'Description de jubilé de sept cens ans de S. Macaire ... célébré dans la ville de Gand...', Ghent, Jan Meyer, [1767]

4vo. [8] + xiI + 84 pp. Leather cover (some wear and stains).

Full title: 'Description du Jubilé de Sept cens ans de S. Macaire, Patron Particulier contre la Peste, Qui sera célébré dans la Ville de Gand Capitale de la Flandre A commencer le 30. Mai jusqu’au 15. Juin 1767, avec le détail ultérieur des Cérémonies, Solemnités, Cavalcade, Ornemens, & des feux d'Artifice, &c. &c. qui auront lieu à cette occasion. Le tout enrichi de Figures. A Gand, Chez Jean Meyer imprimeur de le Ville, sur la Haute-porte à l'Enseigne de l4Epée Roïale, Avec privilége de S. M. I. & R.A.'.

With privilege of Maria-Theresia dated February 2, 1767. Illustrated with 15 o.t. copper engravings, 11 of which are folding plates, depicting all the triumphal floats and floats taking part in the procession. The wagons were donated by the city's guilds. Between pp. 72 and 73 is the large folding engraving, format A2, with the arrangement of the great fireworks that would be set off on 1, 2 or 3 June 1767, the first day with good weather (with legend). The plates each bear a letter from 'A' to 'O' (the letter 'J' was not used) and the charriots depicted are each numbered from 1 to 46, usually 4 per plate (plate D is missing the cars with No. 10/12/13; number 18 of plate F is missing). The large folding engraving does not contain a letter and number.

Emmanuel Van Reijsschoot (1713-1772) was commissioned to design the chariots based on the sketches and descriptions of 'Pater' Vollaert of the Augustinian order. The engravings are made and signed by:
- F. Heylbrouck (1704-1780): plate B, signed with 'F. heylbrouck Fecit Gandavi'
- Pieter Wauters (1722-1777): plates A, G, I, K, O and the large plate, signed with either 'P.W.F.' (plates A, O and the large plate) or 'P. Wauters f. aqua forti' (plates G, I and K),
-Jan Lodewijk Wauters (son of Pieter): plates C, D, E, F, H, L, M and N, signed with 'J.L. Wauters fils. fecit aqua forti'.

Program book in French of the festivities in Ghent, organized by the Jesuits and Augustinians, on the occasion of the 700-year canonization and elevation of the relics of Saint Macharius as the patron saint against the plague. As a former archbishop of Antioch, Macharius had finally arrived in Ghent via the pilgrimage route and died there in 1012.
The printer and publisher 'Jean Meyer' paid 800 pounds for the exclusive rights to print the program book. He was one of the most important Ghent printers in the second half of the 18th C.

Ref.:

- Vanderhaeghe, Bib. Gantoise 3856.

- Louise Vermeersch, De viering van stadsheiligen in de achttiende eeuw, Het zevenhonderdjarig jubileum van de verheffing van de relieken van Sint-Macharius te Gent, Academiejaar 2012-2013 Masterproef voorgelegd aan de Faculteit Letteren en Wijsbegeerte voor het behalen van de graad van Master in de Geschiedenis.