The equestrian country gentleman, who turned his hand to navigation. 

The last third of the sixteenth century and the first third of the seventeenth century saw the emergence of published handbooks on the art of navigation in England. This trend started with the publication of Richard Eden’s translation into English of the Breve compendio de la sphere y de la arte de navegar (Seville, 1551) by Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582), as The Arte of Navigation in 1561. The first handbook on the art of navigation written and published by an Englishman was A Regiment for the Sea published by William Bourne (c. 1535–1582) in 1574. Beginning in 1585, John Blagrave (d. 1611) began the publication of a series of manuals on mathematical instruments beginning with his universal astrolabe, The Mathematical Jewel designed to replace a whole range of navigational instruments. John Davis (c. 1550–1605) became the first active seaman and professional navigator to add to the handbooks on the art of navigation with his The Seaman’s Secretspublished in 1594. Although Thomas Hood (1556– 1620), England’s first publicly appointed lecturer for mathematics centred on navigation, published several books on the use of diverse instruments, he never wrote a comprehensive handbook on the art of navigation but in 1592 he edited a new edition of Bourne’s A Regiment for the Sea. (Edward Wright (c. 1520–1576) added his contribution to this growing literature, his Certaine Errors in Navigation in 1599. In 1623, Edmund Gunter published his guide to the use of navigation instruments Description and Use of the Sector, the Crosse-staffe and other Instruments. 

All of these books went through several editions, showing that there was an eager and expanding market for vernacular literature on navigation in the period. A market that was also exploited by the gentlemanly humanist scholar Thomas Blundeville (c. 1522–c. 1606), probably writing for a different, more popular, readership than the others.

Thomas was born in the manor house of Newton Flotman in Norfolk, a small village about 13 km south of Norwich. He was the eldest of four sons of Edward Blundevill (1492–1568) and Elizabeth Godsalve. He had one sister and two half-brothers from his father’s second marriage to Barbara Drake. Unfortunately, as is all too often the case, that is all we know about his background, his upbringing, or his education. 

The authors of Athenae Cantabrigienses claim that he studied at Cambridge but there are no details of his having studied there. He is said to have been in Cambridge at the same time as John Dee (1527–c. 1608) but there is no corroboration of this, although they were friends in later life.  However, based on his publications Blundeville does appear to have obtained a good education somewhere, somehow. Blundeville seems to have lived in London for some time before returning to live in Newton Flotman Manor, which he inherited, when his father died in 1568. Much of his writing also seems to indicate that he spent some time in Italy.

Blundeville was well connected, along with his acquaintances with John Dee, Edward Wright, and Edmund Gunter he was also friends with Henry Briggs (1561–1630). Elizabeth I’s favourite Robert Dudley, 1^st Earl of Leicester, who took a great interest in the expanding field of exploration and maritime trade, investing in many companies and endeavours, was one of his patrons. He was also, for a time, mathematics tutor to Elizabeth Bacon, daughter of Sir William Bacon (1510–1579, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and elder half sister of Francis Bacon (1561–1626), 1^st Viscount St Alban. He was also mathematics tutor in the household of the judge Francis Wyndham (d. 1592) of Norwich. We will return to his tutorship later.

Blundeville only turned to writing on mathematics, astronomy, and navigation late in life having previously published books on a wide range of topics. 

Blundeville’s first publication, 1561, was a partial verse translation of Plutarch’s Moralia, entitled Three Moral Treatises, which was to mark the accession of Elizabeth I to the throne and one of which was dedicated to her: 

‘Three Morall Treatises, no less pleasant than necessary for all men to read, whereof the one is called the Learned Prince, the other the Fruites of Foes, the thyrde the Porte of Rest,’ The first two pieces are in verse, the third in prose; the first is dedicated to the queen. Prefixed to the second piece are three four-line stanzas by Roger Ascham.

About the same time, he published The arte of ryding and breakinge greate horses, an abridged and adapted translation of Gli ordini di cavalcare by Federico Grisone a Neapolitan nobleman and an early master of dressage.

Grisone’s book was the first book on equitation published in early modern Europe and Blundeville’s translation the first in English. Blundeville followed this in 1565/6 with The fower chiefyst offices belonging to Horsemanshippe, which included a revised translation of Grisone together with other treatises. 

