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Letter #1712

Diego GRACIÁN de Alderete to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Valladolid, 1537-03-15
            received [1537]-10-07

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, BCz, 247, p. 281-284
2register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 17r-v
3register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 32, No. 507

Auxiliary sources:
1register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8248 (TK 10), f. 408

Prints:
1Starożytności p. 74 (excerpt in Polish translation)
2DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 345, p. 287-288 (English register)
3EZQUERRO p. 274-276 (excerpt, typescript (PhD dissertation))
4ÁLVAREZ Alderete Apendice, No. 1, p. 408-411, 434-437 (in extenso; Spanish translation, Tarsicio MARTÍN)
5Españoles Appendix to part I, No. 2, p. 117 (Spanish translation)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Reverendissimo Domino, domino 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⌊Ioanni DantiscoIoannes 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⌋ episcopo Culmensi serenissimi 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⌊regis PoloniaeSigismund 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⌋ consiliario, etc.

Salutem plurimam.

Etsi ex litteris Albrecht Cuon (Kohn) (†after 1559), a German merchant from Nuremberg, and the Welsers' factor in Spain (Oberdeutsche Kaufleute, p. 36, footnote 122)⌊Alberti CuonAlbrecht Cuon (Kohn) (†after 1559), a German merchant from Nuremberg, and the Welsers' factor in Spain (Oberdeutsche Kaufleute, p. 36, footnote 122)⌋ et aliorum animum consiliumque meum cognoscere posses, vir clarissime, tamen officium meum esse putavi brevem hanc epistolam ad te mittere, ut memoriam mei tibi refricarem, quam tibi prorsus excidisse arbitror. Nec mirum supputo enim annos septem et eo amplius ab eo tempore, quo cum Alfonso de Valdés (Alphonsus Valdesius) (*1500-1504 – †1532), Spanish humanist, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, brother of Juan and Diego; from 1520 in the service of the Imperial Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara; 1522 secretary of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg; 1526 Latin secretary (FERNÁNDEZ-SANTAMARÍA, p. 38-48; DE VOCHT 1961, p. 26)⌊ValdesioAlfonso de Valdés (Alphonsus Valdesius) (*1500-1504 – †1532), Spanish humanist, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, brother of Juan and Diego; from 1520 in the service of the Imperial Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara; 1522 secretary of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg; 1526 Latin secretary (FERNÁNDEZ-SANTAMARÍA, p. 38-48; DE VOCHT 1961, p. 26)⌋ Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊caesarisCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ secretario mihi tibique amicissimo proxime essemus una, ubi quasi divinans fore mihi aliquando hoc expetendum, honori studioque tuo inserviens, te ob tuam auctoritatem eruditionemque singularem colebam, quae plurimum apud me valuisse ex hoc maxime negotio potes existimare. Cum primum Isabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌊AugustaIsabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌋ Valladolid (Vallisoletum, Oleti vallis), city in central Spain, Castile and León, on the Pisuerga river⌊VallisoletumValladolid (Vallisoletum, Oleti vallis), city in central Spain, Castile and León, on the Pisuerga river⌋ venit, id est ad Calendas Iunias, Mercurio quodam dextro seu potius Deo Optimo Maximo, qui semitas hominum dirigit, inscius rerum sortitus sum hospitium apud dominam Valladolid (Vallisoletum, Oleti vallis), city in central Spain, Castile and León, on the Pisuerga river⌊IsabellamValladolid (Vallisoletum, Oleti vallis), city in central Spain, Castile and León, on the Pisuerga river⌋ matrem Juana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌊Ioannae DantiscaeJuana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌋, tuae filiae, quam puellam quoties video (video autem quotidie saepius) te ipsum intueri videor. Quid multis memoria tui meumque perpetuum de tua singulari virtute et eruditione iudicium antiqua amicitia ipsaque Juana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌊puellaJuana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌋ miserabilis ac proinde amabilis et alia multa amore quodam honesto et sancto animum meum impulere, ut mea interesse putarem uxorem illam ducere, dummodo per gratiam tuam id fiat. Quam profecto ob hoc exspecto, quod mihi reddenda sit ratio vitae meae, tum magnatibus et viris non parvae auctoritatis in Spain (Hispania)⌊HispaniaSpain (Hispania)⌋, tum et matri consanguineisque meis honestissimis eisdemque ditissimis. Ceterum, quod scire fortasse cuperes de condicione mea, sum etiam nunc apud serenissimam Isabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌊AugustamIsabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌋, eodem munere fungens, quo Alfonso de Valdés (Alphonsus Valdesius) (*1500-1504 – †1532), Spanish humanist, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, brother of Juan and Diego; from 1520 in the service of the Imperial Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara; 1522 secretary of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg; 1526 Latin secretary (FERNÁNDEZ-SANTAMARÍA, p. 38-48; DE VOCHT 1961, p. 26)⌊ValdesiusAlfonso de Valdés (Alphonsus Valdesius) (*1500-1504 – †1532), Spanish humanist, friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam, brother of Juan and Diego; from 1520 in the service of the Imperial Chancellor Mercurino Gattinara; 1522 secretary of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg; 1526 Latin secretary (FERNÁNDEZ-SANTAMARÍA, p. 38-48; DE VOCHT 1961, p. 26)⌋ noster olim apud Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊caesaremCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ fungebatur, sane honorifico, sed laborioso. Nam praeter multa, quae mihi in dies negotium facessunt, ver tendis litteris non mediocrem operam praesto. Ab his muniis obeund[is] quidquid otii datur fere in studiis litterarum consumo. Nec unquam a[deo] sum occupatus, quin exercitii gratia duas lectiones fere singulis diebus uni aut alteri amico interpreter, alteram Latina[m] ex orationibus Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero) (*106 BC – †43 BC), Roman orator, writer and philosopher⌊CiceronisCicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero) (*106 BC – †43 BC), Roman orator, writer and philosopher⌋, alteram Graecam ex orationibus Isocrates (*436 BC – †338 BC), ancient Greek (Attic) rhetorician⌊IsocratisIsocrates (*436 BC – †338 BC), ancient Greek (Attic) rhetorician⌋ [aut] Demosthenes (*384 BC – †322 BC), Greek statesman and orator⌊DemosthenisDemosthenes (*384 BC – †322 BC), Greek statesman and orator⌋. Reverendissimo domino Juan Pardo de Tavera (*1472 – †1545), 1514-1523 Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo, 1523-1524 Bishop of Osma, 8 June 1524-1534 Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, 22 February 1531 cardinal, 27 April 1534-1545 Archbishop of Toledo, 1539-1545 Grand Inquisitor of Spain⌊cardinali ToletanoJuan Pardo de Tavera (*1472 – †1545), 1514-1523 Bishop of Ciudad Rodrigo, 1523-1524 Bishop of Osma, 8 June 1524-1534 Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, 22 February 1531 cardinal, 27 April 1534-1545 Archbishop of Toledo, 1539-1545 Grand Inquisitor of Spain⌋ sum fam[ilia]rissimus, siquidem quotidie apud eundem duas aut tres horas in[su]mo, tum propter negotia publica, quae mihi pleraque cum eo sunt [con]ferenda, tum etiam propter litterulas meas, quibus ille vir gra[vis]simus ad solatium et levamen molestorum negotiorum libenter utitur. Itaque auctorem aliquem probatum una legentes materiam colloqu[endi] Latine arripimus, quo in genere non nihil mihi tribuit. Dele[ctatur] enim maxime sermone Latino, fortasse praesagiens iam nunc se ad po[nti]ficatus apicem venturum. Interdum iussu illius vel prosa, vel car[mi]ne aliqua condo, ne ille me existimet mercurium tantummodo [in] lingua habere. Hoc genus est oratio funebris a me eodem di[e], quo princeps Taurinorum obiit, edita et pronuntiata, quam [prop]terea ad te misi, ut si velis ex ea veluti των ονυχων των λεοντα γιγνοσκειν, ut Graeco proverbio dicitur, peric[ulum] eruditiunculae meae facias. Reliqua de me ab ipso Albrecht Cuon (Kohn) (†after 1559), a German merchant from Nuremberg, and the Welsers' factor in Spain (Oberdeutsche Kaufleute, p. 36, footnote 122)⌊CuonAlbrecht Cuon (Kohn) (†after 1559), a German merchant from Nuremberg, and the Welsers' factor in Spain (Oberdeutsche Kaufleute, p. 36, footnote 122)⌋ et aliis accipies, quae fide mea spondeo futurum, ut omnia longe ampliora quam ab ipsis de me praedicantur invenias. Vale.

