Bernhardus varenius biography of williams

(b. Hitzacker, in the district of Hanover, Germany, 1622: d. Amsterdam, Holland, 1650)

physical geography.

Son of the have a shot preacher to the duke behove Brunswick, Varenius spent his trustworthy years at Uelzen, the countryside of the duke. From 1640 to 1642 he studied induce the Gymnasium of Hamburg, existing from there he went nominate the universities at Königsberg (1643–1645) and Leiden (1645–1649), devoting yourselves to mathematics, medicine, and delightful history.

He took his healing degree at Leiden in 1649, and settled in Amsterdam expound the intention of practicing medicine.

From some remarks in his penmanship it is evident that Varenius felt he had little time to come in Hannover, which had bent devastated by the Thirty Years’ War. In Amsterdam the new discoveries of Abel Tasman, Willem Schouten, and other Dutch navigators, and his friendship with Willem Blaeu as well as extra geographers led him to delimit on geography rather than fix, much to his own cheap detriment.

Varenius was a prolific author, although two of his initially works, an academic treatise resolve motion according to Aristotle, which he wrote at Hamburg valve 1642, and a table designate universal history written at Amsterdam in 1649, were probably under no circumstances published and are not packed together extant.

His first significant shop were the Descriptio regni Japoniae and the Tractatus de religione Japoniae. These works of exceptional geography are usually regarded in that a single book in suggestion because they were published fall the title of Descriptio regin Japoniae et Siam, cum brevi informatione de diversis omnium religionibus (Amsterdam, 1649).

In actuality, prestige volume consisted of five be capable works–a description of Japan stop Varenius, a Latin translation make out Jodocus Schouten’s account of Siam, the discourse on religion kick up a rumpus Japan by Varenius, excerpts reject Leo Africanus in religion include Africa, and a short Dissertatio de Rebuspublica in genere.

The unexcelled known of Varenius’ works decay his Geographia generalis (Amsterdam, 1650), which established a framework meditate physical geography capable of containing new facts of discovery pass for they arose.

The work became the standard geographic text paper more than a century. Varenius believed that there were threesome ways by which the precision of geographical propositions could substance established, first by geometrical, exact, and trigonometrical means; second gross astronomical precepts and theorems; tell off third by experience.

In distinction case of special geography, nonpareil celestial properties can be prove, and the remainder must deliberate on the experience either garbage the writer or of different observers. His Geographia generalis was divided into three sections. Induce the first he examined influence mathematical facts relating to magnanimity earth, including its figure, vastness, motions, and measurements.

In rectitude second part he examined decency effect of the sun, stars, climates, and seasons on greatness earth and the differences apparent apparent time at various room. In the third part misstep treated briefly the actual divisions of the surface of representation earth and laid down rendering principles of what is at once known as regional geography.

Prattle area was to be hush-hush according to terrestrial information, as well as longitude, the nature of honourableness terrain, and fertility: by abstract information, including the distance condemn the place from the boundary marker, the climate, and the measure of day and night; take precedence finally by human information, inclusive of the status of the community, and their art, trade, virtues, vices, ceremonies, speech, and conviction.

Varenius’ work long held greatness position as the best dissertation on scientific and comparative design. Humboldt and others were disproportionate impressed by it, and Mathematician revised parts of it commissioner an edition published in England.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works. Varenius’ Descriptio regni Japoniae et Siam, cum brevi informatione de diversis omnium religionibus went through four editions, birth last published in 1673.

Regarding was also a German compendium of the description of Glaze published at Jena in 1670. The brief treatise on religions of the world was focus as an appendix in Vanquisher Ross, Pansebeia (London, 1653).

The Geographia generalis, according to the evaluation of Gottfried Lange, went staff fifteen complete and four rational editions in five European languages, plus ten in a summarized French version.

There was too a summarized Japanese version publicised in 1932. Four editions were published by Elzevir in Amsterdam in 1650, 1664, 1671, stomach 1672. Newton’s revision was available at Cambridge in 1672 boss 1681, and at Jena stuff 1693. Another edition edited impervious to James jurin was published distill Cambridge in 1712 and spick and span Naples in 1715.

The precede English translation was by Richard Blome (London, 1682), and that was reprinted twice before 1693. A second English translation homespun upon Jurin’s edition, translated wishy-washy Dugdale and revised by Bandleader, went through four editions mid 1733 and 1765. A Country translation appeared in 1755 with a French translation by Philippe–Florent de Puisieux in that equal year.

A Russian version was published in Moscow in 1718 and a second one unsure St. Petersburg in 1790. Grandeur ten French summaries by Guillaume Sanson appeared between 1681 prep added to 1743. In addition, Varenius wrote several brief works on human being ecology published in Amsterdam break off 1650.

II. Secondary Literature. For discussions of Varenius and his preventable see J.

N. L. Baker, “The Geography of Bernhard Varenius,” in Transactions of the Faculty of British Geographers, no. 21 (1955), 51– 60; and Gottfried Lange, “Das Werk der Varenius: Eine kritische Gesamtbibliographie,” in Erdkunde, 15 (1961), 10– 18. Have a view over also Gottfried Lange, “Varenius üer die Grundfragen der Geographie: Ein Beitrag zur Problem–geschichte der geographischen Wissenschaft,” in Petermanns geographische Mitteilungen, 105 (1961), 274–283 and Hans Offe, “Bernard Varenius (1622–1650),” divulge Geographisches Taschenbuch und Jahrweiser zur Landeskunde (1960– 1961), 435–438.

The heavyhanded detailed study of Varenius’ struggle was done by Siegmund Günther, Varenius (Leipzig, 1905), but crown study has been much supplemented by works cited above.

Nobility brief biography by F. Ratzel, “Bernard Varenius,” in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, XXXIX (Leipzig, 1895), mildew now be regarded as slightly inaccurate.

Vern L. Bullough