DESIGNER.--Being on a very small scale, these maps are not so attractive as
some that have been already discussed. John Norden, the designer, was born
about 1548, and seems to have had from the first an extraordinary gift of
delicate penmanship, which he turned to much account in map-making. He
projected a whole "Speculum Britanniæ," but during his lifetime only
managed to publish books on two counties--namely, Middlesex and
Hertfordshire. He left behind him the results of his labours on many other
counties in manuscript, and these have since been published. Norden was
appointed Surveyor of His Majesty's Woods in 1609. The engraving of the
Middlesex maps was done by Peter Van den Keere.
ORIGINALS.--The reproductions are taken from those which appear in Norden's
_Middlesex_, dated 1593. Each map is 9½ inches by 6¾ inches. The wonderful
delicacy of Norden's work makes these maps peculiarly appreciated by
students of London cartography.
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