Beinecke MS 565
England, c. 1603-1604
George Waymouth, The jewell of artes, in English

Restricted material. May not be seen without the permission of the appropriate curator.

1. ff. 5r-6r	The jewell of artes. Devided into seaven bookes. In the first whereof as well the 
auntient instrumentes of navigation newly corrected are most plainely described by 
demonstrative figures, as other more exact not before knowne ... In the seaventh the excellentest 
instrumentes for gunners arte that ever were devised ... Whereunto is added a breefe table for 
the findeing of the cubique and square with many other necessarie conclusions serving to many 
right excellent uses.	

Survey of the content of art. 4.

2. ff. 7r-9r	To the most highe and mightie prince James, by the grace of God King of 
England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faythe. Most high and mightie prince 
and my most dread soveraine lorde, I having begune this my present booke and inlarged it so farr 
untyll necessitie constrained me to stay my pin, skale and compasse and looke to the maintenance 
of my charge. Then musing with myself to whom I might dedicate the same, because it may in 
some pointes yett seeme unperfect ... to heape glorie, wealth and honour uppon thee all raigning 
on earth, and to crowne thee with everlasting happinesse in the life to come. Your majestie 
obedient subject George Waymouth.

Letter of dedication to King James I of England (1603-1625).

3. ff. 10r-21r	The preface to the reader. It were much to wishe that all those that doe undertake 
to make discovery of any straunge countries or passages had some skill in all these artes 
comprehende in this my present booke ... then lett them wishe me at the least rewarded with the 
meanest and thankefullie except of these my labours, which if they do I shall the more willinglie 
undertake some other woorke to theire further benefite.

Preface, containing a self-defence of the author and details about his work, intentions, career and 
unsuccessful attempt to discover the Northwest Passage.

4. ff. 22r-569r		The first booke consisteth of diverse instrumentes for navigation ... [f. 
23r:] It can not be denied but that by the arte of navigation doth arise unto this whole ilande not 
only greate fame and renowne, but such infinite wealth and abundance of all kinde of comodities 
...

George Waymouth (fl. 1587-1611), The jewell of artes, an unfinished technical handbook of 
navigation, inventions, fortifications, surveying, gunnery, etc., consisting of short textual parts 
and extremely numerous full-page technical drawings and diagrams of high quality. The 
innumerable blank pages throughout the book show that this is a work in progress, which the 
author had to abandon as explained in his letter of dedication, and nevertheless presented to the 
King in the hope of obtaining new employment. 
Book I (f. 22r) contains pictures of the instruments of navigation: astrolabe, cross-staff, quadrant, 
compass, equinoctial dial and many others  in many variants, including volvelles, and the 
methods for making calculations using them.
Book II (f. 198r) deals with ship-building and is illustrated with geometrical diagrams, transverse 
sections, and constructional designs.
Book III (f. 250r) describes with many illustrations the making of newly invented engines: an 
armoured car, a gun-boat moved by paddle-wheels, a turning gun-turret allowing a small number 
of men to prevent a ship from being taken,  etc.
Book IV (f. 290r) is dedicated to surveying and the instruments and methods used in it, also for 
measuring the altitude of buildings.
Book V (f. 342r) studies fortifications and the techniques of siege, mines and undermining; it 
is illustrated with geometrical designs, plans and views of castles and cities, and designs for 
armament.
Book VI (f. 438r) deals with ordnance and carriages for guns "newly invented", but is not 
illustrated.
Book VII (f. 458r) is dedicated to the calculation of guns and ballistics, their methods and 
instruments, arithmetics and geometry for gunners, illustrated with diagrams and drawings and 
including numerical tables of  units, squares and cubes etc.


Paper, ff. 581, 310 x 205 mm.

Collation impossible due to the tight binding.

In principle only one side of the leaves has been used (normally the recto side). The text pages or 
those intended to receive text have frame-ruling in ink for one column with double bounding-
lines and double horizontal through lines at top and bottom and are occasionally subdivided by 
means of similar double lines. Width c. 130-135 mm.

Written by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary).

In the drawings, which are coloured or uncoloured and may feature volvelles, the buildings, guns 
and engines are curiously executed as ornaments in a style which may recall romanesque or 
mozarabic design.

Original armorial binding (rebacked): brown calf over cardboard, both covers gold-tooled with a 
seme pattern of flowerets, corner pieces and a central piece with the arms of King James I. Spine 
with six raised bands and red title-label with inscription "JEWELL OF ARTES".

About the author, a somewhat mysterious navigator, scholar and engineer, see Oxford Dictionary 
of National Biography, v. 51 (2004), pp. 777-778. He returned in 1602  from his unsuccesful 
expedition to discover the Northwest Passage, presented the King in 1604 with two versions of 
his treatise The Jewell of Artes and undertook in 1605  a new expedition to the American East 
coast, landing in Maine. In our manuscript the year 1604 is found in a calculation on f. 131r, the 
year 1603 is written on a compass-card on f. 335r. Many designs are marked with the letter "W", 
and there is no doubt that the author claims their invention for himself.
Library of King James I. The Henry C. Taylor Collection. Bequest of Henry C. Taylor, 1971.

Bibliography: Taylor Collection, no. 10.

Albert Derolez

Updated 30.11.2007