CIDT&C Corpus of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence

Letter #1708

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE
Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-1[3]

English register: Dantiscus informs Giese about the return of the royal chamberlain (Marcin Wolski) with good news (on the election of the Warmia bishop). He encloses the letters he has received for Giese’s perusal. The arrival of royal envoy Mikołaj Nipszyc in Lubawa is expected within four days. Next, Nipszyc and the royal chamberlain will go to Frombork for the designated election day. Dantiscus assures Giese that he can discuss everything safely with Nipszyc. He also encourages Giese to have Nipszyc stay at his house to facilitate contacts. Dantiscus has found out from the royal chamberlain all about the doings of his and Giese’s enemies at the royal court, but thinks they are not dangerous, since matters have been concluded successfully. In accordance with Giese’s suggestion, Dantiscus will not go to Frombork for the election, so he appoints Giese his plenipotentiary during the election and asks him to write a letter of attorney and send him a copy, and to excuse his absence to the Warmia Chapter. After the election, he invites Giese to Lubawa, for consultations on dealing with the formalities in Rome. Dantiscus is surprised at Alexander (Sculteti)’s endeavors (to secure the coadjutorship of Heinrich Snellenberg’s canonry in Warmia for Sculteti’s nephew Alexander von Suchten). Until the election, Giese should keep up Sculteti’s hopes, and in the meantime try to accomplish something with Snellenberg, because he fears that Sculteti’s new ideas about the assignation of Warmia canonries will anger the queen. Giese will find the details in the enclosed letter from Sculteti to Dantiscus. Dantiscus is greatly worried by the news of unrest and rebellion near Lvov – he fears the annulment of the war campaign could embolden the enemies. He thinks Giese’s gratitude for his goodwill is unnecessary. He thanks him for the fish.

Manuscript sources:

1	fair copy in Latin, autograph, address in secretary's hand, BCz, 244, p. 227-230
2	register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 46r-v

Auxiliary sources:

1	register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8248 (TK 10), f. 572

Prints:

1	Starożytności p. 70 (excerpt in Polish translation)
2	SIKORSKI 1968 No. 396, p. 101 (Polish register)
3	Kopernik na Warmii No. 418, p. 493 (Polish register)
4	CEID 1/1 No. 31, p. 220-223 (in extenso; English register)

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

BCz, 244, p. 230

Eximio et Venerabili Domino Tiedemann Giese (Tidemannus Gisius) (*1480 – †1550), in 1519 ennobled by King Sigismund I; 1504-1538 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); 1516-1527, 1533-1537 Judicial Vicar and Vicar General of Ermland; 1523-1538 Custos of Ermland; 1537-1549 Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno); 1549-1550 Bishop of Ermland (BORAWSKA 1984, passim)⌊Tidemanno GiseTiedemann Giese (Tidemannus Gisius) (*1480 – †1550), in 1519 ennobled by King Sigismund I; 1504-1538 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); 1516-1527, 1533-1537 Judicial Vicar and Vicar General of Ermland; 1523-1538 Custos of Ermland; 1537-1549 Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno); 1549-1550 Bishop of Ermland (BORAWSKA 1984, passim)⌋, custodi et canonico Varmiensi, Fratri et Amico carissimo ac honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌈honoran(do)honoran(do) or honoran(dissimo)⌉

BCz, 244, p. 227

Eximie et Venerabilis Domine, Frater et Amice carissime et honoran(de) or honoran(dissime)⌈honoran(de)honoran(de) or honoran(dissime)⌉. Salutem et omnem felicitatem

De cf. Dantiscus' record Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa) [1537-09-16 — 1537-09-20], CIDTC IDT 413⌊mandato ad Dominationem Vestram mittendo ratione – si erit necesse – electionis et a me dandi suffragiicf. Dantiscus' record Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa) [1537-09-16 — 1537-09-20], CIDTC IDT 413⌋ Dominatio Vestra perscribat et per hunc nuntium mittat exemplum. Accedo autem ad sententiam Dominationis Vestrae, quod opus non est, ut ego electioni intersim. Habito mandato pro me Dominatio Vestra faciet omnia, dignasque pro me in medium excusationis adferet causas, quibus absentia mea excusabitur etc.

