Text (translated from the 1570L, 1571L, 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1573L, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598D, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L and 1606E edition)
58.1. {1570L including 1588S, 1602G & 1602S{ LOWER GERMANY}1570L, 1588S & 1602G} {1595L{ GERMANIE on this side RHENE, commonly called THE NETHERLANDS or THE LOW COUNTRIES}1595L, including 1601L, 1602S & 1603L}
58.2. {1570L{This Table <= map> does not represent all of Lower Germany but only the part which Philip, Son of Charles the fifth possesses by right of inheritance. And it contains the following 17 Provinces: the Dukedoms of Brabant, Limburgh, Lutzenburg and Guelders; the Earldoms of Flanders, Artois, Henault, Holland, Zeland, Namur, and Zutphen; the Marquesat of the sacred Empire; the Signiories of Frisland, Mechlin, Utreght, Overissel and Groeningen. Regions as civil and well manured as any in the world, in which (according to Guicciardini) there are 208 cities, fortified with walls, ramps, or ditches, and more than 6300 villages with churches, next to a great number of hamlets, castles and fortifications. And this area, (beginning from the eastern part at the river Amisus, commonly called Eems, the boundary of it towards the Ocean, has these Princes bordering it: the Earl of East Frisland, the Bishop of Münster, the Duke of Cleve, the Archbishops of Colen and Triers, and the French King along the Southwestern shore as far as the river Aa, the extreme Western border of these Provinces.
58.3. The air, though it may seem over-moist, is yet most healthy, and agreeable to the constitution and digestion of the inhabitants, who are here of great longevity, especially in Kempenland, {1606E only{the most Northern}1606E only} part of Brabant. It is everywhere watered with rivers, and sufficiently adorned with woods and groves, either for pastime, or hunting, or beautiful sights. Of mountains it has none, except only around Lutzenburg, Namur and in Henault, where it rises in some places to <the level of> hills.
58.4. It abounds with corn and fruits of all sorts. Also with herbs for medicinal use. {not in 1584L, 1588S & 1598D{Here also grows plenty of that grain which is called Buckwey {1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G have instead{Ericeta}1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G instead}, {1579L{not in 1580/1589G, 1592L & 1602G{which the people corruptly pronounce as Bockwey, as if you would say, The beech-herb}1579L, not in 1580/1589G, 1588S, 1592L & 1602G}. {1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G only{This is heather of Erica, heather growing in great abundance, of which there are many fields in Kempenland which is a part of Brabant}1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G only}. {1595L, not in 1602G{For the seed or grain (be it in smaller form) is three-square, altogether like the nut of the Beech. So it may truly be called Beech-corn or {not in 1602S{if you like <Greek lettering> gameizides}not in 1602S}. Whether this corn was known in ancient times, let Herbalists inquire}1595L, not in 1598D & 1602G}. {1571L{Although in some sandy places, which the inhabitants because of the abundance of heather call Heath-ground, as in Kempenland, the North part of Brabant, it does not grow in such abundance}1571L}. But this kind of heather yields such excellent food for cattle, since (as agreed on by the neighbouring countries) their meat is pleasant and delectable to a man's taste as any other.
58.5. {1592L, not in 1602G{ It is this region, I suppose, that Plinius most truly describes in his 17th book, 4th chapter, when he says: What is better than the pastures of Germany? And yet, under a thin slab <of soil> you have immediately a mould of barren sand}1592L, not in 1602G}. {1571L, 1573L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S & 1603L only{It breeds no creatures harmful to mankind}1571L, 1573L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S & 1603L only}.
58.6. All these regions are called by most foreigners (most ignorantly mistaking part for the whole) Flanders, and its inhabitants Flemings, whereas Flanders is but a part <of it> only, and but one Province {1606E{of the seventeen}1606E}, as in the Table <map> you may plainly see. These therefore are in as serious an error as if a man, to refer to Spain, should mention Castilia, Andaluzia or any other specific Province, or speaking of Italy should mention Tuscany or Calabria &c. or talking about the whole Kingdom of France should mention only Normandy, {1606E only{or Bretaigne}1606E only}, &c., and so should imagine to have spoken of all of Spain, all of Italy or all of France.
58.7. Ioannes Goropius Becanus has described these regions most learnedly in his Becceselanis, as has Peter Divæus of Louvain, and Hubertus Thomas of Liege. Iohannes Caluetus Stella, a Spaniard, wrote in his own language a Journal of King Philip's <military> progress through all these provinces, in which you shall find many details worth reading, that shine a light on the knowledge of these countries and cities. But whoever desires to have more detailed and firm instructions on these places, let him read Ludouicus Guicciardinus and he will then think that he has not read about these provinces, but has seen them with his own eyes}1570L}. {1595L, not in 1602G{Recently David Chytræus in his Saxon history has also written extensively and learnedly on these matters}1595L, not in 1602G}.
