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Gerardus Mercator
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===Persecution, 1543=== At no time in his life did Mercator claim to be a Lutheran, but there are many hints that he had sympathies in that direction. As a child, called Geert, he was surrounded by adults who were possibly followers of [[Geert Groote]], who placed meditation, contemplation, and biblical study over ritual and liturgy—and who also founded the school of the [[Brethren of the Common Life]] at 's-Hertogenbosch. As an adult, Mercator had family connections to [[Molanus]], a religious reformer who would later have to flee Leuven. Also, he was a close friend and correspondent of [[Philip Melanchthon]], one of the principal Lutheran reformers.{{efn|Some of the correspondence of Mercator and [[Philip Melanchthon|Melanchthon]] has been preserved. See {{harvnb|Van Durme|1959}} }} Study of the Bible was something that was central to Mercator's life and it was the cause of the early philosophical doubts that caused him so much trouble during his student days, doubts which some of his teachers would have considered to be tantamount to heresy. His visits to the free thinking Franciscans in Mechelen may have attracted the attention of the [[Faculty of Theology, Old University of Leuven|theologians at the university]], amongst whom were two senior figures of the [[Inquisition]], [[Jacobus Latomus]] and [[Ruard Tapper]]. The words of the latter on the death of heretics convey the atmosphere of that time:{{efn|The persecution of heretics is discussed in {{harvnb|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 14|p=149}} }} {{blockquote|It is no great matter whether those that die on this account be guilty or innocent, provided we terrify the people by these examples; which generally succeeds best, when persons eminent for learning, riches, nobility or high stations, are thus sacrificed.|source={{harvnb|Brandt|Chamberlayne|1740}} }} [[File:Kasteel Rupelmonde.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Rupelmonde]] castle from ''[[Flandria Illustrata]]'' (1641)]] It may well have been these Inquisitors who, in 1543, decided that Mercator was eminent enough to be sacrificed.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 15|p=155}} His name appeared on a list of 52 Lutheran heretics which included an architect, a sculptor, a former rector of the university, a monk, three priests and many others. All were arrested except Mercator, who had left Leuven for Rupelmonde on business concerning the estate of his recently deceased uncle Gisbert. That made matters worse, for he was now classified as a fugitive who, by fleeing arrest, had proved his own guilt.{{sfn|Crane|2003|loc=Chapter 15|p=154}} Mercator was apprehended in Rupelmonde and imprisoned in the castle. He was accused of suspicious correspondence with the Franciscan friars in Mechelen but no incriminating writings were uncovered in his home or at the friary in Mechelen. At the same time his well-placed friends petitioned on his behalf,{{efn|It is known that [[:nl:Pieter de Corte|Pieter de Corte]], an ex-rector of the university, wrote to [[Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)|Queen Maria of Hungary]], governor of the province. See {{harvnb|Crane|2003|loc= Chapter 15|p=156}} }} but whether his friend Antoine Perrenot was helpful is unknown: Perrenot, as a bishop, would have to support the activities of the Inquisition. After seven months, Mercator was released for lack of evidence against him but others on the list suffered torture and execution: two men were burnt at the stake, another was beheaded and two women were entombed alive.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
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