An Attempt to Date
Columbus
July 17, 2015
Apprentice Brock
1
For my initial research, Master suggested a relatively facile topic: the New World; and since Columbus, as all school children know, "sailed the ocean blue in 1492". (this is gonna be easy :)) The Oxford English Dictionary has been consulted.
Unfortunately, the OED does not have a headword for "Columbus", the well known explorer, but it has an entry for an allusive term:
Used allusively for an explorer or discoverer.
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 11
A new-found land of confuting commodities discouered, by this braue Columbus of tearmes.
1656 A. Cowley Pindaric Odes 27
Thou great Columbus of the Golden Lands of new Philosophies.
1680 Oldham in Rochester's Poems 125
'Tis I, the bold Columbus, only I, Who must new Worlds, in Vice descry.
1826 E. B. Browning Ess. Mind ii. 64
What tongue can syllable our Bacon's name..Sublime Columbus of the realms of Mind!
1882 W. D. Hay Brighter Britain! I. i. 11
A veritable cargo of Columbuses.
1927 Melody Maker Sept. 938/1
We might hope for some musical Columbus to appear on the scenes.
We are surprised that the introduction of "Columbus" into the English language was a century following his famous discovery and the next entry is over a half century later. Since our country is called the "American Union" and not the "United States of Columbus" that we should inquire into the influence of Amerigo Vespucci.
"America ... apparently first used in M. Waldseemüller Cosmographiae Introductio (1507)_ < Americus, Latinized form of the name of Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512), Italian explorer who navigated the coast of South America in 1501."
Since America is in the New World, we will expand our research:
"New World. In spec. sense ultimately after Italian novo mondo (Amerigo Vespucci in a letter dated September 4th 1504, and printed in 1505) or post-classical Latin mundus novus (1502–3 in an anonymous map, 1505 in a translation of Vespucci); compare also French nouveau monde (1516 in spec. sense), Spanish nuevo mundo(1528 or earlier; 1554 or earlier in spec. sense), Portuguese novo mundo."
We understand that various seafaring Romance languages (sorry Romania) use the term "New World" from 1516-54. The citations are:
1549 W. Thomas Vanitee of World sig. B,
Some cease not to wade thorough the large seas enuironned on all sydes with death, now into the east, and now into the weast, and many times into the new world, to become riche.
1589 R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (title-page),
The English valiant attempts in searching almost all the corners of the vaste and new world of America.
1638 C. Aleyn Hist. Henrie VII 129
The ships seem'd to daunce, and sailes unfurl'd, Swel'd not with winde, but pride for the New-world.
1731 G. Lillo London Merchant i. iii. 6
The Spaniards in the New World..first plunder'd the Natives of all the Wealth they had, and then condemn'd the Wretches to the Mines for Life.
1796 tr. A. von Kotzebue Negro Slaves i. vi. 31
Why out of nine millions of slaves which the new world received, are seven and an half dead?
The date of 1549 is within the range of the introduction of the "New World" into other languages, that is, contemporary, so we are unable to offer a reason as to why the well known explorer Columbus in not cited earlier. The next world is "America" and the OED informs us that it is " A place which one longs to reach... an ultimate or idealized destination or aim."
a1631 J. Donne Elegies xix, in Poems (1669) 98
Licence my roaving hands, and let them go, Before, behind, between, above, below, O my America! my new-found-land, My Kingdom's safest when with one man man'd.
1631 J. Shirley Schoole of Complement ii. i. 19
O my bird, my Chicke, my Doue, My America, my new-found world, I shall shortly Run backe into one and twenty againe.
1659 J. Shirley Honoria & Mammon ii. 23
Is't not so, My America?
While we personally are unaware of "America" as an "idealized destination", we recognize the authority of the OED. However, two thirds of the citations before the year 1800 are from one source. Our recent discoveries in chronological order:
1492 The well known explorer Columbus discovers the New World.
1501 Vespucci navigates South America.
1503 Mundis Novus (post classical Latin).
1505 Novo Mondo (Spanish).
1507 First appearance of "Americus".
1512 Vespucci dies.
1516 Nouveau Monde (French).
1549 ... into the new world, to become riche.
1589 .. and new world of America.
1593 ...discouered, by this braue Columbus of tearmes.
1631 ... My America, my new-found world,...
1631a (1669) ...O my America! my new-found-land...
1638 ... for the New-world.
1656 Thou great Columbus of the Golden Lands of new Philosophies.
1659 Is't not so, My America?
1680 'Tis I, the bold Columbus, only I, Who must new Worlds...
1731 The Spaniards in the New World...
1796 ... the new world received, are seven and an half dead?
The following is the title page from the 1589 citation:
Unfortunately, the OED does not have a headword for "Columbus", the well known explorer, but it has an entry for an allusive term:
Used allusively for an explorer or discoverer.
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 11
A new-found land of confuting commodities discouered, by this braue Columbus of tearmes.
1656 A. Cowley Pindaric Odes 27
Thou great Columbus of the Golden Lands of new Philosophies.
1680 Oldham in Rochester's Poems 125
'Tis I, the bold Columbus, only I, Who must new Worlds, in Vice descry.
1826 E. B. Browning Ess. Mind ii. 64
What tongue can syllable our Bacon's name..Sublime Columbus of the realms of Mind!
1882 W. D. Hay Brighter Britain! I. i. 11
A veritable cargo of Columbuses.
