The Worthington advance., 1888-08-09
An Interesting Old Man.

From the Montreal Gazette.
On the wall of Mr.. s. c. Stevenson'e
office, in this city, is hung a fac simile
OF what is known as the second
Borgian map, which is of great his.
torical value. The original, by Diego
Ribero, is in the museum of the pro.
paganda in Rome. This relic of the
early ages of American discovery is
contemporary copy of the first
Borgian map, so celebrated in his
tory on account of the line traced
across it by Pope Alexander VI, 1t
must have been commenced about
1894 and finished 1929, possibly for
Charles V. in order to settle some
difficulties with the Portuguese in
relation to the frequently-vexed ques.
tion ofpossession of the newly-dis-
covered lands. The late Mr.. Shake
speare Wood, great authority on
all questions of this nature, was of
the opinion that it was commenced
under Julius II (deila rovere), whose
tiara and arms, the oak, or rovere,
are displayed at the bottom of thu
map.
This would * the date of the draw
ing at 1903. But there are evidences
OF it's being of even earlier date, for
in all that concerns Europe, Africa
and Asia, this map is identical with
the first, which was certainly drawn
in l494, 1t bears an inscription in
Spanish which commences along the
upper margin of the parchment, and
runs us follows: Universal map, in
which is contained all that has
been hitherto discovered OF
the world. Made by Diego Ribero,
geographer to his Majesty in Seville
1929" and continues along helower
margin as follows: (Which is divided
into two parts according to the agree
ment made by their Catholic Males
ties of Spain and King John of Portu-
gal in Fontesilla, A. d. 1884," At
mthe foot of the map are richly-illu-
mated coats of arms. The continents
and islands are covered with quaint
representations of animals supposed
to be native to them; the seas are
crowded with Spanish ships sailing
in all directions. At one corner is a
drawing of quadrant, with an ex-
PLANTATION how to use it, and on the
space followed by the Pacific Ocean
TN astrolabe with q silk chord at
tached to the center. The line of
division made by Alexander VI is
drawn exactely as on his map, with
the addition that on each side of it
is flagstaff, that on the west carry
ing the Spanish flag, and that on the
| east the Portuguese.
Altogether this map has the ap-
pearance of being to that of Alexan-
der VI what a fairly engrossed copy
Of legal document would be to the
! original draft to which additions and
interlineatlons had been mado. 1t
suggests, however, some interesting
subjects for inquiry which can only
be solved by reference to papers in
tho vatican archives of the regesta of
Alexander VI, and his immediate sue
cessors to Clement VII, in whose time
this map dated. 1t is curious that
while Diego Ribero's map bears the
date OF 1929, when Clement VII oc-
cupied the papal throne, as already
intimated, the pentifical arms and
tiara which adorn it in the middle of
Others at the foot should be those of
Julius Ii, who was elected in 1903 to
succeed Plus III, in the same year in
; which Alexander VI died. julius II
died in 1913. The drawing through
out is exquisitely careful and clear.
In the four corners winds are repre-
sented blowing their cheeks, and the
quadrants, coats of arms, &c., are
richly Illuminated. England figures
as divided from Scotland either by a
river or branch of the sea, and Edin-
burgh is called Edim. The principal
towns in England arc called Bristol,
York, and Londres The Irish towns
are written in Celtic. The chief Euro
pean towns are named, but Russia is
in q state of great confusion. Jeru-
salem, which is represented about
1,5OO miles distant from where it
really exists, has three crosses to in
dicate Cavalry. The Nile, strange to
relate, is traced to it's source to three
lakes. America is q rather shadowy
continent, much mixed up with ocean.
Yucatan and New Spain are given,
and Brazil is also indicated. The
northern continent ends at Labrador.
Hours can easily be spent studying
this unique document.