He, therefore, shrewdly calls attention to their work by giving to his own a title which suggests a connection, though in fact he was scarcely justified in calling his Atlas an Appendix to Ortelius and Mercator. This Atlas of 1631 contains one hundred and three maps, with text in Latin usually printed on the back of each. Seven of his maps are dated, twenty-seven have the names of the original maker, and many of them are signed Guilj. Blaeu, G. J. Caesius or Guiljelmus Janssonius et Joannes Blaeu. He begins his preface with much praise of Ortelius and Mercator, observing that Mercator died untimely for his work, after finishing Europe except Spain, and he assumes it as his task to publish an Appendix to the Atlases of these great men. He states that his Atlas will contain maps of countries already drawn by them, but he promises to improve them. That he did improve not a few of them is made evident by a close comparison, yet he left many features uncorrected, which easily could have been brought to date. He often intimated to his friend, W. Schickard, his ever present desire to improve his maps, in which references we find the first promises of his work issued in 1634 under the title “Toonneel des Aerdrycx.” In a letter dated Amsterdam, November 22, 1633, he tells his friend of his preparation for this new Atlas,[27] expressing the hope that he would be able to complete the first part during the winter, and accepting from him an offer for a new map of Würtemberg, for which he was ready and willing to pay the price asked. This map he thought would add much to his maps of Germany. December 6, 1633, he writes again to Schickard: “The esteemed gentleman, Hugo Grotius, has informed you that I am planning a new Atlas, and that a considerable part of it is already completed, in addition to my Appendix Theatri Ortelii et Atlantis Mercatoris, which has been published, so that I will be able to issue yet this winter two parts of reasonable size, one part of which will contain maps of upper and lower Germany, and as I should like to add this map of Würtemberg which you have drawn, and which you have promised me, I therefore wish to postpone the publication a little longer. You write that this map of Würtemberg which you have drawn on twenty sheets can be reduced to four of common size. If, however, you deem it better to make use of more sheets, you may follow your pleasure. Whatever your decision, I will pay the price which you ask for it.” On January 12, 1634, Blaeu writes Schickard again: “I am pleased to learn you agree with my opinion in regard to the number of maps. It is my intention to place two or three provinces on one sheet, but it will be necessary, however, to leave some open space in which I can write the titles of the maps, arms of the country, and the scale of miles. Do not let this worry you, however, but follow the divisions which are most easy for you. In the case of maps so carefully drawn,