CHRISTOPHER SAXTON. 



241 



The maps drawn by Saxton were engraved by " Augustine 

 Ryther," " Remigius Hogenberg," " Leonard Terwoort," of Ant- 

 werp, " Nicholas Reynolds," of London," Cornelius Hogius" and 

 " Francis Scarterius." There is no evidence on the maps that 

 Saxton engraved any of them himself, but, according to one 

 account, he engraved those of the Welsh counties and Hereford- 

 shire with his own hand. Saxton obtained a licence to sell these 

 maps for a term of ten years, under a grant made at Gorambury, 

 July 22nd, 1577. 



He also published a map of Yorkshire with views of York 

 and Hull. He is highly commended for his work by Camden 

 and Thoresby the latter of whom calls his map of Yorkshire the 

 best that ever was made of that county. This map was three 

 feet wide. The maps are now scarce, and complete copies of the 

 atlas are very rare, and as early as 1839 one was offered for 

 £11. i2s. The copy at the Sunderland Library sale, wanting the 

 title, list of maps and portrait, realised £1^. No doubt the 

 scarcity of the complete atlas is accounted for by the fact that 

 the maps appear to have been published separately between 1574 

 and 1579, showing that the labour of six years had been spent 

 upon them. In this latter year the title and index were added, 

 and then issued complete under the title of Atlas Anglicanns in 

 sins Comitatum Descfipt apud Christ : Saxon. London 1574-g." 



±\ copy with the maps coloured is in the British Museum 

 and contains an engraved list of the maps commencing " Comi- 

 tatim singolorum," index, &c., and concluding " Anno Domini 

 1579 " ; then follows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth on her throne 

 with eight Latin verses dated 1579, after which are 35 maps in- 

 cluding that of England. 



Another copy consisting of the same 35 maps with a different 

 index affixed commencing " Indicem huic operi tripartitum," &c., 

 and a folding plate of Arms and " Gatalogus Vrbuim," &c., is also 

 in the British Museum. 



Lowndes records in 1864 that a copy of the Saxton maps 

 printed on vellum and not quite perfect was in the possession of 

 David Laing, Esq., of Edinburgh. I believe the Laing collec- 

 tion was disposed of by public auction about 1880. 



In 1884 a copy of the atlas uncoloured on vellum, but want- 

 ing the Maps of Yorkshire and Hampshire was priced in a book- 

 sellers catalogue at ^80, and is probably the same copy as that 



