Confrerie van de Handbussche
Full title
De Koninklijke Scherpschutters-gilde: "Ridderlijke Confrerie Diletto ed Arme", oudtijds de Ridderlijke Broederschap, genaamd: de Confrerie van de Handbussche, binnen Delft
literal translation: The Royal Sharpshooter's Guild: Chivalrous Fraternity "Diletto ed Arme", in olden times the Chivalrous Brotherhood, named: the Fraternity of the Pistol, within Delft
In the secondary literature, there seems to be ambiguity about the Dutch schutter and schieter and thus scherpschutter and schutterskoning. Schieter is clearly a shooter, but should schutter be translated as shooter or guard?
What about "Diletto"? It is not in any Dutch dictionaries of the time. I found this:
Ridderlijke Confrerie Diletto ed Arme (Vermaak en Wapenen) te Delft, 1854-1855.
Sewel's Dutch-English dictionary of 1735 (3rd ed.) has the following translations:
- Handbus - a Pistol, harquebuss
- met scherp shieten - to shoot with bullets or any other shot
- Schieter - a Shooter
- Schutten - to Stop., hinder., keep out, prevent
- Schutter - a Musketeer, shooter
- Schutting - a Stopping, keeping out
- Vermaak - amusement, entertainment, diversion
Thus, Ridderlijke Confrerie Diletto ed Arme is Chivalrous Fraternity of Amusement and Weapons