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Sci. Rev. Reader ('02/02/16) 04-P4) Mercator

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This universal Globe, which is rather an object of the Secret conceptions of human

understanding, than of the sharp-sightedness of our eyes, in regard of the perfect

clearness, and absolute purity, is called by the Grecians Kosmos, which name

Pythagoras gave it first, [and by] the Latins Mundus.

- Gerhard Mercator

04-P4) Gerhard Mercator, “Atlas”1

An Introduction To UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY, As Well Modern, As Ancient

The Preface Upon Atlas

Atlas King of Mauritania, was borne of a Royal race, and had for his father

Serrenus, or Indigena (as Eusebius witnesseth out of the most ancient Historians)

whose surname was Coelus, & whose mother was Titea, surnamed Terra; his great

Grand-father on the Father’s and mother’s side were Elius or Sol, King of Phoenicia,

who with his wife Beruth, dwelt in Biblius, both of them excellently versed in Astronomy,

and in natural disciplines, so that for their learning sake, they were accounted worthy of

the names of Sol and of Caelum, undoubtedly this Atlas, as the Ancients report (namely

Diodorus in his fourth book and fifth chapter) was a most skillful Astrologer, and the first

1 Mercator. Gerhard. (Hondius, Jansinium). Atlas, or Geographicke Description of the

World, facsimile edition of English trans. by Henry Hexham. Amsterdam, 1968. 2

vols. Pp. O, 31-37, 39-40.


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among men, that disputed of the Sphere. [ . . . ] Atlas had for his part, those

Countries, which lay next unto the Ocean, and Lybia, and the Straits of Gibraltar,

whence Mounts Atlas and the Atlantic people in Mauritania took first their name, and

Saturnus obtained Sicilia, and Lybia, who being afterward hated of his people, for the

cruelty he used against his Father Coelus, fled into Italy, where by Janus he was made

Partaker of the Kingdom. [ . . . ]

AtIas had many Sons, but among the rest, one famous for his piety, justice, and

courtesy to his subjects. His name was Hesperus, who ascending up to the top of

Mount Atlas, to search out diligently the course of the Stars, was on a sudden violently

carried away with winds, and appeared no more. So much Dyodorus speakth of him:

but in my opinion (as I have said) I find he was King in Iberia, into which at last, he

came with a prosperous wind, where he lived so prudently and religiously, that when he

fled into Etruria, being driven from thence by his brother, for his excellent wisdom and

prudence he was made Tutor to Ianus, and administrator of the Kingdom, which offices

Atlas his brother undertook.

My purpose then is to follow this Atlas, a man so excelling in erudition, humanity,

and wisdom, (as from a lofty watch tower) to contemplate Cosmography, as much as

my strength and ability will permit me, to see if peradventure, by my diligence, I may find

out some truths in things yet unknown, which may serve to the study of wisdom. And as

the world containeth the number of all things, the species, order, harmony, proportion,

virtues and effects; so beginning from the creation: I will number all the parts thereof, so

far as methodical reason requireth, according to the order of the creation, and will

contemplate physically, that the causes of things may be known, whereof consisteth

that Science of sciences, Wisdom, which directeth everything to a good end, by a

provident wisdom, which doth facilitate the way to the ends. This is the main scope I

aim at.

Afterward I will handle Coelestial things in their rank: then the Astronomics; which

appertain to conjecture by the Stars. Fourthly, treat of things Elementary, & lastly the


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Geographics,2 and so (as in a mirror) will set before your eyes, the whole world, that in

making use of Some rudiments, ye may find out the causes of things, and so by

attaining unto wisdom and prudence, by this means lead the Reader to higher

speculations. [ . . . ]

2 By the ‘conjecture of the Stars’ Mercator means astrology and ‘things Elementary’ he

means the elemental or terrestrial region. Here Mercator reproduces the cluster of

cosmographical disciplines found in Ptolemy: astronomy, astrology, and geography.


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Fig. 04-P4.1) Atlas bearing Armillary Sphere on his Shoulders

In this woodcut from [??] the standard depiction of the homocentric spheres of the

Aristotelian geocentric cosmos is combined with the rings of the armillary sphere. At


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center is the terrestrial region (the details of the Mediterranean, Asia, and north Africa

can be seen on the globe of the Earth) surrounded by the seven concentric spheres of

the planets, the stellar sphere, and two additional spheres. The poles of the axis (or

‘axletree’) of the armillary sphere run through the Earth (though the artist has it

misaligned) and are ringed by the small Polar Circles (Arctic to the north and Antarctic

to the south)and the Meridian crosses the poles and the Equator is set at right angles to

the Meridian. The tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are located on either side of the

Equator, with the band of the Zodiac lying crossing the Equator and the zodical signs of

Capricorn intersecting the Tropic of Capricorn below and Cancer intersecting the Tropic

of Cancer above. The inscription below the kneeling Atlas reads, [“??”]

