CIDT&C Corpus of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence

Letter #122

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN
[Augsburg], [1516-10-21 — 1516-10-28]

Manuscript sources:

1	fair copy in Latin, autograph, ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 19r-v

Prints:

1	CEID 2/1 No. 1, p. 67-69 (in extenso; English register)

Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus

ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 19v

Generoso domino Sigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌊Sigismundo de Herbstain[1] Sigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌋, Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊caesareae maiestatisMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋ consiliario ac oratori etc., domino observandissimo.

ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 19r

Generose Domine, commendationem plurimam.

Ioannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌊Ioannes DantiscusIoannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌋ doctor paper damaged⌈[ctor]ctor paper damaged⌉, Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌊serenissimi Poloniae regisSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌋ etc., nuntius et secretarius paper damaged⌈[rius]rius paper damaged⌉.

[1] In the early days of his correspondence with Herberstein (CEID 2/1, letters No. 1, 2, 4-6) Dantiscus uses this syncopated form of his name. In Dantiscus’ subsequent letters, the forms “Herberstain” and sometimes “Erberstain” appear. Herberstein himself usually signed his name as “Herberstain”. .

[2] We don’t know if the order for Dantiscus to remain in Augsburg was given to Herberstein orally, or if it was contained in a letter unknown to us.

[3] From the end of February 1516 to December 1517, Sigismund I was residing temporarily in Vilnius (Wilno, Vilna), city in Lithuania, on the Vilnia river, capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania⌊VilniusVilnius (Wilno, Vilna), city in Lithuania, on the Vilnia river, capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania⌋, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (see Gąsiorowski, p. 261) .

[4] The decision to entrust Herberstein with the mission to Sigismund I and Grand Duke of Muscovy Vasily III had already been made. Dantiscus worked hard to speed up the departure of the legation, the main aims of the mission being to mediate in the peace between the ruler of Poland and Lithuania and the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Muscovy, negotiating the relations between Poland and the Teutonic Order, and bringing about the Polish king’s new marriage to duchess Bona Sforza (see cf. Ioannes Dantiscus' correspondence with Sigmund von Herberstein, ed. by Marek A. Janicki, Tomasz Ososiński, Warsaw-Cracow, 2008, series: Corpus Epistularum Ioannis Dantisci 2, Amicorum sermones mutui 1, series ed.(s): Jerzy Axer, Anna Skolimowska ⌊CEID 2.1cf. Ioannes Dantiscus' correspondence with Sigmund von Herberstein, ed. by Marek A. Janicki, Tomasz Ososiński, Warsaw-Cracow, 2008, series: Corpus Epistularum Ioannis Dantisci 2, Amicorum sermones mutui 1, series ed.(s): Jerzy Axer, Anna Skolimowska ⌋, No. 11, footnote 7-8). In his letter from Augsburg dated November 19, 1516 he informed Warmia Bishop Fabian Luzjański that the imperial envoys prope diem hinc ad serenissimum dominum nostrum in re Moscica ac etiam nostra Prutena ituri sunt. However, Herberstein did not set off for Poland until early 1517 (BCz, 1594, p. 323, cf. Herberstein 1855, p. 104-109; Herberstein 1560, f. B3v, and CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 23-24, and No. 8, footnote 4).

[5] In fact, at an audience in Vilnius in early March 1517, Herberstein did tell Sigismund I about Dantiscus’ services to the emperor and his request to leave the Polish envoy in service, and Sigismund I was happy to oblige (see CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 24, and No. 8, footnote 47).

[6] For more about Dantiscus’ financial difficulties at the time, cf. CEID 2.1, No. 2 and 4-6.

[7] For more about the services rendered to the emperor by Dantiscus as an envoy of the Polish king, see CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 15-27.