58.8. {1574L{Since the inhabitants in most places speak both the Dutch and the French language, and since the country for trade and other reasons <!> is frequented by Spaniards and by strangers of various nations, this has been the cause that various cities, towns and rivers have more than one name. For everyone names them after his own language with a name much different from the proper name used by its inhabitants. Ignorance about this multiplicity of names has caused many authors (otherwise not to be reproached) to commit intolerable errors. And among these is Dominicus Niger, who in his Geography puts down Anversa instead of Taravanna, and Antorpia (which, in spite of this, in the edition printed by Henricus Petrus he corrupts to Antrocipia) he puts on the bank of Tabuda, thirty {1580/1589G & 1602G only{Welsh}1580/1589G & 1602G only} leagues from Taravanna, whereas everyone knows that Antorpia and Anversa refer to one and the same city, <namely> Antwerp.
58.9. Similarly he supposes each couple Machelen and Malines, Leodium and Liege, Noviomagum and Nieumeghen, Traiectum on the Maese and Trait (for which he wrongly writes Trecia) to be two different towns, whereas in fact they refer to only one. He grossly declares the city Raremuntium to be called Liege and somewhere else he insists on naming the same Raremuntium as Rhamon. But on the basis of his description I guess that by Raremuntium and Ramon he means nothing else than the town of Ruermond. He takes Rhenen, a city in Guelders lying on the banks of the river Rhein, because of the similarity of the names, to be quite the same as the Bishopric of Rhemes in the Province of Champaigne in France.
58.10. But since he is utterly unacquainted with the situation in our countries, his errors may seem more forgivable. Whatever the case may be, lest others studious in Geography should lapse into the same absurdities, I thought it good to annex onto this page the common synonyms or different names of certain specific places.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
58.11. ANTWERPEN in Low Dutch, in Latin Antwerpia and Andouerpia. In High German ANTORFF; {not in 1606E{hence in Latin Antorpia}not in 1606E}, the Italians call it Anuersa, {1574L{the Spaniards and French Enberes and Anvers}1574L}.
58.12. AKEN in Dutch, in French Aix, and in Latin Aquisgranum.
58.13. HERTOGENBOSCHE, in French Boisleduc, and in Latin Silva ducale, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Bolduque}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.14. LOEUEN, {not in 1588S{in Latin called Louanium, and in French Louuain}not in 1588S}, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Louayna}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.15. Lille, in High Dutch RIJSSEL, in Latin Insula, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Lila}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.16. Liege, in High Dutch LUYCK, in Latin Leodium, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Liega}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.17. COELEN so called by the inhabitants, in French Cologne, and in Latin Colonia Agrippina, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Colonia}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.18. DORDRECHT, by contraction, we call Dort, in Latin Dordracum, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Dordreque}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.19. MACHELEN, in Latin Machlinia, and in French {1588S & 1602S only{and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only}Malines.
58.20. Tournay, in High Dutch {1588S & 1602S only{and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only} DORNICKE, and in Latin Tornacum.
58.21. Arras in French {1588S & 1602S only{and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only}, ATRECHT in Flemish, and in Latin Atrebatum.
58.22. Maubeuge, in Latin they call it Malbodium.
58.23. Tienen, in French {1588S & 1602S only{and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only} Tilemont.
58.24. Namur {1588S & 1602S only{in French and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only}, the Brabanders call it Namen, {1579L{in Latin Namurcum}1579L}.
58.25. MAESTRICHT, and by contraction Tricht, in French Trait, is by ancient Latin writers called Traiectum ad Mosam, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Mastrique}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.26. Viset, in High Dutch WESET, (1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Vise}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.27. S. TRVYEN, in French Centron, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Cantron}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.28. Thionville in French, DITENHOFEN in High Dutch, and in Latin Theodonis villa, {1588S only{in Spanish Thionvila}1588S only}.
58.29. TERREWANEN and TERREBORCH in Flemish, Terouenne in French, Tarvanna in ancient Latin writers, {1602S only{in Spanish Thionvila}1602S only}. {not in 1602S{It used to be the seat of a bishop, but it now has the name only}not in 1602S}{1588S only{in Spanish Terruana}1588S only}.
58.30. GVLICK, in French Iuliers, in Latin Iuliacum.
58.31. Mons the Flemings call BERGEN.
58.32. GEERTSBERGE which I hear is also called St. Adrians, and in French Grammont.
58.33. Ioudogne those Brabanders that speak High Dutch call GELDENAKEN.
58.34. Gemblours, an abbey {not in 1588S, 1592L & 1602S{with a small city}not in 1588S, 1592L & 1602S}, in Latin Gemblacum, {1588S & 1602S only{the Spanish call it Gibblom}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.35. Soigni in French, in Flemish SENNEKE
58.36. HALLE, in French Nostre Dame de Hault.
58.37. CORTRIJCK, Courtray in French {1588S only{as well as in Spanish}1588S only}, {not in 1606E{Cortracum in Latin {1602S only{and Spanish}1602S only}}not in 1606E}
58.38. COOMENE, in French Comines.
58.39. The river MAESE, in French is called Meuse, and in Latin {1588S & 1602S only{and Spanish}1588S & 1602S only} Mosa.
