Theatre of the World (Theatrum Orbis Terrarum)

we have reduced the form so that it would suit our work, and so that the whole could be completed on a single sheet. Sometimes, as can be seen, several maps are contained on one sheet; yet with nothing, not even the smallest detail, omitted that was evident in the larger version, nor changed. The only exception is that quite often, those things which could barely be read in the originals have been expressed in ours so that they could be easily read by anyone. Sometimes, indeed, where the subject suggested it and space allowed, we have added ancient names alongside the common names of certain places. We believe we were allowed this with the kind permission of the authors themselves; so we hope it will not be unwelcome to readers and observers of ancient histories.

In the Maps original: "Tabulis" which bear the names of authors, nothing (as we have said) has been changed by us, except for two or three maritime coasts of the Belgian Regions. The sea has changed these areas significantly since the authors first published their descriptions. For example, in Flanders, in the region of Zeeland, not far from the town of Watervliet, much has been added to the mainland since the description of that place was published, thanks to the action of the sea. In the 16th century, the coastline of the Netherlands and Flanders was constantly shifting due to both flooding and land reclamation efforts. We have changed the form to show the current site of the region as it is at this time. We did this out of a desire for accuracy, having received the topography from the most famous and noble man, distinguished in both lineage and letters, Lord Marcus Laurinus, the lord of that place. Marcus Laurinus (1525-1581) was a prominent Flemish humanist and coin collector from Bruges.

In other maps, however, which had no author's name, we were a little bolder. In these, we have sometimes changed certain things according to our judgment, removed some, and even added some occasionally as the situation seemed to require. To complete our series in some way, we have also created new maps on our small scale for certain regions, so that as few as possible would be missing, as far as is currently possible.

In contracting those maps where we included the authors' names, we have acted with such good faith that we hope to gain favor not only from the reader, but also from the authors themselves. At the very least, we have acted so that no one could justly be ashamed of this work of ours, whatever its quality. Indeed, an author should be able to recognize and claim this small map of ours as his own no less than his own large one. We have strived to ensure that our labor does not displease these authors, even if it does not fully satisfy them.

We have not imitated the customs of others at this time. To make it seem as if they are bringing forth something new, these people do nothing but change the works and labors of such authors. They often sell something that is not good to the public as a "good" work derived from original sources. They add or remove things, hide the author's true name, and substitute their own name or a fictional one. They do this so that the work might please the public for the sake of its "novelty" and be sold, simply so they can scrape together money in any way possible. We were not driven to this labor by that insane hunger for gold. Instead, we were moved by our own inclination to help students of these matters. We have set aside every opportunity of hunting for vain glory from the labor of others. For what was the need to make new maps when the existing maps of others satisfied the requirements of our work?

There will perhaps be those who desire more detailed descriptions of particular regions in this Theatre The "Theatre of the World" or "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" is the title of the atlas. of ours. No doubt everyone, led by a natural love for their country, will wish that a description of their own homeland appeared here. But let them know that maps not found here were omitted neither by our negligence nor because we feared the expense. They are missing because we either never saw them, or they never came into our hands. If there is anyone who has such maps, or knows where they can be found, we ask them again and again to make a copy available to us. We certainly promise that we will see to it that they are engraved separately at our expense. We will do this with thanksgiving and honorable mention of the person's name, so that the maps can then be added to this book in their proper place or wherever the owner wishes.

Regarding the order we observed in arranging these maps, an account also seems to be owed to you, kind reader. If there are perhaps those who think they should have been arranged differently, we hope this explanation will satisfy them, or at least excuse us for doing what duty seemed to require. First of all, we present a map embracing the whole world. Then we show its principal parts, which are: America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. We follow nature here: before there can be parts, there must necessarily be a whole to which they belong. Following these, we have added the individual regions of these parts, beginning from the westernmost part of Europe. In this, we imitate Ptolemy, the Prince of Geographers, and almost all others. Claudius Ptolemy was a 2nd-century scholar whose "Geographia" provided the mathematical basis for Renaissance mapmaking.

And so the British Isles come first. Then the regions of Spain. Then those of France. From here we seek Germany. After surveying its regions, we cross from Switzerland into neighboring Italy to see its individual provinces also. Then we sail into Greece, and from there into Sclavonia An old name for the Balkan regions, particularly the coastal areas of Croatia....