De rebus nostris ad Rome (Roma), city in central Italy, on the Tiber river, seat of the Holy See⌊urbemRome (Roma), city in central Italy, on the Tiber river, seat of the Holy See⌋ ut inter nos conveniamus, ipsa causa postulat, proinde curet, quaeso, Dominatio Vestra, ut post electionem sub praetextu postulationis se Löbau (Lubawa, Lubavia), town in northern Poland, Kulm Land (Ziemia Chełmińska), ca. 67 km E of Graudenz (Grudziądz), the main seat of the bishops of Kulm (Chełmno)⌊hucLöbau (Lubawa, Lubavia), town in northern Poland, Kulm Land (Ziemia Chełmińska), ca. 67 km E of Graudenz (Grudziądz), the main seat of the bishops of Kulm (Chełmno)⌋ ad me conferat, quo de omnibus habunde colloqui et determinare possimus.

Quae Lviv (Lwów, Leopolis), city in Red Ruthenia, in the 14th-18th centuries in the Kingdom of Poland; today in western Ukraine⌊LeopoliLviv (Lwów, Leopolis), city in Red Ruthenia, in the 14th-18th centuries in the Kingdom of Poland; today in western Ukraine⌋ aguntur et quanta ibi hominum sit cerebrositas, temeritas atque audacia malorum, cf. Verg. A. 2. 204 horresco referens ⌊horresco, quae legi, memoranscf. Verg. A. 2. 204 horresco referens ⌋, subvereorque, quod rebus infectis omnibus in periculosoque statu relictis discedetur written over nt⌈ntturtur written over nt⌉, quo hosti maior confidentiorque animus et Regno non parum incommodi accrescet etc.

BCz, 244, p. 228 Ceterum, quod Dominatio Vestra scripsit se mihi nescio quae debere, quod ea, quae paper damaged⌈[uae]uae paper damaged⌉ debeo, facio, necessarium non fuit. Si quid, quod gratum est, feci, nihil aliud quam mutuae mihi debet benevolentiae remunerationem Dominatio Vestra. Cui pro piscibus magnam gratiam habeo paper damaged⌈[o]o paper damaged⌉, eamque felicissime valere cupio.

Ex Löbau (Lubawa, Lubavia), town in northern Poland, Kulm Land (Ziemia Chełmińska), ca. 67 km E of Graudenz (Grudziądz), the main seat of the bishops of Kulm (Chełmno)⌊castro meo LubaviensiLöbau (Lubawa, Lubavia), town in northern Poland, Kulm Land (Ziemia Chełmińska), ca. 67 km E of Graudenz (Grudziądz), the main seat of the bishops of Kulm (Chełmno)⌋, XIII paper damaged⌈[II]II paper damaged⌉ Septembris MDXXXVII

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 episcopus CulmensisIoannes 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. scripsit

[1] Marcin Wolski arrived in Lubawa from Lvov on September 12, 1537, bringing Dantiscus letters from King Sigismund I (cf. Sigismund I Jagiellon to Ioannes DANTISCUS Lviv, 1537-09-06, CIDTC IDL 5690⌊orig. AGAD, AZ 2999, No. 159), dated September 6, 1537cf. Sigismund I Jagiellon to Ioannes DANTISCUS Lviv, 1537-09-06, CIDTC IDL 5690⌋ and Vice-Chancellor Paweł Wolski (coat-of-arms Łabądź)(cf. Paweł DUNIN-WOLSKI to Ioannes DANTISCUS Lviv, 1537-09-04, CIDTC IDL 1701⌊orig. BK, 230, p. 33- 34, 36), dated September 4, 1537cf. Paweł DUNIN-WOLSKI to Ioannes DANTISCUS Lviv, 1537-09-04, CIDTC IDL 1701⌋.

