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Letter #1757

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to Sigismund I Jagiellon
Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-[12]-01

English register: Dantiscus is surprised and worried that with regard to the court case against Jan Rabe concerning the theft of two horses, Prussian subject Jerzy Loka has appealed the voivode court’s verdict directly to the judges of the royal court of justice, bypassing the level of the Prussian Council. He asks the king to intervene in defense of the legal appeal procedure, pointing out that the king himself established this law.


Manuscript sources:
1rough draft in Latin, autograph, BCz, 244, p. 285

Prints:
1CEID 1/1 No. 88, p. 363-364 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Serenissime Invictissimeque Rex et Domine, domine clementissime. Humillimam perpetuae fidei et servitutis meae commendationem.

Quod toties litteris meis Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram interpello, querelae Royal Prussia (Prussia Regalis), region, part of Prussia annexed to the Kingdom of Poland in 1466 under the provisions of the Second Peace of Thorn⌊hicRoyal Prussia (Prussia Regalis), region, part of Prussia annexed to the Kingdom of Poland in 1466 under the provisions of the Second Peace of Thorn⌋ quorundam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae efficiunt subditorum, quibus me hic cum Council of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌊aliis dominis consiliariisCouncil of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌋ in ordine consilii Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae praefecit. Quo fit, ut omnia, quae hic [a]licuius momenti ante Provincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌊conventum nostrumProvincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌋ geruntur, ad me in primis deferantur, ut ea, si necessitas exposcat, per me Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae significentur. Accidit itaque hic casus superiore anno, quod nobili Georg Locka ⌊Georgio LockaGeorg Locka ⌋ duo equi a nobili Johann Rabe (fl. 1537-1543), subject of duke Albrecht von Hohenzollern (HARTMANN 1525-1550, No. 883)⌊Ioanne RabeJohann Rabe (fl. 1537-1543), subject of duke Albrecht von Hohenzollern (HARTMANN 1525-1550, No. 883)⌋ ob quasdam inter se causas sint recepti, et ad iudicium palatinatus, sub quo res acta est, adducti, ubi tum per Georg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński) (*1469 – †1546), 1503-1512 Chamberlain of Marienburg (Malbork); 1512-1546 Voivode of Marienburg (PSB 1, p. 377)⌊palatinumGeorg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński) (*1469 – †1546), 1503-1512 Chamberlain of Marienburg (Malbork); 1512-1546 Voivode of Marienburg (PSB 1, p. 377)⌋ ea, quae sunt iuris, feruntur ad eam controversiam decreta. Quibus Georg Locka ⌊Georgius LockaGeorg Locka ⌋ non innitens, neque, ut per sanctiones et constitutiones hic Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae observari solitum est, ordinem prosequens, quod videlicet, si quis in sententia vel Georg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński) (*1469 – †1546), 1503-1512 Chamberlain of Marienburg (Malbork); 1512-1546 Voivode of Marienburg (PSB 1, p. 377)⌊palatiniGeorg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński) (*1469 – †1546), 1503-1512 Chamberlain of Marienburg (Malbork); 1512-1546 Voivode of Marienburg (PSB 1, p. 377)⌋, vel cuiuscunque iudicii gravatum se sentiat, ad consiliarios Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae pro tempore hic Provincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌊conventusProvincial Diet of Royal Prussia ⌋ appellet[1], nescio quibus modis a cancellaria, contra Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae constitutiones hic factas et tam diu observatas, citationem adversus Johann Rabe (fl. 1537-1543), subject of duke Albrecht von Hohenzollern (HARTMANN 1525-1550, No. 883)⌊Ioannem RabeJohann Rabe (fl. 1537-1543), subject of duke Albrecht von Hohenzollern (HARTMANN 1525-1550, No. 883)⌋ ad Diet of Poland ⌊conventum PetricoviensemDiet of Poland ⌋ proximum obtinuit. Quod cum sit contra hic iuris nostri constitutionumque Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae ordinem, pro debito et officio meo [c]um Council of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌊aliis dominis [c]onsiliariisCouncil of Royal Prussia the most important local authority in Royal Prussia. It consisted of two bishops (of Ermland (Warmia), who served as the Council’s president, and of Kulm (Chełmno)), three voivodes (of Kulm, Marienburg (Malbork), and Pomerania), three castellans (of Kulm, Elbing (Elbląg), and Gdańsk (Danzig)), three chamberlains (of Kulm, Marienburg, and Pomerania), and representatives of the three Great Prussian Cities – Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (ACHREMCZYK 2016, p. 17-18)⌋ Serenissimae Maiestatis [Vestra]e, qui ob id ad me scripserunt, humillime supplico, ut eam citationem retractare causamque ipsam Royal Prussia (Prussia Regalis), region, part of Prussia annexed to the Kingdom of Poland in 1466 under the provisions of the Second Peace of Thorn⌊ad harum Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae terrarumRoyal Prussia (Prussia Regalis), region, part of Prussia annexed to the Kingdom of Poland in 1466 under the provisions of the Second Peace of Thorn⌋ consuetum iudicium processumque eiusdem remittere dignetur, deincepsque non consentire, quod cf. Lucil. 1350 fr. 514 Marx = XV fr. 510 Krenkel, in: Nonius 22 9 insanum hominem et cerebrosum ⌊factiosi cerebrosique hominescf. Lucil. 1350 fr. 514 Marx = XV fr. 510 Krenkel, in: Nonius 22 9 insanum hominem et cerebrosum ⌋ ad eum modum ex iudiciis hic Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae ad Diet of Poland ⌊Regni conventusDiet of Poland ⌋ quempiam evocent et extra limites iurium hic observatorum et constitutionum Serenisssimae Maiestatis Vestrae protrudant. Quo id, quod semel Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae placuit, suum legitimum ordinem obtineat et vigorem. Cui me supplicissime commendo, dominus Deus eandem Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram quam diutissime sospitet prosperetque in omnibus.

[1 ] si quis in sententia vel palatini, vel cuiuscunque iudicii gravatum se sentiat, ad consiliarios Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae pro tempore hic conventus appellet. Doubtless Dantiscus is referring to the constitutions granted to Royal Prussia by King Sigismund I after the secularization of the Order in Gdańsk in 1526. However, he does not actually quote clauses 3 and 4 which concern appeals, but only summarizes them (print e.g. in cf. CIP 1/4/1 No. 78, p. 232-239, § 3, 4 – p. 234-235 ⌊CIP, No. 78, Constitutiones terrarum Prussiae, p. 232-239, § 3, 4 – p. 234-235cf. CIP 1/4/1 No. 78, p. 232-239, § 3, 4 – p. 234-235 ⌋). The new version of the Gdańsk constitutions (print: cf. LENGNICH No. 76, p. 193-198 ⌊Lengnich, doc. No. 76, p. 193-198cf. LENGNICH No. 76, p. 193-198 ⌋), drawn up at the springtime assembly of 1537 and presented to Sigismund I, was not yet approved at this time; in any case, it did not introduce any important changes with respect to the regulation cited here