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Letter #343

Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Barcelona, 1527-05-17

English register:

De Schepper received Dantiscus' ciphered letter at the moment they were preparing to set sail. His codebook was already packed in his trunk, but he could grasp the general contents. [De Schepper replaces names of persons with symbols and nicknames, to conceal the meaning of his answer.] He agrees that the [Vice-Chancellor] Balthasar Merklin von Waldkirch?] will soon fall, and expresses his contempt for the attitude of Jean Lalemand towards the Chancellor [Mercurino Gattinara].

De Schepper conveyed Dantiscus' matters to the latter. The Chancellor wants to help him but the Emperor [Charles V] does not agree. Their departure was delayed by the arrival of a messenger with news about the arrival of the Pope [Clement VII]. The Chancellor is determined to leave for Italy. He plans to return within two months. He intends to accompany the Pope [to Spain]. He has left behind most of his retinue, luggage, horses and mules. De Schepper has also dismissed his servant Ioannes, who will bring his letter to Dantiscus. He will engage him again upon his return to Spain. Meanwhile Ioannes is at the service of Louis of Praet; De Schepper also recommends his servant to Dantiscus. He will do his best to bring back the Chancellor. [Louis] of Praet visited the Chancellor [as mediator on the Emperor's behalf]. As a result, the Chancellor will visit his possessions in Italy, and will subsequently accompany the Pope on his voyage to Spain. De Schepper comments on the ships they will use for the journey. The Chancellor is in good health now. When De Schepper is back in Spain he will compensate for the departure of Dantiscus' acquaintances the count [of Montfort-Rothenfels] and [Wolfgang] Prantner. He promises to write from Genoa.

De Schepper is pleased with the victory [of Poland] over the Tatars. He is worried about bad omens, and there is also disturbing news from Turkey. The circumstances of the journey were not suitable for De Schepper to take care of the issue Dantiscus has entrusted to him. As the documents are currently enclosed in his trunk, this will have to wait until his arrival in Genoa. He will write more from the port of Palamos.

He recommends himself to Dantiscus’ paramour [Isabel Delgada] and the Vice-Chancellor.


            received Valladolid, [1527]-05-27

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 18 + f. [1] missed in numbering after f. 18
2copy in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8241 (TK 3), a.1527, f. 23-24

Auxiliary sources:
1register in English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 31, No. 214

Prints:
1DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 31, p. 29 (English register)
2CEID 2/2 (Letter No. 8) p. 70-74 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. [1] missed in numbering after f. 18

Magnifico Domino Ioanni Dantisco, regiae maiestatis Poloniae oratori, domino meo tamquam patri carissimo orig. charissimocarissimocarissimo orig. charissimo

Litterae tuae mihi redditae sunt, quo tempore omnis apparatus factus est ad navigandum. Ideoque vix cifras tuas legere potui, quandoquidem afuit orig. abfuitafuitafuit orig. abfuit libellus ille meus conscius penetralium, inclusus intra arculam, quae iam occlusa fuerat. Legi tamen utcumque et assecutus orig. assequutusassecutusassecutus orig. assequutus sum etiam nucleum legendo. Quod ad vicecancellarium encrypted vicecancellariumvicecancellarium encrypted [1] pertinet, equidem reor verum illum Icarum, ut ais, futurum. Lalmant encrypted LalmantLalmant encrypted ,[2] si hunc nostrum perdat, a quo adiutus est, profecto iam nullus est. Exposui tua omnia Argirophonti. Placet animus erga se tuus, cuperet et rei publicae provisum esse, sed quid facias, si caesar encrypted caesarcaesar encrypted [3] nolit?

Constituerat rebus et fortunis omnibus assumptis proficisci, sed postremo a tabellione ret written over tttt written over tardatus, maxime ob adventum pontificis maximi, iam non aeternum, sed ad tempus abiturus est, rediturus, uti mihi asseveravit, intra menses duos, aut prius, etiam si dictis pontifex maximus maneat. Hunc enim comitari in animo habet. Itaque res omnes hic dimittit, equos, mulos, ne uno quidem ex his secum assumpto, familiarium partem maximam, quidquid orig. quicquidquid written over aeaeidid written over aequidquidquid orig. quicquid etiam cari orig. charicaricari orig. chari secum hactenus habuit, supellectilem omnem, armariola omnia praeter orig. preterpraeterpraeter orig. preter arcam unam et lectum, et revocatam in formam mediocrem, rem culinariam.