58.40. The river SCHELDT, in French Escault, is by Iulius Cæsar {1579L{and Plinius}1579L} called Scaldis, {1588S & 1602S only{in Spanish Scalda}1588S & 1602S only}.
58.41. The river Liege in French, is in Flemish named LEYE}1570L}
<note that as a native speaker of Flemish, when Ortelius refers to 'we' = Low Dutch = Dutch = Flemish = Brabants, and High Dutch = sometimes German, as in ANTORFF, but mostly = Dutch>
<Since the texts of the 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598F and 1598D editions differ considerably from the text given above, I will provide a separate translation of these texts in merged form below.>
58.42. {1571/1573D{The Netherlands
58.43. This Map does not represent all of The Netherlands but only the part which King Philip of Spain, our formidable ruler, possesses {1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only{by right of inheritance}1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only}. And it contains the following 17 Provinces: the Dukedoms of Brabant, Gelderlant, Lymborgh, and Lutzenborgh; the Earldoms of Vlaenderen, Artoys, Henegou, Hollandt, {not in 1572/1573G{Zeelandt}not in 1572/1573G}, Namen, and Zutphen; the Marquesate of the sacred Empire; the Signiories of Vrieslandt, Machelen, Vtrecht, Overyssel and Groeninghen.
58.44. In these regions, as civil {1598D{and well manured}1598D} as any in the world, (according to Ludowijck Guicciardin in a book in Italian written about these Provinces) there are 208 cities, fortified with walls, ramps, {1572/1574F, 1581F & 1598D only{or ditches}1572/1574F, 1581F & 1598D only}, and more than 6300 villages with {1572/1573G, not in 1572/1574F, 1581F & 1587F{priests and}1572/1573G, not in 1572/1574F, 1581 & 1587F} churches, next to a great number of {1598D{hamlets,}1598D} castles and fortifications {1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only{and mansions}1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only}. And this area, (beginning from the eastern part at the river Eems in the East and the river Aa in the West, starting from here, has these bordering it: the King of France, the {1572/1574F, 1581F & 1587F only{Arch-}1572/1574F, 1581F & 1587F only}bishops of Trier and of Coelen, the Duke of Cleue, the Bishop of Munster, and the Earl of East Friesland.
58.45. It is everywhere watered with rivers, and sufficiently adorned with woods and groves, either for pasture, {1572/1574F, 1581F & 1587F{pastime, or hunting,}1572/1574F, 1581F & 1587F} or beautiful sights. Of mountains it has none, except only around Lutzenborgh, Namur and in Henegou, where it rises in some places to <the level of> hills.
58.46. It abounds with corn and fruits of all sorts. Also with herbs for medicinal use. Although in some sandy places, which the inhabitants because of the abundance of heather call Heath-ground, and the Romans Erica, as in Kempenland, a part of Brabant, it does not grow in such abundance. But this kind of heather yields such excellent food for cattle, since (as agreed on by the neighbouring countries) their meat is pleasant and delectable to a man's taste as any other, as comes from Oxen, Sheep, Poultry, Rabbits, &c., yielding Butter, Milk etc. which surpasses all from elsewhere in taste. As a result, the Kempen meat and butter have a high price, also for its own inhabitants.
58.47. The air, though it may seem over-moist, is yet most healthy, {1598D only{and agreeable to the constitution and digestion}1598D only} for the inhabitants, who are here of great longevity, especially in Kempenland {not in 1598D{in Brabant, where you can find very old people}not in 1598D}.
58.48. All these regions are called by most foreigners, as there are the Spanish, Italians and the French, (most ignorantly mistaking part for the whole) Flanders, and its inhabitants Flemings, whereas Flanders is but a part <of it> only, and but one Province. These therefore are in as serious an error as if a man, to refer to Spain, should mention Castilia, Andalusia or any other specific Province, or speaking of Italy should mention Tuscany or Lombardy. Or talking about the whole Kingdom of France should mention only Normandy, or Gascoigne, &c., and so should imagine to have spoken of all of Spain, {1598D{all of Italy or all of France}1598D} &c.
58.49. What the origin is of this kind of mistake <of calling all of the Low Countries Flanders> is something I have often wondered about, and finally I have arrived at the idea that it arose because of the commerce which used to be restricted to Brugghe, and nowhere else in the country. Thus it was this city only that the foreign people and Nations visited. And since this city is located in Flanders, therefore no other country was mentioned but Flanders. Everything came from Flanders and went to Flanders.
58.50. And since they heard nothing but Flanders, they have concluded that all these Lands were called Flanders. What also helped this tendency to establish itself was the fact that some Earls of Flanders were once Emperors of Constantinople, and also have had their believers to gain access to the Holy Land and Jerusalem, which also has contributed to the popularity of this name <of Flanders> among foreigners}1571/1573D} © Marcel van den Broecke ©.