As the academic study of geography grows ever more specialized and professional it becomes increa ingly difficult to combine its pursuit with work in other fields of knowledge. In earlier centuries this was happily not the case and during this year occur the centenaries of two Oxford divines who both proved that 'geography was not incompatible with divinity' (Taylor, 1934, p. vi). George Abbot was born at Guildford on 29 October 1562. He entered Balliol in 1578 and five years later became a probationer-fellow of the college. In 1597 he was elected Master of University College, Oxford, and during his tenure of that office wrote for his pupils a geographical treatise, A Briefe Description of the Whole Worlde, first published in 1599. Abbot was three times Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, became successively Dean of Winchester, Bishop of London and, in 1611, Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1621, when with a shooting-party at Bramshill Park, he aimed at one of the deer, but his arrow struck Peter Hawkins, Lord Zouch's gamekeeper, who bled to death in an hour's time. This unfortunate accident had unhappy consequences for the Archbishop, but in due course he received the King's pardon. Abbot has been described as 'stiffly principled in puritan doctrines' (D.N.B.) and he was in frequent conflict with Laud. By geographers he is best remembered for giving patronage and encouragement to Samuel Purchas, that painstaking successor to Hakluyt. Abbot first made Purchas one of his chaplains and later gave him preferment to a living in Essex; Purchas dedicated His Pilgrimage (1613) to the Archbishop. Abbot's Briefe Description of the Whole Worlde must have supplied a need, as it was constantly reprinted. A third and considerably enlarged edition appeared in 1608 and a sixth edition came out in 1624. The last (ninth or tenth) edition was printed in 1664, over thirty years after the author's death in 1633. Professor E. G. R. Taylor has described Abbot's book as 'this arid little compilation . . . for the most part a mere catalogue of place-names, forerunner of the dreary geographies which held the field in English schools right down to the twentieth century' (Taylor, 1934, P37)This is not entirely just, as the book served a useful purpose in its day. Mr. J. N. L. Baker has pointed out that Abbot's treatise 'was doubtless intended to supply the latest geo? graphical information for the benefit of those who were reading the standard works of ancient authors, and its general plan was copied by a number of writers' (Baker, I935> P131)Abbot included an account of 'America sive Orbe novo His remarks on 'Russia sive Moscouia! are still apposite. 'This Empire', he says, 'is at this day one of the greatest dominions in the world: both for compasse of grounde, and for multitude of men; saving that it lyeth far North, and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good trafique, with many other ofthe best nations' (Abbot, 1600, p. 5). Peter Heylyn was born at Burford on 29 November 1599. In January 1615, at the early age of fifteen, he was admitted a commoner of Hart Hall, Oxford, to his 'great contentment' (Bloxham, 1876, p. 50); six months later he was elected a Demy of Magdalen College, to which he migrated. 'After he had taken the degree of Bachelor of Arts which was in October 1617, he read every Long Vacation till he was Master, Cosmography lectures in the common refectory of Magdalen College, of which the first being performed in the latter end of July, 1618, it was so well approved, that for that, and his other learning, he was chosen probationer, and in the year following perpetual fellow' (Bloxham, 1876, p. 58; Wood, 1817, p. 552). In 1621 he published his Microcosmus; Or a little description of the great world, which was presumably based on his lectures. He presented a copy personally to Charles, Prince of Wales, to whom it was dedicated, and by whom he 'was received very graciously'. In 1625 he travelled in France for about six weeks and in 1628 he went to Guernsey for three weeks as chaplain to the Earl of Danby. These two short journeys