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Letter #2361

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE
Heilsberg (Lidzbark), 1540-11-29

English register:

Dantiscus informs the addressee that on the day this letter was dispatched, the castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig) [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)] departed [from Heilsberg (Lidzbark )], having returned from the royal court two days earlier. Although von Zehmen himself will provide details in a letter to Giese, at his request, Dantiscus briefly recounts his actions in Vilnius: Queen Bona Sforza (Nostra) had attempted to prejudice the bishop of Chełm [Samuel Maciejowski] against von Zehmen. Nevertheless, in cooperation with Maciejowski, von Zehmen succeeded in presenting the matters entrusted to him by Dantiscus and Giese to the king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] in private.

The king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] has approved the suggestions [of the Council of Royal Prussia] regarding negotiations with the king of the Romans [Ferdinand I of Habsburg] on matters concerning the duke [Albrecht I von Hohenzollern]. The monarch has explained that the harsh tone of his message to the previous [Royal Prussian] Diet in Graudenz (Grudziądz) resulted from pressure from the Royal Council, but [the Council of Royal Prussia] is free to respond to it in accordance with its own interests. Maciejowski advised not to mention that the tax had not been collected at that time to avoid the blame being solely attributed to Dantiscus and Giese. He suggested that the matter could be resolved through other means. Maciejowski brought up the issue of Rheden (Radzyn) with the king privately, at a suitable moment, so that the queen would not become aware of it. Wishing to show favour to Giese, the king did not object to entrusting the [Gdańsk] burgraviate to [Johann] Stutte, since his name had already been included in the document customarily issued by the magistrate [the Gdańsk city council]. Regarding the scholarships for students to study in Leipzig, the king expects the council of Royal Prussia to adopt a responsible stance; he does not wish for anyone from Royal Prussia to be sent there to study. The abbots offered an extensive justification of their actions in the letter to the king, but the matter was postponed for joint deliberation. The king promised he would respond to the letter from the [Royal Prussian] Diet in Graudenz as soon as his health allowed. The castellan of Gdańsk will soon provide a more detailed account. However, many matters cannot be committed to writing due to court intrigues.

Dantiscus considers the only significant success of von Zehmen’s mission to be the confirmation that the unfavourable [from the Prussian perspective] message to the Diet in Graudenz did not reflect the king’s original intention. The castellan achieved nothing regarding the grain issue, as the queen intervened to block the matter. She even wrote to Dantiscus herself, warning him not to oppose her. Dantiscus asks the recipient to exert influence on the voivode of Pomerania [Jerzy Konopacki (Georg von Konopat)], urging him to restrain his son [Jerzy Konopacki (Georg von Konopat) Jr], who is attempting to acquire grain in violation of the decision made by the council [of Royal Prussia]. Dantiscus himself has also written to the voivode of Pomerania on the matter, at the same time admonishing him to speak with the nobility of his district and encourage them to show goodwill at the next [Royal Prussian] Diet towards the vice-chancellor [Samuel Maciejowski].

Dantiscus conveys to Giese news of the difficult situation in Hungary, where ongoing conflicts pit magnates against each other, some supporting the Turkish sultan [Suleiman the Magnificent], others the king [Sigismund I Jagiellon], and still others King Ferdinand. Having recovered her dowry, Queen Isabella [Jagiellon] left Buda together with her son [John Sigismund Zápolya] and her female court, heading to a castle designated for her by the king of the Romans. Ferdinand, meanwhile, lost a great number of soldiers during the siege of a Hungarian castle. The king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] is feeling somewhat better. He is preoccupied with the issue of reconciliation among the opposing parties and is negotiating with the pope [Paul III] and other rulers regarding the convocation of a general council.

Dantiscus sends Giese a letter containing further news, received from the queen’s trusted confidant, the chamberlain (podkomorzy) of Sieradz, Mikołaj Grabia. He promises to support Giese’s affairs.


            received [1540]-12-01

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, BCz, 245, p. 227-230
2register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1540, f. 42r-v

 

Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus Excerpts concerning Dantiscus' travels

 

BCz, 245, p. 227

Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime et honorande or honorandissime⌈honorandehonorande or honorandissime⌉.

Salutem et fraternam commendationem.

