Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 2 / Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and Astronomy

by Edward Luther Stevenson

On the terrestrial globe is the following dedication: “Serenissimis Principibus Alberto et Isabellae Cla. austriacis Brabantiae Ducibus. Jodo. Hondius. auctor et Joan Baptista Vriendt. Antuerpiae.” “To the Most Serene Rulers Albert and Isabella, the renowned Princes of Austrian Brabant, Jodocus Hondius author and John Baptist Veen (dedicate this globe). Antwerp.”

The author has added a rather lengthy address to the reader, in which is interesting reference to the difficult problem of determining the longitude of places.[9] “Hondius Lectori S. In locorum longitudine hactenus mirifice peccatum esse hydrographiae peritis satis constat: Regiones enim fere omnes descriptae sunt prout naucleri in suis navigationibus directionem duorum locorum ab uno loco ad alterum invenerunt, idque nulla habita ratione loci tertii, vel deviationis acus nauticae, vel etiam directorii nautici, quo indifferenter utuntur, quamvis in uno non aeque ac in alio chalyben ille acus ponatur, et a vero septentrione magis vel minus divertatur, pro uso loci in quo directoria fabbricata sunt, unde necessario longitudo locorum distorta est. Multi hos errores frustra conati sunt emendare per polares stellas, alii per Lunae cursum, alii certius per eclipses. Verum hoc opus, ille labor. Quis enim in tanta locorum multitudine eclipses observabit? At cum jam tandem per variationem, aut deviationem acus nauticae, ut vocant, locorum, longitudo inveniatur, operae praetium me facturum putavi si in hoc globo regiones omnes (saltem quarum longitudo jam cognita est) suis quas q̄ veris longitudinis gradibus delineavero, quamvis id non exigui laboris fuerit. Longitudines incepimus non ab Insulis Fortunatis ut Ptolomeus, sed ab iis quae açores vocantur quod acus nautica ibi recta in septentrionem vergat. Vale. Anno 1601.” “Hondius to the reader greeting. In the matter of the longitude of places all hydrographers, it is agreed, have blundered marvelously, since nearly all regions have been described as navigators, in their voyages, found the direction from one to another, of any two places, without reckoning having been taken from a third place, or account having been taken of the variation of the nautical needle, or even of nautical direction, which they indefinitely make use of, although in one place the needle does not point exactly as in another, being deflected more or less from the true north according to the usage of the country in which the compass card employed was made, and thus the longitude of places is made to vary. Many have tried in vain to eliminate these errors by the polar stars. Others have tried to do the same by noting the course of the moon, and others again, with more certainty, by observations of eclipses; but all this is with much labor, and who will be able thus to get an accurate observation? But now since the longitude of places has been sought through the variation or deviation of the needle, as they say, I thought it would be a work of merit if I noted on this globe all the regions (at least all whose longitude is known) each with its own degree of longitude although knowing this would be no little labor. We have begun our reckoning of longitude not from the Fortunate Islands, as did Ptolemy, but from those which are called the Azores, because there the nautical needle points directly to the north. Farewell. In the year 1601.”

These globes of 1601 are composed of a hollow wooden shell, over which have been pasted the twelve engraved gores. They are mounted on well-constructed bases of copper from which rise the supports for the horizon circle, on the surface of which are the usual graduations, the calendar and zodiacal representations. The meridian circles are of brass, are graduated, and have in addition the engraved designations “Zona torrida,” “Zona temperata,” “Zona frigida.” An example of each of these globes of 1601 may be found in the Museo Municipale of Milan, and one of the celestial globes in the library of the Seminario Vescovile of Rimini.

In the year 1613, shortly after the death of Jodocus Hondius, there was issued in Amsterdam, by Adrian Veen[10] and Jodocus Hondius, Jr., a terrestrial and a celestial globe, each having a diameter of about 56 cm. The dedication of the first reads: “Illustrissimis, Nobilissimis, Amplissimis et Prudentissimis Federatarum Inferioris Germaniae Provinciarum Ordinibus ac Patribus Patriae Dominis Suis Clementissimis Dedicabant Jodocus Hondius Junior et Adrianus Veen. In the year 1613.” “To the Most Illustrious, Most Noble, Most Exalted, Most Prudent Lords of the Federated Provinces of the Netherlands, and Fathers of their Country, their Most Benign Masters, Jodocus Hondius Jr. and Adrian Veen dedicate (this globe).” The title of the terrestrial globe is given as “Globus terrestris summa cura ac diligentia a Jodoco Hondio piae memoriae inchoatus, globosis autem directorii nautici lineis ab Adriano Venone ad usum navigantium accomodatus, illiusque et Jodoci Hondii junioris ope et industria absolutus atque perfactus. Amsterodami 1613.” “Terrestrial globe begun with great care and diligence by Jodocus Hondius of pious memory, furnished with the lines of nautical direction (loxodromes) for the use of navigators, by Adrian Veen, and finished by the industry and labor of the same and of Jodocus Hondius, Jr. Amsterdam 1613.” It seems probable that the Jodocus Hondius here referred to was Henricus Hondius, who for reasons of business had taken the name of his father, affixing the word “Junior.”

