Heylyn’s Cosmographie was first published by Henry Seile in 1652. Heylyn (1600-1662) was a lecturer in historical geography, and churchman, appointed personal chaplain to King Charles I. The Cosmographie was the most substantial English geography of its day, an enlargement of the author’s Microcosmus, now expanded to near a thousand pages, with a suite of four maps of the continents, dated 1652.
The book was a success, and much reprinted. This seventh edition appeared under the joint imprint of several leading English booksellers and publishers.
The maps are now reprinted from replacement printing plates. The maps of Europe, Asia and Africa bear the imprint of Philip Chetwind, dated 1666, while the America is credited to Seile’s widow, Ann(e) (or Anna) Seile, and dated 1663.
The map of America derives from John Speed’s map from 1627; it is one of the earliest English maps of the Americas, naming many English settlements along the east coast, and also depicts California as an island.
Provenance: Head of illustrated title-page inscribed by a “[H-?] Goater”, front blank with a Frances Goatier, both in an early hand; below another inscription “The Gift of my Cousin Goater to me Eliz. Richardson April 6th 1736.”; the distinctive pencil asterisk and surname notation of the Sir Robert Leicester Harmsworth sales at Sotheby’s, 1950.
References: ESTC R14988; Sabin, 31655; Wing H1696 (Sixth edition); Burden 379.
