CIDT&C Corpus of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence

Letter #1781

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI]
Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-11-16

English register: Dantiscus is replying to Maciejowski’s letter. He thanks him for his efforts on behalf of Fabian (Wojanowski) and asks him to continue them. The grounds for his faith in their success are that the queen, despite earlier plans to give the canonry to the son of the Pomerania voivode (Rafał Konopacki), is in favor of Wojanowski, while the Cracow bishop (Jan Chojeński) gave Dantiscus hope in his last letter that he would not use the document of Dantiscus’ resignation from the Warmia canonry in favor of Stanisław Hozjusz. Dantiscus informs Maciejowski that he has sent his brother Bernard to Chojeński in connection with this matter, and if Bernard should obtain Chojeński’s consent, he is prepared to send immediately Dantiscus’ document of resignation in favor of Wojanowski to Rome. Dantiscus writes he resigned with great pleasure from the parish in Gołąb in favor of Maciejowski, and in his desire to repay him even more, he is transferring to Maciejowski his income from the parish from this year, to the sum of 100 ducats. He adds that his belief in Maciejowski’s goodwill is based on the recommendation Nipszyc sent him in a letter. Dantiscus asks Maciejowski to inform him if any slander about Dantiscus from his enemies in Malbork should reach the royal court again.

Manuscript sources:

1	office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, BCz, 244, p. 287 (t.p.)
2	register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 65r-v

Prints:

1	CEID 1/1 No. 61, p. 294-296 (in extenso; English register)

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

BCz, 244, p. 287

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.

Ex centum aureis Hungar(icalibus), quos mihi Mikołaj Bogusz (*1492 – †1560), royal courtier; 1539 wojski of Lublin; 1542 starosta of Krasnystaw (Urzędnicy 4/4, p. 106; BOGUSZ 1909)⌊dominus BohusMikołaj Bogusz (*1492 – †1560), royal courtier; 1539 wojski of Lublin; 1542 starosta of Krasnystaw (Urzędnicy 4/4, p. 106; BOGUSZ 1909)⌋ pro festo Penthecostes[3] debet, nihil cedit Dominationi Vestrae, cum ecclesiam illam meam[4] libere Dominationi Vestrae et non gravate resignaverim, verum pro veteri meo amore et benevolentia, qua Dominationem Vestram prosecutus sum semper et quam vicissim a Dominatione Vestra sedulo sum expertus, multa debeo. Utque in eo vel ex parte solvendo sim, eos centum aureos Dominationi Vestrae oppido quam libentissime do atque dono, ut cf. Dantiscus' record Samuel MACIEJOWSKI Löbau (Lubawa) 1537-11-16, CIDTC IDT 164⌊in litteriscf. Dantiscus' record Samuel MACIEJOWSKI Löbau (Lubawa) 1537-11-16, CIDTC IDT 164⌋ ea in re iis iunctis clarius cognoscet. Et si quid magis est, quod praestare possum, cf. Sen. Ben. 5.23.2 Unde scis, nolim an ignorem, animus an facultas desit mihi? ⌊voluntas adest, modo adsit facultascf. Sen. Ben. 5.23.2 Unde scis, nolim an ignorem, animus an facultas desit mihi? ⌋. Scripserat et in eo mihi Nikolaus Nibschitz (Mikołaj Nipszyc) (*ca. 1483 – †1541), royal courtier, diplomat in the service of Sigismund I and Albrecht von Hohenzollern-Ansbach, Dantiscus' friend; from 1525 until his death an official representative of Duke Albrecht at the Cracow royal court; from 1532 royal secretary; 1519 royal envoy to Albrecht von Hohenzollern, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, 1525, 1526 envoy to Hungary, 1527 envoy to the Congress in Wrocław, 1531-1533, 1537 envoy to Ferdinand I of Habsburg, 1535-1537, 1540 envoy to Brandenburg, 1536 envoy to the estates of Livonia⌊dominus NibschiczNikolaus Nibschitz (Mikołaj Nipszyc) (*ca. 1483 – †1541), royal courtier, diplomat in the service of Sigismund I and Albrecht von Hohenzollern-Ansbach, Dantiscus' friend; from 1525 until his death an official representative of Duke Albrecht at the Cracow royal court; from 1532 royal secretary; 1519 royal envoy to Albrecht von Hohenzollern, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, 1525, 1526 envoy to Hungary, 1527 envoy to the Congress in Wrocław, 1531-1533, 1537 envoy to Ferdinand I of Habsburg, 1535-1537, 1540 envoy to Brandenburg, 1536 envoy to the estates of Livonia⌋, facillimeque obtinuit, quod sic in animo prius fuit destinatum et constitutum. Agat tamen cum eo Dominatio Vestra, ut sciat commendationem suam apud me et pondus et momentum habuisse, et hoc, quantumcumque sit, boni consulat.

