BATAVIA

Begrepen in zes boeken

First edition: 320 + [3] pages, engraved frontispiece, title page vignette, folding plan of Batavia, full vellum binding blind stamped on the upper cover, the red title label gilt on the spine is illegible, a good copy.

Bound together with his BESPIEGELINGIN OVER GODS WYSHEID in’t bestier der schepselen en eerkroonvoor de Caab de Gode Hoop. 178 pages. Amsterdam, 1746.

and his HOF EN MEGELDICHTEN. 214 pages, Amsterdam, 1746

Jan Harmenszoon de Marre (* 23 August 1696 in Amsterdam - † 19 January 1763, Amsterdam) gained fame as a writer. In Batavia , which includes six parts and which he had worked on since 1728, was published in 1740, he writes verses describing the Dutch's trips to India, praising the rise of the VOC and the founding of this organization's headquarters in Batavia as well as the fortunes, wars and other history and topographical information about Batavia (part of contemporary Indonesia).

The first song gives a historical overview of the colonization of the East Indian region by the Spaniards, Portuguese and Dutch, leading to the founding of the VOC The second song is a description of the eastern part of the city of Batavia, the third song is a detailed story of the conquest of Jakarta and the founding of Batavia. The fourth song is a description of the western part of Batavia. The fifth song describes the maritime and trade relations with the Indian Archipelago and on to Ceylon and the coast of Malabar. The epic concludes with the sixth song, which is a glorification of the VOC and discusses the mostly hostile relationship with the Portuguese. https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_de_Marre

Bespiegelingen is an epic poem in praise of the Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope was written on the occasion of a visit 60 years after the founding of this settlement.