Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume I Part 8

In the Royal Collections of Windsor Castle may be found a set of eight globe gores (Fig. 135), attributed by Major to Leonardo da Vinci, but with very little more reason for the a.s.signment than the fact that they were found in a collection of papers in the handwriting of that famous artist. They are drawn as equilateral triangles, each representing one eighth of the earth's surface, not as biangles, which is the usual form for early globe gores.[172] Major described the map as the oldest known on which the name America appears, giving as the probable date of construction the year 1514, which date is thought by Harrisse to be five or six years too early.[173] Such a distinction as was claimed for the record of the name America by Major, being likewise a.s.signed at various times to other early maps, has at last been definitely fixed as belonging to the world map of Waldseemuller of 1507.[174] The outlines of the New World bear a resemblance to those found in the Lenox and the Jagellonicus globes. The North American region is represented by two islands, one of which bears the name "Bacalar," the other "Terra Florida." South America, a large island, has conspicuously inscribed the name "America," together with a few prominent coast names. These gores are chiefly of interest by reason of their peculiar form.

An interesting set of globe gores of the first quarter of the sixteenth century is that attributed to Boulengier, of which but one copy, now belonging to the New York Public Library, is known.[175] These gores, twelve in number (Fig. 40), were printed from a copper engraved plate 18 by 36 cm. in size, but bear neither date nor name of author. The t.i.tle appearing across the bottom of the map reads, "Vniversalis cosmographie descriptio tam in solido quem plano." They were found in a copy of Waldseemuller's 'Cosmographiae Introductio,' printed at Lyons by Jean de la Place, but undated. Harrisse gives as the probable date of the publication between November 27, 1517, and May 26, 1518.[176] With this engraved world map were found two other copper plates, one bearing the t.i.tle "Astrolabium Phisic.u.m," the other "Motus novae spere et trepidacionis spere MDXIV," and signed "Artificis Ludovici Boulengier, Allebie, 1514." As this edition of the 'Cosmographiae' was prepared for the press by Boulengier,[177] who in his day achieved distinction as a mathematician, astronomer, and geographer, this gore map has been ascribed to him. It appears from a statement on the verso of a folded plate belonging to Chapter VIII that a globe had been prepared to accompany it.[178] This statement, while not agreeing in all respects with one to be found in the edition of 1507, is of similar import.

Boulengier states in his dedicatory letter that he had noted other globes which had been previously published. As a bit of copper engraving it is very artistically done; its inscriptions, coast outlines, and rivers are drawn in soft ornamental lines. That region representing North America bears simply the name "Nova," while South America is referred to as "America noviter reperta," a wording for this information which elsewhere appears only on the Jagellonicus globe. These gores are of sufficient dimensions to cover a ball 11 cm. in diameter.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 40. Terrestrial Globe Gores of Boulengier, ca.

1518.]