In 1570, under the title A very briefe and profitable Treatise, declaring howe many Counsels and what manner of Counselers a Prince that will governe well ought to have. he translated into English, Alfonso d’Woa’s Italian translation of a Spanish treatise by Federigo Furio Ceriól. He now followed up with historiography, his True Order and Methode (1574) was a loose translation and summery of historiographical works by the Italians Jacopo Aconcio (c. 1520–c. 1566) and Francesco Patrizzi (1529–1597). The first work emphasised the importance of historiography as a prerequisite for a counsellor. Both volumes were dedicated to the Earl of Leicester. 

In 1575 he wrote Arte of Logike, which was first published in 1599. Strongly Ramist it displays the influences Galen (129–216 CE), De Methodo (1558) of Jacopo Aconcio (c. 1520–c. 1566), Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560), and Thomas Wilson (1524–1581). 

Arte of Logike Plainely taught in the English tongue, according to the best approved authors. Very necessary for all students in any profession, how to defend any argument against all subtill sophisters, and cauelling schismatikes, and how to confute their false syllogismes, and captious arguments. By M. Blundevile.  

It contains a section on fallacies and examples of Aristotelian and Copernican arguments on the motion of the Earth.

This is very typical of Blundeville’s publications. He is rather more a synthesist of the works of others than an original thinker. This is very clear in his mathematical and geographical works. Blunderville published three mathematical works covering a wide range including cartography, studies in magnetism, astronomy, and navigation. The first of these works was his A Briefe Description of Universal Mappes and Cardes

This contains the following interesting passage:

For mine owne part, having to seek out, in these latter Maps, the way by sea or land to any place I would use none other instrument by direction then half a Circle divided with lines like a Mariner’s Flie [compass rose] [my emphasis]. Truly, I do thinke the use of this flie a more easie and speedy way of direction, then the manifold tracing of the Maps or Mariners Cards, with such crosse lines as commonly are drawn therein…  

What Blundeville is describing here is the humble geometrical protractor, which we all used at school to draw or measure angles. This is the earliest known reference to a protractor, and he is credited with its invention. 

Blundeville’s second mathematical work, is the most important of all his publications, M. Bludeville His exercises… or to give it its full title:

M. BLVNDEVILE 

His Exercises, containing sixe Treatises, the titles wherof are set down 

in the next printed page: which Treatises are verie necessarie to be read and learned of all yoong Gentlemen that haue not bene exercised in such disciplines, and yet are desirous to haue knowledge as well in Cosmographie, Astronomie, and Geographie, as also in the Arte of Navigation, in which Arte it is impossible to profite without the helpe of these, or such like instructions. To the furtherance of which Arte of Navigation, the said M. Blundevile speciallie wrote the said Treatises and of meere good will doth dedicate the same to all the young Gentlemen of this Realme.

This is a fat quarto volume of 350 pages, which covers a lot of territory. Blundeville is not aiming for originality but has read and synthesised the works of Martín Cortés de Albacar (1510–1582), Pedro de Medina (1493–1567), William Bourne (c. 1535–1582), Robert Norman (before 1560–after 1596), William Borough (1536–1599), Michel Coignet (1549–1623), and Thomas Hood (1556–1620) and is very much up to date on the latest developments.

The first treatise:

First, a verie easie Arithmeticke so plainlie written as any man of a mean capacitie may easilie learn the same without the helpe of any teacher.

What cause first mooved the Author to write this Arithmeticke, and with what order it is here taught, which order the contents of the chapters therof hereafter following doe plainly shew. 

I Began this Arithmeticke more than seuen yeares since for a vertuous Gentlewoman, and my verie deare frend M. Elizabeth Bacon, the daughter of Sir Nicholas Bacon Knight, a man of most excellent wit, and of most deepe iudgment, and sometime Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England, and latelie (as shee hath bene manie yeares past) the most loving and faithfull wife of my worshipfull friend M. Iustice Wyndham, not long since deceased, who for his integritie of life, and for his wisedome and iustice daylie shewed in gouernement, and also for his good hospitalitie deserued great commendation. And though at her request I had made this Arithmeticke so plaine and easie as was possible (to my seeming) yet her continuall sicknesse would not suffer her to exercise her selfe therein. And because that diuerse having seene it, and liking my plaine order of teaching therein, were desirous to haue copies thereof, I thought good therefore to print the same, and to augment it with many necessarie rules meet for those that are desirous to studie any part of Cosmographie, Astronomie, or Geographie, and speciallie the Arte of Navigation, in which without Arithmeticke, as I haue said before, they shall hardly profit.

