Bertelli's version of Lily's important map of the British Isles

LILY, George.

Britania Insula Quae Duo Regna Continet Angliam et Scotiam cum Hibernia Adiacente.
Venice: Ferrando Bertelli, 1562. 485 x 350mm.

Trimmed to platemark as issued.

A rare version of George Lily's landmark map of 1546. It was the first separately-issued map of the British Isles and the first to show Scotland's coastline and islands in recognisable form, possibly based on a lost map by John Eldon. Although the outline of England was copied from Munster, the use of copper engraving rather than woodcut allowed more names from other sources to be included. Ireland had yet to take shape.
Bertelli's map was engraved by Paolo Forlani after an intermediate version published in Rome in 1556 with a box lettered IHS (earning the map the nickname 'The Jesuit Map'), which was orientated with north at the top rather than to the right.
Here the left-hand text box has the publication date of 1561, the right box MDLXII (1562), with the second 'I' an addition; no example dated 1561 on the right has been located.
George Lily (c.1510-59) was a London-born catholic priest who was outlawed for treason against Henry VIII and followed his master, Cardinal Reginald Pole, into exile. Living in Italy, he contributed to Paolo Giovio's 'Descriptio Britanniae, Scotiae, Hyberniae et Orchadum' (Venice, 1548); it seems his map was prepared as a companion piece. On the accession of Mary I, Pole and Lily returned to England in 1555, with Pole becoming Archbishop of Canterbury (the last Catholic to hold the post) the following year. Lily became Pole's chaplain and the first prebend of Canterbury Cathedral in 1558. He died the following year and was buried in St Paul's churchyard.
Lily's monogram ('GLA', for Georgius Lilius Anglicanus') appears on two other maps: Pirro Ligorio's 'Vrbis Romae Sitvs', published by Tramezini in 1552; and his own 'Nova Germaniae Descriptio', published by Tramezini in 1553.

SHIRLEY: 70.
Stock ID : 19123