Item of the Day: Gordon's Geographical Grammar (1719)
Full Title:
Geography Anatomizd: or, the Geographical Grammar. Being a Short and Exact Analysis of the Whole Body of Modern Geography, After a New and Curious Method, Comprehending, I. A General View of the Terraqueous Globe. Being a Compendious System of the true Fundamentals of Geography; Digested into various Definitions, Problems, Theorems, and Paradoxes: With a Transient Survey of the Surface of the Earthly Ball, as it consists of Land and Water. II. A Particular View of the Terraqueous Globe. Being a clear and pleasant Prospect of all Remarkable Countries upon the Face of the whole Earth; shewing their Situation, Extent, Division, Subdivision, Cities, Chief Towns, Name, Air, Soil, Commodities, Rarities, Archbishopricks, Bishopricks, Universities, Manners, Languages, Government, Arms, Religion. Collected from the Best Authors , and Illustrated with Divers Maps. The Eighth Edition, Corrected and Somewhat Enlarg’d. By Pat. Gordon, M.A. F. R. S.
Written by Patrick Gordon. Contains 15 folded maps. Printed for J. and B. Sprint, and S. Burroughs, in Little Britain; R. Knaplock and D. Midwinter in St. Paul's, and R. Cruttenden in Cheapside, 1719.
From the Preface:
My principal Design in publishing the following Treatise, is, To present the younger sort of our Nobility and Gentry, with a Compendious, Pleasant and Methodical Tract of MODERN GEOGRAPHY, that most useful Science, which highly deserves their Regard in a peculiar Manner. It be alledg'd, That the World is already overstock'd with Composures of this Nature; I freely grant the Charge; but withal, Ill be bod to say, That there's none as yet publish'd, which is not palpably Faulty, in one or more of these Three Respects. Either they are too Voluminous, and thereby Fright the Young Student from so much as ever attempting that Study: Or, Secondly, too Compendious, and thereby give him only a bare Superficial Knowledge of Things: Or finally, Confus'd (being writ without any due Order or Method) and so confound him before he is aware. But all these are carefully avoided in the following Treatise; for in framing of it, I've industriously endeavour'd, to make it observe a just Mean, between the Two Extreams of a large Volume and a narrow Compend. And as to the Method in which it now appears, the same is (I presume) so Plain and Natural, that I may safely refer the Trial thereof, to the Impartial Judgment of the Severest Critick.
From the Contents:
Part I. Giving a General View.
38 Geographical Definitions.
48 Geographical Problems.
41 Geographical Theorems.
39 Geographical Paradoxes.
Concerning Land and Water
Part II. Giving a Particular View, Comprehends,
Chap. I. Of EUROPE.
Concerning:
Scandinavia, containing Sweden, Denmark, Norway
Muscovia
France
Germany, divided into Lower Holland and Flanders and Upper Germany
Poland
Spain and Portugal
Italy
Turky in Europe as Hungary, Greece, Tartary, Danubian Provinces
European Islands as Britain (Scotland, England, and Wales) and Ireland
Chap. II. Of ASIA
Concerning:
Tartary
China
India
Persia
Turky in Asia
The Asiatick Islands
Chap. III. Of AFRICA
Concerning:
Egypt
Barbary
Biledulgerid
Zaara, or the Desart
Negroeland
Guiney
Nubia
AEthiopia
African Islands
Chap. IV. Of AMERICA
Concerning:
New Spain
Nova Granada
Florida
Terra Canadensis
Terra Arctica
Terra Firma
Peru
Amazonia
Brasil
Chili
Paraguay
Terra Magallanica
Terra Antarctica
The American Islands
Appendix