In the year 1877 or 1878, reports Professor Ferdinando Jacoli, Admiral William Acton acquired two interesting and scientifically valuable terrestrial globes of the early sixteenth century once belonging to Count Piloni of Belluno, Italy.[179] That one appearing to be the older of the two resembles so closely the Paris green globe in size, having a diameter of 24 cm., and in its details, that there is good reason for thinking it to be the work of the same author. Like the Paris globe it is neither signed nor dated. The surface of the ball is covered with a preparation of plaster on which the geographical details have been written. Seas and lands are colored, the equator, the tropics, and the polar circles are indicated by gilded lines. Meridians are drawn at intervals of ten degrees, the prime meridian pa.s.sing through the Canary Islands, and parallels are likewise represented at intervals of ten degrees. The metal meridian circle and the stand upon which the sphere rests retain in places some of the old gilding. Professor Jacoli expresses the opinion that it may be of Spanish or of Portuguese origin, an opinion based upon the nomenclature. It seems, however, probable that the author was an Italian and that he merely employed the Spanish or the Portuguese sources, as was so frequent, and in so large a measure necessary, in that day. In Africa the author has represented the "Peludes nili," and two lakes into which several rivers flow having their source in the Mountains of the Moon. To the southeast of the continent is represented "Zanzibar insula," and near this are a number of small islands with the legend "Iste insule ex mandato regis Portugalliae l.u.s.trate sunt." The islands of Ceylon and Sumatra are laid down but are given the names "Taprobana" and "Seula" respectively. In the interior of Asia we read "Carama civitas magna," near this "Thebet provincia mais," and below "Hic dnat prespiter Johannes rex totius Indiae." In eastern Asia is the name "Catay" and near this the legend "Zumsay est qued civitas mag. in medio lacus magnus," the Paris globe having "Quinsay" instead of "Zumsay." The New World in its outlines bears striking resemblance to the early globes of Schoner. Along the west coast of South America is the legend "Tota ista provincia inventa est per mandatum regis Castelle," near the same "Terra ultra incognita," and extending along the west coast of North America "Terra ulterius incognita," all of which legends, in identical wording, appear on the Paris globe. The Antilles are referred to in the legend "iste insule per Columb.u.m Genuensem Almirantem ex mandato regis Castelle perite sunt," and in South America "America ab inventore nuncupata."

Near the west coast of Africa we find "Insule portugalensium invente-domini 1477," one of which is called "visionis insula." The author has also represented an Antarctic continent but has made no reference to it by specific name or legend. If the Paris globe was constructed before 1520, as Marcel concluded, there is likewise good reason why the Acton globe should also be a.s.signed to the second decade of the sixteenth century.

Las Casas, in his 'Historia de las Indias,' tells us that when Magellan (Fig. 41) offered his services to the King of Spain for an expedition to the Moluccas he had a globe to serve him in the demonstration of his plan. "Traa el Magallanes vn Globo bien pintado, en que toda la tierra estaba, y alli senal el camino que habia de llevar, salvo que el estracho dej, de industria, en blanco, porque alguno no se lo saltease."[180] "Magellan had a well painted globe, which exhibited the entire earth, and he showed thereby the route which he thought of taking, but with intention he had left the strait blank so that no one might learn his secret."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 41. Portrait of Magellan.]

Other allusions to this globe we do not have, unless there is such in a letter written by Sebastian Alvares to King Don Manuel, dated Seville, July 18, 1519. In giving information concerning the plan of Magellan Alvares states: "A rrota que se diz que han de levar he dir?? ao cabo fryo ficando lhe o brasy a mo dir?? ate pasar a linha da particao e daly navegar ao eloeste e loes noroeste dir??? a maluco a quall tr?ra de maluco en vy asentada na poma e carta que ea fez o f? de Reynell a quall n era acabada quando caa seu pay veo por ele, e seu pay acabou tudo e pos estas tr?ras de maluco e p este paderam se fazem todallas cartas as quaees faz di? Ribeiro e faz as agulhas quadrantes e esperas, porem n vay narmada nem q?r mais q? ganhar de comeer p seu engenho." "The course which it is said they are to take is straight to Cape Frio, Brazil remaining on their right hand until they reach the line of demarcation, thence they are to navigate to the west and west-northwest straight to Moluco, which land of Moluco I have seen laid down on the sphere and map which the son of Reynell made here which was not complete when his father came here for him; and his father finished it all, and placed these islands of Moluco; and after this pattern all the maps are made which Diego Ribeiro makes, and he makes the compa.s.ses, quadrants and globes, but he does not go in the fleet, nor does he wish to do more than gain his living by his skill."[181]

We find reference to a globe of this early period as belonging to Juan Sebastian del Cano, the reference thereto being contained in his will made on board the Victoria, June 26, 1526, and reading "Una esfera poma del mondo."[182] It probably was made of wood and painted, as there is good reason for believing that such as were carried by early navigators on their vessels were of this character. Harrisse thinks "this globe would probably prove to be one of the most interesting of all for that period, exhibiting, doubtless, the hypothesis of Magellan relative to the configuration of the southwest coast of South America north of 50 degrees south lat.i.tude."[183] Although the will of Del Cano is dated 1526 there is reason for thinking the globe was constructed prior to 1520.

