Complex sentence: The Elzevir family operated as booksellers and publishers in the Netherlands; the founder, Lodewijk Elzevir (1542--1617), lived in Leiden and established the business in 1580.
Split into simpler sentences: The Elzevir family operated as booksellers and publishers in the Netherlands. Its founder, Lodewijk Elzevir (1542--1617), lived in Leiden and established the business in 1580.