Christopher

Cattan

Seigneur Christophe de Cattan ,

also called Christopher Cattan
(flourished 1530s-1540s, died
before 1558), presumed
Francophone and Anglophone
variants of the Italian name
Cristoforo Cattaneo (a form
sometimes used for him in
current scholarship), was an
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Italian humanist author of the
second quarter of the sixteenth
century.[1] Of Italian stock but
Genevan origin, he served as a
man-at-arms under French
command in France, and wrote
in French. He is known as the
learned author of a work about
Geomancy,[2] which was
published posthumously in
1558 in Paris as La Géomance
du Seigneur Christofe de
Cattan,[3] with further printings
in 1567[4] and 1577.[5][6] Most if
not all of what is known about
the author
Or i gi n a l derives from
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information in the book itself.

For his authorities Cattan

names particularly three
Geomantic texts of importance
to him. One is the text beginning
Estimaverunt Indi, which is
identified as a treatise
translated by Hugo of Santalla
from the Arabic.[7] One is the
Tractatus Sphaerae of
Bartholomew of Parma, written
in 1288.[8] The third is a Hebrew
text beginning "Ha veenestre".

Provenance
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G a b r i e l D u p r ė a u , e d i to r Edi t

The first appearance in print of

the book of Geomancy bearing
Cattan's name is in a form
revised and augmented by an
editor. The editor was Gabriel
Dupréau of Marcoussis,
Essonne (in the Latin form,
Gabriel Prateolus (or Praïeolus)
Marcossius), 1511–1588, an
anti-Protestant theologian, the
notable scholarly translator
(from Latin into French) of the
works of William of Tyre,[9] and
author of De Vitis, Sectis et
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Dogmatibus Omnium
Haereticorum, a directory of all
heretics and heresies.[10] The
Géomance[11] was translated
into English (from the published
French edition, with its front
matter) by Francis Sparry as
The Geomancie of Maister
Christopher Cattan Gentleman,
published in London in
1591.[12][13] (Sparry translates
Dupréau's preface to the reader,
and does not add one of his
own.) One Francis Sparry was a
bookseller in St Michael Wood
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Street (in the City of London)
who had dealings with the
Stationers' Company over the
illegal import of bound books
from Rouen during the later
1550s.[14] The English
translation has been attributed
to the young Francis Sparry
who accompanied Sir Walter
Ralegh to Guyana in 1595.[15]

As touching the identity of

"Christopher Cattan", the title
page of the original edition calls
the author "Seigneur Christofe
de Cattan Gentilhomme
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Genevoys". The title Seigneur is
equivalent to "Lord", and the
introduction of "de" into the
name, and the term
"Gentilhomme" indicate an
aristocratic or gentry status.
"Genevoys" means "of Geneva".
The royal authority to publish,
dated 1558, signed by the King
and by Maistre J[e]an Nicot, and
sealed with yellow wax, is
granted to Jean Corozet and
Gilles Gilles, booksellers of
Paris. The opening Epistle (by
M. Dupréau) dedicates the work
to M. Nicot, (Seigneur du
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Bosnay et du Chesne,
Counsellor to the King (then
Henry II) and Master of
Requests of the "Hostel"), and is
dated from Paris, 19 September
1558. Having introduced
Geomancy, M. Dupréau
observes that many have
attempted to practise this
ancient art, but that Christofe de
Cattan, a Genevan gentleman,
and a man-at-arms of the
compagnie de feu of M. de
Thais, one with deep interest
and knowledge of those
matters, has mastered
Original
this art
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and brought it to perfection.[16]

C h r i s to fe d e C a t t a n a n d
Jean de Thais
Edi t

Cattan's dedicatee: Jean de Thais (de

Taïx), by Corneille de Lyon (Musée
Condé). Seigneur Christofe de Cattan
was his servant and man-at-arms.

