Letter #3631
Jan LEWICKI to Ioannes DANTISCUSCzerwińsk, 1539-03-25
English register:
Jan Lewicki thanks Dantiscus for his letter and generosity. He promises to pray for him with his fellow friars. He invites Dantiscus to stop for the night at his convent in Czerwińsk any time he travels to Cracow or Piotrków. He recalls the times [of their joint diplomatic travels] when Dantiscus was his mentor and guardian. He wants to repay him for this.
He will keep the beer received from Dantiscus for Easter, when more than sixty canons regular will come from all the provostships. From among them, he will choose two he can trust, distinguished by good manners, with at least some German language skills and experience as parish priests, to send them to Dantiscus after Easter. He does not trust the secular clergy as much. He asks where Dantiscus intends to send them. He assures him that the men he sends will need little to satisfy them, they will not be arrogant nor seek payment, just as long as they have food and clothing.
He is sending two barrels of local beer to Dantiscus and one to the administrator [Achatius Trenck?]. If Dantiscus likes the taste, he will always send some; if not, let his brother Bernhard [von Höfen] and the administrator drink it. He is also sending the administrator an ambling horse (gradarius), the best one he has, and thanks him for the breeding stallion he sent; he has not tried it yet, because a larger one was needed.
In exchange for the abundance of fish and herring received, he sends some very dry boletus mushrooms; he does not use them himself, as they are suspect; he does not know if Dantiscus eats them. He would like to pay whatever the administrator demands for the excellent fish. He is writing to him about this. He asks what else Dantiscus might need from him.
He justifies the delayed return of Dantiscus’ messenger with the draught horses’ exhaustion. Also, they were waiting for the Piątków beer and the mushrooms.
| received [1539]-03-28 Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
BCz, 1595, p. 1004Reverendissimo in Christo Patri, Domino, domino Ioanni Dantisco, Dei gratia episcopo Varmiensi dignissimo [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ fautori meo beneficentissimo et paper damaged⌈[et]et paper damaged⌉ honorandissimo
BCz, 1595, p. 999Reverendissime in Christo Pater, Domine, domine mi fautor beneficentissime.
Post mei commendationem, illi utramque salutem et caelestem benedictionem.
Die sancto, quo Laetare Ierusalem etc. cecinimus, comparuit hic nuntius iste plenus bonis rebus et praesertim litteris humanissimis Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae. Quae communem laetitiam meam e divino sacrificio conceptam tanto magis auxerunt, quanto plus ardebat animus amoris perpetui conscius. Quibus litteris et officiis tam benevolentissimis non satis respondet calamus, sed tamen, ne videatur omnino supinus, contendit agere gratias immortales, si modo pares, vel si saltem tales, quae possint comparari suae munificentiae, modo hic, veluti cuipiam abortivo, inantea, nunc et semper exhibitae.
Sed ne illam pluribus morer, quam nunc oporteat, testis mihi erit mea perpetua conscientia, quantum illi debeam quantumque illi cupiam ex summa affectione, propitiari autem non cessabo iugibus meis obsecrationibus apud Deum et Sanctos eius unacum meis fratribus. Idem vicissim ab illa expeto written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉toto written over ...⌉ - unum hoc erit, quod me bene manebit - ut, quoties Paternitas Vestra Reverendissima Cracoviam aut Pyotrcoviam concedet, hic apud me suum nocturnum signet iamque pro oppido Wyssegrod Czervensko monasterium suum habeat, tam omnibus hic nobis rem gratam faciet, quod maiorem nequeat. Scit me illi debere multis nominibus hospitem praestare, quandoquidem ipse fuit meus multis et angustis viis et annis alumnu alitor, et ego suus alumnus. Certe non ingratum experietur discipulum.
