Cosmographia Petri Apiani, per Gemmam Frisium ... iam demum ab omnibus vindicata mendis, ac nonnullis quoque locis aucta ...

To the Reverend Lord and Illustrious Prince, Lord Matthaeus,
Cardinal of the Divine Holy Roman Church, titled San Angelo, Prefect, Archbishop of Salzburg, Legate of the Apostolic See, etc. Petrus Apianus (called Benewitz) from Leysnick, a humble student of the mathematical disciplines, wishes perpetual salvation and offers his own commendation.

An image-desc appears: A decorative drop cap P.
After I met your Highness last year, most sacred Prelate and illustrious Prince, in the city of Ratisbon original: "Reginopolitana" with a little gift of paper (for indeed I could offer nothing more precious at that time), it was not difficult for me to conjecture that you possess an outstanding knowledge of the mathematical discipline, and I recognized you as a most brilliant light of the literary world, a patron and refuge, and also your own zeal for letters. For by that token—because with a remarkably open and serene brow, and with open hands (as they say), you received that parchment which I offered, both so humanely, and because of your love for the study of the geographical discipline, and because of the integrity of your life—or rather, to omit other things, because for a long time Master Ioannes Aventinus, always most friendly to me, easily the prince of both orators and poets, whose praise I cannot pass over in silence here, and the Reverend Lord Ioannes Landtsperger (who is always on your lips), priest of Landshut original: "Landtsuten", and chaplain of the most illustrious Louis, Duke of both Bavarias, Prefect of the Rhine, etc., a man most excellent in the virtue of his own genius, to whom I can neither perform nor return due thanks, have often declared to me your liberality toward the learned, and your humanity toward all who attempt something outstanding, especially toward those who seem to breathe the knowledge of the mathematical discipline, and your approachability toward all: I could not commit to anything other than to dedicate this, whatever it is of study, to you as if to a tutelary god, and to resolve to publish it under your name, so that it might come forth into the public more safely and quickly under your auspices for the common convenience of students. We wrote this booklet, constructed in whatever way, especially so that the first elements might be rendered more familiar to those studying as beginners in Geography. Yet not without the praise of Ptolemy, who is considered easily the prince of all mathematicians. For we have followed all the most learned men of this study. Furthermore, the geographical profession is very useful in reading authors