Editing Dutch-language literature (section)

==Renaissance and the Golden Age (1550–1670)==
{{main|Dutch Renaissance and Golden Age literature}}

The first ripples of the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] appeared in Dutch literature in a collection of Psalm translations printed at Antwerp in 1540 under the title of ''Souter-Liedekens'' ("[[Psalter]] Songs"). For the [[Protestant]] [[Wiktionary:congregation|congregations]], [[Jan Utenhove]] printed a volume of Psalms in 1566 and made the first attempt at a New Testament translation in Dutch. Very different in tone were the battle songs sung by the Reformers, the [[Les Gueux|Gueux]] songs. The famous [[songbook]] of 1588, ''Een Geusen Lied Boecxken'' ("A Gueux Songbook"), was full of heroic sentiment.

[[Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde]] (1538–1598) was one of the leading spirits in the [[Eighty Years' War|war of Dutch independence]] and an intimate friend of [[William I, Prince of Orange]]. The lyrics to ''[[Wilhelmus|Wilhelmus van Nassouwe]]'', the current Dutch [[national anthem]] and an [[Apologetics|apology]] of the Prince's actions composed around 1568, are [[ascription|ascribed]] to Marnix. His chief work was 1569's ''Biëncorf der Heilige Roomsche Kercke'' (Beehive of the Holy Roman Church), a [[satire]] of the [[Roman Catholic church]]. Marnix occupied the last years of his life in preparing a Dutch version of the [[Bible]], translated directly from the original; at his death only [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] was completed. In 1619 the [[Synod of Dort]] placed the unfinished work in the hands of four [[theologian]]s, who completed it. This translation formed the starting point for the ''[[Statenvertaling]]'' or "States' Translation", a full Bible translation into Dutch ordered by the Synod. In order to be intelligible to all Dutchmen, the Statenvertaling included elements of all main Dutch dialects and so became the cornerstone of modern standard Dutch.

[[Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert]] (1522–1590) was the Low Countries' first truly humanist writer. In 1586 he produced his original masterpiece, the ''Zedekunst'' ("Art of [[Ethics]]"), a philosophical [[treatise]] in prose. Coornhert's [[humanism]] unites the [[Bible]], [[Plutarch]] and [[Marcus Aurelius]] in one grand system of ethics.

By this time, the religious and political upheaval in the Low Countries had resulted in the 1581 [[Act of Abjuration]], deposing their king, [[Philip II of Spain]] and the subsequent [[Eighty Years' War|eighty years' struggle to confirm that declaration]]. As a result, the [[Spanish Netherlands|southern provinces]], some of which had supported the declaration, were separated from the [[Dutch Republic|northern provinces]] as they remained under Spanish rule. Ultimately, this would result in the present-day states of [[Belgium]] (south) and the [[Netherlands]] (north). After Antwerp [[fall of Antwerp|had fallen]] into Spanish hands in 1585, Amsterdam became the centre of all literary enterprise as all [[intelligentsia]] fled towards the north. This meant both a cultural renaissance in the north and a sharp decline in the south at the same time, regarding the level of Dutch literature practised. The north received a cultural and intellectual boost whereas in the south, Dutch was largely replaced by [[French language|French]] as the language of culture and administration.
[[File:Archive-ugent-be-4C132E7E-EC1A-11E1-ABD8-B7558375B242 DS-22 (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|Poem written by Joost van den Vondel, 17th century.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gelegenheidsgedichten, meest aangeboden aan Karel Couvrechef. Latijnse aantekeningen op de H. Hildegardis van Bingen|url=https://lib.ugent.be/viewer/archive.ugent.be:4C132E7E-EC1A-11E1-ABD8-B7558375B242#?c=&m=&s=&cv=6&xywh=-544,-428,16246,9071|access-date=2020-08-28|website=lib.ugent.be}}</ref>]]
[[File:PCHooft.jpg|thumb|left|[[P.C. Hooft]]]]