Chapter the First. What Geography, the Globe, or the Round Earth is

Geography, is a description of the whole Earth, as much as is discovered to us.

This Greek word Geography, is compounded of the [Greek] Noun Gaia or Gais in stead

whereof this word Gia is used in composition that is to say, Earth, and of the [Greek]

verb grapho “I write”, whence is made this compound word Geographia, that is to say, a

“description of the Earth”.

Geography is differing from Cosmography, as the part from the whole, and is

also distinguished from Chorography, as the whole from the part: for Cosmography is

the description of all the world, which is derived from the Greek Noun Cosmos, that is to

say, “World”, and from the verb grapho, that is to say, “I write”, when one speaks of the

whole world, we understand the world, as well Elementary, as Celestial.

Chorography is the particular description of some Region, or Country, and

cometh also from this Greek word Coros, that is to say, “Region”, and from the verb

grapho which is to say, “I write”, as the description of Spain, Italy, Germany, France, &c.

Topography is the particular description of a certain place, as of a Country, or a

Territory, or of a Town, or of a Village; under which are comprised Manured Lands,

Meadows, Trees, Places and buildings, represented by writing. This is also a Greek


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word, and compounded of the Noun Topos, that is to say, “a place”, and of the verb

grapho, that is to say, “I write”.

But Geography is properly the description of the situation of the Earth alone,

wherein first is to be marked, that in the term of Geography this word is not only taken

for one of the four Elements, as in a physical term, but thereby we understand

conjointly, the earth moistened with the waters, which are showered upon it, making

both together the Center of the whole world, which because of the round figure is called

Orbis, or the Globe of the Earth. For the Globe is a solid body round on all sides,

contained in a Superficies, having in the middle thereof, a center or point, whereof all

lines which are drawn from thence, unto the Superficies, are equal, this then is a sole

Globe, compounded of the one and the other Element, from whence rebounds one only

Convex or Superficies, that is to Say, which appeareth without concavity.

Portraiture of the Universal Earth

Seeing that for the better attaining unto the knowledge of every thing, natural

reason requireth, that it be declared in general first, before we descend to the

particulars thereof, and that the whole may be known from the part in gross; I have

thought it my duty according to this rule, before I come to handle the first Tome of our

Geography and Septentrional Regions, to present you with a Portraiture of the universal

Earth, and of its four parts, Europe, Africa, Asia and America; and as I also hope to doe

in these Tomes following: to the end, that the work and the universal description, may

receive from it the more perfection: and like-wise that he who shall See the figure of his

own Country, should not be deprived of a thing so profitable. For the contemplation of

things in general, is pleasing and necessary to him which searcheth out the knowledge

of natural things, yea how little soever it be. For if a man please to consider what the

rising and setting of the Sun is; the cause of Summer and winter—whence proceedeth

the inequality of days & nights that how finally and in what place, bred, multiplied,

increased, made, altered, and changed, from the beginning of all things, all which


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cannot be better taught without any danger, & with greater contentment, than from the

union, and reference to these five tables. And as it is not enough for a man, that hath a

large, and a spacious house, to know well all the rooms, belonging to it, but it is also

very fitting, and most necessary, to consider, in what place of the town, his house

standeth, that on a sudden, when any fire, or any hurly-burly should rise how far, or how

near he is from that present danger. So it is no less pleasing, & necessary, to know in

what part of the world he dwell, what Nations or people inhabit near or more remote

from you, that when calamities of war shall seize upon you, you may timely resolve with

your self upon the fear, moderation, or what order ye were best to take.

Moreover, because Cosmography is the light of History, as well Ecclesiastic as

Politic, and that the idle spectator may learn more than the Traveler, by his labors, who

changeth oftner the heaven, than nature, ye will reap less profit in perusing of particular

Tables, if ye doe not join there unto the Generals, which are made for representation of

the whole Earth, & of my great Europe, which I caused to be printed at Duysburgh. God

preserve [you] the in the mean time Reader, & make the enjoy these rare things,

considering with the Poet Buchanan, that it maybe the glory of so short a demure which

is ordained here for us on Earth, that it may draw us as well to celestial things, as from

terrestrial & frail, may raise our Spirits on high, as if they ought to mind nothing more

than eternal things. [ . . .]

