This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're replying to the whole list) o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o +
Speaking of Latin, being ignorant of Waldseemuller I looked up Wikipedia (naturally) and discovered this outrageous but witty translation in their article on the Cosmographia Introductio: >From Wikipedia: 'The full title of the book is: "Cosmographiae introductio cum quibusdam geometriae ac astronomiae principiis ad eam rem necessariis. Insuper quatuor Americi Vespucii navigationes. Universalis Cosmographiae descriptio tam in solido quam plano, eis etiam insertis, quae Ptholomaeo ignota a nuperis reperta sunt." (roughly: An introduction to Cosmography, with various geometry and astronomy principles being its necessary object. As well as Amerigo Vespucci’s four voyages, general Cosmography, of which Ptolemy was as ignorant as a baby, is also included and is described plainly and in detail.)' Susan (PhD candidate, Classics, Australian National University) ----- Original Message ----- From: Vladimiro Valerio <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, May 28, 2011 7:34 am Subject: Re: [MapHist] Cosmographiae Introduction notes To: Discussion group for map history <[email protected]> > This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're > replying to the whole list) > o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + > o + o + o + > Bob, awfully interesting! But you need to contact a keen latin paleographer as the writings seem older than the supposed 1500 and are in a style rather difficult to be understood (it seems a medieval mercantesca). But rather than try to guess what it is it is definitely better to address the request to an expert. It seems worthy to gather a team to study it. I do believe the Cosmographiae Introductio still need, and still is waiting for, a serious modern Critical Edition. best wishes vladimiro Il giorno 23/mag/2011, alle ore 21.03, Bob Ward ha scritto: This is a MapHist list message (when you hit 'reply' you're replying to the whole list) o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + o + (Hi, I wonder if I might enlist some help in a Waldseemuller-related project? I was recently at the Library of the Sorbonne in Paris, and examined their copy of Cosmographiae Introductio. I think it is a first edition, from 25th April 1507, but is the variant in which the dedication to Emperor Maximilian is from the Gymnasium Vosagense, rather than from Martinus Ilacomilus (Waldseemuller), and the text reflects this plurality. It does not have the sphere and note about flags on the map that were between pages XXVIII and XXIX in the version found and published by Fr. Joseph Fischer sj, in 1907, but somebody has pasted these in at the end of the pamphlet, and this is noted in a little undated hand-written note at the start of it. In the margin of the page containing the dedication and the short poem, the name "Boetius" appears in the left margin. There does not seem to be a context for this, and I wonder if it is one of the pseudonyms adopted by the St. Die group. Bound with the pamphlet are eight pages of hand-written Latin notes. I have examined lots of 16th century manuscripts, and these notes could easily have been written just before, or just after, the pamphlet arrived at the University. On the back of the final pages are what may be two autographs, one of which begins with an "M", and somebody has written the words ""par emprimir" beside this and signed it what may (or may not) be JF sj. I will try to attach one of the pages of hand-written notes, if I can reduce its size sufficiently. I wonder if anybody on the forum has come across these notes, or a transcription and translation of them, or would be interested in having a go at translating some of them now, to give an idea of what they represent ? They may give a clue to the nature of the original map that accompanied the pamphlet. At the risk of annoying John (Hessler) again, I would repeat my opinion that the large Waldseemuller map in twelve sections now in the LOC represents a later state than the one described in the Cosmographiae Introductio. I visited the Sorbonne Library in 1991 as part of a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship, and was shown into a room on the first floor (second floor in US terms) which was full of uncatalogued maps, some of which I recognized as being very rare. They included a copy of the so-called French Drake map by van Sype from circa 1590, for example. It's a slim chance, I know, but if there was one rare 16th century map among this uncatalogued set of maps, then there way be others, including possibly one of the original Waldseemuller maps. We know that the LOC map was not printed until at least 1516, and there is nothing in the Cosmographiae that suggests that the plane map, which is "larger" than the small 5" globe, is of the size of the LOC version. Also, the CI clearly describes America as being a single island completely surrounded by water, which the LOC map does not depict. I think it is quite possible that the original map that accompanied the Cosmographiae Introductio was much smaller, perhaps a single sheet, and perhaps bound in with other, unrelated maps (as was the French Drake map) in that uncatalogued room full of maps. Unfortunately, the Sorbonne Library is undergoing extensive modifications in order to improve security, and all of the objects have been transferred from the main building to a temporary repository some 40 kms out of Paris, and I was not able to get permission to visit the stacks this time. Meanwhile I would appreciate any help that might be available to understand these eight pages of Latin notes, which are beyond my powers of transcrition and translation. Bob Ward <CI hand-written page.docx>_______________________________________________ MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. List Information: http://www.maphist.nl Maphist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist > _______________________________________________ > MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography > hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht. > The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of > the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the > University of > Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any > responsibility for > the views of the author. > List Information: http://www.maphist.nl > > Maphist mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist
_______________________________________________ MapHist: E-mail discussion group on the history of cartography hosted by the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Utrecht. The statements and opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Utrecht. The University of Utrecht does not take any responsibility for the views of the author. List Information: http://www.maphist.nl Maphist mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.geo.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/maphist
