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Letter #1577

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Mauritius FERBER]
Cracow, 153[7]-02-02

English register: Dantiscus recounts the meeting he had the previous day with the king, the Płock bishop (Jan Chojeński) and the voivode of Pomerania (Jerzy Konopacki). The king does not intend to transfer his own prerogatives or those of the Prussian Council to the Prussian gentry. The plans of provost Płotowski will not succeed, either. Controversial issues will be considered by the king only if they cannot be resolved at the nearest Prussian diet. At this assembly, the king will be represented by the Poznań voivode (Łukasz Górka) or his son, the Poznań castellan (Andrzej Górka), and by the Inowrocław voivode (Janusz Latalski). As soon as the king has replied to the gravamina of the Prussian gentry’s envoys, Dantiscus will immediately inform Ferber of the contents of this response. He is optimistic, as he has properly explained the situation to the king. The text of the advice Dantiscus gave to the king has been sent to Ferber by Johann von Werden. Dantiscus informs Ferber that the swearing-in of the young king (Sigismund II Augustus) is planned for the next day, but in the face of adamant demands made by the Crown deputies that the reform of their rights and statutes be dealt with first, this is not certain. This situation worries the king. For security reasons, Dantiscus does not want to give the details in his letter. There are rumors that the Turkish sultan is preparing a great army in the spring, for a triple attack on Bohemia, Silesia and Austria. The war between the emperor and the king of France is becoming increasingly cruel, which does not bode well for the General Council being convened. Dantiscus sends Ferber a bulla and breve from the Gniezno archbishop (Andrzej Krzycki). Dantiscus has received a similar breve, but fears that these documents will not bring the expected effect. Dantiscus calls for prayer for the unity of Christians.


Manuscript sources:
1office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, AAWO, AB, D. 67, f. 54r-v
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 274, No. 242, p. 486-488
3excerpt in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 6-7

Auxiliary sources:
1register in German, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8248 (TK 10), f. 379

Prints:
1CEID 1/1 No. 3, p. 137-140 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

AAWO, AB, D. 67, f. 54r

Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, Domine mi observandissime. Salutem et mei commendationem plurimam.

Nactus huius nuntii oportunitatem non potui committere, quin, antequam meum, ut pollicitus sum in novissimis, mitterem, has celeritate exortas ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam darem superinscribed⌈daremdarem superinscribed⌉. Heri cum magnifico domino palatino Pomeraniae pro rerum nostrarum expeditione ad serenissimam maiestatem regiam me contuli, a qua et item a reverendissimo domino Plocensi bene sperare iussi sumus, in his primum, quae nostrae nobilitatis nuntii insolenter proposuerunt, quemadmodum Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima ex eorum articulis intellexit. Maiestas regia regi ab illis non vult, neque quod de pecuniis maiestatis eius aut iuribus nostris tam ecclesiasticis quam saecularibus se intromittant, aut quicquam de superioritate et auctoritate maiestatis eius disponant, verum quod iis, quae ad eos pertinent, et non ultra crepidam intendant, habituri, quando eis respondebitur, dignas obiurgationes. Speravit igitur frustra dominus praepositus Plotowski cum suis. Nulla vis, nullum consilium contra Deum subsistit, illius, etiam invitis malis hominibus, in omnibus fit voluntas etc.

De gravaminibus et maxime de articulis Gdani confectis reiicitur cognitio ad futurum nostrum in Prussia conventum, quo a maiestate regia, ut cum dominis consiliariis in omnibus consentiant, magnifici domini palatini Posnaniensis et Iunislaviensis, frater domini episcopi Cracoviensis, mittentur. Quod si superinscribed⌈sisi superinscribed⌉ ipsemet dominus Lucas forsan venire non poterit, pro eo succedet filius, dominus castellanus Posnaniensis. Quae de his querelis et gravaminibus in eo conventu absolvi non poterint aut componi, in arbitrium ipsius maiestatis regiae determinanda dabuntur, quae nobis suam pollicetur gratiam. Non omnes hinc, qui cum nuntiis huc venerunt, neque ipsi nuntii contenti discedent, quantumvis hic caelum terrae miscere statuissent. Quid illis serenissima maiestas regia responderi iubebit, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam cum primis non latebit. Nos illis nihil respondimus, sed maiestati regiae per modum consilii, quomodo omnia habeant, declaravimus. Cuius rei copiam per dominum Ioannem a Verden Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae iam missam esse compertum habeo. Quod in rem nostram reliquum erit tractandum et agendum, Deo bene favente non omittemus. De quibus, quod prius scripsi, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam per nuntium meum, quem hinc futura septimana recta ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam missurus sum, certiorem reddam etc.

Nova hic prorsus nulla. Cras maiestas regia iunior iurare deberet, sic enim maiestas regia senior statuit. Quod tamen adhuc incertum est et creditur in hoc conventu non successurum propter eas, quas nuntii Regni cum suis complicibus moverunt, turbas. Qui omnino contendunt, ut iura et sta AAWO, AB, D. 67, f. 54v tuta eorum prius reformentur. Quae res serenissimae maiestati regiae non parum curarum et difficultatis ingessit. De iis tutius erit loqui coram, quam ut calamo committi possint etc.

Fertur Turcam maximas parare copias pro vere tripartitoque exercitu statuisse Boemiam, Slesiam et Austriam ingredi. Utinam dominus Deus crudeles eiusmodi conatus per suam misericordiam frustretur. De caesare et Gallo hic nihil certi auditur, quam quod inter eos bellum hoc intestinum recrudescat, unde quomodo concilium colligi debeat, non video. Reverendissimus dominus archiepiscopus Gnesnensis hoc mihi ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam dedit breve. Dedit mihi et simile. Mitto et bullam. Vereor, ne montes parturiant. Rogandus est a nobis omnibus Deus Omnipotens hidden by binding⌈[otens]otens hidden by binding⌉, ut tandem Christianismo et Christianis, quo ad caulas, unde digressi hidden by binding⌈[i]i hidden by binding⌉ sunt, redire tandem valeant, gratiam suam impartiatur. Cui Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam hidden by binding⌈[mam]mam hidden by binding⌉ ut Dominum et Patrem meum observandi hidden by binding⌈[di]di hidden by binding⌉ssimum in valetudine prospera quam diutissime felicem commendo.

Ex Cracovia, II Februarii anno 1537 hidden by binding⌈[7]7 hidden by binding⌉