Charming map showing the Seven Saxon Kingdoms of England.

This rare little map was included in the 1600 edition of William Camden's "Britannia", a hugely successful geo-historical compendium encompassing English history from the Romans to the present day. 

William Camden began compiling the work in 1577 and after nine years of preparation, it was issued initially in 1586. There were six further editions in Camden's lifetime, the last being in 1610, each revised and augmented. Posthumously, the work was re-issued into the 19th century. 

In 1600, the work added three small maps engraved by William Rogers, then the most highly regarded engraver in England. One these was this map detailing the land as it was divided during the height of the Saxon period, historically called the Saxon Heptarchy, as there were Seven Saxon Kingdoms. 

Geographically the map is based on the map by Christopher Saxton while the historical information is gleaned from the Britannia. 

[GB2144]