
Transcriber's Notes: This work was originally produced in 1630, only 26 years after Cawdrey's first English dictionary and more than a century before Johnson's. The spelling is, in many cases, strange to modern standards and highly variable. I have noted a small number of cases which would, I think, have been considered absurd by the original author. These have been amended to a more consonant form and marked as, for example, observation, where the original may be seen by hovering the mouse cursor over the word; all other spelling has been retained as the original. Some apparently incorrect or missing punctuation has been corrected silently. The reader should note that ẽ, õ and ũ are used to imply nasalization and should be read as indicating an omitted ' m ' or ' n ' following the vowel. Words including this have been marked as, for example, frõ, where the recommended reading may be seen by hovering the mouse cursor over the word. The letters ' u ' and ' v ' are used largely interchangeably as also, though to a lesser extent, ' i ' and ' j '.-- ATB.
A. BRIEFE INTRODVCTION - TO GEOGRAPHY
CONTAINING A - DESCRIPTION OF THE - GROVNDS, AND GENERALL - PART THEREOF, VERY NECESSARY - for young students in that science.
A BRIEFE INTRODVCTION TO GEOGRAPHIE.
CHAP. 1.
CAP. 2.
CAP. 3.
CAP. 4.
CAP. 5.
CAP. 6.
This modest work, first printed in 1630, offers a window onto the way early scholars framed the Earth for curious minds. The transcription preserves the original spelling quirks while smoothing the most bewildering forms, letting listeners hear the cadence of a 17th‑century lecturer without stumbling over arcane orthography. It was intended as a brief, accessible guide for young students stepping into the study of lands, waters, and the globe itself.
The author begins by distinguishing three key branches: topography for small plots, chorography for particular countries or provinces, and geography for the whole earth and its waters. He then outlines a systematic plan, dividing the subject into general properties—such as the Earth’s shape, its circles, and methods of measurement—and special descriptions of individual regions. Though concise, the treatise blends practical observation with a philosophical appreciation of the planet’s size, distances, and natural qualities, making it a useful primer for anyone beginning to map the world in their mind.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (70K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Robert Shimmin, Tony Browne and the PG Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
Release date
2005-02-09
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

d. 1623
A gifted young Oxford preacher whose books continued to circulate after his early death, he wrote clear, earnest works on faith, scripture, and practical learning. He is also remembered for a brief introduction to geography that reached readers well beyond theology.
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