Letter #1015
Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUSVienna, 1533-10-08
English register:
Shortly after his return to Vienna, De Schepper sends to Dantiscus an account of his embassy to Constantinople.
He is pleased with the letter from Dantiscus which the Archbishop of Lund [Johan Weze] handed to him. Although he is satisfied with what he currently has, he wishes that his princes would show more appreciation for him. He has always tried to achieve results not by flattery or intrigue, but through loyal dedication and zeal, and to bear fortune and misfortune with equanimity. He longs to meet Dantiscus but his duty forces him to travel to Spain, with only a stopover of three days at home in Flanders. Indeed, his current mission is of crucial international importance.
There follows a brief account of the facts.
After the retreat of the Sultan [Suleiman the Magnificent] from Hungary last year, the King of the Romans [Ferdinand I] sent Hieronymus of Zadar as an envoy to the Sultan. The envoy reported that the Sultan was willing to negotiate a peace treaty with King Ferdinand, and intended to involve the Emperor [Charles V] in it. Subsequently the Sultan sent an envoy to King Ferdinand to verify the statements of the King's envoy. At that time De Schepper and Weze were staying in Vienna as ambassadors of the Emperor. De Schepper was commissioned to travel to Constantinople as an ambassador on behalf of King Ferdinand. There he was confronted with a troubled situation, caused by the rebellion of wicked Christians. Meanwhile the envoys had frequent conversations with Ibrahim Pasha and Alvise Gritti, who hold all the power.
On July 23, the peace treaty was signed in the presence of the Sultan and three of the pashas. De Schepper and Hieronymus of Zadar acted for King Ferdinand. Unlike the treaty with Poland, this one involves an everlasting peace (pax in perpetuum). King Ferdinand retains his present territories, without paying any tribute, and he has good hope of expanding his rule over the entire Kingdom of Hungary. Of this, only four people have been informed, including De Schepper himself.
The Sultan promised his support to King Ferdinand against possible enemies, and called him his son. This unexpected success is entirely due to God's will, as neither rhetorical nor diplomatic skills can influence the decision of an autocrat. Emperor Charles could have been involved in this peace, but he wished not to be mentioned. De Schepper explains the Sultan's desire for peace by pointing out the failure of his military expedition of the previous year, the great losses he has suffered thereby, the smouldering revolt among the Greeks and his Christian subjects, the threat from the Persians in the East, and the defection of many janissaries to the Shah [Tahmāsp I].
Admiral Andrea Doria managed to break the naval blockade of the city of Corona by the Turks, and the siege on the landside was also lifted, so that the town could be secured for the Emperor.
For some reason yet unknown, the Pope [Clement VII] will not travel to Nice, but will go to Marseille for a meeting with the King of France [Francis I].
De Schepper wishes Dantiscus and his family the best, and sends greetings by Johan Weze.
| received 1534-02-02 Manuscript sources:
Auxiliary sources:
Early printed source materials:
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
UUB, H. 154, f. 121vReverendissimo in Christo Patri, domino Ioanni Dantisco episcopo Culmensi, domino tamquam orig. tanquam⌈tamquamtamquam orig. tanquam⌉ patri honorandissimo
In Prussia
UUB, H. 154, f. 120rReverendissime in Christo Pater, Domine et Pater honorandissime.
Praemissa humili ms 2 oblatione,
ms 1 oblati[...] paper damaged⌈oblationems 2 oblatione,
ms 1 oblati[...] paper damaged⌉ obsequiorum meorum.
