Gerbier, Sir Balthazar (1591?-1667)

Secretum virtutis et scientiarum speculum. Miroir de la vertu. Et quelques secrets utiles aux Princes et aux Peuples. Première partie.

Author's holograph calligraphic MS., with three original crayon drawings. The drawings are on paste-board, and depict Christ and St. Thomas (fol. 8), Saul at the Gate of Damascus (fol. 10), and Susanna and the Elders (fol. 12). Each of the drawings is protected by a blue silk guard. On fol. 16 are two pen-drawings of an explosive mine. Pasted on the verso of the second leaf is an engraved portrait of Gerbier (16½ × 12 cm.), by Jean Meyssens [1612-1672] after Vandyck. This seems to be the portrait from C. de Bies' 'Gulden Cabinet' 1662, listed in J. F. van Someren's 'Beschryvende Catallogus' 1888-1891, Vol. 2, p. 279, entered as No. 1968b.

On fol. 13 is a separate title: 'Formulaire touchant l'art de la plume et d'un language et chifre secret très utile aux princes, du desseign, de la géometrie, de l'architecture militaire ... et de la philosophie naturelle expérimentale, en examples de secrets très rares er utiles. Première partie'.

Of the various subjects mentioned in this title not all are treated in the actual text: and this includes 'Loix, status [sic], ordonnances et coustumes pour un nouvel Estat' (ff. 18-23): there are also 'Secrets de chimie' (ff. 24-27), which, in spite of this heading, contain medical receipts.