La géographie racourcie de Pierre Bertius cosmographe du Roy très-crestien [...].

Oblong 8vo: [16 incl. engr. title]-829-[9] pp.; 221 maps (sm. marg. tear sl. affecting map of Burgundy [4880:342], light dampst. in quire S, blank marg. f. Aa6 cut short without loss, marg. dampst. in inner gutter of last quire, blank edges of first ff. sl. frayed).

Contemp. vellum, ink-titled flat spine, red edges (sl. soiled, front hinge broken, 2 corners bumped).

Very rare pocket atlas. First published by the unknown Barent Langenes under the title "Caert-Thresoor" in 1598, this atlas has an interesting history. Pierre Bertius recomposed the atlas in 1600, following Ptolemy’s arrangement, and rewrote the text. The first ed. with the imprint of Jodocus Hondius II, who had the maps newly engraved, appeared in 1616 and was considerably augmented. The contents of this French 1618 ed. is identical to the Latin one. It contains an engraved title and is complete with its 221 maps, incl. a celestial sphere, 3 different world maps (of which 1 repeated and 1 Ptolemy map), continental maps, numerous European maps, multiple maps on Africa, incl. Saint Helena and the Canary Islands, and many maps on Asia and America. Bertius concludes with a comparison of his work with that of Ptolemy. Bertius (1565-1629) was Flemish theologian, historian, cartographer and was appointed as cosmographer to Louis XIII in 1618.
Ref. Van der Krogt 342:11. - Koeman Lan13B.