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Letter #254

Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Plymouth, 1525-07-06

English register:

De Schepper has sent a letter to Dantiscus from the port of Laredo. He has entrusted this letter to Hieronymus Viromandus, secretary to the English ambassador [Richard] Wingfield, but he is not sure that the letter has been passed onf to Dantiscus. De Schepper reaffirms his commitment to Dantiscus. He presents himself as Dantiscus' greatest herald, even though he wants to keep himself far from flattery.

The sea voyage was difficult, due to stormy weather, but De Schepper arrived safely in Plymouth. There he recovered from his seasickness, thanks to his conversations with James Horswell, who is a great admirer of Dantiscus. De Schepper can only be pleased by this, as Dantiscus owes his success to his merits. De Schepper has dealt with the business for which he came to England, be it not with the expected results. He has heard much praise of Dantiscus, especially by James Horswell.

De Schepper wants Dantiscus to know that he has acquired friends everywhere; he urges Dantiscus to recommend James Horswell in his letters, and assures him of his own loyal friendship. He invites Dantiscus not to disappoint his admirers, who consider him a paragon of wisdom and literacy. As he feels free to express himself as a brother, he urges Dantiscus to reciprocate the services rendered to him. De Schepper will ensure that his King [Christian II of Oldenburg] acknowledges the merits of Dantiscus.




Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 8-9
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 37 (TN), No. 225, p. 937-939
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 262, p. 155-156
4register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 32, No. 455

Auxiliary sources:
1register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8245 (TK 7), f. 341-342
2register in English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 31, No. 206

Prints:
1AT 7 a.1525, No. 66, p. 299-300 (in extenso)
2DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 18, p. 17 (English register)
3Españoles part II, No. 25, p. 177-178 (excerpt in Spanish translation)
4CEID 2/2 (Letter No. 1) p. 49-53 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 8r

Cornelius Duplicius Scepperus Ioanni Dantisco suo salutem.

Salutem.

Ego vero ad te ex Asturum portu Loredo transscripsi de rebus meis easque litteras Hieronymo Viromando iuveni docto et probo, qui a secretis est nobilis et generosi domini Wynckfyldt regiae maiestatis Angliae oratoris, puto Bilibaldi Cantabrorum datas esse, ut ad te transferret. Is si hoc ipsum fecit, bene quidem fecit, uti hominem ingenuum decet, sin minus, sane non habes, quod de me conqueri possis. Ego enim is sum, quem nosti tui nominis te ipso studiosior praeco orig. precopraecopraeco orig. preco, tametsi neque praeconio orig. preconiopraeconiopraeconio orig. preconio meo indigeas, atque ego fortassis virtutem tuam non possim perinde praedicare orig. predicarepraedicarepraedicare orig. predicare atque promereatur. Sed nolo tecum adulari, partim quod eo ingenio numquam natus fui, partim quod tu Cornelium amicum non haberes, si adulatorem haberes.

De fortunis meis non est, quod multum ad te perscribam. Navigavi, uti nosti, Neptuno atque Eolo repugnantibus. Cornelius autem Neptunum non admodum timet, Eolum autem, inferiorum virium satrapam, qui fit, ut vereri admodum debeat orig. daebeatdebeatdebeat orig. daebeat? Vis, dicam? Ter frustra comprehensa deos effugerat aura, par levibus ventis volucrique simillima somno, ut Maro tuus ait. Veni tamen in Cornubiam, primum Fowicum, deinde Pleumodiam, ubi leniit mihi dolorem nauseae marinae conversatio mutua honorabilis et praestantis orig. prestantispraestantispraestantis orig. prestantis profecto viri domini Iacobi Horswoll in the sender hand, written over i(?)i(?)ll in the sender hand, written over i(?)i, hominis, quem tibi praedicare orig. predicarepraedicarepraedicare orig. predicare nolo, quandoquidem illum AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 8v longe melius me dignoscere potuisti. Id dico atque iterum dico, quoniam iuratus tibi sum singula quaeque rerum mearum ad te perscripturum, in homine illo multa quidem invenisse me, quae admirari possem, sed nihil perinde mihi placuisse, quam quod te unice et amaret, et veneraretur. Scis tu, quam non sim tibi cor in the sender hand, written over ...... illegible...... illegiblerr in the sender hand, written over ...rivalis in his rebus, quas tua tibi virtus elargita est, Fortuna sane adimere non potest Idque effecit, ut consuetudinem hominis probi et alias laudandi atque admirandi gratiorem habuerim. Quid est, quod multis tecum agam: conveni, contuli de rebus mul hidden by binding[l]l hidden by bindingtis, cognovi. Nihil enim refert, etiam si non satisfe(c)i officio meo, cum viri in the sender hand, written over ooii in the sender hand, written over os bonis respondere difficile sit, satisfacere impossibile. Multa hic audivi de te, quae non potuerunt non grata esse. Sed primum locum vendicavit, qui pridem dictus est Iacobus, cum finem ego audiendi laudes tuas non facerem, ille vero multos in laudando surdos efficere posset, qui vero surdum efficeret illum bene auritum (nolo enim Graece dicere) Cornelium. Haec orig. HecHaecHaec orig. Hec volui ad te scribere, ut scires multos te ubique amicos consecutum orig. consequutumconsecutumconsecutum orig. consequutum esse, deinde, ut cognosceres praefatum orig. prefatumpraefatumpraefatum orig. prefatum dominum Iacobum me hidden by binding[e]e hidden by bindingritum esse, uti litteris tuis orbi commendaretur, denique hidden by binding[que]que hidden by binding, ne existimes me tui oblitum esse aut eorum numerum[3] explere, quos docti δυογλοσσούς, vulgus sagaces, Cornelius nebulones vocat. Tu vicissim hidden by binding[im]im hidden by binding debes opinioni, aut si fidem malis vocari superinscribed, in the hand of sendervocarivocari superinscribed, in the hand of sender, respondere, et cum ubique id nomen consecutus orig. consequutusconsecutusconsecutus orig. consequutus si in the sender hand, written over eeii in the sender hand, written over es, ut litterarum et prudentiae arcem tibi elargiantur, efficere, ut in iudicando lapsi esse non videantur. Facies autem id paper damaged[id]id paper damagedipsum[4] commode, si litterarum tuarum usufructum eidem non invideas, profecto mihi abunde orig. habundeabundeabunde orig. habunde satisfeceris. Qui hidden by binding[ui]ui hidden by binding, quem cum fratris loco habeas, aegre ferre non debes tibi idipsum significare velle, ut cum omnes de AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 9r te non desinant bene praedicare orig. predicarepraedicarepraedicare orig. predicare,[5] unus tu desinas aliorum officiis aut satisfacere, aut respondere.

Quod ad illustrissimum regem meum spectat, faciam, ut is officium tuum agnoscat. Neque vero existimare te decet inhonestum aut inutile futurum obsequium meum, cum fortunae minorem quam virtutis rationem habuisse te deceat.

Bene vale.

Ex Pleumodia, pridie Nonas Iulias anno Domini M D XXV.

Tuus ex animo Cornelius Duplicius Scepperus etc.

[3 ] + written in the other (later) hand on the margin before numerum

[4 ] idipsum] id- partially legible

[5 ] praedicare paper torn at upper margin, -raed- partially legible