Editing Gerardus Mercator (section)

===Leuven, 1534–1543===
[[File:Reinerus Frisius Gemma, by Maarten van Heemskerck.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Gemma Frisius]] by [[Maarten van Heemskerck]]]]
Towards the end of 1534, the twenty-two-year-old Mercator arrived back in Leuven and threw himself into the study of geography, mathematics and astronomy under the guidance of [[Gemma Frisius]].{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapters 5 and 6}} Mercator was completely out of his depth but, with the help and friendship of Gemma, who was only four years older, he succeeded in mastering the elements of mathematics within two years and the university granted him permission to tutor private students. Gemma had designed some of the mathematical instruments used in these studies and Mercator soon became adept in the skills of their manufacture: practical skills of working in brass, mathematical skills for calculation of scales and engraving skills to produce the finished work.

[[File:Gemma Frisius terrestrial globe (4).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|The terrestrial globe of Gemma Frisius showing, in the south Pacific, the  cartouche containing the dedication to [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] and the publishing rights of Mercator.{{efn|name=frisiusglobe}}]]
Gemma and Gaspar Van der Heyden had completed a terrestrial [[globe]] in 1529, but by 1535 they were planning a new globe embodying the latest geographical discoveries.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapters 7 and 8}} The [[Gore (segment)|gores]] were to be engraved on copper, instead of wood, and the text was to be in an elegant italic script instead of the heavy Roman lettering of the early globes. The globe was a combined effort: Gemma researched the content, Van der Heyden engraved the geography and Mercator engraved the text, including the cartouche which exhibited his own name in public for the first time. Interestingly, the text of the cartouche attributes the production copyrights to Mercator.{{efn|name=frisiusglobe}}The globe was finished in 1536 and its celestial counterpart appeared one year later. These widely admired globes were costly and their wide sales provided Mercator an income which, together with that from mathematical instruments and from teaching, allowed him to marry and establish a home. His marriage to Barbara Schellekens was in September 1536, and [[Arnold Mercator|Arnold]], the first of their six children, was born a year later.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 8|pp= 86, 91}}

The arrival of Mercator on the cartographic scene would have been noted by the cognoscenti who purchased Gemma's globe – the professors, rich merchants, prelates, aristocrats and courtiers of the emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] at nearby Brussels. The commissions and patronage of such wealthy individuals would provide an important source of income throughout his life. His connection with this world of privilege was facilitated by his fellow student Antoine Perrenot, soon to be appointed Bishop of [[Arras]], and Antoine's father, [[Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle|Nicholas Perrenot]], the chancellor of Charles V.

Working alongside Gemma whilst they were producing the globes, Mercator would have witnessed the process of progressing geography: obtaining previous maps, comparing and collating their content, studying geographical texts and seeking new information from correspondents, merchants, pilgrims, travellers and seamen. He put his newly learned talents to work in a burst of productivity. In 1537, aged only 25, he established his reputation with a [[#palestine1537|map of the Holy Land]] which was researched, engraved, printed and partly published by himself.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 9}}
<gallery perrow="2" mode="packed">
File:Mercator Palestine 1537.jpeg|<small>Palestine (west at the top), 1537</small>
File:Mercator Palestine 1837 Red sea divided.jpg|<small>Detail: the Red Sea parted</small>
</gallery>
A year later, in 1538, he produced his first [[#world1538|map of the world]], usually referred to as ''Orbis Imago''.{{efn|''Orbis Imago'' is a reference to the text in the legend (cartouche) at the top centre of the map. The first sentence contains the phrase ''hic vides orbis imaginem'' which translates as ''this image of the globe that you see''. [[q:Gerardus Mercator#orbisimago|Text]]}} In 1539/40 he made a [[#flanders1540|map of Flanders]] and in 1541 a terrestrial globe. All four works were received with acclaim{{sfn|Ghim|1595}}{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 9}} and they sold in large numbers. The dedications of three of these works witness Mercator's access to influential patrons: the Holy Land was dedicated to [[:nl:Franciscus van Cranevelt|Franciscus van Cranevelt]] who sat on the [[Great Council of Mechelen]], the map of Flanders was dedicated to the emperor himself and the globe was dedicated to Nicholas Perrenot, the emperor's chief advisor. The dedicatee of the world map was more surprising: Johannes Drosius, a fellow student who, as an unorthodox priest, may well have been suspected of Lutheran heresy.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 14|p=149}} Given that the symbolism of the Orbis Imago map also reflected a Lutheran view point, Mercator was exposing himself to criticism by the hardline theologians of Leuven .{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 10|p=110}}
<gallery perrow="2" mode="packed">
File:Mercator's world map on double cordiform projection – New York Public Library.jpg|<small>World map, 1538</small>
File:Mercator map of Flanders 1539.tiff|<small>Flanders, 1540</small>
File:Erdglobus Mercator 1541 stitched.jpg|<small>Globe, 1541</small>
File:Mercator Globe 1541 SA.jpg|<small>Globe with rhumb lines</small>
</gallery>
[[File:Mercator title page of Literarum Latinarum.JPG|thumb|upright|right|The title page of ''Literarum Latinarum'']]
In between these works, he found time to write ''Literarum latinarum'', a small instruction manual on the [[italic script]].{{sfn|Mercator|1540}} The italic script (or chancery cursive) reached the Low Countries from Italy at the beginning of the sixteenth century and it is recorded as a form of typescript in Leuven in 1522.{{sfn|Osley|1969|p=28}} It was much favoured by [[Humanism|humanist]] scholars who enjoyed its elegance and clarity as well as the rapid fluency that could be attained with practice, but it was not employed for formal purposes such as globes, maps and scientific instruments (which typically used Roman capitals or [[Blackletter|gothic script]]). Mercator first applied the italic script to the globe of Gemma Frisius and thereafter to all his works, with ever-increasing elegance. The title page of this work is an illustration of the decorative style he developed.{{efn|The top line of the title page spells out a highly decorative form of the word ''LITERARUM.''}}

In 1542, the thirty-year-old must have been feeling confident about his future prospects when he suffered two major interruptions to his life. First, Leuven was besieged by the troops of the Duke of Cleves, a Lutheran sympathiser who, with French support, was set on exploiting unrest in the Low Countries to his own ends.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 14|pp=142–145}} This was the same Duke to whom Mercator turned ten years later. The siege was lifted but the financial losses to the town and its traders, including Mercator, were great. The second interruption was potentially deadly: the Inquisition called.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{harvtxt|Crane|2003|loc=Chapter 15}}</ref>