Letter #425
Alfonso de VALDÉS to Ioannes DANTISCUSToledo, 1529-02-14
English register:
Valdés is happy about Dantiscus’ letter. He writes of his adoration for him. He expresses the fear that Lalemand will escape punishment because other influential scoundrels like him are working for his benefit; luckily the emperor [Charles V] has decided he will not be admitted to the court anymore. The chancellor [Mercurino Gattinara] liked Dantiscus’ texts [the epicedium and epitaph] about Lalemand very much and so did all their friends. Valdés impatiently awaits the remaining promised texts. He worries that he cannot send Dantiscus a copy of his dialogue about the sack of Rome for review, nor his text about the duel (ratio singularis certaminis), because Ioannes[Juan Saganta?] is seriously ill while the other scribe [Gonzalo Peréz?] is busy at the chancellery. He guesses, however, that these texts won’t be published in print anytime soon. He considers Lalemand’s imprisonment and the violent death of the papal nuncio [Baldassare Castiglione] to be divine punishment for criticism of the dialogue. Valdés and his friends found the story about the bishop of Osma (Oxomensis) [Juan García de Loaysa y Mendoza] amusing, he thinks it is worthy of being included in Pasquillus.
The chancellor was extremely happy about Dantiscus’ letter, he has agreed to all his corrections to the privilege [i.e. the document granting him the title of eques auratus]. Dantiscus is in his good graces. Valdés sends Dantiscus the privilege and a letter to the king [Sigismund I, i.e. a new version of the document releasing Dantiscus from service at the imperial court]. Valdés replies to Dantiscus’ question about Alfonso de Virues – he is friends with him, values his virtues greatly, and forgives his faults. He’s told Dantiscus before that he mediated in appeasing a conflict between Virues and Erasmus [of Rotterdam]. The rumor of the emperor’s planned departure for Granada is false – he will leave Toledo on March 1 for Monserrat, where he will spend Easter and then sail for Italy early in May.
Valdés comments on the story of the pregnant hermaphrodite monk. As he was writing this letter, he was surprised by Perrenot, who read Dantiscus’ letter and they laughed sardonically together. Perrenot sends his regards to Dantiscus even though he wasn’t mentioned by him. The chancellor’s cousins also send their regards: Bartholomaeus, Hieronymus a Ranzo, Georgius who has just arrived from Italy, and Iacobus a Gattinaria, as well as the Genevan official, (officialis Gebenensis) [Eustace Chapuys] and A(ntonius) Longus. Marliano will write to him as promised, and Suarez sends as many regards as there are lies in Marcus Aurelius. Valdés sends his regards to Isabel [Delgada] and the children [Juana Dantisca and Juan Dantisco].
| received Valladolid, [1529]-02-18 Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Clarissimo viro, Domino Ioanni Dantisco serenissimi regis Poloniae oratori etc.
Salutem plurimam.
Non est, cur neque ego apud te, neque tu vicissim apud me pluribus verbis utamur, cum nota explorataque utrique nostrum sit mutua inter nos benevolentia vel potius mea in te pietas, quam si<c> ut animo concepi, ita et verbis exprimere aut operibus comprobare daretur, sat, scio, diceres spe tua te aut opinione minime frustratum esse. Quam mihi fuerint tuae litterae gratissimae, quid opus est dicere, cum tibi compertum sit, quo affectu tua omnia ego exosculer suscipiamque.
De Lalemanto nihil est, quod ulterius ad te scribam. O, quam alte exclamares, si, quae hic passim videmus, tuque cerneres. Habet pestis illa, qui illi patrocinari audeant quosque illum defendere non pudeat, et tamen sese hi nobis ut semideos venditant. Sed quid facias? Ita maiores nostri vixerunt, ita nobis vivendum est. Hanc orbis miseriam caecitatemque ferre coacti sunt, ea nobis, velimus nolimus, toleranda est. Non dubito patronos eiusdem farinae esse, sed quia eiusdem farinae sunt neque illi neque ulli mortalium bene volunt, nisi sibi ipsis, neque patrocinant Lalemanto, sed propria scelera in Lalemanti causa tuentur. Hominem evasurum arbitror, non tamen in aulam caesaris deinceps admittetur, etiamsi evaserit, id enim caesaris decretum est. Quod in eum scripsisti, fuit certe et cancellario et amicis omnibus gratissimum, est enim et lepidum et argutum et tali viro dignum. Cetera, quae polliceris, avidissime exspecto. Gravissimus mei Ioannis morbus effecit, ut neque dialogum de capta urbe, neque rationem singularis certaminis ad te mittere possim, nam alium amanuensem suis duellis occupavit cancellarius. Dolet me, quod tuum iudicium ea in re habere nequeo, sed nihil fortassis horum exibit, quousque iterum venias ad nos. Vides, quam aequissimus fuerit Optimus Deus, mei dialogi vindex, qui Lalemantum in carcerem trusit et nuntium pontificis repentina morte rapuit, ut ne rebus quidem suis disponere quiverit. Haec sunt Dei iudicia, sic solent poenas dare, qui peccantes in Spiritum Sanctum contradicunt veritati.
Fabula Oxomensis nos plurimum exhilaravit, sed ea ego a Pasquillo exspecto. Vix crederes, quam fuerint cancellario tuae litterae iucundissimae, qui cum ad te rescribat, nolo ego de illius in te animo plura commemorare. Quae in tuo privilegio addi voluisti, libentissime admisit. Si quid praeterea desiderabis, scribito. Nullus est, qui facilius quidvis a nobis impetret, quam tu, idque tuo merito. Mittimus itaque privilegium, mittimus et litteras caesaris ad regem tuum, neque antea mitti potuerunt. Alfonsus ille Viruesius , quem te audire dicis contionantem, est mihi amicissimus, et, si recte memini, saepius de eo sermonem tecum habui. Scripsit enim olim nescio quas nugas ad Erasmum, quibus homunculum concitavit, mea tamen opera reditum est in gratiam. Multa sunt, quae in homine merito placent, sed et alia, quae iure displicent. Quod dat, accipimus, cetera devoramus, ita vivendum est.
Hic quoque rumor erat, caesarem iturum Granatam, falso tamen, nam die primo Martii hinc discedet apud Montem Serratum celebraturus Pascha, indeque sub initium Maii navim ascensurus et Italiam versus (si Deus concesserit) navigaturus. Ita decretum est.
De monacho praegnante nihil aliud scio, quam illum hermaphroditum esse iamque septimo mense foetum gestare. Ego certe non tantum admiror factum, sed qui fieri potuit, ut inter tot distensos monachos concipere potuerit, aut cur eadem opera non concipiunt meretrices. Neque enim credendum est in tali officina segniorem operam illum aut, si mavis, illam navasse. Cum haec scriberem, deprehendit me dominus Perrenotus. Legit tuas litteras, risimus Sardonium (ut aiunt) risum. Iussit, ut eius nomine plurimam tibi salutem dicerem, tametsi de eo nulla sit tuis in litteris mentio. Idem petiit dominus Bartholomaeus et quidem officiose admodum, est enim totus tuus cum toto amicorum collegio. Hieronymus a Ranzo, Georgius, qui nuper venit ex Italia, et Iacobus a Gattinaria cancellarii nepotes, officialis Gebennensis, Antonius Longus te plurimum salvere iubent. Marlianus, uti pollicitus est, scribet, noster Suarez te toties salvere vult, quot mendacia sunt in “Marco Aurelio”.
Isidi cum prole meis verbis salutem dices.
Vale.
Toleti, XIIII Februarii 1529.
Tuus Valdesius