Cartographica Neerlandica Background for Ortelius Map No. 58

Title: DESCRIP:|TIO GERMANIAE INFERIORIS. [A Representation of lower Germany].

Plate size: 382 x 507 mm
Scale: 1 : 1,100,000
Identification number: Ort 58 (Koeman/Meurer: 14, Karrow: 1/22, van der Krogt AN: 3000:31A).

Occurrence in Theatrum editions and page number:

1570L(AC)14 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like one line above it: non legisse, sed oculis eas perlustrasse sibi persuadebit.),
1570L(B)14 (100 copies printed) (last line, centred: ciardinum legat,& non legisse, sed oculis eas perlustrasse sibi persuadebit.),
1571L14 (275 copies printed) (last line, centred: ciardinum legat,& non legisse,sed oculis eas perlustrasse sibi persuadebit.),
1571L/1572GKoler14 (few copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script like most of the text, left aligned: gelesen/sondern selbst mit augen gesehen hette.),
1571/1573D14 (350 copies printed) (last line, in Gothic script, centred like 6 lines above it: bekent heeft gemaect.),
1572/1573G14 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like 3 lines above it: namen noch mehr bekant gemacht hat.),
1572/1574F14 (225 copies printed) (last line, centred like 3 lines above it: cognu entre les estrangers.),
1573L18 (75 copies printed) (last line, centred like 2 lines above it, in cursive script like the entire text: "num legat,& non legisse,sed oculis eas perlustrasse sibi persuadebit." in version A., "num legat,& non legiße,sed oculis eas perlustrasse sibi persuadebit." in version B.),
1574L18 (175 copies printed) (large page number, 11 mm; identical to 1575L except for size of page number; last line, in three columns: dracum Latinis. dris,Terouenne Gallis. Taruanna citur.),
1575L18 (100 copies printed) (small page number, 7 mm; identical tp 1574L except for size of page number; last line, in three columns: dracum Latinis. dris,Terouenne Gallis. Taruanna citur.),
1579L(A)25 (250 copies printed) (last line, second and third column, in italic script: "veteres habetur, olim Episcopalis sedes", [next column:] "dicitur". ; 28th line from the top ends: com-),
1579L(B)25 (250 copies printed) (last line, second and third column, in italic script: "veteres habetur, olim Episcopalis sedes", [next column:] "dicitur". ; 28th line from the top ends: compa-),
1580/1589G25 (350 copies printed) (last line, in two columns, in Gothic script: Tienen nennen die Frantzosen Tilemont. Die Frantzosen sagen Liege:die Flandrer/Leye, (nius/Scaldis.,
1581F25 (400 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: dres de tant plus cognu entre les estrangers.),
1584L30 (750 copies printed) (last line, in italic script, second and third column only, second column:"veteres habetur. olim Episcopalis sedes,;third column: "citur".),
1587F30 (250 copies printed) (last line, left aligned: nom de Flandres de tant plus cognu entre les estrangers.),
1588S30 (300 copies printed) (last line, second and third column: "ruana.", Flamenco se dize "Leye".),
1592L32 (525 copies printed) (last line, italic in three columns except for the first word: lines "dicunt Galli. ..nomen tantům. ..citur".),
1595L34 (500 copies printed) (last line, italic, of text in three colums, of which the first two: "dicunt Galli ..teribus dicitur".),
1598/1610/1613D26 (100 copies printed) (last line, centred like 5 lines above it, in Gothic script: heeft ghemaeckt.),
1598F37 (525 copies printed) (last line, full width: saincte,& Hierusalé,ce qu'a rendu ce nom de Flădres de tant plus cognu entre les etrangers.),
1601L34 (200 copies printed) (last line, in 2 columns, in italic script: "dicunt Galli. ... bus dicitur".),
1602G37 (250 copies printed) (last line, in two columns, in Gothic script like the entire text: Tienen nennen die Franzosen Tilemont Die Franzosen sagen Liege:die Flanderer Leye.),
1602S37 (250 copies printed) (last line, second and third column: "Yerruana.", Flamenco se dize "Yeye".),
1603blank (Vri1) no text or page number,
1603L37 (300 copies printed) (last line above three columns of placenames, left aligned: hćc nonnullorum locorum synonyma vulgaria, huic paginć annectere volui.),
1606E34 (300 copies printed) (last line, in three columns, first column: MACHELEN, in Latine "Mechlinia", in French "Malines"; second column: the name only; third column: Leye.).

Approximate number of copies printed: 7250.

States: 58.1 as described.
58.2: from 1592L onwards, the hachuring of the coast lines was extended from about 2 to about 5 mm; in the circle around the upper left and lower right orientation indication, i.e. in west and east, a vertical hachuring was superimposed upon the original, horizontal hachuring.

Remarks: From 1608/1612I onwards replaced by the Germania Inferioris map of Vrients, see plate Ort 59.

Cartographic sources: authorities disagree. Koeman (1964) attributes this map to Jan van Hoirne's 1556 map of the Oosterscherzee which only covers one eighth of the present map. Van der Heijden in The oldest maps of the Netherlands, Utrecht 1987, p. 20, map 14 thinks that another, unknown map by this cartographer, as mentioned in the "Catalogus Auctorum" is more likely. Karrow (88/8, p. 619-620) attributes this map to the 1568 map of the Low Countries by Matthias Zuendt (1498-1571). Finally, Meurer (p. 91) makes a convincing case for de Jode's 12 sheet map of 1566, itself based primarily on Jacob van Deventer's province maps.

References: H.A.M. van der Heijden "Ortelius and the Netherlands", p. 271-290 in: M. van den Broecke, P. van der Krogt and P. Meurer (eds.) "Abraham Ortelius and the First Atlas", HES Publishers, 1998.

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