ORONTIUS. 97 



lated his name into Greek, and was Oronce for literary 

 purposes, certainly was a famous man, but he would have 

 been more honoured than honouring in an exchange of 

 courtesies with Jerome, for his fame had but an unsub- 

 stantial basis. When Cardan said that the glass of 

 Orontius was taken from Archimedes, he touched upon a 

 weak point in M. Fine. He was not an original man, 

 though he did, indeed labouring under a mistake give 

 out that he had squared the circle. He obtained much of 

 his knowledge from the works of a heretical contemporary, 

 Sebastian Munster. M. Fine, who was seven years older 

 than Jerome, had gone very early to Paris from his native 

 town of Brian9on, in the Dauphine, where he distinguished 

 himself by mathematical tastes and a mechanical turn, 

 making with his own hands several instruments that had 

 not been seen before. He published works, at first trans- 

 lations, and taught mathematics, at first privately, then 

 publicly in the College de Gervais. When Francis I. esta- 

 blished a new college in Paris, Orontius was made royal 

 professor of mathematics, and attracted many students. 

 He wrote a Description of the World and a Description of 

 France, and assumed a prominent position as a practical 

 geographer. He was therefore sought and patronised by 

 foreign princes who were in want of maps or charts. 

 Sebastian Munster, a little man, robust, laborious, and 

 wonderfully simple-minded, lay at the root of the reputa- 

 VOL. II. H 