In his own Preface (also

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included in the printed work),
Cattan himself says he has
written the book at the request
and prayer of "Monsieur de
Tays" (who is an interested
practitioner of this science) as a
service to him, for his diversion,
or to give to whom he please, as
Cattan is his soldier and
servant.[17] "Monsieur de Tays"
or "Thais" is the senior military
commander Jean de Thais
(died 1553), Seigneur de Thais
(or Thaïx),[18] who in around
1521 became Master-General
of the French Artillery in France.
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In 1525 his role was extended
to include the same office for
the French in Italy. In 1543
François I gave him the title of
Grand Maître and Capitaine-
Général de l'Artillerie. (The title
"Grand maître de l'artillerie de
France" became one of the
Great Offices of the Crown in
1599.) He was succeeded by
Charles de Cossé-Brissac in
1547.[19] Jean de Thais
campaigned extensively in
northern Italy and Piedmont for
the French King, as well as in
northern France against the
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English, and had many Italian
troops in his armies. He died in
1552 or 1553.

Biographical context can be

derived from the examples
given by Cattan in the third book
of the Géomance.[20] The
examples, which Cattan
presents as real "readings"
performed by himself for
various named persons, include
reference to his master M. de
Tays. They include a reading
concerning Pope Paul III for the
year 1538; M. de Lymoges
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having gone into Scotland to
accompany the Queen,[21] and
to act as Ambassador for the
King of France (p. 133); the visit
of Cardinal Agostino Trivulzio to
France to broker peace between
the King and the Emperor
(probably 1536) (pp. 140-41);
the preparations of Charles V at
Nice to make war against
François I in Provence (?1538)
(pp. 142-43); a reading taken at
Fontainebleu for the death of
the Comte de Nouelaire (pp.
143-44); the purchase of a
horse at Lyon for M. de Tays
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(pp. 150-51); and a figure for M.
de Lymoges in 1538 (pp.
158-59).

The author has prepared figures

at the direct requests of
Seigneur de Thais himself (p.
113-14, p. 144); Seigneur de la
Ferté (possibly François de la
Ferté, Captain of the Garde du
Corps, 2nd French Company), in
a romantic question (p. 128); his
friend signor Bernard Garimbert,
a gentleman of Parma (p. 131);
a great lady of the court of the
King of France (p. 132); the
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organist of the Bishop of
Limoges (p. 133); the Seigneur
de Clermont de Lodève (pp.
134-35); a gentleman of the
King's court (pp. 135-36); and
the Comte de Tonnerre (p. 142).

Author Edi t

Cattan writes that he hopes to

bring forward two other works,
one on Physiognomy, and one
on Chiromancy. M. Dupréau
goes on to say that a friend
gave him the book (presumably
in manuscript), and that he has
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attempted to make it more
intelligible, for the original
language "was in many places
wonderfully obscure, difficult
and defective, and more Italian
than French, the author of this
work being Italian by speech
and nationality, and not very
experienced in our French
language."[22] (The "original" was
therefore written in Italianate
French.) Lastly (he says to
Maistre Nicot), he has
dedicated it to him because that
is what the author would have
done if he were alive, "vous
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cognoissant" (if he had known
him; or, knowing him as he did),
since Nicot has sought out
many learned and distinguished
people on this subject in Italy
and Spain. ("Cattan" is therefore
dead by 1558.[23])

Dupréau's statement that

"Cattan" was Italian leaves a
doubt about the word
"Genevoys" (i.e., of Geneva,
Switzerland), because there
was a patrician family of
Cattaneo in Genova (i.e.
"Genovese"), in Liguria (Italy),
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very prominent at this time.
Scholarly opinion at present is
said to incline to the
identification of a Genovese
Cristoforo Cattaneo as the
author of the Geomancy, and of
this as his only known
published work.[24]

Cristoforo Cattaneo
(various)
There are various very notable
persons of this name in that
period.