Rediit tandem huc ad me sospes ex aula nostra generosus dominus castellanus Gdanensis nudius tertius et hodie hinc solvit. Qui, licet Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae scripturus sit omnia, quae egerit, quaedam tamen potiora annotare libuit, quibus exspectationem litterarum illius feret commodius. Retulit imprimis, quod priusquam Vilnam applicuisset, iam aliquot ante dies adventurum se eo delatum fuisse et ob id Nostram etc. ad reverendissimum dominum Chelmensem misisse nuntiasseque, ut sibi ab adventuro, qui non frustra profectionem hanc cepis paper damaged⌈[s]s paper damaged⌉set, modis omnibus caveret, fidei suae iuratae memor (addit plerisque aliis duris aculeatisque paper damaged⌈[atisque]atisque paper damaged⌉ verbis) cautissime hominem tractaret. Sic haec tela quodammodo paper damaged⌈[odammodo]odammodo paper damaged⌉ exor paper damaged⌈[exor]exor paper damaged⌉sa est, sed non absoluta. Reverendissimus enim dominus Chelmensis humanissime paper damaged⌈[issime]issime paper damaged⌉ illum paper damaged⌈[illum]illum paper damaged⌉ habuit et magna sub fiducia, verum secreto cum apud paper damaged⌈[um apud]um apud paper damaged⌉ se, tum etiam apud maiestatem regiam cum eo omnia transegit, Reverendissim paper damaged⌈[Reverendissim]Reverendissim paper damaged⌉aeque Dominationis Vestrae et meo nomine se illi in omnibus propensissimum exhibuit et ad maiestatem regiam perduxit, ubi singula nemine praeterquam reverendissimo domino Chelmensi prae paper damaged⌈[ae]ae paper damaged⌉sente libere, quae tum expedire videbantur, exposuit.

Consilium nostrum, quod ad tractatus cum serenissimo Romanorum rege pertinet, in rebus ill(ustrissimi) or ill(ustris)⌈ill(ustrissimi)ill(ustrissimi) or ill(ustris)⌉ domini ducis, vicini nostri, maiestas regia summopere paper damaged⌈[ere]ere paper damaged⌉ probavit seque, ubi res postulaverit, non immemorem futurum paper damaged⌈[rum]rum paper damaged⌉ pollicita est. Quod attingit duram illam legationem, quam n[u]p[er] or m[i]s[sam] paper damaged paper damaged⌈nu paper damaged⌈[u]u paper damaged⌉per paper damaged⌈[er]er paper damaged⌉n[u]p[er] or m[i]s[sam] paper damaged paper damaged⌉ in Graudencz audivimus, maiestas regia respondit, ut ad eum mo paper damaged⌈[o]o paper damaged⌉dum illa ad conventum nostrum mitteretur, senatores regni flagitasse, verum nobis patere et liberum esse respondere ea, quae paper damaged⌈[ae]ae paper damaged⌉ ex re nostra esse putaremus. De non exigenda hoc tempore paper damaged⌈[e]e paper damaged⌉ contributione consuluit reverendissimus dominus Chelmensis, ne verba faceret, ut non Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae et mihi, hoc est nobis duobus solis, imputa paper damaged⌈[a]a paper damaged⌉retur, quasi illam impedire niteremur. Possit hoc agi aliis modis etc. Negotium Redense reverendissimus dominus Chelmensis tractandum oportuno quopiam tempore et sine arbitris cum maiestate regia suscepit, ne Nostra resciscat etc. In burgrabiatum pro domino Stutte, cu(m)(?) sit schedae, quae a magistratu mitti solet, inscriptus, non se maiestas regia difficilem praestitit, ut Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae gratificetur. De stipendiis Lipcensibus adhuc est difficultas, nollet quidem maiestas regia, ut quispiam eo mitteretur nostratium, tamen adhuc ea in re mentem et sententiam nostram maturiorem praestolatur. Abbates se maiestati regiae longis litteris excusarunt, nihilominus res in commune nostrum consilium reicitur. Ad eas litteras ex conventu Graudnicensi datas maiestas regia, quamprimum per valetudinem poterit, responsuram se pollicetur.

Summatim haec utcumque attigi. Dominus castellanus Gdanensis paulo post de omnibus scribet copiosius, sunt tamen non pauca, quae scribi non possunt ob eas turbas, quae in olla aut aula hac mirabilibus condimentis in dies coquunt.

