THE FIRST OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CORONATION OF KING CHRISTIAN IV

ERICH, AUGUSTUS.

Klarlige oc visse beskriffuelse, om den stormectige, høybaarne førstis oc herris, herr Christians den Fierdis, Danmarckis, Norgis, Vendis oc Gottis konnings: Hertugs vdi Slesuig, Holsten, Stormarn oc Ditmersken: Graeffuis vdi Oldenborg oc Delmenhorst: Kongelige kroning, som lycksaligen bleff holden vdi Kiøbenhaffn, den 29. augusti, anno 1596.

Kiøbenhaffn (Copenhagen), (Henrich Waldkirch), 1598.

4to. In contemporary vellum with yapp edges. Soiling and a few stains and marks to extremities. With four-line annotation in contemporary hand to pasted down front end-paper: "Denne bog hórer mig till / Bertill Bernhill  oc haver/ jeg kiöbt hendom af Niels / bogförer i Helsingør 1598". (i.e. English: "This book belongs to me / bought from Niels bookseller in Elsinore 1598")
Occassional marginal dampstains throughout, otherwise internally nice and clean. 106 ff. 

First Danish edition (it was first published in German the previous year) of the first official description of the coronation of King Christian IV. August Erich himself attended the coronation festivities, so it contains firsthand descriptions of the ceremony, the processions with decorations and costumes, fireworks, musical instruments, jousting, etc.

The first official coronation description, published in 1597, was written in German by the king's secretary in the German Chancellery, August Erich, who identified himself as an eyewitness to the events. This description was primarily aimed at the northern German regions where Christian IV had or sought influence, and it can be seen as a follow-up to the previous tour of northern German towns that the un-crowned Christian undertook in 1595.

Erich's coronation description was translated into Danish in 1598 (The present work) by court chaplain Andreas Benedict Dallin, who added more detailed information. Dallin's coronation description was clearly intended for a Danish audience, with the aim of strengthening and justifying Christian IV's domestic position in relation to the nobility as well as the citizens and common people.

Order-nr.: 61416