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303.VERE, Sir Francis. the commentaries... being diverse pieces of service, wherein he had command, written by himself in way of commentary. published by William dillingham. Cambridge, John Field, Printer to the famous University, 1657.
£1,600
small folio.(290 x 190 mm.). handsomely bound period style in late nineteenth-century gilt-panelled burgundy full morocco, the spine in six compartments with raised bands, five centre-tooled with an acorn device, the remaining one, gilt- lettered, gilt-ruled edges, elaborate gilt-tooled turn-ins, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers; pp.[xii], 209, [3], with the half-title; engraved portraits of sir francis vere, sir horace vere and sir John ogle, three double-page plates showing vere’s tomb, and the battles of turnhout and nieuport, four double-page engraved maps; booksellers ticket to the rear pastedown, very light marginal browning to the upper margins of some leaves, old faint ink spot to the fore-edges of pp. 93-97.
first edition. sir francis vere [1560-1609] spent most of his life as a professional soldier and is rightly considered one of elizabeth i’s most able commanders. volunteering for service at the age of twenty-five in the forces that elizabeth was sending to the netherlands under leicester, vere was eventually given command of the english troops in the service of the united provinces. the Commentaries describe in a manner “straightforward and soldierlike” [dnb], vere’s various campaigns against the spanish forces that include the battle of nieuport in 1600 and the siege of ostend the following year. vere managed to combine great military skills with shrewd diplomacy and was consulted on a number of key foreign policy issues concerning england’s relationship with the netherlands and spain. his career culminated with the signing of the treaty of utrecht in April of 1609 which guaranteed independence to the provinces. vere died suddenly in August the same year and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
vere’s Commentaries in the form of short notices were intended for private circulation only, but found their way into print after vere’s death when dr. William dillingham the cambridge poet and scholar stumbled upon a transcribed copy of the original manuscript. from there dillingham traced and collated other copies, eventually securing the autographed manuscript then in the possession of the earl of clare.
Wing V 240.
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