Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, "Borgia, Lucrezia" to "Bradford, John"

part in the Portuguese expedition for the survey of Brazil, and the

measurement of a degree of the meridian; but he yielded to the urgent request of the pope that he would remain in Italy and undertake a similar task there. Accordingly, in conjunction with Christopher Maire, an English Jesuit, he measured an arc of two degrees between Rome and Rimini. The operations were begun towar...