OGILBY, John

OGILBY, John. Killemeare (Kirriemuir), Angus 17.11.1600 — London 4.9.1676. British (Scottish) Author, Translator and Cartographer. Of unknown parentage. Probably educated at Merchant Taylors’ Grammar School in London. An accident ended his early career as a dancer in 1619, later (1633-46) worked as tutor in Dublin where he also founded Ireland’s first theatre. After a while in Cambridge lived in London concentrating on literary work. Now learned Greek. He also founded his own printing press. Married 1650 Christina Hunsdon, a wealthy widow about 17 years his senior. From 1674 Royal Cosmographer and Geographic Printer.

Publications: Asia. The first part being an accurate description of Persia, and the several provinces thereof: the vast empire of the Great Mogol, and other parts of India, and their several kingdoms and regions: with the denominations and descriptions of the cities, towns, and places of remark therein contain’d: the various customs, habits, religion, and languages of the inhabitants: their political governments, and way of commerce: also the plants and animals peculiar to each country. Collected and translated from the most authentick authors and augmented with later observations; illustrated with notes, and adorn’d with peculiar maps and proper sculptures. 12+253+17 p. 28 pl. L. 1673.

– Translated J. Nieuhoff’s An embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China: delivered by their excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously described by John Nieuhoff: also an epistle of Father John Adams, their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation: with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher. 431 p. L. 1673.

– Translations of classics (Vergil, Homer, Aesop), atlases, etc.

Sources: Wikipedia with portrait.

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