KP, his sale Christie's, London 27th January 2006; from the Collection of Prince and Princess Henry De la Tour d'Auvergne Lauraguais, Sotheby's London, 3rd May, 2012, lot 315. First published in 1691 as 'Komste van Zyne Majesteit Willem III. Konig van Groot Britanje, enz. in Holland' with the same plates by de Hooghe, and with text by Govert Bidloo, translated here by Jean Tronchin de Breuil. Both editions were published by Leers. These superb plates by Romeyn de Hooghe, one of the most celebrated artists and engravers of his day, commemorate the lavish festivities welcoming William III, king of England, Scotland, and Ireland, and prince of Orange, to Holland. Over the winter of 1688-1689 William had invaded Britain and seized the Stuart crown from his uncle James II. In 1691 William crossed back to the Netherlands for the first time since 1688. His visit to Holland was designed to secure an alliance with the Provinces against Louis XIV of France, who was working to support the restitution of James II to the English throne. "He received a triumphal welcome in The Hague that demonstrated a strong hold on Dutch public opinion, but his presence on the continent did not prevent the French taking Mons, and still worse catastrophes followed during his visits to Flanders over the next two years. In June 1692 the French captured Namur, despite the fact that 40,000 English troops were in Flanders with their king, and William's attempt to storm the French camp at Steenkerke on 3 August NS ended in disaster. In July 1693 the French army defeated William and inflicted 16,000 casualties at Landen, while in October they went on to capture Charleroi" (Tony Claydon for DNB). The visit was made after the battle of the Boyne at which William had been victorious against the Irish, but before the battle of The Hague, which saw the defeat of the French nearly 10 years later in 1701. Landwehr, Romeyn de Hooghe 79 & 80; Landwehr, Splendid Ceremonies 146 & 147. N° de ref. del artículo 72lib832
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