In Amsterdam, a circle of poets and playwrights formed around [[Maecenas]]-like figure [[Roemer Visscher]] (1547–1620), which would eventually be known as the [[Muiderkring]] ("Circle of [[Muiden]]") after the residence of its most prominent member, [[Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft]] (1581–1647), writer of pastoral and lyric poetry and history. From 1628 to 1642 he wrote his masterpiece, the ''Nederduytsche Historiën'' ("History of the Netherlands"). Hooft was a purist in style, modelling himself (in prose) after [[Publius Cornelius Tacitus|Tacitus]]. He is considered one of the greatest historians, not merely of the Low Countries, but of Europe. His influence in standardising the language of his country is considered enormous, as many writers conformed themselves to the stylistic and grammatical model Hooft devised. Other members of his Circle included Visscher's daughter [[Maria Tesselschade Visscher|Tesselschade]] (1594–1649, [[lyric poem|lyric poetry]]) and [[Gerbrand Adriaensz Bredero]] (1585–1618, romantic plays and comedies), whose best-known piece is ''De Spaansche Brabanber Jerolimo'' ("Jerolimo, the Spanish Brabanter"), a satire upon the [[refugee]]s from the [[Spanish Netherlands|south]]. A versatile poet loosely associated with the Circle of Muiden was the [[diplomat]] [[Constantijn Huygens]] (1596–1687), perhaps best known for his witty [[epigram]]s. Huygens' style was bright and vivacious and he was a consummate artist in metrical form.

[[File:Vondel.jpg|thumb|right|[[Joost van den Vondel]]]]

The greatest of all Dutch writers is widely considered to be the playwright and poet [[Joost van den Vondel]] (1587–1679), who mainly wrote historical and biblical tragedies. In 1625 he published what seemed an innocent study from the antique, his tragedy of ''Palamedes, or Murdered Innocence'', but which was a thinly veiled tribute to [[Johan van Oldebarnevelt]], the Republic's [[Grand Pensionary]], who had been executed in 1618 by order of [[stadtholder]] [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Maurice of Nassau]]. Vondel became in a week the most famous writer in the Netherlands and for the next twelve years, until the accession of stadtholder [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]], had to maintain a hand-to-hand combat with the [[Calvinist]]s of Dordrecht. In 1637 Vondel wrote of his most popular works on the occasion of the opening of a new Amsterdam theatre: ''[[Gijsbrecht van Aemstel (play)|Gijsbrecht van Aemstel]]'', a play on a local historical figure loosely modeled on material from the ''[[Aeneid]]'' that is still staged to this day. In 1654 Vondel brought out what most consider the best of all his works, the tragedy of ''Lucifer'', from which it is said [[John Milton|Milton]] drew inspiration. Vondel is considered the typical example of Dutch creativity and imagination at their highest development.

A similar school to that in Amsterdam arose in [[Middelburg, Zeeland|Middelburg]], the capital of [[Zeeland]], led by [[Jacob Cats]] (1577–1660). In Cats the genuine Dutch habit of thought, the utilitarian and didactic spirit reached its [[zenith]] of fluency and popularity. During early middle life he produced the most important of his writings, his didactic poems, the ''Maechdenplicht'' ("Duty of Maidens") and the ''Sinne- en Minnebeelden'' ("Images of Allegory and Love"). In 1624 he moved from Middelburg to Dordrecht, where he soon after published his ethical work called ''Houwelick'' ("Marriage"); and this was followed by an entire series of moral pieces. Cats is considered somewhat dull and prosaic by some, yet his popularity with the middle classes in the Netherlands has always been immense.

As with contemporary [[English literature]], the predominant forms of literature produced in this era were [[poetry]] and [[drama]], Coornhert ([[philosophy]]) and Hooft ([[history]]) being the main exceptions. In another prose genre, [[Johan van Heemskerk]] (1597–1656) was the leading man of a new vogue blown over from [[France]]: the [[romance novel|romance]]. In 1637 he produced his ''Batavische Arcadia'' ("[[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]]n [[Arcadia (paradise)|Arcadia]]"), the first original Dutch romance, in its day extremely popular and widely imitated. Another exponent of this genre was [[Nikolaes Heinsius the Younger]], whose ''Mirandor'' (1695) resembles but precedes [[Alain-René Lesage|Lesage]]'s ''Gil Blas''.

The period from 1600 to 1650 was the blossoming time in Dutch literature. During this period the names of greatest genius were first made known to the public and the vigour and grace of literary expression reached their highest development. It happened, however, that three men of particularly commanding talent survived to an extreme old age, and under the shadow of Vondel, Cats and Huygens sprang up a new generation which sustained the great tradition until around 1670, when decline set in sharply.