An A to Z-ery of Love and its Associative Bits: the Map of Matrimony, 1879

JF Ptak Science Books   Post 2568

Rhinoceros nunquam victus ab hoste cedit--the rhino never turns away defeated from the enemy

And so we begin a look an an allegorical map¹ of matrimony with an allegorical statement comparing marriage to a rhino--this is a first for me, and it may also be an original application of the epigram to (human) marriage.  I guess in the mind's eye this looks as though it might be so, given there's really no possibility of dealing with a charging rhino weather the Big Boy is charging in happiness or fear, anger or love--it is just going to get you.

The map has a little more guile than this, enumerating the good points of marriage along with some of the bad--surprisingly these states nearly fill an alphabet, which is pretty unusual given that there are only about 50 states and it covers 17 letters (with nothing at all for the last four letters). 

And so the carto-geographical indulgence of the alphabet of marriage: Acceptance, Cape of; Brides Bay; Comfort, Cape of; Delight, Cape of; Envy Point; Fickelness, Shoals of; Hope, Cape of Good; Introduction, Bay of; Jealousy, Isle of; Lawyers, Land of; Observation Point; Paymoney Point; Reflection, Whirlpool of; Scandals, Sea of; Tattlers, Land of; Undercurrent Bay; Vanity, Mount of.  

 

 

[This is clearer when expanded. Source:  the Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/resource/g9930.ct003856/]

And the full version:

Notes

1. Map of Matrimony on Mercators projection shewing to timid lovers the orbit of affection to the true haven of conjugal happiness. (In upper margin: Puzzle : the second expedition of the Vessel Pinta.)