OSK, Fol. Lat. 258, f. 202v

Magnifico domino Sigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌊Sigismundo de HerbersteinSigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌋, equiti aurato etc. serenissimi Romanorum etc. Ferdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌊regisFerdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌋[1] con text damaged⌈[con]con text damaged⌉siliario etc. domino et amico plurimum observando.

OSK, Fol. Lat. 258, f. 202r

Magnifice et plurimum observande Domine, salutem et omnis felicitatis accessum.

Accepi Cracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌊hicCracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌋ cf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Vienna, 1532-08-22, CIDTC IDL 819⌊litterascf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Vienna, 1532-08-22, CIDTC IDL 819⌋ Magnificentiae Vestrae 1532-08-22⌊22 Augusti novissimi1532-08-22⌋ datas[2] una cum cane mea[3], quam ex Krems an der Donau (Krebs, Krembs, Crembs), town on the left bank of the Danube in Lower Austria, northwest of Vienna⌊CremsioKrems an der Donau (Krebs, Krembs, Crembs), town on the left bank of the Danube in Lower Austria, northwest of Vienna⌋[4] inter eundum amiseram. Scribi nequit, quantum me litterae humanitatis in me atque horum temporum novarum rerum plenae una cum cane remissa exhilararunt. Fateorque ingenue ad cumulum in me collatorum a Magnificentia Vestra iam pridem beneficiorum non parum esse additum, meque plura Magnificentiae Vestrae debere, quam prius unquam. Ut tamen aliqua ex parte Magnificentiae Vestrae solvendo esse possim, egi cum communi amico nostro domino Karl Koczer (Karl Kotzer, Karl Kuczer) (†1538), Cracow merchant, agent of the Habsburgs; Cracow town councillor; 1537 Mayor of Cracow (HDP, p. 736; p. 32; POCIECHA 2, p. 125, 298, 338, 361, 514, 559, 581; POCIECHA 4, p. 44, 53, 74, 337, 402)⌊Carolo KuczerKarl Koczer (Karl Kotzer, Karl Kuczer) (†1538), Cracow merchant, agent of the Habsburgs; Cracow town councillor; 1537 Mayor of Cracow (HDP, p. 736; p. 32; POCIECHA 2, p. 125, 298, 338, 361, 514, 559, 581; POCIECHA 4, p. 44, 53, 74, 337, 402)⌋[5], ut quicquid pro istius canis reductione impensum est, illi, cui Magnificentia Vestra iusserit, rependatur. Habeoque quas possum gratias in omnem eventum, quantum mihi est facultatis, aliquando relaturus. Nova hic alia non habemus, quam quae huc rediens ex Käsmark (Kežmarok, Forum Caseorum, Caseoforum), town in the Kingdom of Hungary, Spiš, today in Slovakia⌊Caseorum ForoKäsmark (Kežmarok, Forum Caseorum, Caseoforum), town in the Kingdom of Hungary, Spiš, today in Slovakia⌋ dominus praepositus Laski[6] attulit[7], quae cum Vestris huc scriptis longe non conveniunt, plus tamen, et non inmerito, Vestris quam illius datur fidei. cf. Vulg. Io 19,37 videbunt in quem transfixerunt; Vulg. Za 12,10 ⌊Videbunt, ut spero, brevi, in quem transfixeruntcf. Vulg. Io 19,37 videbunt in quem transfixerunt; Vulg. Za 12,10 ⌋[8]. Christus dominus noster det sacrae caesareae et regiae Romanae maiestati atque vobis omnibus contra spurcissimos crucis suae hostes omnem felicitatem gloriosamque victoriam, amen.

Alia non restant, quam quod me veteri in me Magnificentiae Vestrae benevolentiae commendo et rogo, si qua in re Magnificentiae Vestrae usui esse et inservire possim, iubeat. cf. Verg. A. II, 707 ⌊Ipse subibo humeris, nec me labor iste gravabitcf. Verg. A. II, 707 ⌋[9].

Ex Cracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌊CracoviaCracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌋, 3 Septembris anno Domini 1532.

Magnificentiae Vestrae deditissimus Ioannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌊Ioannes DantiscusIoannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌋, episcopus Culmensis, manu propria.

[1] cf. C. ID No. 12, footnote 1.

[2] cf. C. ID No. 25.

[3] cf. C. ID No. 23-25.

[4] cf. C. ID No. 23, footnote 4.

[5] Karl Kuczer (Cotzer, Kukier) (d. 1538), merchant, supplier to the royal court, Cracow councillor (1524), mayor of Cracow (1524, 1525, 1534, 1536, 1537), tariff administrator of Ferdinand I in Hungary, the Habsburgs’ agent in Cracow (Noga, p. 322).

[6] Jan Łaski the younger (Joannes a Lasco) (1499-1560), nephew of Primate of Poland Jan Łaski, humanist, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, provost in Gniezno and Łęczyca (1525), royal secretary (1521-39), from 1529 together with his brother Hieronim he was a diplomat in the service of János I Zápolya who appointed him the bishop of Veszprem(1530) (cf. AT, XII, No. 285, p. 261, No. 340, p. 311, No. 393, p. 376). He broke from the Roman Church in 1539, and in 1540 in Frisia became involved in Reformation activity which he continued in England (contributing significantly to the reform of the Anglican Church) and then in Poland, where he returned in 1556 to build the organizational foundations of the Polish Reformed Church.

[7] Dantiscus returned to Cracow from Regensburg on July 28, 1532 (cf. C. ID No. 23, footnote 2). At this time, Jan Łaski the younger was in Cracow, having just returned from Upper Hungary, from where he brought news of Suleiman I’s campaign (see Jan Łaski’s letter to Andrzej Krzycki, Cracow, July 29, 1532, AT, XIV, No. 362, p. 554-556, cf No. 357, p. 548-550). At the time when Dantiscus was writing the mentioned letter, Łaski was already back in Kežmarok (see AT, XIV, No. 405, p. 603-604).

[8] Definitely a reference to the Turks; Dantiscus used this quote in other letters as well, e.g. in his letter to Bona of April 22, 1527, AT, IX, No. 129, p. 135: Hoc senex iste bonus pro fidelibus suis servitiis promeruit, ut multis debitis implicitus sic hinc demitteretur; videbunt forsan aliquando, in quem transfixerunt.

[9] This quote also appears in other letters by Dantiscus, including a letter of 1529 to Piotr Tomicki (AT, XI, No. 443, p. 330-1) and a letter to Piotr Opaliński of 1537 (CEID, I, 1, No. 17, p. 185).