Among the globe makers of the early sixteenth century none merits greater distinction than Johann Schoner of Nurnberg (1477-1547) (Fig.

42), mathematician, astronomer, and geographer.[184] He was born in Carlstadt, Franconia, held a church office for some years in Bamberg, and in the year 1526, upon the advice of Melanchthon, became a professor of mathematics in the gymnasium of Nurnberg, to the fame of which city, as a scientific center, Regiomonta.n.u.s had so greatly contributed in the preceding century. His activities as a globe maker began as early as the second decade of the century, and his influence soon became very p.r.o.nounced. In Nurnberg he labored until the time of his death in the year 1547, editing, in addition to his other activities, the literary and scientific works of Regiomonta.n.u.s and of Werner, and each year until 1543 issued his so-called Calendars. His numerous publications, mathematical, astronomical, and cosmographical, alone ent.i.tle him to a place of first importance among German scientific leaders of his day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 42. Portrait of Johann Schoner.]

It was as early as 1515, at the cost of a wealthy patron, Johann Seylor, that he made in Bamberg what has usually been accepted as his first globe, two copies of which are now known, and for which it has been thought he wrote his tract bearing t.i.tle 'Luculentissima quaeda terrae totius descriptio ... c.u.m privilegio Invictis Romanoru Impera Maximiliani per acto annos: ne quis imprimat: aut imprimere procuret codices has: c.u.m globis cosmographicis: Noribergae 1515.' 'A most luminous description of the whole earth ... with the privilege of the Invincible Emperor of the Romans, Maximilian, for eight years to the effect that n.o.body shall print or have any of these books printed, with the cosmographic globe.'[185] On the leaf preceding "fol. 1" is the representation of a mounted globe.

One of Schoner's globes of 1515 is to be found in the Grand Ducal Library of Weimar, and one in the City Museum of Frankfurt (Fig. 43).

Wieser,[186] after a careful comparison, finds these globes to be practically alike in all details. Each is 27 cm. in diameter, having the usual mountings of bra.s.s, the whole resting on a wooden base. While neither signed nor dated, they answer the description contained in Schoner's little tract referred to above. That region on the globe which we may designate North America, he calls "Parias"; the South American continent bears the name "America" and the austral land the name "Brasilie regio." In addition to these princ.i.p.al regions he has represented the land discovered by the Cortereals, designating the same as "Litus incognitum." Cuba bears the name "Isabella" and Haiti the name "Spagnolla." The feature which seems to give special interest to these globes of Schoner is the representation of a strait between "America"

and "Brasilie regio." To the significance of this particular representation Wieser has given very careful consideration. He cites numerous pa.s.sages from the tract of Schoner, and from the 'Copia der newen Zeitung aus Presillig Landt,'[187] a publication which he finds good reason for believing appeared before 1515, and in which he finds an acceptable explanation of the origin of this geographical notion represented by Schoner, which antedates the Magellan expedition by a period of five years.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 43. Globe of Johann Schoner in Hemispheres, 1515.]

It is a point to be especially noted that the dominant cosmographical idea of the map makers of the first quarter of the century represented the New World regions as independent of Asia. It is the idea set forth in the Portuguese maps, such as the Cantino and the Canerio; it is the idea which we find represented in the Waldseemuller maps and practically in all the Lusitano-Germanic maps of the period.[188] Schoner had written in his tract of 1515, "Hunc in modum terra quadriparita cognoscitur, et sunt tres primae partes continentes, id est terra firma.