Cristoforo
Original Cattaneo
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cido ×
Volta was a prominent
Genovese ambassador, of the
Ghibelline party, active in the
affairs of Gabriele Malaspina
II of Fosdinovo, Tuscany
(1467–1508),[25] and in the
time of the Italian War of
1494–1498.[26]
Cristoforo Cattaneo was a
Governor of Genovese
Corsica in 1490–91 (i.e. after
the ceding of the island's
administration to the Bank of
Saint George in 1450) whose
correspondence has been
published and studied. [27]
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 (?same as preceding)
Lorenzo Cristoforo Cattaneo
had the Villa Imperiale at
Terralba (Genoa) constructed
around the end of the
fifteenth century, which was
visited in 1502 by Louis XII,
King of France.[28]
Cristoforo Cattaneo, called "Il
Lanzo",[29] Master of building
works in service to Ottavio
Farnese at Piacenza, was
living in 1561.[30]

It seems clear that "Christopher

Cattan" was none of these.
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See also
Bartolomeo della Rocca
(Bartolomeo Cocles)

Notes
1. C. Noirot, '"The Difficulty is
to Judge Well": Jean de la
Taille, Deceptive
Astrologer', in J. Persels, K.
Tarte and G. Hoffmann
(eds), Itineraries in French
Renaissance Literature:
Essays for Mary B.
McKinley (Brill,
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 Leiden/Boston 2018), p.
280 ff (Google).

2. P.O. Kristeller, Iter Italicum:

A Finding List of
Uncatalogued Or
Incompletely Catalogued
Humanistic Manuscripts of
the Renaissance in Italian
and Other Libraries 4
(Warburg Institute, 1989), p.
68b. 'British Library Add.
MS 8790'.

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3. La Géomance du Seigneur
Christofe Cattan,
Gentilhomme Genevois:
Livre non Moins Plaisant et
Récréatif, que d’Ingénieuse
Invention, pour Sçavoir
Toutes Choses Présentes,
Passées et Advenir, avec la
Roue de Pythagoras (1558).
Full text (original page
views) at Internet Archive .
Also at Bayerische
Staatsbibliothek
digital/MDZ (open), and at
Google (open).Traducido
Original ×
4. 1567 Edition, Full text
(original page views) at
BnF Gallica (open). Also at
Google (open).

5. 1577 Edition, Full text

(original page views) at
Google (open).

6. See Worldcat .

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7. P. Zambelli, The Speculum
Astronomiae and Its
Enigma: Astrology,
Theology and Science in
Alberrtus Magnus and his
Contemporaries, Boston
Studies in the Philosophy
of Science, vol. 135
(Springer
Science+Business Media,
Dordrecht 1992), p. 16
(Google).

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8. P. Meyer, 'Traités en vers
provençaux sur l'astrologie
et la géomancie', Romania
Vol. XXVI, no. 102 (Paris
1897), pp. 225-75 , at p. 250
(Persée – open). See E.
Narducci, 'Intorno al
"Tractatus Sphaerae" di
Bartolomeo da Parma,
Astronomo del Secolo XIII',
Bulletino di Bibliografia e di
Storia delle Scienze
Matematische e Fisiche
XVII (1884), pp. 1-31 and
Appendices
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 (SUB|Göttingen/Göttinger
Digitalisierungszentrum).

9. Histoire de la Guerre
Saincte, dite proprement, la
Franciade Orientale
(Nicolas Chesnau, Paris
1574). Full text (page
views) at Google (open).

10. Coloniæ: apud Geruuinum

Calenium, et hæredes
Ioannis Quentel, 1569. -
Worldcat.

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11. Dupréau uses Géomance
for the title and in his text:
Cattan's text and page-
headers have Geomancye,
in the same volume.

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12. "London: Printed by Iohn
Wolfe and are to be sold at
Edward Whites shop, at the
signe of the Gunne, at the
little north doore of Paules,
1591". - Worldcat. Full text
(page views) at Internet
Archive (open) and
Google . 1608 printing, full
view (pageviews) at
Scribd .

13. Princeton University:

Medieval Geomancy

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14. P.W.M. Blayney, The
Stationers' Company and
the Printers of London,
1501–1557 (Cambridge
University Press, 2013),
pp. 769, 809, 823-24
(Google).

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15. The claim is laid by C.
Nicholl, The Creature in the
Map: A Journey to El
Dorado (Jonathan Cape,
1995), pp. 82-86. See J.
Lorimer (ed.), Sir Walter
Ralegh's "Discoverie of
Guiana", Hakluyt Society,
Series III vol. 15 (Ashgate,
London 2006), at pp. 271 ff
(Google).

