Materiality, Meaning, and Disbelief

René de Lucinge’s The Beginning, Continuance and Decay of Estates

Abstract

This paper considers and contextualises René de Lucinge’s The Beginning, Continuance and Decay of Estates (translated into English by John Finet, 1606), and argues that this particular work proposes a fascinating strateg y to deal with the Turkish threat in Europe. Besides presenting the claims of the work, I approach the work from the perspective of the history of the book. This way, I explore the material aspects of the English version from the paratextual elements to typesetting and decoration, and delineate the pattern that emerges from these elements. I also note that these elements influence the act of reading and interpreting the work.