Letter #2134
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESEHeilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1539-04-14
English register:
True to Dantiscus’ earlier predictions, their fellow countrymen [the Gdańsk (Danzig) Town Council] has got into trouble, so he has advised them to refrain from responding to the latest royal mandate to the [Royal Prussian] Diet.
He has also informed them that due to the plague in Marienburg (Malbork), the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon] needs to be asked to move the session’s time and place. He wants to know Giese’s opinion on this quickly. He is prepared to send a messenger to the court if the others do not want to incur the cost. He has also defended the new [royal] chancellery before [the Gdańsk Town Council], who were complaining about it.
He sends Giese a letter from Dietrich [von Reden] from Rome (requesting its return as the opportunity arises), regarding among other things 400 ducats of the inheritance from [Mauritius Ferber].
He reports indignantly that Alexander [Sculteti’s] mistress (Alexandrina) is close to giving birth again and is still in Frauenburg (Frombork) (apud communem ecclesiam nostram), with no concern – as the daughter of a convert and the mistress of an atheist – for the aggravation. That is why Dantiscus has sent out a reaggravation and intends to finally settle the matter. He asks Giese to support his actions in this with a letter to the [Ermland (Warmia)] Chapter.
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Reverendissimo in Christo Patri, domino, domino Tidemanno episcopo Culmensi, fratri et amico carissimo et honorando
Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime et honorande .
Salutem et fraternum amorem.
Quemadmodum superioribus diebus Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae scripsi, sic cum gentilibus nostris accidit - impegerunt. Consului illis, ut cum responso ad novissimum maiestatis regiae mandatum, quod aegrius aequo ferre videntur, se usque ad conventum continerent, ne gravius irritent crabrones.
Scripsi etiam, quod novissime Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae, cum locus Marienburgi fertur infectus, ut pro alio tempore salubrior alicubi a maiestate regia per litteras peteretur. Quid ea in re Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima sentiat, cupio cum primis fieri certior. Mihi ad id, qui ad aulam mittetur, nuntius erit praesto, si alii impendere noluerint. Excusavi novam, de qua conqueruntur, cancellariam, quae regitur etc.
Accepi heri adiunctas a domino Theoderico ex Urbe, ex quibus, quomodo res 400 ducatorum ab heredibus praedecessoris mei piae memoriae perceptorum, et alia intelliget, quas per opportunitatem remittet.
Alexandrina illa apud communem ecclesiam nostram non sine nostrum omnium ignominia iam iterum, cum tot prius nothos peperit, prope partum esse fertur, non curans, cum filia Iudaei sit baptisati et athei scortum, aggravationem. Proinde et reaggravationem pridie misi, omnino usque ad postremum actum processurus. Et ne hoc in Dei et ecclesiae contemptum fiat, non parvum calcar ad abigendam hanc pestem Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima adderet, si venerabili capitulo serio et quod expediens est scriberet. Quod prudentiae pietatique Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae amicissime commendo.
Quae diu feliciter et prosperrime valeat.
Ex Heilsberg, XIIII Aprilis MDXXXIX.
Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae frater integerrimus Ioannes episcopus Varmiensis etc. scripsit