ORTELIUS (Abraham)

, a celebrated geographer, was born at Antwerp, in 1527. He was well skilled in the languages and mathematics, and acquired such reputation by his skill in geography, that he was surnamed the Ptolomy of his time. Justus Lipsius, and most of the great men of the 16th century, were our author's intimate friends. He passed some time at Oxford in the reign of Edward the 6th; and he visited England a second time in 1577.

His Theatrum Orbis Terræ was the completest work of the kind that had ever been published, and gained our author a reputation adequate to his immense labour in compiling it. He wrote also several other excellent geographical works; the principal of which are, his Thesaurus, and his Synonyma Geographica.—The world is also obliged to him for the Britannia, which was undertaken by Cambden at his request.—He died at Antwerp, 1598, at 71 years of age.