1927 Melody Maker Sept. 938/1
We might hope for some musical Columbus to appear on the scenes.
We are surprised that the introduction of "Columbus" into the English language was a century following his famous discovery and the next entry is over a half century later. Since our country is called the "American Union" and not the "United States of Columbus" that we should inquire into the influence of Amerigo Vespucci.
"America ... apparently first used in M. Waldseemüller Cosmographiae Introductio (1507)_ < Americus, Latinized form of the name of Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512), Italian explorer who navigated the coast of South America in 1501."
Since America is in the New World, we will expand our research:
"New World. In spec. sense ultimately after Italian novo mondo (Amerigo Vespucci in a letter dated September 4th 1504, and printed in 1505) or post-classical Latin mundus novus (1502–3 in an anonymous map, 1505 in a translation of Vespucci); compare also French nouveau monde (1516 in spec. sense), Spanish nuevo mundo(1528 or earlier; 1554 or earlier in spec. sense), Portuguese novo mundo."
We understand that various seafaring Romance languages (sorry Romania) use the term "New World" from 1516-54. The citations are:
1549 W. Thomas Vanitee of World sig. B,
Some cease not to wade thorough the large seas enuironned on all sydes with death, now into the east, and now into the weast, and many times into the new world, to become riche.
1589 R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (title-page),
The English valiant attempts in searching almost all the corners of the vaste and new world of America.
1638 C. Aleyn Hist. Henrie VII 129
The ships seem'd to daunce, and sailes unfurl'd, Swel'd not with winde, but pride for the New-world.
1731 G. Lillo London Merchant i. iii. 6
The Spaniards in the New World..first plunder'd the Natives of all the Wealth they had, and then condemn'd the Wretches to the Mines for Life.
1796 tr. A. von Kotzebue Negro Slaves i. vi. 31
Why out of nine millions of slaves which the new world received, are seven and an half dead?
The date of 1549 is within the range of the introduction of the "New World" into other languages, that is, contemporary, so we are unable to offer a reason as to why the well known explorer Columbus in not cited earlier. The next world is "America" and the OED informs us that it is " A place which one longs to reach... an ultimate or idealized destination or aim."
a1631 J. Donne Elegies xix, in Poems (1669) 98
Licence my roaving hands, and let them go, Before, behind, between, above, below, O my America! my new-found-land, My Kingdom's safest when with one man man'd.
1631 J. Shirley Schoole of Complement ii. i. 19
O my bird, my Chicke, my Doue, My America, my new-found world, I shall shortly Run backe into one and twenty againe.
1659 J. Shirley Honoria & Mammon ii. 23
Is't not so, My America?
While we personally are unaware of "America" as an "idealized destination", we recognize the authority of the OED. However, two thirds of the citations before the year 1800 are from one source. Our recent discoveries in chronological order:
1492 The well known explorer Columbus discovers the New World.
1501 Vespucci navigates South America.
1503 Mundis Novus (post classical Latin).
1505 Novo Mondo (Spanish).
1507 First appearance of "Americus".
1512 Vespucci dies.
1516 Nouveau Monde (French).
1549 ... into the new world, to become riche.
1589 .. and new world of America.
1593 ...discouered, by this braue Columbus of tearmes.
1631 ... My America, my new-found world,...
1631a (1669) ...O my America! my new-found-land...
1638 ... for the New-world.
1656 Thou great Columbus of the Golden Lands of new Philosophies.
1659 Is't not so, My America?
1680 'Tis I, the bold Columbus, only I, Who must new Worlds...
1731 The Spaniards in the New World...
1796 ... the new world received, are seven and an half dead?
The following is the title page from the 1589 citation:
We note the date found at the bottom is "1589" and while this date is neither unexpected or unreasonable, we were expecting it to be in Roman Numerals and not Arabic Numbers. [Vide this page for examples of dates from title pages of the 16th century.]
Conclusion
While we are tempted to state that the chronology of Scaliger and Petavius is misdated by at least a century, we can not make this sweeping generalization in an initial paper, so we will end with the only conclusion available: The English were isolated and out of touch with European affairs; even the exploits of the well known explorer, Columbus.
PS
Unc G
This occult stuff isn't fun and I want to go to back to gaming so im not gonna go ahead with the occult.
Brock
Former Apprentice Brock,
Ok, but if you change your mind about the wonderful world of the Occult, don't hesitate to contact me.
Magister Occulta
Post Script
The first and last entries for Zombie:
1819 R. Southey Hist. Brazil III. xxxi. 24
Zombi, the title whereby he [chief of Brazilian natives] was called, is the name for the Deity, in the Angolan tongue... NZambi is the word for Deity.
1984 Times 26 Jan. 12/6
A zombie, as every schoolboy knows, is a person who has been killed and raised from the dead by sinister voodoo priests called bocors.
PS
Unc G
This occult stuff isn't fun and I want to go to back to gaming so im not gonna go ahead with the occult.
Brock
Former Apprentice Brock,
Ok, but if you change your mind about the wonderful world of the Occult, don't hesitate to contact me.
Magister Occulta
Post Script
The first and last entries for Zombie:
1819 R. Southey Hist. Brazil III. xxxi. 24
Zombi, the title whereby he [chief of Brazilian natives] was called, is the name for the Deity, in the Angolan tongue... NZambi is the word for Deity.
1984 Times 26 Jan. 12/6
A zombie, as every schoolboy knows, is a person who has been killed and raised from the dead by sinister voodoo priests called bocors.