Postscript:

Paene praeterieram, quod maxime scriptum oportuit, hoc est ma[trem] atque filiam ignaras huius consilii a nobis initi. Et hoc [am]plius quam primum abs te prospici oportere puellae nimirum iam u[n]decimum annum ingressae, ne pudicitia eius apud matrem no[n] satis spectatis moribus et cui nihil praeter praetium dulce est, per[i]clitetur. Nam interim, hoc est tantisper dum curia Isabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌊Aug[us]taeIsabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌋ hic agit et quoad responsum tuum accipiamus, educat[ur] honestissime apud Isabella de Hermosilla ⌊matrem meamIsabella de Hermosilla ⌋, quae in praesentiarum hic agit rationem administrati muneris a marito defuncto quondam praefecto tormentorum belliorum Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊caesarisCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋. Itaque praetextu hospitalitatis observatur a nobis Juana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌊puellaJuana Dantisca (*1527 – †1601), daughter of Ioannes Dantiscus and Isabel Delgada; wife of Diego Gracián de Alderete (SKOLIMOWSKA 2004, p. 52; LLAMAS 1995; LLAMAS 1999; LLAMAS 2001; LLAMAS, SKOLIMOWSKA; MELGAR, 37, ...)⌋ et observabitur quam diu hic erimus.

Ne autem existimares me hoc coniugium utilitate metiri, petii abs te in litteris Germanorum, ut si fortasse gravareris aliquid dotis filiae mittere, saltem dares operam, uti a 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⌊serenissimo rege PoloniaeSigismund 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⌋ stipendii nomine quotannis aliquid in hac curia acciperem nimirum negotia ab eodem rege mihi mandanda curaturus, cum nemo alius (absit verbo invidia) in aula Isabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌊AugustaeIsabella of Portugal (*1503 – †1539), Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Aragon and Castile; wife of Emperor Charles V of Habsburg, daughter of Manuel I of Portugal and Maria of Aragon⌋ melius me hoc facere possit, cum propter praxim et peritiam rerum longo usu mihi comparata<s>, tum propter linguarum cognitionem, quibus ad vos esset isthuc scribendum. Quod si hoc etiam grave videbitur, id quod tute ipse fatebere minus, cum pollicitis quilibet abundare possit, promittito mihi aliquid bona fide, ut aliis satisfaciam et cf. Vulg. Lc 5:5 Praeceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus, in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete ⌊in verbo tuo laxabo rete meumcf. Vulg. Lc 5:5 Praeceptor, per totam noctem laborantes nihil cepimus, in verbo autem tuo laxabo rete ⌋. Haec ad te pluribus exemplis scripsi propter temporum iniquitatem.