Adriaan van Meerbeeck

Adriaan van Meerbeeck
Engraving of the author at the age of 57 (1620)
Born	1563 Antwerp, Duchy of Brabant, Habsburg Netherlands
Died	1627
Language	Dutch
Nationality	Brabantine
Period	1617-1625
Genres	historian, translator
Subjects	history, funerary literature, devotion, travel
Notable works	Chronycke van de gantsche werelt (1620), Nederlantschen Mercurius (1625)

Adrianus or Adriaan van Meerbeeck (1563–1627) was a writer and translator from Antwerp.^[1]

Life

Meerbeeck was born in Antwerp in 1563. By 1600 he was headmaster of the Aalst grammar school, and he was still living in Aalst in 1625.^[2] He is best known for two chronicles, Chronycke van de gantsche werelt (1620) and Nederlantschen Mercurius (1625), and also for compiling accounts of the funerals of Ferdinand II of Aragon, Emperor Charles V, Philip II of Spain, Rudolph II, Philip III of Spain and Albert VII, Archduke of Austria.

His brother, Jan van Meerbeeck, was a printer in Brussels.

Works

Histories

• Chronycke van de gantsche werelt, ende sonderlinghe van de seventhien Nederlanden (Antwerp, Hieronymus Verdussen, 1620). Available on Google Books.
• Theatre funebre ou sont representéez les funerailles de plusieurs princes et la vie, trespas, et magnifiques obseques de Albert le Pie de treshaulte memoire archiduc d'Austrice, duc de Bourgoigne, Brabant, etc. (Brussels, Ferdinand de Hoeymaker, 1622). Available on Google Books.
• Tonneel der wtvaerden van Ferdinandus Coninck, Carolus Keyser, Philippus den tweeden, Rudolphus den tweeden, Phillippus den derden, midtsgaders t' leven, overlijden ende begravinghe van Albertus den godtvruchtigen ertzhertoge van Oostenrijck enz. (Brussels, Ferdinand de Hoeymaker, 1622). Available on Google Books.
• Nederlantschen Mercurius oft waerachtig verhael van de geschiedenissen van Nederlandt ende oock van Duytschlandt, Spaengien, Italien, Vranckrijck ende Turckijen, sedert den jare 1620 tot 1625 (Brussels, Jan van Meerbeeck, 1625). Available on Google Books.
• De verdervernisse ofte destructie van Jerusalem, drawn from the works of Josephus and Hegesippus; surviving only in a reprint from 1711. Available on Google Books.

Translations

• Nicolas de Montmorency, Vloeyende fonteyne der Liefde, vol allerlieffelycker oeffeninghen ende devote ghebeden (Antwerp, Caesar Joachim Trognaesius, 1617). Reprinted Leuven, 1690.
• Johannes Cotovicus, De loflycke reyse van Jerusalem ende Syrien (Antwerp, Hieronymus Verdussen, 1620).

References

1. Paul Bergmans, "Meerbeeck, Adrien van", Biographie Nationale de Belgique, vol. 14 (Brussels, 1897), 252-254.
2. A. J. van der Aa, Biographisch woordenboek der Nederlanden, vol. 12/1 (Haarlem, 1869), 483. Available on Digital Library for Dutch Literature. Accessed 16 November 2015.