Sed quarta est insula, quia omniquoque mari circ.u.mdata conspicitur." "It has now been ascertained that the earth is divided into four parts, and the first three parts are continents, that is, main lands, but the fourth part is an island because we see it surrounded on all sides by the sea."[189] With regard to the relation of "Parias" to Asia, he states, "Parias insula quae non est pars vel portio prioris, sed specialis magna portio terrae huius quartae partis mundi." "Parias is not a part or portion of the aforesaid country, but a large independent portion of the earth, in that fourth part of the world."[190]

Of the globes constructed by Schoner, none is more important than that bearing date 1520 (Fig. 44).[191] The wooden ball on which the map has been drawn and colored by hand has a diameter of about 87 cm. and rests upon a wooden base. Near the south pole is the date 1520 in large gilt letters and an inscription stating that it was made at the expense of Johannes Seyler by Jo. Schoner.[192] It is apparent that the same sources were used for the drafting of the map on this globe that had been used in the case of his earlier globes, but the geographical information on this last globe is much more detailed. The New World appears in five distinct parts, the first of which is called "Terra Corterealis," the second "Terra de Cuba," the third "Insulae Canibalorum siue Antiglia," the fourth "Terra nova, America vel Brasilia sive Papagelli Terra," and the fifth "Brasilia inferior." The globe is richly decorated in colors, and its numerous descriptive legends, most of them in Latin, give such geographical information as may be found in most of the important maps of this early period.[193]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 44. Western Hemisphere of Johann Schoner's Globe, 1520.]

In 1523 Schoner issued a little tract of four pages which he called 'De nuper sub Castiliae ac Portugaliae Regibus Serenissimis repertis Insulis ac Regionibus, Joannis Schoner Charolipolitani epistola et Globus Geographicus, seriem navigationum annotantibus. Clarissimo atque disertissimo viro Dno Rymero de Streytpergk, ecclesiae Babenbergensis Canonico dictae. Timiripae, Anno Incarnat. Dni. 1523.' 'An epistle of John Schoner of Carlstadt concerning the islands and regions recently discovered by the Most Serene Kings of Castile and of Portugal, and a geographical globe for the use of marking the course of those navigations. Dedicated to the most distinguished and eloquent Reymer von Streytperg, canon of the Church of Bamberg. Timiripae (Kirch-ehrenbach).

In the year of the Lord's incarnation 1523.'[194] Though Schoner alone gives us such information as we possess concerning this globe, it has been the subject of much controversy, and if recovered it doubtless would prove to be an object of much interest. There is, in the opinion of the author, scarcely the slightest ground for accepting the conclusions of Henry Stevens and Professor v. Wieser, that the globe gores, now in the possession of the New York Public Library (Fig. 44a), and described by them as the lost globe of Schoner of 1523, are of Schonerian origin. The critical studies of Harrisse are sufficiently convincing to set this question at rest.[195] Schoner concludes his little tract in the following words: "Ego tam mirifice orbis pervagationi nonnihil volens adiicere, ut quae lectu videantur mirabilia, aspectu credantur prohabiliora, Glob.u.m hunc in orbis modum effingere studui, exemplar haud fallibile aemulatus, quod Hispaniarum solertia cuidam viro honore conspicuo transmisit. Nec ob id quem antea glomeraveram abolitum iri volens, quippe qui es tempore, quantum phas erat homini abdita mundi penetrare, abunde expressit, modo sese consona admissione patientur, quod invenienda inventis non obstent. Accipe igitur hunc a me formatum glob.u.m ea animi benignitate, qua eum laborem ad tui nominis honorem lubens aggressus sum. Cognoscam profecto meas lucubratiunculas tuae celsitudini nullatenus despectui fore. Vale."

"Being desirous of making some small addition to this wonderful survey of the earth, so that what appears very extraordinary to the reader may appear more likely, when thus ill.u.s.trated, I have been at the pains to construct this globe, having copied a very accurate one which an ingenious Spaniard has sent to a person of distinction. I do not however wish to set aside the globe I constructed some time since, as it fully showed all that had, at that time, been discovered: so that the former, as far as it goes, agrees with the latter. Please then to accept this globe in the same friendly spirit in which I undertook to construct it for your gratification. But I am sure you will not despise my humble attempt. Farewell."[196] This statement a.s.sures us that he had constructed a globe at the time of issuing his tract, and it gives us a fairly definite idea of its New World configurations, and further, that in the main it agreed with his earlier globes. It seems probable, however, that in some manner he indicated an Asiatic connection of the new lands, an idea which is so frequently expressed in the maps of the next quarter of a century, especially in the globe maps, an idea not to be finally set at rest until the discovery of Bering put an end to the controversy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 44a. Anonymous Globe Gores, ca. 1540.]