[2] Mikołaj Nipszyc at the same time, from 1525, as Duke Albrecht Hohenzollern’s permanent representative at the court of Sigismund I, he mediated in disputes between the king and Albrecht concerning the interpretation of the Cracow treaty’s provisions on Albrecht’s participation in the elections of Polish kings and sessions of the senate, and the extent of the king’s judicial power over the Duchy of Prussia. Nipszyc was one of Dantiscus’ closest friends from his youth.

[3] About Warmia canons Paweł Płotowski (*ca. 1485 – †1547), in 1523, after the death of Fabian von Lusian (Luzjański), Płotowski was one of the King's four candidates for the post of the bishop of Ermland; in 1530 and 1537, after the death of Jan Konopacki (Johann von Konopat) Sr and Dantiscus' transfer to the bishopric of Ermland, he made an effort to obtain the dignity of bishop of Kulm; from 1522 Provost of the Ermland (Warmia) Chapter, and from 1523 Canon of Ermland; secretary to Crown Grand Chancellor Krzysztof Szydłowiecki, and from 1533 royal secretary and courtier; in the thirties and forties several times royal envoy to the Royal Prussian Estates (SBKW, p. 191; KOPICZKO 2, p. 249-250)⌊Paweł PłotowskiPaweł Płotowski (*ca. 1485 – †1547), in 1523, after the death of Fabian von Lusian (Luzjański), Płotowski was one of the King's four candidates for the post of the bishop of Ermland; in 1530 and 1537, after the death of Jan Konopacki (Johann von Konopat) Sr and Dantiscus' transfer to the bishopric of Ermland, he made an effort to obtain the dignity of bishop of Kulm; from 1522 Provost of the Ermland (Warmia) Chapter, and from 1523 Canon of Ermland; secretary to Crown Grand Chancellor Krzysztof Szydłowiecki, and from 1533 royal secretary and courtier; in the thirties and forties several times royal envoy to the Royal Prussian Estates (SBKW, p. 191; KOPICZKO 2, p. 249-250)⌋ and Leonard Niederhoff (*ca. 1485 – †1545), doctor of both canon and civil law, friend of Nicolaus Copernicus and executor of his will; studied in Cracow, Leipzig and Rome, where he obtained a doctoral degree; from 1511 parish priest of St. Bartholomew's Church in Gdańsk (Danzig); from 1515 Canon of Ermland (Warmia), and from 1519 Canon of Dorpat; from 1532 Dean of the Ermland Chapter; he also had a canonry in Kulm from which he resigned in 1533. In 1530, after Dantiscus' resignation, became a parish priest of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Gdańsk (KOPICZKO 2, p. 231; SBKW, p. 175)⌊Leonard NiederhoffLeonard Niederhoff (*ca. 1485 – †1545), doctor of both canon and civil law, friend of Nicolaus Copernicus and executor of his will; studied in Cracow, Leipzig and Rome, where he obtained a doctoral degree; from 1511 parish priest of St. Bartholomew's Church in Gdańsk (Danzig); from 1515 Canon of Ermland (Warmia), and from 1519 Canon of Dorpat; from 1532 Dean of the Ermland Chapter; he also had a canonry in Kulm from which he resigned in 1533. In 1530, after Dantiscus' resignation, became a parish priest of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Gdańsk (KOPICZKO 2, p. 231; SBKW, p. 175)⌋ cf. also cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-07-30, CIDTC IDL 1678⌊IDL 1678cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-07-30, CIDTC IDL 1678⌋, cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-05, CIDTC IDL 451⌊IDl 451cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-05, CIDTC IDL 451⌋, cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-28, CIDTC IDL 1728⌊IDL 1728cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-28, CIDTC IDL 1728⌋.

[4] Alexander Sculteti was trying to obtain the coadjutorship of Heinrich Snellenberg’s canonry in Warmia for his nephew Alexander von Suchten – doubtless this was to be the price for his vote for Dantiscus at the election of the Warmia bishop (cf. cf. , CIDTC IDT 1705⌊Alexander Sculteti’s letter to Dantiscus of September 8, 1537 (orig. BK, 230, p.31-32)cf. , CIDTC IDT 1705⌋).