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Letter #2136

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE
Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-25

English register:

Upon returning from Seeburg (Zybork) the previous day, Dantiscus found a messenger with a letter from the Duke [Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach]. At the Duke’s request, he is passing on the letter for Giese to read. In his reply he has assured the Duke that the [Royal Prussian] Council will make an effort to ensure the Diet [of Royal Prussia] deals with the matters outlined in the letter.

Dantiscus has nothing against Giese writing [to the Duke] whatever he sees fit, but he thinks that in the face of direct danger they can only count on God’s help, and not advice and help from outside.

Dantiscus has asked the Elbing (Elbląg) Town Council and the Gdańsk (Danzig) Town Council to inform the interested parties about the moving of the Diet. He promises to send news as soon as his messenger returns from the court.

In the postscript Dantiscus apologises for placing his signature at the bottom of the letter too high up, but he thinks Giese will not hold it against him, since he does that sometimes too. He assures Giese of the constancy of his friendship towards him.




Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, address in secretary's hand, BCz, 245, p. 175-178
2office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, AAWO, AB, D. 6, f. 37r (t.p.)
3copy in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1539, f. 23r-v
4register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 31, No. 333a

Auxiliary sources:
1register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8249 (TK 11), f. 60-61

Prints:
1CEID 1/2 No. 57, p. 220-222 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime et honorande.

Salutem ex animo pristinamque incolumitatem a Domino Deo Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae intime precor.

1539-04-24⌊Heri1539-04-24⌋ rediens ex Seeburg (Zybork), town in Ermland (Warmia), 29 km NE of Allenstein (Olsztyn), today Jeziorany⌊SeburgSeeburg (Zybork), town in Ermland (Warmia), 29 km NE of Allenstein (Olsztyn), today Jeziorany⌋ inveni Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland⌊hicHeilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland⌋ cum cf. Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach to Ioannes DANTISCUS Königsberg, 1539-04-19, CIDTC IDL 4950⌊litteriscf. Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach to Ioannes DANTISCUS Königsberg, 1539-04-19, CIDTC IDL 4950⌋ adiunctis illustrissimi domini Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach (Albrecht von Brandenburg) (*1490 – †1568), 1511-1525 Grand Master of the Teutonic Order; from 1525 to his death Duke in Prussia as a liegeman of the Polish king; son of Friedrich V of Brandenburg der Ältere and Sophia Jagiellon (daughter of Casimir IV Jagiellon), nephew of Sigismund I, King of Poland; founder of the university in Königsberg (1544)⌊ducisAlbrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach (Albrecht von Brandenburg) (*1490 – †1568), 1511-1525 Grand Master of the Teutonic Order; from 1525 to his death Duke in Prussia as a liegeman of the Polish king; son of Friedrich V of Brandenburg der Ältere and Sophia Jagiellon (daughter of Casimir IV Jagiellon), nephew of Sigismund I, King of Poland; founder of the university in Königsberg (1544)⌋ vicini nostri messenger of Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach ⌊tabellariummessenger of Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach ⌋, et cum a me postulatur, ut illas cum Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima communicem, cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-26, CIDTC IDL 5212⌊misi respondiquecf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-26, CIDTC IDL 5212⌋[1] cum aliis Council of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌊dominis consiliariisCouncil of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌋ in Provincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌊futuro conventuProvincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌋ daturum me operam, ut accurate ea, de quibus scribitur, tractentur. Similiter et Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam facturam etc. Si tamen quippiam aliud rescribere Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima voluerit, quod rei propositae commodius videbitur, mihi non erit ingratum. Nisi Deus praesentissime nos iuverit, cum iam hostes sunt in foribus, non cognosco, quid remota consilia et auxilia proderunt.

Ceterum, quemadmodum nuper attigi, cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Gdańsk Town Council Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-24, CIDTC IDL 4358;
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Elbing Town Council Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-24, CIDTC IDL 7216, letter lost⌊scripsicf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Gdańsk Town Council Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-24, CIDTC IDL 4358;
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Elbing Town Council Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-24, CIDTC IDL 7216, letter lost⌋ Elbing Town Council ⌊dominis ElbingensibusElbing Town Council ⌋ et Gdańsk Town Council ⌊GdanensibusGdańsk Town Council ⌋ de translatione Provincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌊conventusProvincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌋, ut etiam illis indicent, qui causas habent, ne frustra Marienburg (Malbork), town and castle in northern Poland, Pomeranian Voivodeship, on the Nogat river, a branch of the Vistula at its delta, the capital of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia (1309-1457), a voivodeship capital in Royal Prussia, which belonged to the Kingdom of Poland (1466-1772). Marienburg (taking turns with Graudenz (Grudziądz)) was the venue for the Provincial Diets of Royal Prussia, which were chaired by the bishop of Ermland (Warmia)⌊MarienburgumMarienburg (Malbork), town and castle in northern Poland, Pomeranian Voivodeship, on the Nogat river, a branch of the Vistula at its delta, the capital of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia (1309-1457), a voivodeship capital in Royal Prussia, which belonged to the Kingdom of Poland (1466-1772). Marienburg (taking turns with Graudenz (Grudziądz)) was the venue for the Provincial Diets of Royal Prussia, which were chaired by the bishop of Ermland (Warmia)⌋ petant. Quamprimum messenger of Ioannes DANTISCUS ⌊nuntius meusmessenger of Ioannes DANTISCUS ⌋ ex aula redierit, quid referet, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam non latebit.

Cui iterum atque iterum prosperam summopere opto valetudinem.

Postscript:

Debueram me paulo inferius, ut consuevi, subscribere, quod certe mihi exciderat, non tamen Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam aegre laturam existimo, cum ad eum modum ipsa eiusmodi subscriptione subinde utatur. Hoc igitur adnotavi, ne putet ob id quicquam ex coeptae inter nos amicitiae observantia decessisse etc.[2]

[1 ] Dantiscus uses the past tense here in regard to his letter to Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach (Albrecht von Brandenburg) (*1490 – †1568), 1511-1525 Grand Master of the Teutonic Order; from 1525 to his death Duke in Prussia as a liegeman of the Polish king; son of Friedrich V of Brandenburg der Ältere and Sophia Jagiellon (daughter of Casimir IV Jagiellon), nephew of Sigismund I, King of Poland; founder of the university in Königsberg (1544)⌊AlbrechtAlbrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach (Albrecht von Brandenburg) (*1490 – †1568), 1511-1525 Grand Master of the Teutonic Order; from 1525 to his death Duke in Prussia as a liegeman of the Polish king; son of Friedrich V of Brandenburg der Ältere and Sophia Jagiellon (daughter of Casimir IV Jagiellon), nephew of Sigismund I, King of Poland; founder of the university in Königsberg (1544)⌋ dated a day later

[2 ] At the time the issue of where to place the subscription in the letter was discussed by Joan Luis Vives in his treatise cf. Juan Luis Vives, De conscribendis epistolis : critical edition with introduction, translation, and annotation, ed. by Charles Fantazzi, Brill, 1989, series: Selected Works of Juan Luis Vives 3 , p. 70⌊De conscribendis epistoliscf. Juan Luis Vives, De conscribendis epistolis : critical edition with introduction, translation, and annotation, ed. by Charles Fantazzi, Brill, 1989, series: Selected Works of Juan Luis Vives 3 , p. 70⌋