Notes to Mercator Ortelio sal.

Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594), the greatest of the Renaissance geographers, called

Ingenio dexter, dexter et ipse manu.

Ingenious in mind, ingenious as well in hand.

He studied mathematics and astronomy at Louvain, later becoming a maker of scientific instruments. He constructed his first terrestrial globe in 1541. After moving to Duisburg in Germany, he completed his great map of Europe in 15 large sheets (1554) and a world map which was particularly useful for navigation, since it used his projection, in which a navigator could lay out a compass course with a straight line. His workshop produced improved and enlarged maps for the rest of his life. Posthumous works were completed by his son Rumold, who is mentioned in this letter. Many letters to and from Mercator survive, dealing with both geography and religion, most recently edited in van Durme, Correspondance mercatorienne 1954.

Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp (1527-1598). Originally an engraver and dealer in antiquities, he became of friend of Mercator and began making maps. His chief work, mentioned in this letter, was Theatrum orbis terrarum (1st edition 1570), which contained 70 maps of a uniform format. The work remained in print throughout the 17th century. Mercator and Ortelius exchanged many letters. This letter concerns 1) the delayed return of a map of the Americas which Ortelius had lent to Mercator, 2) the availability of recent maps of France and Spain, and 3) an enlargement of Ortelius’ magnum opus, the Theatrum.

 

Salve…Orteli

plurimum &emdash; adverbial accusative (A&G 214d)

 

mi &emdash; vocative of meus; D. = Domine, Mister or Sir.

 

Magnus..indiges

cunctator est vir qui semper cunctatur

 

in remittendis iis &emdash; gerundive, ablative case (A&G 507(3)) from remitto. Ortelius had sent Mercator a map of the Americas, as mentioned at the end of this letter, and Mercator was slow to send it back.

 

concessisti = misisti. In this case it must have been a loan.

 

Ipse &emdash; tu ipse "you yourself"

 

Tot…datum sit

ut…datum sit &emdash; result clause (A&G 537) in primary sequence (A&G 483). Some words are omitted: Ut tempus exscribere illa (acc. plural "those documents") vix mihi datum sit.

 

occupationibus &emdash; ablative of means

 

exscribo &emdash; "to copy it out" Ortelius sent him a chart or a geographical description of some location in the Americas, judging from reliquam in the next sentence.

 

Utinam…haberemus

Utinam &emdash; "I wish that…" "Would that..." Utinam introduces wishes that are contrary to fact (A&G 442); the imperfect subj. refers to the present time: "I wish that we had now…" The pluperfect subj. refers to past time: Utinam habuissemus "I wish we had had…"

 

eam &emdash; is, ea, id as a demonstrative adjective = "that"

 

continentem &emdash; acc. of continens &emdash; "continent" here referring to the Americas.

 

descriptam &emdash; perf. participle of describo.

 

Non dubito…itineribus

Non dubito usually with quin plus subjunctive (A&G 558) "I don’t doubt that...

 

eius refers to America: maxima Americae pars; eius is a pronoun here, not an adjective (contrast eam just above).

 

a Portugalensibus, abl. of agent &emdash; Mercator thought that the Portuguese had settled Mexico, rather than the Spaniards, but since many of the early explorers were Portuguese and since Portugal was for much of the period a part of Spain, a fine distinction between what are now two different nations should not be drawn.

 

postquam plures homines eam (i.e. partem Americae) a Mexico usque in Cataium saepe peragraverunt.

postquam plus indicative "after" (A&G543)

 

Mexicum is the nominative case of the Latin word for Mexico. Cataium = Cathay or China. Sina is the earlier Latin word for China, from which we get our prefix Sino-, as in Sino-American relations.

 

plures &emdash; plus, pluris "more" nominative plural

 

non semel &emdash; LITOTES (A&G 326c) "not once" = many times.

 

Id-que &emdash; "it" "and they did it/this" (i.e. travel through)…

 

diversum iter &emdash; "different route" ablative of means

 

sed quae firmis…non habent, non…permittunt…

quae, subiecta, spectanda &emdash; all are neuter plural "those places which" "those territories which"

 

firmis praesidiis et legibus &emdash; ablative of means; praesidia and leges are the instruments by which these territories are controlled.

