A miniature map of North West England and Wales

A reduced version of Mercator's map of north west England northern Wales, issued as one of five regions of England and Wales, with parts of Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire and Shropshire. It was engraved for a new edition of the Bertius 'Tabularum geographicarum contractarum' published by Hondius in 1616, which King describes as 'the finest set of miniature maps ever printed'. This example was issued in a Dutch pocket edition of 'Camden's Britannia'. Hondius (c.1594-1629) was the son of the Jodocus Hondius who engraved the John Speed county maps. He left the family business to set up on his own c.1621; after his early death many of his copper plates were sold to the rival Blaeu firm.