42 JOHN NORDEN'S MAP OF ESSEX.
into four principal parts—a general description of the county being
followed by "An Alphabeticall Table of the townes, parishes, and
hamletes conteyned in the Mapp, the l'res and figures in the margente
directing to ye places for easie finding;" then "An Alphabeticall
Table of the Howses hauing speciall names, and the present occupiers
of them;" and lastly, "A Table of the Halls in Essex, for the moste
parte, which beare the names of the parishes wherein they are, wth
most of the possessors of them."
The plan employed by Norden to facilitate the finding of any place
in the map is thus explained in the "Advertisementes towchinge the
use of the Alphabeticall Tables" :—
" There are in the liste of the mappe certayne diuisioons, differenced, whyte and
blacke, eyther of whiche diuision is the scale of one myle, so that rounde about
the mappe is a generall scale of the myles.
" There are also in the same border or liste of ye mappe letters and figures,
wch serue to this use, viz. When yow desire to finde anie place conteyned in the
mappe, referr yow to the alphabeticall table thereof, eyther to the table of
parishes or howses. And after the place desired ye shall find imediatlye fol-
lowinge a letter and some number wherunto if yow referr yow in the same liste
or border, Ye shall draw yowr eye to the square wher the 1're and number do
meete. And in that square ye shall presentlye finde the place desired. As by
this example. I woulde finde Chelmersforde, wch I finde in the table of townes
vnder K. 18, and they meete in a iuste square wher Chelmersforde standeth.
And so of anie other moste easie.
" The crossing lines are 2. myles in sunder, by which, as by a vniuersall scale
throwghe the whole bodye of ye mappe, may be founde the distances of anie
place whatsoeuer, wthowt compasses, hailing a redye eye."
The following is an explanation of the signs employed, which
Mr. Argent has copied in the style of handwriting shown on the map
itself:—