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Letter #405

Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Bruges, 1528-05-06

English register:

It is decided that De Schepper will go to Poland. His other assignment [viz. a mission to Scotland] is no longer relevant since the English have changed their attitude. The only proponents of war are the King [Henry VIII] and Cardinal Wolsey, while the people support the Emperor [Charles V]. Hence an armed conflict would be in favour of the Habsburgs. De Schepper's departure was delayed as long as nothing was determined about the English. The commander in chief is still in Brabant, but will probably leave soon. De Schepper is currently staying in Bruges, where he has made good progress in a matter of great importance to him [viz. his marriage to Elisabeth Donche]. However he still intends to return to Spain after his mission to Poland.

Margrave Joachim of Brandenburg has decided that his wife [Elisabeth of Denmark], the sister of King Christian, should be executed or imprisoned, because of her conversion to Lutheranism. She has taken refuge with her uncle, the Prince-Elector of Saxony [Johann der Beständige]. A war is imminent between the Margrave of Brandenburg and his brother the Archbishop of Mayence [Albrecht von Hohenzollern] on one side, and the Prince-Elector of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse [Philip I] on the other. De Schepper promises more news about this conflict, as soon as he has arrived in Germany. Moreover, he does not have his codebook at hand.

De Schepper wants to be recommended to their mutual friends. He asks Dantiscus to further his interests with the Chancellor [Mercurino Gattinara], and to recommend him in his letters to Poland. He sends greetings to Margrave Johann Albrecht of Brandenburg, Juan Antonio Marliano, Dantiscus' brother Bernhard [von Höfen], and the nuntius Mariae.


            received Madrid, [1528]-08-29

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, BCz, 243, p. 87-90
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 41 (TN), No. 150, p. 539-540
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 284, No. 10, p. 23-24
4register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 32, No. 564

Auxiliary sources:
1register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8246 (TK 8), f. 15

Prints:
1AT 10 No. 246, p. 233-234 (in extenso)
2DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 50, p. 33-34 (excerpt; English register)
3CEID 2/2 (Letter No. 15) p. 101-104 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

BCz, 243, p. 90

Magnifico et spectabili domino Ioanni Dantisco, regiae et reginalis maiestatis Poloniae oratori, domino et fratri honorando

In curia caesareae maiestatis

BCz, 243, p. 87

Salutem.

Iam destinata est profectio mea in Poloniam. Alia enim negotia orig. negocia⌈negotianegotia orig. negocia⌉ non obibuntur, propterea quod ab Anglis nihil metuimus. Mutata est in totum illorum sententia et qui prius bellum voluere, iam pacem desiderare orig. desyderare⌈desideraredesiderare orig. desyderare⌉ coguntur. Soli sunt rex cardinalisque, populus miru written over e⌈euu written over e⌉m, quam caesari favens. Si semel eo arma converteremus, protinus videre orig. viderae⌈viderevidere orig. viderae⌉ esset omnia nostra. Magno bono suo abstinet uterque. Ibo ergo propediem, hoc est intra decem dies. Nam hactenus protracta res est consultationibus, cum determinandum esset, quid de Anglis dicendum esset. Campiductor noster magnus ille et insignis adhuc apud Brabantos versatur, nisi forsitan intra quattuor ab hinc dies abierit. Nam cum haec scribo, Brugis versor in eo negotio orig. negocio⌈negotionegotio orig. negocio⌉ impeditus, quod mihi nosti cordi esse et procedit belle, immo ad extrema fere perventum est. Cum ex Polonia rediero, tum finis erit huic catastrophae. Redibo tamen ad vos, nam id non impediet. Maior est enim utrobique virtutis honestique, quam aliarum rerum ratio. Sed haec hactenus.

In Germania mire tumultuatur. Nam cum statuisset Ioachimus marchio Brandeburgi coniugem suam, sororem Christierni regis, aut igni tradere aut intra quattuor parietes inclusam fame enecare ob susceptum, ut ille ait, Lutheranum dogma, neque iam clam essent minae, illa sese nocte intempesta subduxit fugitque in Saxoniam ad avunculum. Hinc bellum Troianum: repetitur coniunx, negatur. Genus belli par, causa impar. Nam illa aut superinscribed⌈autaut superinscribed⌉ sponte aut rapto Paridis sane forma capta fugit, haec metu mortis et instantis periculi coacta est sibi consulere. Hinc ergo maritus cum fratre Moguntino, illinc Saxo avunculus cum lantgravio Hassiae. Iam collecta sunt hinc inde aliquot milia equitum. Nescio, quis finis futurus est. Scribam ad te copiose cum in Germaniam pervenero. Nam hic ad manum non sunt characteres nostri, mansere enim Machliniae, quo ego iam iam festino.

Commenda me amicis omnibus et seni subinde per occasionem v written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉vv written over ...⌉eterem consuetudinem obtru{n}des . Nam ego ad illum scripsi ex te intellecturum esse alia quaedam de rebus meis, quae tu pro tempore et oportunitate facile poteris recensere. Si quid interim vacat, quod in rem meam sit, poteris BCz, 243, p. 88 amici munere fungi. Si quid etiam sit, quod ad tuos scribas, fac, me illis commendes. Illustrissimo domino marchioni(!) instead of Illustrissimum dominum marchionem⌈Illustrissimo domino marchioni(!)Illustrissimo domino marchioni(!) instead of Illustrissimum dominum marchionem⌉ meo plurimum nomine saluta adiunctis triginta milibus bezolas manus. Quarum decem milia altera Ioannes Anthonius Marlianus sibi habeat, totidem tua et frater tuus Bernardus. Nuntius orig. Nuncius⌈NuntiusNuntius orig. Nuncius⌉ Mariae d written over c⌈cdd written over c⌉uplum harum sibi retineat. Itaque omnibus has ex aequo impartire. Et vale frater amantissime.

Ex Brugis Flandriae, VI-o die mensis Maii anno Domini MDXXVIII.

Tuus ex animo frater, quem nosti