BCz, 245, p. 228

Ceterum, si nihil aliud ex hac per dominum castellanum legatione paper damaged⌈[ione]ione paper damaged⌉ sumus assecuti, hoc tamen lucri fecimus, quod scimus duru written over a⌈auu written over a⌉m hu written over a⌈auu written over a⌉nc sententiam paper damaged⌈[ententiam]ententiam paper damaged⌉ nun hidden by binding⌈[nun]nun hidden by binding⌉tium, quem in Graudencz accepimus, ex mente regia non hidden by binding⌈[on]on hidden by binding⌉ processisse. Hoc itaque in negotio consilium nobis resque locusque hidden by binding⌈[ue]ue hidden by binding⌉ dabunt. Ipse dominus castellanus in re frumentorum nihil obtinuit hidden by binding⌈[it]it hidden by binding⌉, adeo obstitit etc., quae seorsum etiam mihi iniungens scripsit, ne voluntati eius adversaretur. Non esset abs re, si Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima magnifico domino palatino Pomeraniae scriberet, ut filium suum hidden by binding⌈[um]um hidden by binding⌉ ab hac impetitione abducat. Qui ea frumenta contra dominorum hidden by binding⌈[orum]orum hidden by binding⌉ consiliariorum, quibus et ipse assensit, decretum, impetran(dus), siquidem filius ille hac in causa contra dominum castellanum manifeste se opposuit etc. Scripsi et ego eapropter domino palatino hidden by binding⌈[ino]ino hidden by binding⌉, quem commonui paper damaged⌈[monui]monui paper damaged⌉, ne obliviscatur cum nobilitate sui districtus hidden by binding⌈[tus]tus hidden by binding⌉ de gratia a paper damaged⌈[tia a]tia a paper damaged⌉ reverendissimo written over i⌈ioo written over i⌉ domino written over i⌈ioo written over i⌉ Chelmen(si) praestanda agere superinscribed⌈agereagere superinscribed⌉, quo in proximis paper damaged⌈[mis]mis paper damaged⌉ comi paper damaged⌈[comi]comi paper damaged⌉tiis illa tandem transigi possit. Hoc ip(s)um hidden by binding⌈[um]um hidden by binding⌉ ut apud hidden by binding⌈[d]d hidden by binding⌉ eo paper damaged⌈[eo]eo paper damaged⌉s per loci palatinum Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima agat, oro.

Hungaricae res confusae sunt. Inter primores dissidiae hidden by binding⌈[iae]iae hidden by binding⌉, digla(dia)t(i)o(n)es, nulla, ut gentis natura est, fides. Sunt, qui ad hidden by binding⌈[d]d hidden by binding⌉ Turcam, qui ad regem nostrum, et qui ad Ferdinandum in hidden by binding⌈[in]in hidden by binding⌉clinant. Isabella cum filio, recepta, quam attulit, dote et cum hidden by binding⌈[cum]cum hidden by binding⌉ muliebri mundo, ad quoddam ex Buda divertit castrum hidden by binding⌈[rum]rum hidden by binding⌉, quod Romanorum rex illi contulit. Qui iis diebus in cuiusdam castri hidden by binding⌈[stri]stri hidden by binding⌉ Hungarici oppugnatione suorum plurimos desideravit. Quando hidden by binding⌈[ando]ando hidden by binding⌉ aut quomodo tragoedia haec cothurnos deponet, incertum est hidden by binding⌈[est]est hidden by binding⌉(?). Serenissimus rex noster meliuscule valens inter dissidentes pacem hidden by binding⌈[em]em hidden by binding⌉ et apud summum pontificem et alios monarchos de concilio tractat.

Alia, quae mihi dominus succamerarius Siradiensis Nicolaus Grabya scripsit (is est apud reginalem inter primos), mitto.

Quod reliquum est, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam in rebus suis bene sperare iubeo. Iis si adminiculum meum prodesse potest, omnem polliceor operam, eandemque Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam felicissime multis bonis annis valere meque ab illa fraterno amori complecti, in eoque commendatus haberi cupio ex animo.

Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Heilsberg, paenultima Novembris MDXL.

Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae frater integerrimus Ioannes episcopus Varmiensis etc. scripsi