(John), an eminent writer, was born in or near Edinburgh, about the 17th of November 1600. His father having spent his estate, and being prisoner in the King's Bench for debt, could contribute but little to his education; however, he obtained some knowledge in the Latin grammar, and afterwards so much money as to procure his father's discharge from prison, and to bind himself an apprentice to a dancing-master in London; when, by his dexterity in his profession, and his compliant behaviour to his master's scholars, he obtained money to buy out the remainder of his time, and to set up for himself. But being afterwards appointed to dance in the duke of Buckingham's great masque, he by a false step strained a vein in the inside of his leg, which occasioned his being ever after somewhat lame. When Thomas earl of Strafford was made lord lieutenant of Ireland, he was entertained as a dancing-master in his family, and made one of the earl's troop of guards; at which time he composed a humorous piece called the Character of a Trooper. He was soon after appointed master of the revels in Ireland, and built a theatre at Dublin. About the time of the conclusion of the war in England, he left Ireland, and, being shipwrecked, came to London in a necessitous condition; but soon after walked to Cambridge, where, being assisted by several scholars, he became to complete a matter of the Latin tongue, that in 1649 he published a translation of Virgil. He soon after learned Greek; and in 1660 published, in folio, a translation of Homer's Iliad, with Annotations. About two years after he went into Ireland, where he was made master of the revels by patent. He then built another theatre in Dublin, which cost him about £1000. He published at London, in folio, a translation of Homer's Odyssey, with Annotations; and afterwards wrote two heroic poems, intitled the Ecbessian Matron, and the Roman Slave. He next composed the Carolics, an epic poem, in 12 books, in honour of king Charles I.; but this was entirely lost in the fire of London; when Mr Ogilby's house in White Friars was burnt down, and his whole fortune, except to the value of five pounds, destroyed. He, however, soon procured his house to be rebuilt, set up a printing-office within it; was appointed his majesty's cosmographer and geographic printer, and printed several great works, translated or collected by himself and his assistants, particularly his Atlas. He died in 1676.