Beschrijving
Amsterdam, Pieter Meijer, 1768. 2nd edition, 4º: * 2 A-3C 4 3D 2, [4] 395+[1] pp. Frontispiece engraving by S. Fokke dated 1766. On the titelpage a vignette by J. van Schley (1761), complete with the 12 engaved titlepages for each book by S. Fokke (one engraving is loosening). Half leather binding, with modern woodlike vinyl on the front and back of the book. Some damage to the spine with cracked leather and damage to the head and tail, worn leather titleplate, the construction of the book is solid, the bookblock is in very good condition with clean pages and beautiful engravings.
Lit: Smit (Kalliope) II, 601-620; Te Winkel V, 398399. David (1769) by Lucretia van Merken is a religious epic poem that retells the biblical life of King David as a moral and spiritual exemplar, combining classical epic form with Enlightenment-era didacticism and Christian devotion. Most famous female author of the 18th century. Lucretia van Merken acquired immediate fame after the publication of her almost 900-verse didactic poem ‘Het nut der tegenspoeden’. In this poem, Van Merken argues that lifes inevitable setbacks or hardships are extremely useful to a person. In ‘David’ Van Merken was praised by her contemporaries and dubbed ’the Sappho of our century’. Somewhat ten years later Van Merkens poem was mentioned in Nicolaas Beetss Camera Obscura (1839), and it appears her works were still read by then. The engraved plates by Fokke were sold separately so some editions will not have these plates present.