And moreover, I haue thought good to adde vnto mine Arithmeticke, as an appendix depending thereon, the vse of the Tables of the three right lines belonging to a circle, which lines are called Sines, lines tangent, and lines secant, whereby many profitable and necessarie conclusions aswell of Astronomie, as of Geometrie are to be wrought only by the help of Arithmeticke, which Ta∣bles are set downe by Clauius the Iesuite, a most excellent Mathematician, in his booke of demonstrations made vpon the Spherickes of Theodosius, more trulie printed than those of Monte Regio, which booke whilest I read at mine owne house, together with a loving friend of mine, I took such delight therein, as I mind (God willing) if God giue me life, to translate all those propositions, which Clauius himselfe hath set downe of his owne, touching the quantitie of Angles, and of their sides, as well in right line triangles, as in Sphericall triangles: of which matter, a Monte Regio wrote diffusedlie and at large, so Copernicus wrote of the same brieflie, but therewith somewhat obscurelie, as Clauius saith. Moreover, in reading the Geometrie of Albertus Durcrus, that excellent painter, and finding manie of his conclusions verie obscurelie interpreted by his Latine interpreter (for he himselfe wrote in high Dutch) I requested a friend of mine, whome I knewe to haue spent some time in the studie of the Mathematicals, not onelie plainelie to translate the foresaide Durerus into English, but also to adde thereunto manie necessary propositions of his owne, which my request he hath (I thanke him) verie well perfourmed, not onely to my satisfaction, but also to the great commo∣ditie and profite of all those that desire to bee perfect in Architecture, in the Arte of Painting, in free Masons craft, in Ioyners craft, in Carvers craft, or anie such like Arte commodious and serviceable in any common Wealth, and I hope that he will put the same in print ere it be long, his name I conceale at his owne earnest intreatie, although much against my will, but I hope that he will make himselfe known in the publishing of his Arithmeticke, and the great Arte of Algebra, the one being almost finished, and the other to bee vndertaken at his best leasure, as also in the printing of Durerus, vnto whom he hath added many necessary Geometrical conclusions, not heard of heretofore, together with divers other of his workes as wel in Geometrie as as in other of the Mathe∣maticall sciences, if he be not called away from these his studies by other affaires. In the mean time I pray al young Gentlemen and seamen to take these my labours already ended in good part, whereby I seeke neither praise nor glorie, but onely to profite my countrey.

Blundeville obviously prefers the trigonometry of Christoph Clavius over that of Johannes Regiomontanus but is well acquainted with both. More interesting is the fact that he took his geometry from Albertus Durcrus or Durerus, who is obviously Albrecht Dürer and his Underweysung der Messung mit dem Zirkel und Richtscheyt (Instruction in Measurement with Compass and Straightedge, 1525. Blundeville even goes so far as to have an English translation made from the original German (high Dutch!), as he considers the Latin translation defective. 

The second treatise: 

Item the first principles of Cosmographie, and especi∣ally a plaine treatise of the Spheare, representing the shape of the whole world, together with the chiefest and most necessarie vses of the said Spheare.

The third treatise:

Item a plaine and full description of both the Globes, aswell Terrestriall as Celestiall, and all the chiefest and most necessary vses of the same, in the end whereof are set downe the chiefest vses of the Ephemerides of Iohan∣nes Stadius, and of certaine necessarie Tables therein con∣tained for the better finding out of the true place of the Sunne and Moone, and of all the rest of the Planets vpon the Celestiall Globe.

A plaine description of the two globes of Mercator, that is to say, of the Terrestriall Globe, and of the Celestiall Globe, and of either of them, together with the most necessary vses thereof, and first of the Terrestriall Globe, written by M. Blundeuill. 

This ends with A briefe description of the two great Globes lately set forth first by M. Sanderson, and the by M. Molineux.

The first voyage of Sir Francis Drake by sea vnto the West and East Indies both outward and homeward.

The voyage of M. Candish vntothe West and East Indies, described on the Terrestriall Globe by blew line.

Johannes Stadius’ ephemerides were the first ephemerides based on Copernicus’ De revolutionibus. 

The fourth treatise: 

Item a plaine and full description of Petrus Plancius his vniversall Mappe, lately set forth in the yeare of our Lord 1592. contayning more places newly found, aswell in the East and West Indies, as also towards the North Pole, which no other Map made heretofore hath, whereunto is also added how to find out the true distance betwixt anie two places on the land or sea, their longitudes and la∣titudes being first knowne, and thereby you may correct the skales or Tronkes that be not trulie set downe in anie Map or Carde.

