Letter #2161
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESEHeilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-06-06, postscript 1539-06-09
English register:
Dantiscus thanks Giese for his words of comfort [after his mother’s death].
He shares his opinion on the matter of the [Royal Prussian] Diet.
At the request of the Castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig) [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)], Dantiscus wrote the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon] a letter of recommendation regarding Lake Drużno (Drausen), taking the opportunity to ask that the Diet be moved to St. Michael’s Day [September 29].
He has recounted the matter more extensively to the Vice-Chancellor [Samuel Maciejowski]. He has also advised the Castellan of Gdańsk to write, together with Voivode [of Marienburg (Malbork) Georg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński)] and the other lords, to the King in the same spirit. Dantiscus would like the letter to be sent open and with affixed seals of the more important lords – he will send it by his messenger with his own letter.
As has been the case with Giese, to whom only the Castellan of Kulm (Chełmno) [Mikołaj Działyński] has replied, none of the lords has sent Dantiscus a reply [on the matter of moving the time of the Diet], but he has received one from the Elbing (Elbląg) Town Council, fearfully writing that they want to stay with the date of June 15, if the others agree. Dantiscus will inform Giese of any further replies.
Dantiscus did not send to Giese the letter written on June 6, having been mistaken about the messenger’s plans. In the meantime, he received another letter from the Gdańsk Town Council. They agree with the letter of the Voivode of Pomerania [Jerzy Konopacki (Georg von Konopat)] addressed to Giese. Dantiscus does not doubt that their opinion will also be shared by the Voivode of Marienburg and the Castellan of Gdańsk, but he does not care about the views of the Voivode of Kulm (Chełmno) [Johann von Lusian (Jan Luzjański)], who does not usually take part in Diets. He is also convinced that the Castellan of Elbing [Ludwig von Mortangen (Ludwik Mortęski)], instructed by the others, will also provide his signature.
In this conviction, Dantiscus has prepared the core of a letter from Giese, the voivodes and castellans to the King. He asks Giese to refine the letter according to his own judgement and to send the finished document, signed and with seal affixed, to the other lords, whereas he will make sure it finds its way to the King together with his own letter on the same matter.
He has advised the Gdańsk Town Council that together with the councils of Thorn (Toruń) and Elbing they should do the same, but he has not sent them a sample of the memo. He asks Giese to do so. He suggests the King should be asked at this point to leave the lords freedom to choose a location for the Diet if the plague should appear in Graudenz (Graudenz) by St. Michael’s Day.
He is glad Giese’s health has improved.
| received 1539-06-10 Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
BCz, 245, p. 186Reverendissimo in Christo Patri et Domino, domino Tidemanno Dei gratia episcopo Culmensi, fratri et amico carissimo et honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌈honoran(do)honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌉
BCz, 245, p. 183Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime ac honoran(de) or honoran(disime)⌈honoran(de)honoran(de) or honoran(disime)⌉.
Salutem et fraternam commendationem.
Ex litteris Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae libenter ac confirmatiori animo consolationem accepi et admisi non gravate voluntatique divinae meam subieci. Quae, quid nobis expediat, melius quam nostra novit habeoque Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae pro ea fraterna propensione gratiam.
Ceterum quae ad conventum nostrum pertinent, quemadmodum ea Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima prudenter dispexit, non sunt a sententia mea aliena. Scripsi fere ad eundem modum generoso domino castellano Gdanensi, qui in negotio Lacus Drausen ad maiestatem regiam mittere destinaverat et meas commendatitias postulavit. In quibus ultima mensis praeteriti, quomodo et quibus de causis conventus noster infectus manserit, serenissimae maiestati regiae descripsi, petens, cum sic accidisset et tempus per moram deflueret neque adeo essent causae arduae tractandae, quae celeritatem exigerent, ut sua maiestas praeteritum in futurum, pro die sancti Michaelis, nostrum congressum transferret.
Eamque rem latius reverendo domino vicecancellario declaravi, amice cum eo expostulans, quod communis salutis nostrae non habita fuisset ratio, quae plerumque in acie, ubi referire licet, tutior esse, quam in peste non viso hoste, solet.
Utque superinscribed⌈queque superinscribed⌉ in hanc sententiam dominus castellanus cum magnifico domino palatino et aliis vicinis dominis maiestati regiae scriberent, consului. Placetque, si in iis ad aulam mitti debent litterae, ut sint apertae et potiorum dominorum sigillis obsignatae. Quas per meum nuntium meis adiunctis perferri curabo.
Quod scribit Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima ab aliis dominis praeterquam a domino castellano Culmensi nullam ea in re significationem seu responsionem se recepisse, idem mihi contigit, Elbingenses tamen rescripserunt, qui putant diem XV Iunii formidine quadam ducti servandum, si in hoc ceteri consenserint. Quicquid ad me ab aliis dominis deferetur, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam non latebit, ut communi consilio, quid in iis faciendum, cum primis statuere paper damaged⌈[e]e paper damaged⌉ possimus.
Quod reliquum est, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam restitui prosperrimae valetudini fraternoque amori commendatum me esse opto summopere.
Ex Heilsberg, VI Iunii MDXXXIX.
Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae {Reverendissimae} frater integerrimus Ioannes episcopus Varmiensis scripsit
Postscript:
BCz, 245, p. 213Postquam VI-a huius has absolvissem, ratus eum, qui mihi reddidit litteras, Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae nuntium fuisse, continui illas hucusque. Interim scripserunt ad me domini Gdanenses, qui cum litteris magnifici domini palatini Pomeraniae ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam datis consentiunt, neque ambigo, quin et dominus palatinus Marienburgensis cum castellano Gdanensi, a quibus nondum recepi responsum, huic sententiae ac<ce>dent. Nihil moror dominum palatinum Culmensem, qui conventibus nostris interesse non solet, quod tamen fit sine periculo. Dominum castellanum Elbingensem ab aliis instructum non gravate subscripturum mihi persuadeo.
Concepi igitur, quibus modis a Dominatione Vestra Reverendisima et aliis dominis palatinis et castellanis serenissimae maiestati regiae (salvo tamen meliori iudicio) scribendum esset, et hoc, consilio Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae, patentibus et mihi fidem facientibus litteris, quod exemplum, u written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉uu written over ...⌉t in scheda est, Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima ad formam debitam suo arbitratu, cui libenter cedo, conferre dignabitur a seque subscriptum et sigillatum aliis mittere dominis. Non erit palatino Pomeraniae difficile, quo in Mevam deferatur. Sicque tandem, cum hoc scriptum sigillis firmatum ad me perveniet, sine mora cum meis, in quibus copiosius omnia adnotabo, ad serenissimam maiestatem regiam perferri curabo.
Rescripsi dominis Gdanensibus, ut written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉utut written over ...⌉ cum Thoronensibus et Elbingensibus facerent similiter, modum autem, qu written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉ququ written over ...⌉em scheda habet, non praescripsi. Et ne quid durius, quod aliquando solent, litteris suis insererent, expediret mihique gratum faceret plurimum Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima, ut ad eos formam mitteret. Quamprimum eas litteras accepero, promissa opera non deerit. Esset tamen addendum, si videbitur, ut a maiestate regia peteretur, si in Graudencz pro festo sancti Michaelis contagio quaedam esset pestis, ut liceret dominis locum eligere salubriorem, quae singula iudicio permitto Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae.
A qua non vulgariter gaudio sum affectus, quod sic se in prospera valetudine confirmatam sentiat, ut quovis tempore ad conventum se conferre possit. In ea ut Dominus Deus eandem diutissime conservet, precor ex animo.
Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ IX Iunii etc.