Cartographica Neerlandica Map Text for
Ortelius Map No. 78
Text, scholarly
version, translated from the 1570L(ABC), 1571L, 1573L(AB), 1574L, 1575L,
1579L(AB), 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601 Latin, 1602G, 1602S,
1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612L and the 1609/1612/1641S edition:
78.1. {1570L(A){
78.2. Levinus
Lemnius of Zierikzee in his book De occultis naturæ miraculis
[that is] {1602S, 1602G, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S only{About the
hidden secrets of nature,}1602S, 1602G, 1606E, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S
only} among other things writes this about Zeeland, his native
country: that this sea tract, he says, was not unknown to the ancients may
easily be gathered from Cornelius Tacitus. But not by the same name as
that by which it is known at this day, but [the same] in customs and common
ways of greeting and speaking to one another, which acquaintances and friends
use when they meet. Therefore, he calls them by the name of MATTIACI
when he writes like this: Under the same jurisdiction are the
Mattiaci, a nation very much like the Batavi, {1580/1589G & 1602G
only{or Dutchmen}1580/1589G & 1602G only} except that these
are with regard to the situation of their country, more courageous. By
which he gives us to understand that although they are next door neighbours,
and border on the {not in 1580/1589G & 1602G{Batavi or}not in
1580/1589G & 1602G} Hollanders, (so called because of the hollowness and
lowness of the ground), they might justly be reckoned to be one and the same
people, but only distinguished by the name of their customary salutation, and
by being nearer to the sea, being more hardy and audacious (as indeed they are)
and in manliness, wit, policy, craft, deceits, cunning in buying and selling,
their diligence in finding ways to enrich themselves, they far surpass them.
78.3. And his calling them Mattiaci, I think means that they were not
called after any place or leader, but because of that friendly way of greeting
each other, as I said, and their usual way of speaking to one another, that is,
of MAAT, which in common speech and friendly meetings means: a fellow and
companion in all our actions, bargains, contracts and dangers, in all our
purposes, counsels, labours and works. A co-partner and comfort in anything
whatsoever that we take in hand or go about &c. For the name of
78.4. For it is fully surrounded by the ocean, and consists of fifteen islands
although it was not long ago that the raging sea did great damage to this land.
Through its violence and flooding, a good part of
78.5. It received its name from him that first entered and inhabited it, or (as
I guess) from the Gauls who often frequented this region. They are called WALEN
by the inhabitants of the
78.6. From here Northwards and somewhat towards the East is Schouwen, called
after the river Schelde which runs by it and here comes to the sea. Zuid
Beveland, named thus because of its location towards the South {1606E
only{(to distinguish it from another [island] at some distance to the North,
and therefore called Noord Beveland)}1606E only} is a large and
excellent piece of ground, lying along the
78.7. It suffered great loss and damage lately, and [as a result] is now much
smaller and narrower. {1592L, not in 1602G{So far for Lemnius. Tritthemius
in his Annals of the Franks calls Middelburg the chief city of these
islands. Meyer of Middelburg calls it Mattiacum, being more
of a scholar of Latin than a true geographer}1592L}. More of this you may read
in the same Lemnius just mentioned, who has most excellently described
all the islands of
78.8. To these, if you like, you may add for more thorough knowledge Ludovico
Guicciardini. {1573L(B){There are also some Annals of these islands
written in the mother tongue by Johannes Reygersbergen}1573L(B)}. But
to get a taste, you may also add to the former the descriptions of the cities
of the Low Countries by Adrian Barland}1570L(ABC), 1571L, 1573L(AB)
end here}. {1592L, not in 1602{Of the people of this province, these verses are
commonly spoken:
78.9. Crescit nequitia, simul crescente senectâ;
In Zelandinis non fallit regula talis}1592L, not in 1602G} [which
means:]
78.10. {1606E only{The worse they get, as they grow old,
In Zelanders, this rule does hold}1606E only}.
78.11. {1574L{These islands are situated between the mouths of the rivers Maas
and Schelde, bordering in the North on Holland, in the East on Brabant,
in the South on Flanders and in the West on the German sea. Jacobus
Meyer thinks that Procopius calls them Arborichas. But Petrus
Divæus thinks that this text of Procopius is wrong, and that
{1580/1589G, 1602G & 1606E{instead of Arboricas}1580/1589G, 1602G
& 1606E} we should read Abroditos}1574L, 1575L, 1579L(AB),
1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S & 1602G end here}.
78.12. {1595L{These are the islands, I truly believe, to which Cæsar
in his sixth book {not in 1608/1612I{of De
Quaque iacet littus dubium, quod terra fretumque. Vendicat alternis
vicibus, cum funditus ingens Oceanus, vel cum refugis se fluctibus aufert.
Ventus ab extremo pelagus sic axe volutat, &c.}1595L}. [that is]
{1606E & 1608/1612I only{They come in troops, From where the uncertain
shores lie, which is land nor sea. But both, by course, as raging Thetis
flows and ebbs again. Or as the wind with rolling waves all calmed stands, from
North and South thus carrying to and fro, &c}1606E & 1608/1612I only}.
78.13. {1592L{And what that author Lucanus in his ninth book [lines 303-307]
sometimes speaks of, [namely] the Syrtes {1606E only{or Quicksands}1606E
only}, one may now quite justly apply to these islands, when he speaks like
this: -- Primam mundo Natura figuram Cum daret, in dubio terræ pelagique
reliquit: Nam neque subsedit penitus quo stagna profundi Acciperet, nec se
defendit ab æquore tellus: Ambigua sed lege loci iacet insula sedes. [that
is] {1606E & 1608/1612I only{When this huge world by nature first was
framed, A doubtful case it seemed how God would have it named, For neither
could the earth receive the ocean deep, Nor was land able its own from sea to
keep, The place so dangerous is, that none to it dare go, And whether sea or
land it be, men scarcely know}1606E & 1608/1612I only}. Yet, now these
islands are {not in 1609/1612/1641{inhabitable, and}not in 1609/1612/1641S} easy
and safe to reach, by the industry and labour of man, not by the benefit and
nature of the place}1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602S, 1603L, 1606E, 1608/1612I,
1609/1612L & 1609/1612/1641S end here}.
Text, vernacular
version, translated from the 1571/1573D, 1572/1573G, 1572/1574F, 1581F, 1587F,
1598F and 1598/1610/1613D texts:
78.14. {1571/1573D{
78.15. Zeeland comprises all the islands between Flanders, Brabant,
78.16. Today there may be many cities, and tomorrow the sea will wash them
away, so that within the memory of a life span, as Lemnius writes, one
hundred thousand hectares [300,000 acres] of land may be drowned. Nevertheless,
we will describe it as it is at this very moment. These islands are nowadays
parted into two by the river Schelde.
78.17. At the East side they are called East of the Schelde and
consist of these three islands: Schouwen, Duiveland and Tholen. In
the West is West of the Schelde, consisting of these four islands:
78.18. In addition to this there are 102 villages. Middelburg is
the capital, and here is a staple market of all the wines coming from
78.19. Its inhabitants mostly live by sea trade and fishing, in which they
are so industrious that they even export fish to
78.20. By nature they are keen on acquiring goods, (as
Lemnius of Zierikzee writes). They are clever and
forward-looking, and are not easily deceived by sweet words or a feigned
countenance. These people, (as has been determined with certainty), have once
come from Denmark from the island in the middle of that kingdom where
you find Copenhagen, and which is [also] called Zeeland
[Sjælland], and they have called this land after their place of origin
Zeeland. And if this were not the truth, even then it might provide a good
occasion to be called