First and only edition of a Dutch poem in praise of Château Agimont, now known as Château Neercanne, and the nearby city of Maastricht. It starts with a six-page verse dedication to Daniel Wolf, Baron van Dopff, who had the chateau rebuilt in Dutch Baroque architecture in 1698, followed by an acknowledgement in verse to the Maastricht city officials, and a four-page note to the reader. Included at the end as an appendix, is a Dutch translation of a Latin speech in praise of poetry. The double-page plates show the chateau with its large terrace gardens (and a ship sailing in the artificial lake), a panoramic view of the city of Maastricht, and the great stone-vaulted interior of the St. Pietersberg limestone quarry south of Maastricht.
The chateau is built on a man-made terrace on the side of a hill (unique in the Netherlands) and remains, together with the quarry, a popular tourist attraction. The plate of the chateau, and probably the other illustrations, were drawn by Guillaume de Bruyn (1649-1719) and engraved by J. Karrewyn. The author, François Halma (1653-1722), was not only a poet but also a printer, publisher, and bookseller, and his engraved device includes a printing press (modestly giving centre stage to a view of Constantine's victory). On its publication in 1715, Halma's work received an enthusiastic 19-page report in Boekzaal der geleerde wereld, which gave particular attention to the typography.
The spine is slightly rubbed, a scratch on the back board, with some loss of material. The leaves are lightly browned. Otherwise in very good condition. Nijhoff-van Hattum 126; NNBW 6; STCN 157157407 (5 copies).