Somogyi Múzeumok Közleményei 8. (1987)
Deák András: Mikoviny Sámuel két „Monituma”
98 DEÄK ANDRÁS ANDRÁS DEÁK: SAMUEL MIKOVINY TWO MOTIFS „Samuel Mikoviny, nob. hungarus", Hungarian nobleman, who proudly declared Hungary to be his „patria dulcissima", his dear homeland; was one of the most outstanding mathematicians, engineers, and theoretical and practical cartographers of his age. At the universities of Germany and during his journeying through western Europe (1734-1735) he matured into perhaps the most highly qualified theoretical and practical cartographer of the era. His maps of the counties of Hungary and his theoretical works that formulated the basic principles of making maps („Epistola", „Monitio", an „Monitum II.") are grand testimonies to this. Mikoviny first comimitted himself to abstract mathematical! problems. His good friend, Matyas Bel called his attention to the problems of cartography. And with a truly correct sense of proportion he recognized the theoretical and practical issues of mapmaking, still to be solved. He clearly saw that if he wanted to prepare a really reliable map it was not sufficient to be a good geographer and excellent draftsman, but that he would diso have to master the science of astronomical position location. We do not know who his mdestros were. Perhaps he received a great dedl of assistance from the mathematician and astronomer Marinoni, director of the Vienna Academy of Engineering. One thing that is certain: the role of guidance and assistance played by Matyas ВЫ in Milkoviny's scientific career was dominant. AM maps of Samuel Mikoviny rest on four foundations of principle: The first foundation is astronomy A qualified astronomer, he conducted measurements of latitude and longitude, giving a wealth of examples as illustration, to continuously control his „geometric" measurements. He worlked with a quadrant that he, himself made. In Pozsony (today Bratislava) he determined the „base meridian" that farmed the point of departure for his work, and at the same time he criticized the chaos dominating the field of base meridians" and urgently called for a unifarmization, the stipulation of a base meridian accepted and^sed by all. The second foundation is geometry With „super-human effort", using triginometry he made a network out of the area mapped with an interlinked chain of triangles. He checked the results of his [measurements with astnnoimic position location. The third foundation was magnetism He used this method principally on territories less suitable for „geometric" masurements because of location. Despite this he considered the method useful elsewhere too, as an additional opportunity self-control. The fourth foundation was hydrography „This method relies completely upon the former one" and assisted him in determining the courses of water flows. If the river was navigable he used a rowboat and made constant notations on fluctuations in the compass. Using the mean speed of the rowboat as the basis he drafted the course followed by the boat, i. e. the bends and turns of the river-bed. Also noteworthy was his concept on the aesth etic appearance of these maps. The primary task öf a map, he said, was a faithful portrayal of reality, and decoration, illustration must always be subordinated to this function. He permitted beauty only if it were modest and useful : „ ... neque tarn demus operám, ut inutilibus pietuns, oppdeamus Chartas, quam, ut natúrom imitemur cetera, nitoris, qui deceat, lhaud incuriosi" - was the way he set down his position of principle in „Epistola". As time passed the significance of Mikoviny became increasingly crystallized. His outstanding maps prepared on the terrain itself which „ground his life away", based on many careful astronomical and geometric measurements, as well as his theoretical works clearly formulating the basic principles of modern cartography, put him among the best of Europe.