This map was published under the title, Nova et exacta Terrarum Orbis Tabula geographica ac hydrographica. 

The fifth treatise: 

Item, A briefe and plaine description of M. Blagraue his Astrolabe, otherwise called the Mathematicall Iewel, shewing the most necessary vses thereof, and meetest for sea men to know.

I wrote about Blagrave and his Mathematical Jewel here

The sixth treatise:

Item the first & chiefest principles of Navigation more plainlie and more orderly taught than they haue bene heretofore by some that haue written thereof, lately col∣lected out of the best modern writers, and treaters of that Arte.

Towards the end of this section, we find the first published account of Edward Wright’s mathematical solution of the construction of the Mercator chart

in the meane time to reforme the saide faults, Mercator hath in his vniuersal carde or Mappe made the spaces of the Parallels of latitude to bée wider euerie one than other from the E∣quinoctiall towards either of the Poles, by what rule I knowe not, vnlesse it be by such a Table, as my friende M. Wright of Caius colledge in Cambridge at my request sent me (I thanke him) not long since for that purpose, which Table with his consent, I haue here plainlie set downe together with the vse thereof as followeth.

The Table followeth on the other side of the leafe.

The first edition was published in 1594 and was obviously a success with a second edition in 1597, a third in 1606, and a fourth in 1613. The eighth and final edition appeared in 1638. Beginning with the second edition two extra treatises were added. The first was his A Briefe Description of Universal Mappes and Cardes. The second, the true order of making Ptolomie his Tables. 

Blundeville’s Exercises contains almost everything that was actual at the end of the sixteenth century in mathematics, cartography, and navigation. 

Blundeville’s final book was The Theoriques of the Seuen Planets written with some assistance from Lancelot Browne (c. 1545–1605) a friend of William Gilbert (c. 1544–1603), and like Gilbert a royal physician, published in 1602:

THE Theoriques of the seuen Planets, shewing all their diuerse motions, and all other Accidents, cal∣led Passions, thereunto belonging. Now more plainly set forth in our mother tongue by M. Blundeuile, than euer they haue been heretofore in any other tongue whatsoeuer, and that with such pleasant demonstratiue figures, as eue∣ry man that hath any skill in Arithmeticke, may easily vnderstand the same. A Booke most necessarie for all Gentlemen that are desirous to be skil∣full in Astronomie, and for all Pilots and Sea-men, or any others that loue to serue the Prince on the Sea, or by the Sea to trauell into forraine Countries.

Whereunto is added by the said Master Blundeuile, a breefe Extract by him made, of Maginus his Theoriques, for the better vnderstanding of the Prutenicall Tables, to calculate thereby the diuerse mo∣tions of the seuen Planets.

There is also hereto added, The making, description, and vse, of two most ingenious and necessarie Instruments for Sea-men, to find out thereby the latitude of any Place vpon the Sea or Land, in the darkest night that is, without the helpe of Sunne, Moone, or Starr. First inuented by M. Doctor Gilbert, a most excellent Philosopher, and one of the ordinarie Physicians to her Maiestie: and now here plainely set downe in our mother tongue by Master Blundeuile.

LONDON, Printed by Adam Islip. 1602.

A short Appendix annexed to the former Treatise by Edward Wright, at the motion of the right Worshipfull M. Doctor Gilbert. 

Because the making and vsing of the foresaid Instrument, for finding the latitude by the declination of the Mag∣neticall Needle, will bee too troublesome for the most part of Sea-men, being notwithstanding a thing most worthie to be put in daily practise, especially by such as vndertake long voyages: it was thought meet by my worshipfull friend M. Doctor Gilbert, that (ac∣cording to M. Blundeuiles earnest request) this Table following should be hereunto adioined; which M. Henry Brigs (professor of Geometrie in Gre∣sham Colledge at London) calculated and made out of the doctrine and ta∣bles of Triangles, according to the Geometricall grounds and reason of this Instrument, appearing in the 7 and 8 Chapter of M. Doctor Gilberts fift booke of the Loadstone. By helpe of which Table, the Magneticall declination being giuen, the height of the Pole may most easily be found, after this manner.

It is very clear that Thomas Blundeville was a very well connected and integral part of the scientific scene in England at the end of the sixteenth century. An obviously erudite scholar he distilled a wide range of the actual literature on astronomy, cartography, and navigation in popular form into his books making it available to a wide readership. In this endeavour he was obviously very successful as the numerous editions of The Exercises show.