Fig. 89. Celestial Globe of Jodocus Hondius, 1600.
The terrestrial globe has the following dedication: “Illustrissimo Principi Do Mauritio à Nassau, Principi Auraico, Comiti à Nassau, etc. Gubernatori Provinciarum Foederatarū Summoque Praefecto mari Inferioris Germaniae Domino suo colendissimo. Jod. Hondius Flander L. M. D. D. Cum privilegio decem annorum.” “To the illustrious Prince D. Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, Knight of Nassau, etc. Governor of the Federated Provinces and High Prefect of the Lower German Ocean, his Most Worshipful Master, Jodocus Hondius dedicates (this globe). With privilege for ten years.” This dedication is placed within an artistic cartouch (Fig. [90]) which is surmounted with the coat of arms of the Princes of Nassau, to which appropriate colors have been added. To the left of the above is an address to the reader: “Iod. Hond. Lectori S. P. Quoniam crebriores in omnes mundi partes quotidie navigationes instituūus ejusdem certius perspicitur atque innotescit; nemini idcirco mirum spero visum iri, si haec nostri globi descriptio ab aliis antehac in lucem editis plurimū discrepet. Quin uti par est, nostrae diligentiae et curae favebit, qua recens patefacta et cognita, qua directiones, latitudines et similia cōgruenter distincta suis locis habentur. Quod ipsum in ducendis lineis Directorii fecimus et peritis cumulate satisfactum confidimus. Postremo lectorē benev. rogam⁹ ut si quam loci alicujis pleniorem notitiam habeat eandem nobiscū, provehēdi boni publici gratia, lubens comunicet. vale.” “Hondius to the reader greeting. Inasmuch as frequent voyages into all parts of the world are undertaken every day, whereby the several locations (of places) are more certainly seen and are made known, I hope therefore no one will be surprised to find this delineation on our globe very different from that on most others previously issued. But who, as is right, will not prefer our diligence and care, whereby recently discovered and known lands, and whereby directions, latitudes, and such like are all properly distinguished and are to be found in their places. What we have done in drawing the lines of direction, we trust will be satisfactory on the whole to experts. Finally, we ask the kind reader that, if he has fuller knowledge of any place, that of his own free will he will communicate the same to us, to the end of advancing the public welfare. Farewell.” Within the Arctic circle and north of North America is the title and date legend reading “Globus Terrestris de integri revisus & emendatus an. 1600.” “Globe of the entire earth revised and corrected in the year 1600.” To the right of the dedicatory legend we find instruction given as to the method of finding the direction from one place to another, of which one may be desirous of having knowledge; it reads: “Modus investigandi locorū directionē. Duorum locorum in hoc globo quorum directionem scire cupis hoc est in quam coeli partem alter ab altero vergat, primo longitudinis et latitudinis differentiam notabis, qua cognita vertas globum donec Rhumbus aliquis intersecet meridianum in latitudinē primi loci, deinde volvas versus Ortum aut Occasum, prout res postulat, donec gradus aequatoris numero aequales differentiae longitudinis duorū locorum meridianum pertranseant postea vide num assūptus Rhumbus intersecet meridianum in latitudine loci. Quod si fecerit hic est horum locorū Rhumbus sive linea directionem indicans: sin secus, alius assumendus est, usque dum occurrat qui hoc praestiterit. Subjecimus scalam longitudinum.” “Of two places on this globe whose direction from one another you are desirous of knowing, that is in what part of the heavens the one diverges from the other, first of all note the difference of latitude and longitude. This ascertained turn the globe until some one rhumb cuts the meridian in the latitude of the first place, then turn to the east or to the west as is required, until the degrees of the equator through which the meridians of the places pass equal in number the difference in longitude of the two places. Then note whether the selected rhumb cuts the meridian in the latitude of the place. If it does so then this is the rhumb of these places or the line which shows the required direction: but if it does not then another rhumb must be chosen until the condition is satisfied. We subjoin a scale of longitudes.” Other legends, describing briefly some event in the history of discovery, or describing briefly the characteristic features of some locality, are exceedingly numerous. As a record of the geographical knowledge of the time, this Hondius terrestrial globe map may justly be referred to as one of the most valuable of the period.
Fig. 90. Dedication Appearing on Globe of Jodocus Hondius, 1600.
For astronomical study the celestial globe is none the less valuable and interesting than is the terrestrial for the study of geography. Its descriptive title reads: “Globus coelestis. In quo Stellae fixae omnes quae a N. viro Tycone Brahe sūma industria ac cura observatae sunt accuratissime designantur: nec non ea quae a peritis. nauclero Petro Theodori. Mateseos studioso annotatae sunt.” “Celestial globe, in which all of the fixed stars which were observed by the illustrious Tycho Brahe, with great care and industry, are most accurately shown for the scientific student: also those which were noted by the distinguished navigator Peter Theodorus.” The dedication differs somewhat from that on the terrestrial globe and reads: “Clarissimis Belgii luminibus sapientiae doctrinae et verae pietatis officinis Academiae Lugdunensis Batavorum et Francveriensis. Hos globos ad Mathematicas artes promovendas manu propria à se caelatas luculentissime dedicat consacratque Jodocus Hondius ann. 1600.” “To the most renowned lights of Belgium, fountains of wisdom, of doctrine and of true piety, of the Academy of Leiden and of Frankfurt these globes, for the promotion of the mathematical arts and constructed with his own hands, are dedicated and consecrated by Jodocus Hondius in the year 1600.” The several constellations are artistically represented in appropriate figures which include, in addition to those of Ptolemy, a considerable number in the southern hemisphere, for which, as the author states, he made use of the observations of the navigator Theodorus. That star in the constellation Cassiopeia, which so greatly interested Tycho Brahe, has a special but brief legend distinguishing it, reading “Stella mirabilis quae insolito prae aliis fulgore ao 1572 p. an. et trientem apparuit.” “Remarkable star which appeared with brightness beyond all others in the year 1572 and for a year and one third.”
A second pair of Hondius’ globes of the year 1600 is reported as belonging to Count Rocco Giannini of Lucca. Fiorini says of them that they have mountings of bronze, resembling in this respect the pair described above, but he adds that they are without inscriptions of special note.[8] Either the information which he received concerning them was inaccurate or there exists a very marked difference between these pairs, the only ones it has been possible to locate.
In the year 1601 Hondius issued a pair of globes which were somewhat smaller than the preceding, each having a diameter of 21 cm. The inscription on the celestial globe, in which appears the date of construction, differs but little from that appearing on the issue of the year 1600; it reads: “Globus coelestis in quo fixae omnes quae a N. viro Thicone Brahe sum̄a cura observatae sunt, accuratissime designantur quibus adjuncta sunt circa Pol. Australe stel. quae a pertissimo nauclero Petro Theodori. annotatae sunt simul accomodatae ad annum 1600. editus vero 1601.” “Celestial globe in which all the fixed stars which were observed with the utmost care by the illustrious Tycho Brahe and accurately noted, to which are added the stars around the south pole which were observed by the skilful navigator Peter Theodorus. Adapted to the year 1600, but edited in the year 1601.” The general design of the figures of the several constellations agrees with that of the first edition, the chief difference lying merely in the matter of size.