The celestial globe to accompany the above terrestrial has the title, “Globus coelestis in quo stellae fixae omnes, quae a Nob. viro Tychone Brahe summa industria ac cura observatae sunt, accuratissima designantur, nec non circa polum austrum eae quae a Peritiss. nauclero Petro Theodorico et Friderico Houtmanno Mathessos studioso annotatae sunt.” “Celestial globe on which are accurately depicted all the fixed stars that were observed by the illustrious Tycho Brahe, with great industry and care: also those stars around the south pole which were noted for the scientific student by the skilful navigator Peter Theodorus, and by Frederick Houtmann.” Surmounting the cartouch containing the above title is a portrait of Tycho Brahe with the legend “Effigies Nob. viri Tychonis Brahe Dani Domini de Knudstrup. Summi Mathematici. Aetatis 47.” “Portrait of the illustrious Tycho Brahe, Danish Lord of Knudstrup, the great mathematician, in his 47th year.” The dedication of this globe differs somewhat from the former, reading, “Illustrissimis, Amplissimis, Clarissimisque D. D. Dominis Ordinibus Provinciarum Foederis Belgici, Don̄is suis Clementissimis in assiduae Gratitudinis memoriam, Dant Dedicantque Adrianus Veen et Jodocus Hondius Junior. Anno 1613.” “To the Illustrious, the Great, the Renowned Lords of the Provinces of United Belgium, their Most Benign Masters, as a token of constant gratitude, Adrian Veen and Jodocus Hondius Jr. give and dedicate (this globe). In the year 1613.” There is evidence that Hondius drew from the work of Willem Jansz. Blaeu for certain features of this edition, in which he followed a practice of the time. Frequent complaint is to be met with, that this borrowing was not always done with the proper note of credit. We find, for example, that in the year 1608 Blaeu presented a special plea to the States of Holland and West Friesland that he be made secure against the loss caused by pirated editions of his works. He informed the States that he had given himself hope of being able to support his family in an honest way, and that he would have succeeded with God’s mercy and blessing, if certain individuals engaged in the same business had not undertaken to copy his productions.[11] It seems probable that Blaeu’s complaint touched in some manner his large world map of the year 1605, since there is striking resemblance between this and the world map of Hondius issued in the year 1611, and, as noted above, we find that Jodocus Hondius’ son, signing himself Jodocus Hondius, Jr., continued to borrow from his distinguished contemporary’s work. The practice of borrowing, however, seems to have been later reversed, when Blaeu, undoubtedly noting the success of Hondius’ large globe of 1613, decided himself to produce one yet larger, as a result of which we have the splendid Blaeu globe of 1622.

A pair of this issue of the year 1613 may be found in the Biblioteca Barbarini of Rome, and another pair in the Biblioteca Civico of Treviso. An example of the celestial globe may be found in the Museo di Strumenti Antichi di Astronomia e di Fisica of Florence.

In the year 1615 we find that Josef de Rossi of Milan undertook, without giving proper credit, the publication of the Hondius globes of the year 1601.[12] In size there is agreement, but certain changes in dates are to be noted, as in the address to the reader, wherein we find 1615 instead of 1601, but in other respects there has been a literal transcription. In the celestial globe of 1601 we find the following reference to the recorded position of the fixed stars, “Accomodata ad annum 1600, editus vero 1601,” whereas in the Rossi copy we find “accomodatae ad annum 1614 editus vero 1615.” The dedication of this terrestrial globe of 1615 reads: “Ill^mo viro optimaraq̄ artium amatori et Fautori D. Paulo Mellino Romano. Josephus de Rubeis Mediolanensis devoti animi monumentum dat dicatque.” “To the Most Illustrious, the Lover and Promoter of the best arts D. Paulus Mellinus of Rome, Joseph de Rossi of Milan gives and dedicates this token of devoted friendship.” A copy of the terrestrial globe of 1615 may be found in the private library of the Italian artist, Lessi, of Florence, and a copy of the celestial globe belongs to Collegio Romano of Rome.

The Hispanic Society of America possesses a terrestrial globe signed Jodocus Hondius and dated 1618 (Fig. [91]). Jodocus the elder died in the year 1611, and while the map of this globe may be a reprint of one which he had engraved, it should be noted that it does not agree in all of its details with any other known globe of his, and may therefore be the work of the son. The sphere of papier-mâché has a diameter of 20 cm. and is supported on a base of wood which includes a horizon circle, having pasted on its surface the usual representations of zodiacal signs, the calendar, and the names of the principal winds or directions. This horizon circle rests upon four small turned legs joined at the bottom by cross bars, covering which bars is a circular turned disc 22 cm. in diameter, from the center of which rises a short post. Through a slot in this post passes a graduated meridian circle within which the globe ball revolves.