Ago item gratias de cere superinscribed⌈ee superinscribed⌉visia tam substantiosa, quam asservabo usque ad ferias Paschae, pro qua die hebdomadae ms. habdomadae(!) ⌈hebdomadaehebdomadae ms. habdomadae(!) ⌉ tunc sequentis habiturus sum hic omnes fratres meos regulares, quos iam advocavi de omnibus praeposituris regularibus, quorum sunt LX-ta vel plures. E quibus assignare vellem duos probos viros, moribus, vita et exemplo praestan(tes), qui et Alemanicum partim sapiant, et parrochi iam fuerant, quos Paternitati Vestrae Reverendissimae quamprimum post Pascha transmittam. Quibus fidere possum et de aliis saecularibus presbyteris non audeo quidquam tute polliceri. Non solent ibi abire, nisi hic notati, vel male morigerati.
BCz, 1595, p. 1000Vellem tamen nunc intelligere, quorsum illos vellet mandare, illi se scient gregi bene oboedienti accommodare, de provisione non erunt solliciti, scio, quod Paternitas Vestra Reverendissima prospiciet illis de victu et amictu, illi etiam non sunt superstitiosi neque caeremoniosi, paucis erunt contenti.
Mitto Paternitati Vestrae Reverendissimae cerevisiae nostrae hic feriatae duas tunnas et tertiam domino administratori. Quae utinam placeret, semper illam mitterem, quod si minus, bibat illam saltem frater suus amantissimus, dominus Bernardus hidden by binding⌈[us]us hidden by binding⌉ meus amicissimus cum domino collegii ecclesiae illius sui administratore. Cui mitto gradarium meum exiguum, quem habui, unicum, modo ut placeat hidden by binding⌈[t]t hidden by binding⌉. Sin minus, cogitabo illi de altero maiori, sed dubito, an meliori. Hunc ego scio perfectum, licet pusillum, sed validum et tranquillum, et ita cicuratum, ut sequatur suum patronum. Cui quidem domino administratori hidden by binding⌈[i]i hidden by binding⌉ ago plurimas gratias de equo admissario, quem nondum probavi, paulo hidden by binding⌈[o]o hidden by binding⌉ maiore opus erat. Sed fortasse in quo defecit, in altero natura suppetivit hidden by binding⌈[etivit]etivit hidden by binding⌉.
De piscibus item ele tam elegantissimis simul et allecis frequento gratias. Quae omnia vix umquam potero referri, non tantum illis, sed Paternitati Vestrae Reverendissimae, meo beneficentissimo veluti et auctori, et praeceptori.
Mitto et modicum de cepis, cum quibus non libenter manduco, quia ventosae dicuntur. Malo cum piris adustis, quae respondent optime brodiis nigris.
Mitto et paucos, sed macerrimos boletos, quos vocant leteos vol(!) letos. Sunt suspectae digestionis. Ego illis non utor. Nesciebam etiam, an Paternitas Vestra Reverendissima illis libenter vesceretur. Procurabo illos diligentissime. Bene hic ergo mercamur: pro optimis piscibus mittimus miseros fungos. Et tamen ego mitterem praetium, quodcumque postulabit dominus administrator pro piscibus. Cui desuper scribo. Qui or Que⌈QuiQui or Que⌉ Si quid aliud foret, quod Vestrae Amplitudini mea praestare possit pusillanimitas, iubeat et imperet ms. imparet(!) ⌈imperetimperet ms. imparet(!) ⌉ Paternitas Vestra Reverendissima.
Cui me iterum atque iterum ex ms. es(!) ⌈exex ms. es(!) ⌉ animo commendo. Precor, conservet illam Dominus Deus, foveat et protegat sanum et felicissimum, quamdiu ipsa volet.
E Czervenski, XXV Martii 1539.
Vestrae P(aternitati) or P(aternitatis)⌈P(aternitati)P(aternitati) or P(aternitatis)⌉ Reverendissimae affectissimus Ioannes Levicius
Postscript:
BCz, 1595, p. 1003Non imputet Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima huic suo nuntio, quod sic tarde redierit. Fuerant isti equi raedarii nimium fatigati viae malignitate, quos hic reficere oportebat. Interim exspectavimus hanc cervisiam Pyathkoviensem, quam traducit commodiori tempore, via quoque multo meliori quam paulo ante. Iterum rogo non indigne ferat eam moram, fungis hic interim quaesitis causatam, oportuit transsilvanos accedere villanos.