Book Description

Mercator (Gerard & Jodocus Hondius). Historia Mundi: or Mercator's Atlas. Containing his Cosmographicall Description of the Fabricke and Figure of the World. Lately rectified in divers places, as also beautified and enlarged with new Mappes and Tables..., by the studious industry of Iudocus Hondy. Englished by W. S. Generosus, & Coll. Regin. Oxoniae, 1st English edition, second imprint, London: Printed by T. Cotes, for Michael Sparke and Samuel Cartwright, 1635 [1637], [24], 920, [32] pp., lacking one leaf of text (page 401-402 Mm3), erratic pagination throughout, [pi2], A6, a4, B6-Ll6, Mm2, lacking Mm3 (Mm4-6 not called for), N6-Z6, Aaa6-Hhh6, Iii5 (Iii6 not called for) Kkk6-Zzz6, Aaaa6-Iiii6, Kkkk6 (without Kkkk4 as usual), Llll4-Nnnn4, Oooo2, 180 uncoloured engraved maps to text (of 182, without the two inserted maps: Ralph Hall’s Map of Virginia and Smith’s Map of New England), map of New Spain to p. 905 duplicated to p. 907 (as usual), 'The Meaning of the Frontispice' leaf at front with long closed tear across the page and with small area of loss to blank inner margin (relined), lacking additional engraved allegorical title (supplied in facsimile), printed title with closed vertical tear near lower inner margin (without loss) repaired and archivally re-strengthened to verso, Ffff6 with upper outer blank corner repaired, contents cleaned, blank endpapers renewed, modern plain dark brown full calf, thick folio (textblock 30 x 18.5 cm), contained in a purpose-made matching brown buckram drop-over bookbox (Quantity: 1) ESTC No: S1589. First English edition of the Mercator-Hondius Atlas and one of the earliest published world atlases in the English language. Printed with a duplicate map of New Spain with a note in the errata: "there is no Map for Virginia in regard there is a more exact Map drawing in that Country, whose Platforme is not yet come over, but when it comes, every buyer of the Booke shall have it given him gratis". The dedication leaf is signed Wye Saltonstall.
Author GERARD MERCATOR
Date 1637
Binding HARDBACK
Condition VGC

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