Quae res effecit, ut et ego hunc praesentium latorem Ioannem familiarem meum mulionem a me dimiserim, ne euntibus oneri esset. Et quia mihi profecto bene inserviit, nolim illum omnino a me alienari, quippe qui cum nostro sperem me rediturum intra menses duos aut prius Barcinone(n). Id, quod cum compertum esset magnifico domino a Prato, eundem orig. eumdemeundemeundem orig. eumdem secum assumpsit ad vos usque eodem usurus, si ei videretur, ad reditum usque meum. Enimvero quia et is de profectionem in Flandriam iam pridem assumptam dubius est, an resumpturus sit, velim in hunc eventum, ut agas in the sender hand, written over zzss in the sender hand, written over zonis huius servitio, si opus tibi sit, utare, est enim fidus neque inexpers agasonicae. Ego interea dabo operam, ut hunc nostrum vobis reducam. Et fortassis erit, quod industriam ego meam interponere potero, praesertim orig. presertimpraesertimpraesertim orig. presertim cum videam hoc Palinuro imprimis opus esse rebus iam collabentibus.

Fuit hic, qui dictus est pridem, dominus Ludovicus a Flandria, dominus a Prato. Is et vices quoque suas interposuit et profecit nonnihil, cum apud hunc nihil perinde in votis sit, quam operam suam toti reipublicae accomodare. Statutum tamen est Italiam invisere et salutare limites patrios huius nostri Maiageniti, deinde comitari pontificem maximum, qui se ait in Hispanias venturum esse, eumque bonis avibus perducere in the sender hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out comitaricomitari perducere perducere in the sender hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out comitari. AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 18v Ad hoc iter praesto orig. prestopraestopraesto orig. presto est nobis oneraria navis una Genuensis, ipsi caracam vocant, et myoparo unus in the sender hand, written over oousus in the sender hand, written over o, cui brigantino inditum iam nomen est, ad consulendum fugae, si qua ex parte periculum ingruat. Ipse autem senex meliore est valetudine quam umquam orig. unquamumquamumquam orig. unquam prius.

Doleo tibi decessisse amicos tuos dominum comitem et doctorem Brandtnerum. Spero tamen me tibi propediem novam importunitatem facturum reditu meo, sed interim non sine litteris eris ex Genua Lygurum, si eo pervenerimus incolumes, scribendis. Victoria ex T in the sender hand, written over ...(?)... illegible...... illegible(?)TT in the sender hand, written over ...(?)artaris virtute vestra comparata, mihi grata est. Angit omen locustarum, cum id videam fere olim Aegypto uberrimae orig. huberrimaeuberrimaeuberrimae orig. huberrimae regioni exitio fuisse. Multo magis deterrent Turcaicae litterae quae, quod abo in the sender hand, written over ...(?)... illegible...... illegible(?)oo in the sender hand, written over ...(?)minor dicere, mutationem rerum haud dubiam portendunt.

De re tua Granatae inchoata nihil tibi satisfacere possum, cum iam pridem in sarcinas redacta fuerit, quae hinc transmittentur in Italiam, paucas illas quidem, uti dixi, sed in his tamen iam a triduo contenta sit ms. sint(!) sitsit ms. sint(!) . Ubi Genuam persolverimus aut redierimus, efficiam, rem tantulam totam ut habeas. Nam ipso in itinere longe mihi secus accidit, quam speraveram. Cum enim danda esset opera his negotiis orig. negociisnegotiisnegotiis orig. negociis, subinde defuit cubiculi commoditas, subinde visitantes et nonnumquam impedientes amici. Aliquando etiam molestia contracta, quandoque vetabat religio, quae sibi nonnihil vendicabat. Quibus omnibus factum est, ut iter maxima ex parte mihi deperierit. Reliqua ex Palamos ad te latius scribam.

Tu cura valetudinem tuam et vale meque reverendo domino vicecancellario et tuae commenda.

Ex Barcinone, XVII-a die mensis Maii anno 1527.

Tuus ex animo filius et inservitor, Cornelius Duplicius Scepperus

[1 ] Vicecancellarium (double gibbet symbol): solution of cipher based on Dantiscus’ solution of De Schepper’s use of this symbol in IDL 427

[2 ] Lalmant (arrow right symbol): solution of cipher based on Dantiscus’ solution of De Schepper’s use of this symbol preserved together with the fair copy of IDL 427

[3 ] caesar (symbol A): solution of cipher based on Dantiscus’ solution of De Schepper’s use of this symbol preserved together with the fair copies of IDL 355 and IDL 427