ONB Cod. 13.597, f. 37v

Magnifico et 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 ErbersteinSigmund 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)⌋, consiliario potissimo serenissimi Ferdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌊arciducis AustriaeFerdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌋ etc. domino et amico plurimum mihi observando ad manus proprias. Cito, cito, cito, quia summe necessarium.

ONB Cod. 13.597, f. 37r

Magnifice Domine, amice omnium amicorum observandissime, salutem et prosperrimorum successuum perpetuum incrementum.

Litteras,[1] quas mihi Tua Magnificentia dedit nuper in Wiener Neustadt (Nova Civitas Austriae), city in eastern Austria, ca. 50 km S of Vienna⌊Nova CivitateWiener Neustadt (Nova Civitas Austriae), city in eastern Austria, ca. 50 km S of Vienna⌋, reddidi Klamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌊ClamKlamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌋,[2] sed non clam, immo manifeste.[3] Ultro hoc, quod antea expertus sum de Tua Magnificentia, uberiorem repperi fidem, quae non fuisset necessaria inter necessarios. Necessarium me dico Magnificentiae Tuae plurimis argumentis, quae nunc recensere esset supervacaneum. Venit ad me Klamm Castle stewart ⌊praefectus Magnificentiae TuaeKlamm Castle stewart ⌋ mane, dum abire decrevissem, et mihi obtulit eam Tuae Magnificentiae benevolentiam, quam semper re ipsa sum expertus. Fecit mihi nomine Vestro eum honorem, quem debuit, et in omnibus me optime habuit. Et ob illam consuetudinem, quam cum Tua Magnificentia contraxi a multis annis, non potui mihi temperare, quin castrum ascenderem et pro mea curiositate ibidem omnia viderem, prout ipse praefectus Magnificentiae Vestrae aliquando coram latius referet. Ibidem me novis affecit honoribus, qui mihi eo gratiores erant, quo illos sciebam mihi esse a meo desideratissimo esse profectas. Et qualis fuit honor, ipsae litterae et calamus ostendunt. Quapropter pro sua dudum in me concepta benevolentia nunc eas, quas possum, accipiat gratias. Aliquando, dum res meae melius habebunt, sum redditurus. Plura scriberem, obstat mihi ingens pelagus, vinum, quod mihi hoc tempore carius est quam calamus. Summa summarum vestrissimus sum et rogo, in his punctis maneat, in quibus fuit antiquitus. Commendo me Magnificentiae Vestrae plurimum.

Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Klamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌊ClamKlamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌋, sed non clam, manifestus sedi omnibus videntibus et bibentibus, 6 Iulii 1522.

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⌋ etc.

[1] Probably a letter of recommendation, supposedly written in Wiener Neustadt (Nova Civitas Austriae), city in eastern Austria, ca. 50 km S of Vienna⌊Wiener NeustadtWiener Neustadt (Nova Civitas Austriae), city in eastern Austria, ca. 50 km S of Vienna⌋ before June 18, 1522, when Herberstein went to Prague (Praha, Praga), city in central Bohemia, on the Vltava river, from the 9th century capital of Bohemia, archepiscopal see⌊PraguePrague (Praha, Praga), city in central Bohemia, on the Vltava river, from the 9th century capital of Bohemia, archepiscopal see⌋, to King Louis II Jagiellon (*1506 – †1526), 1516-1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary; son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon King of Bohemia and Hungary, killed in the battle of Mohács, and his third wife, Anne de Foix⌊Ludwig JagiellonLouis II Jagiellon (*1506 – †1526), 1516-1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary; son of Ladislaus II Jagiellon King of Bohemia and Hungary, killed in the battle of Mohács, and his third wife, Anne de Foix⌋, to complete his mission about June 29 (cf. Herberstein 1855, p. 256; Herberstein 1560, f. C3r).

[2] Klamm Castle was placed under Herberstein’s administration ( die Phleg ) in 1518 by 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⌊Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian 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⌋, as a sort of reward for completing the mission to Muscovy (Grand Duchy of Muscovy, Moscovia)⌊MuscovyMuscovy (Grand Duchy of Muscovy, Moscovia)⌋ in the previous year. The castle became Herberstein’s main residence. During the 1529 campaign, the castle fell temporarily into Turkish hands. After that, Herberstein expanded and fortified it (see Herberstein 1855, p. 132-133; Picard 1967, p. 40; Plates No.11-12).

[3] reddidi Clam, sed non clam, immo manifeste (I gave it back in Klamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌊KlammKlamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌋, not secretly however, but openly) – wordplay impossible to translate based on homonymy.