Deo sit laus et gloria, qui et te hactenus ms 2 serva,
ms 1 se[...] paper damaged⌈servams 2 serva,
ms 1 se[...] paper damaged⌉vit incolumem, et me ex periculosa legatione reduxit
sanum et ms 2 hilarem,
ms 1 hi[...] paper damaged⌈hilaremms 2 hilarem,
ms 1 hi[...] paper damaged⌉. Nolo enim te nescire duodecima Aprilis hinc solvisse ms 2 Cornelium,
ms 1 Cornel[...] paper damaged⌈Corneliumms 2 Cornelium,
ms 1 Cornel[...] paper damaged⌉, qui XX-o die mensis Maii appulit Constantinopolim rebusque ms 2 confectis,
ms 1 confect[...] paper damaged⌈confectisms 2 confectis,
ms 1 confect[...] paper damaged⌉ rursum rediit Viennam vicesimo Septembris, ubi litteras tuas apud ms 2 reverendissimum,
ms 1 reverendissimu[m] paper damaged⌈reverendissimumms 2 reverendissimum,
ms 1 reverendissimu[m] paper damaged⌉ dominum Lundensem invenit, plenas illas solitae et cognitissimae mihi ms 2 humanitatis,
ms 1 h[...]manitatis paper damaged⌈humanitatisms 2 humanitatis,
ms 1 h[...]manitatis paper damaged⌉ tuae. Ad quas quid aliud respondere possum, quam habere me tibi maximas gratias, quas retributurus est omnium retributor. Cuius gratia mihi nihil deperiit hactenus, nam iacturarum fortunae ms 2 et,
ms 1 e[...] paper damaged⌈etms 2 et,
ms 1 e[...] paper damaged⌉ hereditatum iam pridem oblitus sum estque adhuc satis domi, quod me ab egestate tueatur. Divitias autem et paupertatem ne dederis ms 2 mihi,
ms 1 m[...] paper damaged⌈mihims 2 mihi,
ms 1 m[...] paper damaged⌉, Domine etc.. Forte etiam principes nostri aliquando mutabunt ms 2 sententiam,
ms 1 sententi[...] paper damaged⌈sententiamms 2 sententiam,
ms 1 sententi[...] paper damaged⌉, apud quos non potui noluique favorem adulationibus, delationibus blanditiisque orig. blandiciisque⌈blanditiisqueblanditiisque orig. blandiciisque⌉ et ceteris talibus artibus, verum sedulo agendo et ms 2 bene,
ms 1 ben[...] paper damaged⌈benems 2 bene,
ms 1 ben[...] paper damaged⌉ inserviendo nullos labores, nulla pericula recusando, prospera ms 2 adversa,
ms 1 advers[...] paper damaged⌈adversams 2 adversa,
ms 1 advers[...] paper damaged⌉ aeque ferendo parare. His artibus, quibus a pueritia vel te teste assuevi, si quid profecero, bene quidem, sin minus, abunde orig. habunde⌈abundeabunde orig. habunde⌉ virtus pro praemio est. Nihil aeque orig. eque⌈aequeaeque orig. eque⌉ cupio ac te semel invisere, sed me ms 2 nunc,
ms 1 nun[...] paper damaged⌈nuncms 2 nunc,
ms 1 nun[...] paper damaged⌉ alio
fata trahunt, hodie enim aut cras omnino per equos dispositos sum ms 2 profecturus,
ms 1 p[...]fecturus paper damaged⌈profecturusms 2 profecturus,
ms 1 p[...]fecturus paper damaged⌉ ad Hispanias per Flandriam, ubi non haerebo orig. herebo⌈haerebohaerebo orig. herebo⌉ supra quam ms 2 triduum,
ms 1 triduu[...] paper damaged⌈triduumms 2 triduum,
ms 1 triduu[...] paper damaged⌉, nam res istae tanti sunt momenti, ut ex illis totus orbis,
absit
ms 2 verbo,
ms 1 v[...] paper damaged⌈verboms 2 verbo,
ms 1 v[...] paper damaged⌉
invidia, quasi dependeat,
nec enim levia aut ludicra petuntur praemia orig. premia⌈praemiapraemia orig. premia⌉, ut poeta ait.
