This matching set of maps comes from the English edition of Mercator's Atlas Minor, which was published under the title Historia Mundi or Mercators Atlas by Michael Spark and Samuel Cartwright. After acquiring the plates to the 1607 edition of the Mercator/Hondius Atlas Minor, Sparke republished the maps with text translated into English by Wye Saltonstall. Sparke also had 41 additional maps engraved for the Historia Mundi. Most of these maps were copied from Cloppenburg's edition of Atlas Minor and are therefore a bit larger, with some signed by the engravers Jacob van Langren and Ralph Hall. These additional maps only appeared in the 1635, 1637 and 1639 editions of the Historia Mundi and are therefore quite scarce. Included in this lot is the complete set of maps of Ireland that were published in the Atlas Minor. Each map is adorned with a decorative title cartouche and a distance scale. English text on verso. Sizes vary slightly.

References: Law, p. 28; Van der Krogt (Vol. III) #5900:351, #5901:351, #5902:351, #5915:351, #5941:351.

Condition: A

Crisp impressions with light toning along the edges of the sheets, marginal soiling, and some small chips and tears also along the edges.