 

subiecta non habent &emdash; "they do not hold in subjugation, they do not hold in control".

 

spectanda &emdash; future passive participle or gerundive (A&G 500 (4)). "to be viewed". The gerundive with permitto is like a purpose clause = ut hae terrae spectentur non permittunt Portugalenses.

 

nam et Galli et Anglis occupandis terris inhiant.

occupandis terris &emdash; dative case, gerundive (A&G 505, with the addition that the dative of the gerund is much used in purpose expressions in later Latin). Alternative ways of saying the same thing are ad occupandas terras, ut occupent terras. Sir Francis Drake is the most famous of the English who lusted after Spanish lands. He and his cousin John Hawkins plundered in the Caribbean in the 1560’s and 70’s.

 

Galliam…descriptam esse - indirect statement (A&G 580) depending on audieris.

 

particulatim &emdash; "in detail" "province by province"

 

Non dubito quin audieris

non dubito quin &emdash; followed by the subjunctive (A&G 558)

 

audieris &emdash; perf. subjunctive in primary sequence (A&G 483)

 

 

De Hispanis…intellexi

simile aliquid &emdash; "something similar" after si, nisi, ne, quis/quid is used instead of aliquis/aliquid: si quis hoc fecerit… = "Is someone does this…" (A&G 310). Here this usage is extended to simile.

 

simile &emdash; i.e. a description in detail, as for France.

 

temptatum esse &emdash; indirect statement depending on intellexi.

 

sed quousque…ignoratur

quousque…deductum sit opus &emdash; indirect question in primary sequence depending on ignoratur (A&G 574). opus ("the work") is the subject

 

quo-usque &emdash;"how far", as in "Quousque abutere, Catilina, patientia nostra?"

 

ignoratur &emdash; impersonal passive of an intransitive verb (A&G 207d). Mercator could have said ignoro or ignoramus.

 

Has tabulas si…posses.., adiungeres.

si nancisci posses,…adiungeres &emdash; contrary to fact condition (A&G 517): "If you could find them, you could add them." Strictly speaking, this should not be contrary to fact, since Mercator suggests that Ortelius can get the maps from the Protestant princes. Perhaps he thinks this is unlikely. tabulas &emdash; "maps", the full term is tabulae geographicae.

 

ut (as) posse existimo &emdash; posse is a one-word indirect statement: "I think that this is possible."

 

cum tabulae in manibus versentur &emdash; verso &emdash;are "turn over, study", as in Horace’s advice to an aspiring poet: "exemplaria Graeca nocturna versate manu, versate diurna" &emdash; "turn over the Greek models night and day in your hands."

 

evangelici -orum principum (gen. pl.) &emdash; "Protestant princes". This letter was written during a time of warfare between Protestant and Catholic powers. The Duke of Alba was ravaging the low countries; the Spanish Armada was nine years in the future.

 

apud quos gratiam fore non dubito

apud quos = apud evangelicos principes

 

tibi &emdash; dative of possession (A&G 373) = te facilem gratiam habiturum esse non dubito.

 

fore = futurum esse (A&G 170.a), future infinitive in indirect statement depending on non dubito.

 

Theatro tuo &emdash; Ortelius had written a geography called Theatrum orbis terrarum.

 

auctarium &emdash; "supplement"

 

Scripsit …te…fecisse…donasse

filius &emdash; Rumold Mercator continued his father’s work

 

te…fecisse…donasse (=donavisse) &emdash; indirect statement with perfect infinitive (A&G 584) depending on scripsit.

 

Tabularum &emdash; of the maps in Ortelius’ Theatrum

 

appendicem &emdash; "appendix"

 

Pro quo…gratias

pro quo = pro exemplari quod mihi donavisti, Judging from his next comment, Mercator had not yet received the copy.

 

Spero…reperturum (esse)

Spero usually takes a future infinitive in indirect statement (A&G 584).

