Generoso et strenuo 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 HerbstainSigmund 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)⌋, Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊caesareae maiestatisMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋ consiliario et oratori, domino et amico colendissimo.

Generose Domine, plurimam commendationem.

Ternas his diebus dedi ad Generositatem Vestram litteras[1], ex quibus, ut opinor, mentem meam abundanter intellexit etc. Accepi mandatum Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊caesareae maiestatisMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋[2], sed magister curiae[3] iam abiverat, ideo nihil mihi profuit. Famulus meus quasi convaluit. Hostis[4] eius hic est, sed latet. Quaesitus est aliquoties per meum famulum etc. Velim, quod daret mandatum ad consules Augustenses, quod utique proditor se non impune fraudem commisisse intelligat etc. Scripsi hanc supplicatiunculam[5] Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊caesareae maiestatiMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋. Rogo, eam nomine meo reddat et, ut coepit, pergat res meas apud Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊suam maiestatemMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋ promovere, quod semper erga Generositatem Vestram promereri studebo, cui me commendo. Nullum hominem in hac vita libentius quam Generositatem Vestram viderem. Navet igitur accuratius operam, ut quantocius et faustiter adveniat. Puellae cum taedio expectant etc.[6]

Augsburg (Augusta Vindelicorum), city in Germany, Bavaria⌊AugustaeAugsburg (Augusta Vindelicorum), city in Germany, Bavaria⌋, XXI Novembris 1516.

Eiusdem Generositatis Vestrae obsequentissimus 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⌋, eques Ierosolymitanus, doctor (etc.), Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌊serenissimi Poloniae regisSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌋ nuntius et secretarius.

[1 ] Perhaps Dantiscus is referring tothe letters marked as No. 1-2 and 4 in this edition. It is also possible that the expression his diebus refers to a time closer to the date of letter No. 5, and thus three letters unknown to us written after November 5, 1516 (the date of letter No. 4)

[2 ] About this imperial mandate cf. letters No. 2 and 3

[3 ] Most likely Wilhelm II von Rappoltstein, baron of Rappoltstein (*1468 – †1547), 1512-1515 court steward (Hofmeister) of the Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (Hollegger 1983, p. 136, 269 ff.)⌊Wilhelm von RappoltsteinWilhelm II von Rappoltstein, baron of Rappoltstein (*1468 – †1547), 1512-1515 court steward (Hofmeister) of the Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (Hollegger 1983, p. 136, 269 ff.)⌋, cf. letter No. 2, footnote 7

[4 ] Laurentius, see letter No. 2

[5 ] This most probably refers to the memorandum on providing for Dantiscus, its receipt being the condition of the emperor granting him financial support (cf. letter No. 3). However, Dantiscus could be referring to the written request for the emperor’s mandate concerning punishment for Laurentius servant of Georg von Eltz⌊LaurentiusLaurentius servant of Georg von Eltz⌋ (see footnote 5)

[6 ] Most likely an allusion to the two friends’ having fun with local puellae, also practiced in Innsbruck (Oenipons), city in western Austria, Tyrol, on the Inn river⌊InnsbruckInnsbruck (Oenipons), city in western Austria, Tyrol, on the Inn river⌋. The latter instances were commemorated in the elegy Ad Gryneam, which Dantiscus wrote during his stay in the Netherlands in 1517 and later provided with an epigram of dedication addressed to Herberstein