John Norden. 'Speculi Britanniae Pars,' 1728. 'A Topographic...

John Norden. 'Speculi Britanniae Pars,' 1728. 'A Topographical and Historical Description of Cornwall. With a Map of the County of Cornwall and Each Hundred; In Which Are Contained the Names and Seats of the Several Gentlemen then Inhabitants; As Also, thirteen Views of the most Remarkable Curiosities in that County. To which are Added the West Prospect of the Some Time Conventual Church of St Germans; And a Table of the Distances of the Towns from each other: with some Account of the Author,' first edition, engraved frontis, engraved dedication to the Earl of Oxford, 10 double-page maps and one plate, 13 engraved illustrations, original full calf tastfully rebacked, a very clean if not nearly fine copy of a scarce work, William Pearson for the editor and sold by Bateman, London, 1728. Norden was the first Englishman to complete a series of 'County Histories', however he became beset by financial difficulties. He succeeded in issuing the first part of ‘Speculum’ Middlesex in 1593 followed by ‘Hertfordshire’ in 1598, leaving in manuscript, five full surveys of other counties. Cornwall was not published until 1728 it was written in 1610 (and in 'Lowdnes' view, drew heavily on Carew’s 'Survey of Cornwall' 1602, though Norden probably visited the county as early as 1584).