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Letter #1575

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Mauritius FERBER]
Cracow (Kraków), 1537-01-22

English register: Dantiscus is replying to three letters from Ferber. He thanks him for the news that the Warmia Chapter has elected him Ferber’s coadjutor with succession rights, and for helping him obtain this coadjutorship. He promises that upon returning (from the Diet) he will fulfill Ferber’s request concerning the election capitulations. Dantiscus informs Ferber that the provost (Paweł Płotowski) joined the Prussian gentry’s legation at the Diet. Płotowski intends to become a bishop with the gentry’s help. Wojciech Kijewski is this legation’s secretary. Johann von Werden is to inform Ferber about the speeches of Kijewski and Płotowski, which run counter to the interests of the Warmia and Chełmno dioceses. Dantiscus recounts his activities during the Diet. At the meeting of the Royal Council which he attended, the demands of the Prussian gentry were read to the king; these contradicted the promises made at the last assembly in Elbląg. The Prussian gentry’s envoys demanded from the king that he consult them when appointing lay and church officials in Prussia. After the demands were read, the king ordered that Dantiscus receive the Prussian gentry’s envoys the next day at his inn and try to reach an agreement with them. At a meeting on matters concerning Count Otto Heinrich (Wittelsbach), Dantiscus told the king in a direct conversation in German that the attempts had been to no avail. During this conversation the king strongly opposed the gentry’s demands, so Dantiscus is optimistic, despite the support that the gentry have from the queen and the Cracow voivode (Piotr Kmita). The king has entrusted Dantiscus with negotiating the issue of small towns with the Prussian gentry’s legation. The date of the swearing-in of the young king (Sigismund II Augustus) is not known yet. Some doubt whether it will take place at all. Waiting for this ceremony is the only reason why Dantiscus has remained in Cracow, as he has already spent 800 marcae. He will soon send Ferber a more extensive letter.


Manuscript sources:
1register, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8248 (TK 10), f. 378
2office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, BCz, 244, p. 185-186
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, BK, 232, p. 195-196
4copy in Latin, 18th-century, B. Ossol., 151/II, f. 147r-148r
5copy, 18th-century, BCz, 55 (TN), No. 3, p. 9-12
6register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 5r-v

Prints:
1CEID 1/1 No. 2, p. 133-136 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

BCz, 242, p. 185

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

Accepi hic a Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima ternas, primas VII Decembris datas, quibus mihi pro paterno suo in me amore et propensione declarat me in coadiutorem cum successione Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae a venerabili capitulo Varmiensi electum. Pro quo actu Deo meo, quas mortalis mea imbecillitas potest, gratias habui, ab eius divina misericordia rogans, ut, quae ad utriusque animarum nostrarum salutem pertinent, misericorditer nobis concedat. Habeo et Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae gratias immensas, quod usque ad eum finem negotium hoc promoverit. Sicque me in omnibus erga Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam geram, quod numquam paenitere poterit hoc in me beneficium contulisse. De articulis iurandis, cum Deo duce domum rediero, quemadmodum Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima consulit et praescribet, faciam omnia. Quod Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima de domino praeposito scribit, nondum intellexi quippiam illum petere de reservatione aut pensione, peteret enim frustra. Verum coniunxit se nuntiis nobilitatis, opera quorum sperat episcopari, multaque contra ecclesiam Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae et meam cum Kiiewszki, qui nuntiorum secretarius est, spinosamque hanc rhetoricam contra nos confecit, quam a domino Ioanne a Werden Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima accipiet, tractavit, neque adhuc tractare desinit. Existimo, quod iuramentum ecclesiae praestitum in se longe aliud contineat etc.

Serenissima maiestas regia iussit in consilio, nobis ad id vocatis, libellum mere famosum nuntiorum nobilitatis legi. Cuius nobis petivimus dari exemplum, non ob id, quod eis responderemus, quandoquidem nobis aliud in novissimo Elbingensi conventu promiserant, utpote se nihil contra nos conquesturos, sed ut per modum consilii serenissimam maiestatem regiam, quomodo omnia in veritate habeant, edoceremus. Iamque illa scribi iussimus. Ceterum nescimus, si ad praesens cum hoc nuntio mitti possint; si nunc non erit commoditas, erit paulopost. Post lectionem libelli iniunxit serenissima maiestas regia ipsis nuntiis, ut nobiscum postero die in meo hospitio convenirent, si forte ad aliquam inter nos compositionem res duci posset. Pridie igitur, cum in negotiis illustrissimi domini comitis palatini Ottonis Henrici ad me descriptis ad serenissimam maiestatem regiam me conferrem, quaesivit a me ultro maiestas regia vulgari Germanico, an cum nuntiis convenissemus et ad concordiam aliquid egissemus. Respondi nos quidem convenisse, verum de concordia nihil BCz, 242, p. 186 actum, neque hic agi posse, cum nuntii veri libelli contra nos articulos proposuissent praescribentes maiestati eius, quae per illam fieri velint, ms 2 3 4 totum,
ms 1 totu[m] paper damaged⌈totumms 2 3 4 totum,
ms 1 totu[m] paper damaged⌉ consilii nostri ordinem, quasdam etiam seorsum personas acriter ms 2 3 4 pungentes,
ms 1 pungente[s] paper damaged⌈pungentesms 2 3 4 pungentes,
ms 1 pungente[s] paper damaged⌉, ne scilicet maiestas eius cuiquam castra aut oppida tenenda vel dignitates, maxime ecclesiasticas, conferret, quam qui nobilis esset eisque placeret. Ad ms 2 3 4 ea,
ms 1 [ea] paper damaged⌈eams 2 3 4 ea,
ms 1 [ea] paper damaged⌉ maiestas regia Germanice inquit: das ist nicht yr ding, es virt ms 2 n(i)chts,
ms 1 n(i)ch[ts]⌈n(i)chtsms 2 n(i)chts,
ms 1 n(i)ch[ts]⌉ doraus, cum quodam haec dicens in illos stomacho, unde bona nos spes habet, quod eorum conatus, quantumvis reginalem maiestatem palatinumque Cracoviensem adiutores habeant, non omnimode succedent. Hodie iterum mane ad hospitium meum sunt venturi, quumque maiestas regia ms 2 3 4 negotium,
ms 1 negoti[um] paper damaged⌈negotiumms 2 3 4 negotium,
ms 1 negoti[um] paper damaged⌉ parvarum civitatum cum illis tractandum nobis commiserit, dabimus operam, si aliquam inter nos compositionem facere possemus etc.

Quando maiestas regia ms 2 3 4 iunior,
ms 1 iuni[or] paper damaged⌈iuniorms 2 3 4 iunior,
ms 1 iuni[or] paper damaged⌉ iurare debebit, nondum satis certum est. Quidam etiam dubitant; ista nos hic tenet expectatio cum meo magno incommodo et detrimento. Iam siquidem octingentas marcas nostras absumpsi nesciens adhuc, quo tempore hinc absolvar. Domino Deo me commisi, Ille sua immensa misericordia mihi providebit. Eius divinam precor Maiestatem, ut Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam quam diutissime pro singulari mea consolatione incolumem et felicem conservet, cuius paterno amori me summopere commendo, rogoque has extemporarias boni consulere dignetur, paulopost per proprium nuntium de omnibus diffusius scripturus.

Datum Cracoviae, XXII Ianuarii anno 1537