Construction and Design
The compendium is constructed from gilt brass in the form of a book, designed with an integrated suspension ring that allowed the user to wear the device as a pendant. Two projections on the front cover indicate that clasps were originally fitted to hold the device closed.
Internally, the instrument is divided into several sections, including a quadrant, a compass unit, a universal equinoctial sundial, a table of latitudes, and a partial calendar. The instrument is designed for portability, with specific compartments for drawing tools, although these tools are currently missing.
The interior of the back cover is blank, distinguishing it from the ornate treatment of the other surfaces.
Evidence for this section
- “The instrument is in the form of a book”
- “The back cover and clasps are presumably replacements.”
- “The inside of the back cover is uncharacteristically blank”
Scientific Functions
The compendium serves as a versatile tool for calculation and observation. On the inner front cover, a quadrant with folding sights allows the user to measure the height of the sun or buildings using either a 'Quadrans Astronomicus' or a 'Quadrans Geometricus' scale. A plumb bob was originally attached at the vertex for use with these scales.
The instrument includes a compass with a blued needle set in a silvered bowl, surrounded by a 32-point compass rose. This is integrated into a removable unit that also incorporates a geometrical square and a circle of degrees. A universal equinoctial sundial is hinged between the two main leaves, with a quadrant slot to adjust the dial according to latitude.
A table listing the latitudes of 33 major towns is engraved on one leaf, while the opposite side contains a calendar for the first half of the year. The calendar is marked with golden letters, zodiacal signs, and various saint's days, following a layout derived from Leonard Digges' publications.
Evidence for this section
- “The compendium includes a quadrant , room for drawing instruments , a compass , a universal equinoctial sundial”
- “The compass has a blued needle in a silvered bowl”
- “Hinged between the two main leaves is a universal equinoctial dial.”
Provenance and Inscriptions
The instrument is signed by the maker, Humfrey Cole, with an inscription placed between two columns of town names. The engraving 'HVMFRAY . COOLE . MADE . THIS . BOKE + ANNO . 1568 .' explicitly identifies the maker and the date of production.
The front cover prominently displays a circular badge belonging to the first owner, Richard Jugge, who was a Master of the Stationers' Company. The badge is an allusion to his name, featuring a nightingale (which sings 'jug jug') and a tree. This same symbol was utilized by Cole in his 1572 map engraving for Jugge's edition of the Bishops' Bible, suggesting a long-standing association between the maker and the publisher.
Evidence for this section
- “Signed by Humfrey Cole”
- “HVMFRAY . COOLE . MADE . THIS . BOKE + ANNO . 1568 .”
- “The format would have appealed to the first owner, the printer and publisher Richard Jugge, whose badge appears on the front cover.”