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16. "Christofe de Cattan,
gentilhomme Geneuoys, et
homme d'armes de la
compagnie de feu monsieur
de Thais, scavant et
experimenté es sciences
que y appartiennent, la
mise et reduicte à sa
perfection."

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17. "Moy donq' aux prières et
requestes de monsieur de
Tays, curieux et amateur de
ceste science, estant son
soldat et serviteur, pour luy
faire plaisir ay composé ce
livre pour s'en servir, ou le
donner à qui luy plaira."

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18. 'Le Sr.de Thais', in F. de
Pavie, Baron de
Fourquevauls, Les Vies de
Plusieurs Grands
Capitaines François (Jean
du Bray, Paris 1643), pp.
285-98 (Google).

19. P.A.J. Allent, Histoire du

Corps Impérial du Génie 1re
Partie (Magimel, Paris
1805), I, p. 652-53 at note
2 (Google).

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20. Commencing at chapter 6,
p. 125 (Internet Archive).
(Page references to 1558
edition.)

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21. 'M. de Lymoges' was the
usual term of address to
the Bishop, see L. Paris,
Negotiations, lettres et
pièces diverses relatives au
règne de François II
(Imprimerie Royale, Paris
1841), passim (Google). If
this refers to the marriage
of Mary, Queen of Scots,
the date is 1548.

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22. "estoit en plusieurs lieux
merveilleusement obscur,
difficile, et manqué, et plus
Italien que Françoys, pour
estre l'autheur diceluy de
nation et langue Italique, et
peu exercité en la nostre
Françoyse."

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23. J. Balsamo, V. Castiglione
Minischetti and G. Dotoli,
Les Traductions de l'Italien
en Français au XVIème
siècle, (Bibliographia 2, Vol.
IV), en collaboration avec la
Bibliotheque Nationale de
France (2009), Schena –
Hermann Editeurs, p. 162.

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24. Cardani Mediolanensis
Philosophi ac Medici
Celeberrimi Bibliographia
Tertia Editio, cura Georgii
Vivis (Author, 'Cosmopoli',
2018), p. 18, note 66. Free
view at Scribd , or in
author's pdf .

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25. Patrizia Meli, Gabriele
Malaspina Marchese di
Fosdinovo: Condotte,
Politica e Diplomazia nella
Lunigiana del
Rinascimento,
presentazione di Jean-
Claude Maire Vigeur
(Firenze University Press,
2008), at pp. 185-86,
206-246 passim. Firenze
University Press pdf .

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26. M.G. Canale, Nuova Istoria
della Repubblica di Genova,
del suo Commercio e della
sua Letteratura dalle Origini
all'anno 1797 (Felice Le
Monnier, Firenze 1864), IV,
pp 261 , 277, 349. (Internet
Archive).

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27. V. Marchi van Cauwelaert,
'La politique territoriale de
San Giorgio en Corse',
Mélanges de l'École
Française de Rome (Moyen
Âge), Année 2009, 121-2,
pp. 437-452 , at p. 444,
sources in notes 44 and 47.
(Persée – open).

28. Genova Rivista Municipale

Anno XI no. 1 (1931), p.
271.

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29. C. Ravioli, 'Notizie intorno a
Giacinto Barrozzi, detto il
Vignola, Architetto del
Secolo XVI.,' Giornale
Arcadico di Scienze, Lettere
ed Arti Vol CCV (New Series
LX, Jan-Feb 1867), (Tipog.
delle Belle Arti, Roma
1869), pp. 1-51, p. 21
(Google).

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 30. P.H. Jahn, '"Le copie son'
ancora fatte"', in A. Putzger,
M. Heisterberg and S.
Müller-Bechtel (eds), Nichts
Neues Schaffen:
Perspektiven auf die treue
Kopie 1300–1900 (Walter
de Gruyter GmbH & Co,
Berlin/Boston 2018), at p.
118 and note 34 (Google).

External links
Geomance de Cattan, online
text
Article on Christopher
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 Cattan's Geomancy at the
Astrological Society's
webpage
Wim van Binsbergen, The
Astrological Origin of Islamic
geomancy (PDF) cf. note 46,
p. 20

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