John Speed, Prospect of the most famous parts of the world
William Hazlitt rightly presumed that this was “the earliest pocket edition of Speed's book of letterpress and maps” (Collections and notes, v.1, p. 397). Its production (and reproduction) reflects an increasing fascination on the part of the English book-buying public with places at once distant and uncertain. Speed recognizes, almost with satisfaction, that his geographical accounting is not quite enough, and that future exploration, as to the “Onknowne World” to the south, must be conducted: “You see we want Sea-room to travell further: If you desire to have an exact review of the particulars, you must allow each almost a severall voyage. Let it suffice for the present, that when your desire serves to make further search into other Authors, your passage is here discovered to your hand” (44).