Letter #3125
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigismund I JagiellonHeilsberg (Lidzbark), 1545-03-02
English register:
The councillors [of Royal Prussia] consulted by letter on the matter of a reply to the king’s letter, which had been delivered after the conclusion of the Diet [of Royal Prussia] which was devoted to legal cases, held recently in Elbing (Elbląg). They unanimously declared that they had been unable to do so earlier for want of time. They entrusted Dantiscus with conveying to the king, with due delicacy, that he should not deal harshly with them for having failed, contrary to his instruction, to delegate anyone to adjudicate the matter of Putzig (Puck) with him in accordance with their privileges. They justify their conduct on the grounds that they were not permitted to assemble at short notice without a royal command, and that even had the king appointed an assembly at a suitable time, they would still have been unable to attend on account of the variable water levels in the Vistula river and weirs.
In the matter of Putzig, which is of considerable importance, they ask the king to proceed in such a way as not to infringe upon their privileges, specifically the article which requires the more important affairs of Royal Prussia to be deliberated upon together with the local councillors, and not with members of the Royal Council. They make the same request with regard to future matters. They wish him to exercise his authority over them not with full severity, but with clemency. Dantiscus seconds their request, which has the support of most of the councillors.
Auxiliary sources:
| ||||
Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
Hactenus domini consiliarii inter se scriptu tractarunt (they exchanged letters), ut Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae ad litteras, quas post dissolutum iudiciarium conventum nuper Elbingi habitum cubicularius attulerat, unanimi deliberatione responderent, quod prius ob temporis angustiam praestare non potuerunt. A me itaque postularunt, ut sententiam eorum humilibus precibus additis per meum nuntium Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae describerem, in quam concorditer consensimus. Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae ... supplicamus, ne inclementer vellet ferre, quod ex medio nostrum, quemadmodum fieri mandaverat, nuntios ad diiudicandam causam Pucensem cum Serenissima Maiestate Vestra iuxta privilegiorum nostrorum continentiam non miserimus, quandoquidem tam brevi tempore ad consultandum ea in re sine Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae iussu convenire nobis non licuit (a poor excuse) neque etiamsi ad praescriptum tempus conventum nobis Serenissima Maiestas Vestra indixisset, ob Vistulae inconstantiam et obstacula convenire potuissemus. Quo factum est, quod vocationi Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae satisfacere nequiverimus supplicissime rogantes ob hoc legale impedimentum sic in hac Pucensi causa, quae non parum notabilis est, procedere dignetur, ne quid privilegiis nostris, quantum ad hunc articulum derogetur, qui in se habet, quod notabiles harum terrarum causas non cum Regni, sed cum harum terrarum consiliariis Serenissima Maiestas Vestra audire, cognoscere et decidere debeat et ne in posterum, si quid in ea causa absentibus harum terrarum consiliariis actum est, huiusmodi actio privilegiis nostris praeiudicet et incommodet his we earnestly request. I beg that the king treat the Gdańsk City Council in this matter not according to summo iure but in accordance with his innate mildness. Such is the advice of the councillors, to whom I too have adhered, ut potiori parti accessi.