How Schoner, and others, came to the conclusion that "Parias" (North America) is not "a large independent portion of the earth in that fourth part of the world," but has an Asiatic connection, and how they set down that conclusion in their maps will receive consideration in the following chapter.

Though not a maker of globes, in so far as we have definite knowledge, Albrecht Durer turned his attention to the drafting of maps, two of which have for us here a certain interest. In the year 1515 Johannes Stabius designed a map of the Old World on a stereographic projection (Fig. 45), one of the first of its kind, which Durer is said to have engraved. While the map itself is of little importance it is of interest as an attempt to represent in perspective a spherical earth.[197]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 45. Stabius World Globe Map, 1515.]

Durer likewise undertook the drafting and engraving of a celestial map (Fig. 46), than which of this character there appears to be none earlier known. It was not so drawn as to make possible its application to the surface of a sphere, but its reshaping for that purpose could not have been for him a difficult proposition. He, with others of this time, was giving thought to the problem of globe-gore construction.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 46. Northern Celestial Hemisphere of Albrecht Durer.]

NOTES

[124] The ill.u.s.trations given are typical, and to one familiar with the works of the period on geographical and astronomical subjects, others suggest themselves.

[125] For popular accounts of the Este family of Ferrara, see Gardner, E. G. Princes and Poets of Ferrara. London, 1904; Cartwright, J. Isabella d'Este. London, 1903.

[126] Harrisse. Discovery. pp. 422-425; same author, Les Corte-Real et leur voyages au Nouveau Monde. Paris, 1883, with reproduction of the western half of the map, in colors; Stevenson, E. L. Maps ill.u.s.trating early discovery and exploration in America. New Brunswick, 1906. No. 1 of this series is a reproduction of the Cantino map in the size of the original.

[127] Fischer, J. The Discoveries of the Nors.e.m.e.n in America. London, 1903. pp. 112-118. Professor Fischer enjoys the distinction of being the foremost living authority on Ptolemy.

[128] D'Arco, C. Delle arti e degli artefici di Mantova.

Mantova, 1857. Vol. II, p. 53.

[129] Bertolotti, A. Artisti in relazione coi Gonzaga Signori di Mantova. Modena, 1885. p. 143. (In: Estr. dagli Atti e Memorie delle Deputazioni di storia patria per le Provincie Modenesi e Parmensi. Serie III, Vol. III, parte 1.)

[130] Harrisse. Discovery. p. 434.

[131] Denza, F. Globi celesti della Specola Vaticana. (In: Publicazioni della Specola Vaticana. Torino, 1894. Vol. IV, p. xvii.)

[132] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 88-89.

[133] See the edition of Ptolemy. Geographia-MDVIII. Rome.

Chap. xii.

[134] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 94-96, the citation being made from Badia, Jodoco del. La bottega di Alessandro di Francesco Rosselli merciaje e stampatore (1525). (In: Miscellanea fiorentina di erudizione e storia. Luglio, 1894.

Vol. II, p. 14.)

[135] Zach, F. v. Monatliche Korrespondence. Gotha, 1806.

Vol. XIII, p. 157. Harrisse. Discovery. pp. 445-446.

[136] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 99.

[137] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 101.

[138] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 72.

[139] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 102. Of the further interest taken by Cardinal Salviati in geography, see Stevenson, op.

cit., No. 7.

[140] Trithemius. Epistolae familiares. Haganoae, 1536. p.

294.

[141] This is part of the letter of August 12.