Ut vero intelligas, quo in statu res sint, nam multa vana et ficta malis hominibus circumferuntur, adque tui et bonorum omnium, in ms 2 quorum,
ms 1 quo[...] paper damaged⌈quorumms 2 quorum,
ms 1 quo[...] paper damaged⌉ pectoribus situs est Crucifixus
quique genua sua nondum incurvarunt ante Baal
, consolationem haec accipe brevibus. Anno superiore, ms 2 postquam,
ms 1 postq[...] paper damaged⌈postquamms 2 postquam,
ms 1 postq[...] paper damaged⌉ caesar Thurcarum recessit ex Hungaria, misit serenissimus ms 2 Rhomanorum,
ms 1 Rhoma[...] paper damaged⌈Rhomanorumms 2 Rhomanorum,
ms 1 Rhoma[...] paper damaged⌉, Hungariae, Bohemiae rex Ferdinandus per viam Rhagusii ms 2 Hieronymum,
ms 1 Hieronym[...] paper damaged⌈Hieronymumms 2 Hieronymum,
ms 1 Hieronym[...] paper damaged⌉ de Zara equitem, bonum et strenuum virum et variarum linguarum ms 3 peritia,
ms 2 periti[a] stain,
ms 1 perit[ia] paper damaged⌈peritiams 3 peritia,
ms 2 periti[a] stain,
ms 1 perit[ia] paper damaged⌉ adhaec longo usu apud Thurcas dignum admiratione. Hic in eo statu ms 2 res,
ms 1 re[...] paper damaged⌈resms 2 res,
ms 1 re[...] paper damaged⌉ apud Thurcas invenit, ut de honorifica pace iam tractarit, non ms 2 tamen,
ms 1 t[...] paper damaged⌈tamenms 2 tamen,
ms 1 t[...] paper damaged⌉ definitive cum Ferdinando rege neque aspernatus sit Thurca Karolum etiam caesarem in ea comprehendi, modo vellet. Proinde missus ms 2 est,
ms 1 es[...] paper damaged⌈estms 2 est,
ms 1 es[...] paper damaged⌉ ab eodem Thurcarum caesare huc ex zawssis ipsius unus, qui aliquando ms 2 apud,
ms 1 ap[...] paper damaged⌈apudms 2 apud,
ms 1 ap[...] paper damaged⌉ vos fuit, rescitum, verane orig. vera ne⌈veraneverane orig. vera ne⌉ proposuisset Hieronymus. Ego tunc ms 2 Viennae,
ms 1 Vienn[...] paper damaged⌈Viennaems 2 Viennae,
ms 1 Vienn[...] paper damaged⌉ eram cum reverendissimo domino Lundensi nomine caesaris uterque orator. Visum est itaque caesari iam facto de iis omnibus certiori, ut fratri suo ms 2 Ferdinando,
ms 1 Ferdinand[...] paper damaged⌈Ferdinandoms 2 Ferdinando,
ms 1 Ferdinand[...] paper damaged⌉ inservirem, me conferrem Constantinopolim.
Parui, veni, vidi.
Repperi orig. Reperi⌈RepperiRepperi orig. Reperi⌉ quaedam orig. quedam⌈quaedamquaedam orig. quedam⌉ turbatiora, quam speraveram, nam mali aliquot Christiani ms 2 pro,
ms 1 pr[...] paper damaged⌈proms 2 pro,
ms 1 pr[...] paper damaged⌉ sua virili rem conati erant subvertere, quod in parte etiam fecerant. Tandem cum Imbrahimo Bassa et Aloisio Gryti, penes quos summa rerum est omnium, frequenter congressi, Deo volente, in praesentia magni ms 2 caesaris,
ms 1 caes[...]ris paper damaged⌈caesarisms 2 caesaris,
ms 1 caes[...]ris paper damaged⌉ Thurcarum conclusimus firmam et honestam et longam pacem inter praefatum magnum caesarem et Ferdinandum regem, ipsorum regna ms 2 et,
ms 1 e[...] paper damaged⌈etms 2 et,
ms 1 e[...] paper damaged⌉ dominia. Conclusa est autem haec pax vicesima tertia orig. vicesimatertia⌈vicesima tertiavicesima tertia orig. vicesimatertia⌉ Iunii in cubiculo praefati magni caesaris in praesentia ipsius et trium bassarum summorum (ms 2 nam,
ms 1 na[...] paper damaged⌈namms 2 nam,
ms 1 na[...] paper damaged⌉ quartus, paulo antequam venirem, obierat diem) Hieronymo et Cornelio ms 2 agentibus,
ms 1 ag[...] paper damaged⌈agentibusms 2 agentibus,
ms 1 ag[...] paper damaged⌉.
De cuius pacis condicionibus orig. conditionibus⌈condicionibuscondicionibus orig. conditionibus⌉ haec orig. hec⌈haechaec orig. hec⌉ habe: durabit non per quattuor vitas, ut vestra, quam conclusit Opalynsky, ms 2 sed,
ms 1 [...] paper damaged⌈sedms 2 sed,
ms 1 [...] paper damaged⌉
UUB, H. 154, f. 120v
in perpetuum, donec enim ipsam Ferdinandus rex servaverit et sui heredes et successores, tamdiu eam domus Othomanna iuravit servare omni sine fraude et sedatis etiam minimis incursionibus. Aliam enim et firmiorem nobiscum servare promisit, quam cum aliis, puta cum Venetis et vobiscum. Ita locutus est ore suo et ipse caesar, et Imbrahimus Bassa, quorum caesar Ferdinandum in filium, Imbrahimus Bassa in fratrem suscepit. Quaecumque habet Ferdinandus, retinet et retinebit sine ullo tributo soluto aut solvendo, aut ulla angaria qualicumque. De toto autem regno Hungariae assequendo spes illi non parva facta est. De qua spe neque Lasky vester, neque quisquam praeter quattuor, inter quos Hieronymus de Zara et Cornelius Duplicius Scepperus duo sunt, quicquam omnino novit. Scio, quid scribatur, quid dicatur, sed veritas orig. vaeritas⌈veritasveritas orig. vaeritas⌉ elucebit et qui habet aures audiendi, audiat,
qui autem sordet, sordescat,
adhuc prope est enim iudicium ipsius, et perdet Deus sapientiam sapientum, et prudentiam prudentum confundet. Pollicetur caesar Thurcarum auxilia Ferdinando filio suo adversus quoscumque.
