Letter #2063
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESEWartenburg (Barczewo), 1539-01-28
English register:
Having perused the letters from the Voivode of Pomerania [Jerzy Konopacki (Georg von Konopat)] to the Voivode of Marienburg (Malbork) [Georg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński)] and to the Gdańsk (Danzig) Town Council, Dantiscus has concluded that Konopacki has revealed to “Bone” (Os) [Stanisław Kostka] what was said at meetings to discuss storing the money [from taxes]. Thanks to this, the man obtained a document from the court to collect the gathered sum. In Dantiscus’ view, Konopacki acted the way he did because in exchange he expected the royal court’s favour in his conflict with the Kos family over a mill. In his letter to von Baysen, Konopacki claims he knew nothing about the matter because the town scribes had not announced a discontinuance [of the Graudenz (Grudziądz) Diet of Royal Prussia], while in his letter to the Gdańsk Town Council he admits that he had known of the matter but had no knowledge of the King’s [Sigismund I Jagiellon’s] reply, which is not true. Dantiscus thinks that unless the towns offer resistance, the state [i.e. Royal Prussia] will be on the brink of ruin.
Dantiscus supports the idea of writing to the King. He suggests that the letter’s message should not be a suggestion that the money be kept until the next [Royal Prussian] Diet, but a request that a final settlement of accounts take place during that assembly.
In claiming that the tax money should be transferred to the King, Konopacki ignores the fact that the tax was enacted to serve the needs of the Prussian lands and for their defence. This is reasoning typical of people who are not indigenous.
Dantiscus asks Giese to keep the matters discussed here secret. In his view, Konopacki’s seal [under the letter to the King] is not indispensable – the acceptance of Giese, the Voivode of Marienburg, the Castellans of Elbing (Elbląg) [Ludwig von Mortangen (Mortęski)] and Gdańsk [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)], and possibly the Voivode of Kulm (Chełmno) [Johann von Lusian (Luzjański)] will be enough. He himself, as he wrote earlier, will get involved at the appropriate time.
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
BCz, 245, p. 122Reverendissimo in Christo Patri et Domino, domino Tidemanno Dei gratia episcopo Culmensi, fratri et amico carissimo ac honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌈honoran(do)honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌉
BCz, 245, p. 119Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime et honoran(de) or honoran(dissime)⌈honoran(de)honoran(de) or honoran(dissime)⌉.
Salutem et fraterni amoris commendationem.
Perlectis litteris domini palatini Pomeraniae diligentius, invenio illum omne consilium de conservandis pecuniis Ossi illi detexisse. Quo factum est, quod statim a principio litteras ex aula obtinuerit pro exigendis collectis adhuc in vere pecuniis, et hoc ob id maxime, ut favorem aulae in negotio molendini, quod habet cum Cossis, sibi reddat propitium. In litteris ad dominum palatinum Marienburgensem ignorantia rei videtur se excusare contra scribas civitatum invectus, causatur enim, quod, ut vocant, recessus solis sibi usurpant et aliis non communicent. In litteris vero ad gentiles nostros plane fatetur se scivisse, sed a maiestate regia non vidisse responsum. Quod quam verum sit, liquet ex remissione conventus praeteriti, quam certe non nesciebat. Si civitates non restiterint, res nostra publica ruinam minatur.
Utcumque res habet, scribendum tamen esset maiestati regiae, ut Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima concepit, relicta petitione, quod pecuniae reservari possent usque ad futurum conventum, verum ut in eo de omnibus serio fieret calculus, et de aliis, quemadmodum heri scripsi etc. adscribed⌈etc.etc. adscribed⌉
Bonus iste Pom(eraniensis) argute nimirum sibi argumentari videtur, si pecuniae in harum terrarum usum sint colligendae, ut hoc ex nobis fieret, quae vero pro maiestate regia contributae sunt, ut illi cedant, non memor tot legationum, quibus praeterita contributio postulata est, in usum scilicet et harum terrarum defensionem. Sed eiusmodi sunt hominum ingenia, qui veri indigenae non sunt. Cogitandum erit, ut aliquando obex ponatur.
Haec omnia in ea, quae inter nos crevit, fiducia apud Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam maneant. Quodsi Pom(eraniensis) sigillum addere voluerit, parum refert. Satis erit, si Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima, domini palatinus Marienburgensis, castellanus Elbingensis et Gdanensis, et, si induci posset, palatinus Culmensis adprimant. Mihi, quod prius scripsi, pro rei condicione non licet. Non tamen suo tempore deero Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae et nostris sanioribus.
Quam dominus Deus sospitet prosperetque in omnibus diutissime.
Ex Wartenburg, XXVIII Ianuarii MDXXXIX.
Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae deditissimus frater Ioannes episcopus Varmiensis scripsit