1632. The Blaeu Reprisal

Abstract This chapter analyses the publication history of the 1632 edition of IBP produced by Blaeu as a counterpoint to Janssonius’ pirated version of the text. It considers the commercial incentives behind the printing of a more expensive version of IBP, explores how an early modern publisher could grant prestige and amplify the commercial appeal of a book that he had published a year earlier, and how the reputation of this edition, bolstered by the endorsement of the author himself, had a long-term impact on the reception of the text. Considered in conjunction, the printing history and typographical features of the 1631 Blaeu and the 1632 Janssonius and 1632 Blaeu editions raise the question of cooperation between the two publishers, and Grotius’ involvement.