Haec orig. Hec⌈HaecHaec orig. Hec⌉ est summa rerum neque plus, neque minus est. Ego numquam credidissem hanc gentem iis condicionibus orig. conditionibus⌈condicionibuscondicionibus orig. conditionibus⌉ venturam ad pacem, venit tamen. In qua re nihil nisi voluntas Dei intermedium fuit, neque enim ibi quicquam valet dexteritas, eloquentia, prudentia, adulatio, blanditiae orig. blandiciae⌈blanditiaeblanditiae orig. blandiciae⌉ nec subtilitas, sed mera voluntas barbara, nec locum habent ibi parva logicalia, nec Petrus Hispanus, nec „Rhetorica” Tullii, Bartoldi aut Augustini Dat... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉hi overwritten⌈hihi overwritten⌉, sed sic volo, sic iubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas. Itaque ex mera ipsorum voluntate hanc pacem dedere. In qua adhuc poterit Karolus caesar contineri, si volet, nam priore hac vice de se nullam voluit mentionem fieri.
Quaeres orig. Queres⌈QuaeresQuaeres orig. Queres⌉, quid mihi videatur aut quae res potest illos impulisse. Dicam: ms 2 ipsi,
ms 1 ips[...] hidden by binding⌈ipsims 2 ipsi,
ms 1 ips[...] hidden by binding⌉ fatentur se centum triginta milia hominum superioris anni expeditione amisisse, rediere sine praeda, sine gloria. Animi Graecorum orig. Grecorum⌈GraecorumGraecorum orig. Grecorum⌉ et ceterorum Christianorum erecti sunt ad res novas. Tagmats Sophy Ismahelis filius urget ab Asia. Ad eum transfugiunt nullo non die multi janitzari. Numquam credidissem tam parvas vires esse magni illius hostis. Atque ego eas esse scio et vidi, et iterum dico: scio.
Dum expediti essemus iamque urbs Coron in Peloponneso extrema penuria laboraret, quam terra marique obsessam per novem menses tenuerant, subito advenit Andreas de Auria cum parte classis caesareae (nam viginti triremes Hispanae nondum advenerant) sextaque die Augusti per mediam classem Thurcarum profectus nulla navi amissa in civitatem venit. Septima die sanzachus Moreae solvit obsidionem terrestrem. Octava die Graeci orig. Greci⌈GraeciGraeci orig. Greci⌉, qui cum Hispanis Corone erant, eos insecuti magna strage affecere. Urbe firmata impositoque novo praesidio et commeatu rediit Andreas classe Thurcarum, quae in duplo maior erat, ms 2 nu{n}squam,
ms 1 nus[quam] paper damaged⌈nu{n}squamms 2 nu{n}squam,
ms 1 nus[quam] paper damaged⌉ comparere audente, sed munitissimis locis se continente, felix et victor. Haec sunt, quae te scire volui, et haec vera sunt, quare lauda Dominum et
brevi videbis interitum Bestiae.
Pontifex maximus, incertum quibus de causis, confert se non Nicium Provinciae, sed Massiliam ad regem Francorum. Deus sit illi iustus iudex. Qui te, matrem, sorores, propinquos et affines et fratres diu servet incolumem, quibus omnibus cupio ex animo commendari. Reverendissimus dominus Lundensis se Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae plurimum commendat, cui ulteriorem scribendi provinciam relinquo, nam ego ad postas.
Iterum vale, Domine et pater honorandissime. Scribe, scribe, nam ms 2 intra,
ms 1 int[...] hidden by binding⌈intrams 2 intra,
ms 1 int[...] hidden by binding⌉ tres menses iterum hic sum futurus. Rursus vale.
Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Viennae, octava die Octobris anno XV-c XXXIII-o.
Eiusdem Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae addictissimus inservitor et filius Cornelius Duplicius