Visits: 55
» CORPUS of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence
Copyright © Laboratory for Source Editing and Digital Humanities AL UW

All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Letter #882

Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Innsbruck, 1533-01-15

English register:

De Schepper wrote only once to Dantiscus from Innsbruck because he was expecting to travel to Poland in the company of their mutual friend Nicolaus Nibschitz, the envoy of the Polish king [Sigismund I], as he had received a mandate to take part in the proposed negotiations there to settle the dispute between King of Romans [Ferdinand I] and his adversary in the Kingdom of Hungary.

Their departure was postponed because King Ferdinand first wanted to know the outcome of the negotiations of his envoy [Hans] Katzianer in Hungary. There it was decided that a conference would be held in Magyaróvár on 7 February, in which King Ferdinand would participate. This deprived De Schepper of all hope of leaving for Poland.

Nibschitz was commissioned to report to the King [of Poland] that King Ferdinand would only make use of his offer for negotiations in Poland under his arbitration, when the negotiations in Hungary led to no satisfactory results. It is impossible to alter the compromise reached with the Hungarians at the conference in Magyaróvár.

De Schepper should stay in Innsbruck and wait for instructions from the Emperor [Charles V] as to whether he should join him in Bologna or accompany King Ferdinand.

He wrote to the Queen [Bona Sforza] about the state of her affairs after the decease of [Alfonso] Valdés. His letter-cases – with the documents about the affairs of the Queen – have been transported to Italy, along with the imperial treasury. De Schepper himself could achieve nothing there. During his absence from court Godschalk [Ericksen] will represent the interests of Queen Bona. Ericksen went into the service of the Emperor after the death of the young Danish prince John. De Schepper has informed the Queen that [Nicolas Perrenot] de Granvelle has assured him of his support for her case. He asks Dantiscus to recommend Ericksen to the Queen.

De Schepper expresses his dissatisfaction with his current life of constant travelling and servitude and the atmosphere of mutual distrust, which makes him envy Dantiscus' otium.

In November, his son was born. The damage from the last North Sea flood is considerably greater than in 1530. The heavy losses it caused to the Lord of Beveren [Adolf of Burgundy] have probably prevented him from giving his full support to De Schepper.

At court Granvelle has seized all power. In March the Emperor will sail to Spain. Andrea Doria was recalled to escort the Emperor. As a result, he was prevented from consolidating his military successes against the Turks in the Peloponnese and the Gulf of Corinth.

De Schepper heavily criticises the Pope [Clement VII] for dissipating the property of the Holy See, endowing several Italian princes and states with towns from the Papal States. The imperial treasury equally benefits from these donations. The Flemish natural daughter of the Emperor [Margaret of Parma] has been given as a bride to turpissiumum monstrum [Alessandro de' Medici il Moro], who behaved so monstrously when the court was in Ghent. De Schepper loathes the way the Emperor collects his money. There is little hope that there will be a council, since the Pope is playing a double game.

[Louis] of Praet is returning to Flanders. After this present mission De Schepper also wants to return home, if he cannot obtain anything from his imperial employer.

He criticises the Emperor in the strongest terms, without naming him explicitly. He describes the situation in his homeland as desperate in all aspects, and hints at possible rebellion. He meditates again on the idea of living with Dantiscus in Poland, retiring from all dishonour and trouble at home. Whatever it be, he will follow Dantiscus’ example.

De Schepper insists that Dantiscus should write, and suggests various ways in which his letters can reach him. He encloses letters from Count Palatine Philipp [von Wittelsbach] and Georg [von Österreich] Bishop of Brixen [of Austria]. He wishes Dantiscus the best, and longs to meet him once again. Dantiscus can expect De Schepper’s letters from Italy or from Hungary. He conveys his greetings to Campensis.




Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 83-84
2register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 31, No. 271

Auxiliary sources:
1register in German, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8247 (TK 9), f. 208

Prints:
1AT 15 No. 16, p. 26-31 (in extenso; Polish register)
2DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 251, p. 164 (English register; excerpt)
3CEID 2/2 (Letter No. 51) p. 228-236 (in extenso; English register)
Source images available for registered users only

Full text available for registered users only