This classic ornate map of England and Wales was first published in the 1573 edition of Abraham Ortelius’ ‘Theatrum Orbis Terrarum’, the first modern atlas. This map improved on the earlier Ortelius map of the British Isles published in 1570. This is particularly noticeable in the depiction of South Wales, Devon, the Wash and Humber River. The source for much of this new information is the Welsh historian and topographer Humphrey Lhuyd. He died in 1568 so the manuscript must have been finished by that date. It is possible it did not reach the hands of Ortelius until sometime after his death, most likely post 1570. This example is from the French text edition of 1587. This is an example of the third state, stippled sea, and as this is such a sharp fresh example we have made the assumption that it is from the 1595 edition, the first edition in which this state appeared. Van den Broecke (1996) 19.2; Kelly (2007); North (1937); Shirley (1988) 98.