Of The World

This universal Globe, which is rather an object of the Secret conceptions of

human understanding, than of the sharp-sightedness of our eyes, in regard of the

perfect clearness, and absolute purity, is called by the Grecians [Kosmos], which name

Pythagoras gave it first, [and by] the Latins Mundus. Pliny in his second Book, and the

first Chapter of his Natural History, saith, it is that, in the compass whereof all things are

enfolded. [ . . . ] Aristotle, in his book of the world, describeth it by the causes to wit,

that it is the order, and disposition of things universal preserved by God, and by its part,


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a congregation of the Heaven, and of the Earth, and of the natures of them [ . . .]

The parts of the world are two, the Ethereal, or Celestial, & Elementary or

Sublunary. The Ethereal is this luminous Region, which containeth all the Celestial

Spheres, exempt from all change. The Elementary is that which being placed under

these Celestial bodies, admitteth generation and corruption, and is nor only of simple

bodies, as fire, air, water and earth, but also of such as are composed of them, which

the Sages have said to be of five sorts. For some are imperfectly mixed, which we call

Meteors, to wit, the hails, rains, snows, thunders, lightenings & winds. There are others

perfectly mixed, but wit out soul, as stones, metals, marbles, some others that have a

vegetative Soul, and growing, as plants. There are some again, that have the sensitive,

as brute beasts, and others Which over and above all have a reasonable soul, as are

men. But for our part we will leave those things to Astronomers, and Physicians, which

properly belong to their vocation, and Cohere consider principally, the circuit, and

comprehension of the Earth. All the Earth then diversely interchapt with Seas, Rivers,

Marshes make a round body complete with all these things, so that Homer calleth it for

this reason Orbicular or rounds. [ . . . ]

The Ocean which the Scriptures call the Abyss of waters, for the extent and

depth thereof, surpasseth all other Seas, extendeth it self through the whole Earth, here

and there, with a crooked course through many coasts of the world, sundry people,

lsIes, Capes, & Promontories, changing still the name with the place. In some places

called Occidental, in others, Oriental, Ethiopian, Spanish, Atlantic, Scythian, Gaulish,

British, German, Hyberboreal, and Ycies. In other places by the marks our new

Navigators have given it, as the South-Sea, or Pacific Sea, Archipelagus of Lazarus, the

Indian-Sea, the Lantchidoll. It hath many Gulfs, the Arabian, Persian, Gangetic, the

Grand, Sarmatic, Mexican, the Red-Sea. Among the straits of the Ocean, these are the

most noble, the Straits of Gibraltar and Magellan. To these may be added that of the


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Anian between the two last coasts Occidental or America, and Oriental or Tartaria.3 The

Mediterranean separateth Africa from Europe, and taketh sundry names according to

the diversity of the countries which it coasteth. [ . . . ]

But thus much may suffice for this: let us come to the distribution of the parts of

the world, which the Ancients sometimes divided into two, Asia and Europe; sometimes

into three, Europe, Asia, Africa [or Libya]: which is more notable among the Ancients,

that knew not yet the new world. But the discovery of America, hath caused a fourth

part to be added. Mercator divideth into three parts, all this Terrestrial Globe. The first

containeth that, which the Ancients divided into three parts. The second that which we

call America. The third is the South region or Magellan. But we divide this Universe

into five, Europe, Africa, Asia, America, and the Southland.

Fig. 04-P4.2) Mercator’s Map of Europe - TBA -

Fig. 04-P4.3) Mercator’s World Map (1569) - TBA -

3 Mercator and his contemporaries still assumed that the west coast of ’America’ (north

and south) was separated from the east cost of Asia (or ‘Tartaria’) by a strait, called

here the ‘Anian’.


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Fig. 04-P4.4) Ortellius’ World Map (produced 1590, published 1595)

"The ancient world of the classical Greeks and Romans is seen here, framed within an

oval projection outlining the limits of the Earth as known in the time of Ortellius. The five

"climatic" zones are delineated—two "frigid," two "temperata", and a single "torrida". An

inscription notes that the "Zona torrida" was believed by the Ancients to be

uninhabitable because of excessive solar heat. The southern "Zona temperate," as yet

unexplored and unknown, is nevertheless clearly designated as habitable. Corner

medallions within the ornamental strapwork border contain late-sixteenth-century

depictions of the four continents." ["Aevi Veteris, Typus Geographicus," Abrham

Ortellius (Antwerp, 1595) –Osher Collection)

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