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Figuur 7. Titelpagina van de Atlas Frangois van Jaillot. Ook hier
wordt L'Hercule Frangois afgebeeld, terwijl hij de last van Atlas
overneemt. De globe is duidelijk een globe van Frankrijk. Tussen
de drie lelien is de westkust van Frankrijk te herkennen! (Universi
teitsbibliotheek Amsterdam).
Aanhangsel
Engelse vertaling van Mercators Praefatio in Atlantem, zoals
gepubliceerd in de Engelse uitgave van de Mercator-Hondius atlas
van 1636.
THE PREFACE VPON ATLAS
ATLAS, King of Mauritania, was borne of a Royall race, and had
for his father Serrenus, or Indigena (as Eusebius withnesseth out
of the most auncient Historians) whose surname was Coelus,
whose mother was Titea, snrnamed Terrahis great Grand-
father on the Fathers and mothers side were Elius or Sol. King of
Phoenice, who with his wife Beruth, dwelt in Biblius, both of
them excellently versed in ASTRONOMIE, and in naturall disci-
plines, so that for their learning sake, they were accounted worthy
of the names of Sol and of Coelumvndoubtedly this Atlas, as the
Ancients report (namely Diodorus in his fourth booke and fifth
chapter) [moderne telling: boek III, hoofdstukken 57 en 60, en
KT 1994.XX.2
boek IV, hoofdstuk 27, P.v.d.K.] was a most skillfull Astrologer,
and the first amongmen, that disputed of the Sphoere. He had
manie Bretheren, to the number of 45. whom Coelus begot of
diverse woemen, whereof 17 of them he had by Titeaa most pru-
dent Matron, that did many good Offices to men, whom he after
their mothers name called Titanes. He had also sisters, among
whom the principall were Basilia who in favour of her mother,
brought vp all her brethren, and therefore they called her Grand-
mother, and Rhea Pandora. Now after the decease of Coelus,
Basilia being the eldest, and excelling the others in prudence and
vertue, by the common consent of her bretheren, and the people,
being a Virgin and vnmarryed, shee obtayned the Kingdome.
Afterwards, being desirous to leave and heire behind her, she was
marryed to her brother Hyperion, and shee bare him two Sonns, to
wit, Sol and Luna, whose prudence Hyperions brethren, admiring,
to the intent the Kingdom might not be setled vpon his issue, they
masacred him, and drowned Sol his Sonn being yet an Infant in
the river of Erydanus. Then the Sonnes of Coelus, whereof the
noblest of them were Atlas and Saturnus, shared their Fathers
Kingdomes betweene them. Atlas had for his part, those Coun-
tries, which lay next vnto the Ocean, and Lybia, and the streights
of Gibraltar, whence Mount-Atlas and the Atlanticke people in
Mauritania tooke first their name, and Saturnus obtayned Sicilia,
and Lybia, who being afterward hated of his people, for the cruel-
tie he vsed against his Father Coelus, fledd into Italie, where by
Ianus he was made Partaker of the Kingdome. Now forasmuch as
Dyodorus alledgeth, that Coelus was the first King that reigned
among the Atlanticks, the people being before desperced vp and
downe in fields in Collonies, he admonished them. to gather them-
selves together, and to build townes. Without all question these
Kings were very ancient, because Atlas, Sonne of Atlas, having
chased away his brother Hesperus was King of Iberia, which after
wards in the yeere 738, after the vniversali flood was called Spay-
ne. Hesperus flying into Etruria, where he was made tutour to
Ianus. The Grandfather of Atlas (Elius) reigned in Phenice anno
662 after the deluge. And Diodorus witnesseth, that those Kings
out of the nature of things, and the contemplation of them, they
attayned to excellent knowledg; and withall became pious, and
more humane, that as Dyodorus truely faith, the Atlanticks bore
away the bell both for their pietie, and humanitie to straungers,
from all other Nations whatsoever, when there were scarcely not
above 22 or 23 generations compleat, and manie parts of the earth
not yet inhabited. Atlas had manie Sonns, but among the rest, one
famous for his pietie, justice, and courtesie to his subjects. His
name was Hesperus, who ascending vp to the top of Mount Atlas,
to seach out diligently the course of the Starrs, was on a sudden
violently carryed away with winds, and appeared no more. So
much Dyodorus speaketh of him: but in my opinion (as I have
said) I finde he was King in Iberia, into which at last, he came
with a prosperous winde, wehre he lived so prudently and reli-
giously, that when he fled into Etruria, being driven from thence
by his brother, for his excellent wisedome and prudence he was
made Tutor to Ianus, and administratour of the Kingdom, which
Offices Atlas his brother vndertooke. My purpose then is to follo-
we this Atlas, a man so excelling in erudition, humanitie, and
wisedome, (as from a loftie watch tower) to contemplate Cosmo-
graphie, as much as my strength and abilitie will permit mee, to
see if peradventure, by my diligence, I may finde out some truths
in things yet vnknowne, which may serve to the Studie of wise-