 

in eo = in eo exemplari

 

Artesia &emdash; Artois, now a part of N. France

 

Hannonia &emdash; Hainaut, now southern Belgium. In Mercator’s time Artesia, Hannonia, and the rest of the Low Countries were under Spanish/Hapsburg rule. Mercator hopes detailed maps of these countries are included in the package.

 

nam…dixit

Nam filius meus qui Artesiam excusam vidit…

Artesiam &emdash; i.e. tabulam Artesiae

 

excusam &emdash; "engraved and printed"

 

Hannoniam mox edendam esse &emdash; edendam &emdash; future passive participle (A&G 500), but without a sense of obligation "must". The map was "soon to be printed".

 

Boni…retinui

Boni consulo is a favorite idiom of Mercator: "take in good part," "don’t be angry that…"

 

quaeso &emdash; "please," usually the second word in the sentence.

 

Si…significa.

Si quid &emdash; indefinite (A&G 310a); quid &emdash; "anything" is the subject of sit: si quid…habeo aut…penes me sit…

 

alioqui…sit &emdash; indirect question (A&G 573)

 

amplius &emdash; "more"

 

penes me &emdash; "in my possession"

 

quo uti velis &emdash; quo is ablative depending on uti (utor; A&G 410); an indefinite clause, also called a relative clause of characteristic (A&G 535); Mercator is asking Ortelius to tell him if he, Mercator, has anything of the type of thing "that he would like to use."

 

Amico singulari Clarissimo Abrahamo Ortelio &emdash; dative case in the address of letters.

Vocabulary

adiungo, -ere, adiuxi, adiunctus &emdash; join, connect

alioqui (adverb) &emdash; at one time or another, otherwise, at any time

aliquot &emdash; some

amplius &emdash; more

cingo, -ere, cinxi, cinctus &emdash; tie up, tighten, involve in

concedo, &emdash;ere, concessi, concessus &emdash; grant, lend

continuo (adverb) - immediately

cunctor, &emdash;ari, cunctatus (deponent)&emdash; delay, be slow

deduco, -ere, dedxi, deductus &emdash; lead, carry on, carry forth a project

describo, &emdash;ere, descripsi, descriptus &emdash; write out, describe, copy

dono, -are, -avi, -atus &emdash; give, give as a gift

dubito, -are, -avi, -atus &emdash; hesitate (most common meaning), doubt

edo, edere, edidi, editus &emdash; to publish

exemplar, exemplaris (n) &emdash; copy

existimo, -are, -avi, -atus &emdash; think, suppose

exoptissimus (superlative) &emdash; most hoped for

fortasse &emdash; perhaps

gratia, -ae (f) &emdash; favor, favorable opinion

gratias ago (idiom) &emdash; to thank someone

indigeo, &emdash;ere, indigui &emdash; need (cp. "indigent")

ingens, ingentis (adj.) &emdash; huge

inhio, are &emdash; lust after

intelligo, -ere, intellexi, intellectus &emdash; understand

iter, itineris (n) - trip, route way

lex, legis (f) &emdash; law

libenter &emdash; willingly, gladly

liberaliter &emdash; generously

manus, manûs (f) &emdash; hand

nanciscor, nancisci, nactus (deponent) &emdash; find

occupo, -are, -avi, -atus &emdash; seize, take

opinor, -ari &emdash; I suppose

opus, operis (n) &emdash; work, a work of art, science, etc.

peragro, &emdash;are, &emdash;avi, &emdash;atus &emdash; travel through, traverse

permitto, -ere, permisi, permissus &emdash; entrust, allow

plus, pluris &emdash; more

praesidium (n) &emdash; garrison, guard

reliquus &emdash;a &emdash;um &emdash; remaining

remitto, -ere, remisi, remissus &emdash; send back

retineo, -êre, retinui, retentus &emdash; hold back, keep

semel &emdash; once

significo, -are, -avi, -atur &emdash; tell, notify

similis, simile &emdash; like, similar

subicio, -ere, subieci, subiectus &emdash; to make submit, to control

tempto, -are, -avi, -atus &emdash; try, attempt

universus &emdash;a &emdash;um &emdash; all together, whole