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Letter #1003

Philipp MELANCHTHON to Ioannes DANTISCUS
[Wittenberg], 1533-09-05
            received 1533-10-12

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, UUB, H. 154, f. 116-117
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, LSB, BR 19, No. 19
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, SUB, Sup. Ep. 4-o 41, No. 22, f. 20r (c.p.) (fragments)
4copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 1366, p. 170-171
5copy in Latin, 18th-century, B. Ossol., 151/II, f. 27v-28r
6copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 49 (TN), No. 219, p. 617-618
7excerpt in Latin, 18th-century, SLUB, C 110, f. 94v-95v
8excerpt in Latin, 18th-century, SBB, MS Lat. Quart. 101, not numbered, [after No. 18, f. 67]

Auxiliary sources:
1register in English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 30, No. 79

Early printed source materials:
1DANTISCUS 1764 p. XVIII (excerpt)

Prints:
1PROWE 1853 p. 53-54 (in extenso)
2HESSE p. 57 (in extenso)
3HIPLER 1868 p. 548-549 (in extenso)
4KĘTRZYŃSKI 1898 p. 481-482 (in extenso)
5AT 15 No. 440, p. 603-604 (in extenso; Polish register)
6DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 259, p. 183-184 (in extenso)
7MBW 2 No. 1357, p. 108 (German register)
8MBW T 5 No. 1357, p. 478-480 (in extenso)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Salutem dico.

Clarissime Princeps.

Rogavit me Mathias Lang ⌊hic adulescensMathias Lang ⌋, ut litteras ad te darem, quod ego non solum ipsius causa, sed multo magis etiam mea causa libenter feci. Gaudebam enim occasionem mihi offerri significandae tibi gratitudinis meae. Etenim cum me singulari benevolentia complexus sis, in eo praesertim loco, in quo nobis etiam coniunctissimorum hominum studia defuerunt, facile perspexi insignem humanitatem tuam teque cum propter alias egregias virtutes, tum vero propter hanc humanitatem, homine docto et sapiente dignissimam, vehementer amare coepi. Neque ego nunc de causa quicquam disputabo, in qua scis me nihil aliud in utraque parte contendisse, quam ut moderatius utrimque res gereretur. Tantum de tuis summis officiis dicam, quae cum mihi gratissima fuerint, plurimum me tibi per omnem vitam debere profitebor teque rogo, ut me, tuo beneficio tibi devinctum, commendatum habere velis.

Porro fretus humanitate tua ausus sum tibi etiam hunc adulescentem Mathias Lang ⌊Mathiam LangumMathias Lang ⌋, natum in tua dicione, commendare. Versatur in litteris optima cum spe, non enim tantum has primas artes probe tenet, sed philosophiam etiam veterem ac sinceram degustavit, ad quam, meo quidem iudicio, natura ducitur, sed luctatur cum paupertate, quam scis inimicam esse studiosis. Videt autem patriae suae contigisse id, quod Plato ancient Greek philosopher⌊PlatoPlato ancient Greek philosopher⌋ recte censet utilissimum esse civitatibus, ut philosophi regnent.

Ideo duxit sibi ad te confugiendum esse, quod civium tuorum studia tibi, principi doctissimo, maxime arbitrabatur curae esse. Rogo igitur, ut Mathias Lang ⌊adulescentemMathias Lang ⌋ optimae spei respicias ac tua auctoritate iuves. Mores eius ita mihi noti sunt, ut non dubitem polliceri, quidquid in eum contuleris, positurum te beneficium apud hominem gratum. Et profecto in tali tua fortuna nihil facere poteris te dignius, quam si studia tuorum civium et excitaveris et adiuveris.

Bene vale et litteras meas boni consule.

Katharina Spater (†1543), since 1514 wife of Helius Eobanus Hessus, daughter of Erfurt burgher Heinrich Spater (WORSTBROCK 1, p. 1069)⌊EobanusKatharina Spater (†1543), since 1514 wife of Helius Eobanus Hessus, daughter of Erfurt burgher Heinrich Spater (WORSTBROCK 1, p. 1069)⌋ revocatus est Erfurt, city in central Germany, capital city of Thuringia⌊ErfordiamErfurt, city in central Germany, capital city of Thuringia⌋ ibique sic satis commodam condicionem nunc habet. Id ascripsi, quod sciebam te ipsius ingenium valde amare.

Iterumque vale.

Nonis Septembris anno 1533.

Tuae Dignitatis studiosissimus Philipp Melanchthon (Philipp Schwartzerd) (*1497 – †1560), Lutheran theologian, humanist, Martin Luther's collaborator and friend, author of the Augsburg Confession. He was strongly influenced by Luther, whom he called his spiritual father. In 1519 he was present as a spectator at the disputation of Leipzig between Martin Luther and Johann Eck. He was also in attendance at the Diet of Augsburg (1530) and at the religious colloquy of Worms (1557)⌊Philippus MelanthoPhilipp Melanchthon (Philipp Schwartzerd) (*1497 – †1560), Lutheran theologian, humanist, Martin Luther's collaborator and friend, author of the Augsburg Confession. He was strongly influenced by Luther, whom he called his spiritual father. In 1519 he was present as a spectator at the disputation of Leipzig between Martin Luther and Johann Eck. He was also in attendance at the Diet of Augsburg (1530) and at the religious colloquy of Worms (1557)⌋