Quod Dominatio Vestra accessioni et translationi meae congratulatur, facit id quidem pro sua virtute et summa erga me humanitate, cumque de benevolentiae in me affectu adeo certus sum, quod nihil mihi possit esse exploratius, ab ea summopere peto, ut si quid ex Marienburg (Malbork), town and castle in northern Poland, Pomeranian Voivodeship, on the Nogat river, a branch of the Vistula at its delta, the capital of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia (1309-1457), a voivodeship capital in Royal Prussia, which belonged to the Kingdom of Poland (1466-1772). Marienburg (taking turns with Graudenz (Grudziądz)) was the venue for the Provincial Diets of Royal Prussia, which were chaired by the bishop of Ermland (Warmia)⌊castro MarienburgensiMarienburg (Malbork), town and castle in northern Poland, Pomeranian Voivodeship, on the Nogat river, a branch of the Vistula at its delta, the capital of the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia (1309-1457), a voivodeship capital in Royal Prussia, which belonged to the Kingdom of Poland (1466-1772). Marienburg (taking turns with Graudenz (Grudziądz)) was the venue for the Provincial Diets of Royal Prussia, which were chaired by the bishop of Ermland (Warmia)⌋, ubi quidem sunt, qui mihi, numquam a me laesi, volunt pessime[5], ad aulam regiam aduolaverit, quod me existimationemque meam niteretur calumniari, quemadmodum pauloante ex eodem loco contra me productae erant machinae, Dominatio Vestra quantum potest me tueri, vel saltem ms. satem(!) ⌈saltemsaltem ms. satem(!) ⌉ istiusmodi molimina, quae obfecerit, in notitiam meam deducere velit, ut temporius malevolis maledicisque hominibus obiicem ms. obicem(!) ⌈obiicemobiicem ms. obicem(!) ⌉ ponere, technasque eorum irritas facere possim ms. possum(!) ⌈possimpossim ms. possum(!) ⌉. Sunt, qui ferre nequeant, cf. Mart. 7.12.8 Qui Phoebi radios ferre diemque negat? ⌊quod sol habeat radioscf. Mart. 7.12.8 Qui Phoebi radios ferre diemque negat? ⌋ etc.

Quod reliquum est, Dominacionem Vestram quam diutissime bene valere, illique omnia fausta opto ac precor.

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)⌋, XVI Novembris anno 1537.

[1] Dantiscus is exaggerating slightly when he claims that Chojeński has given him hope as to Fabian – the Cracow bishop only promised to fulfill Dantiscus’ request as to the queen, meaning he would shield him from her anger (cf. cf. Jan CHOJEŃSKI to Ioannes DANTISCUS Cracow, 1537-10-11, CIDTC IDL 3607⌊Chojeński’s letter to Dantiscus, Cracow, October 11, 1537, orig. BCz, 1595, p. 845-848cf. Jan CHOJEŃSKI to Ioannes DANTISCUS Cracow, 1537-10-11, CIDTC IDL 3607⌋).

[2] At this time, Dantiscus’ plenipotentiary in Rome was Warmia canon Dietrich von Rheden (Teodoryk Reden) (*1492 – †1556), doctor of both canon and civil law. Rheden spent most of his life in Rome where he was dealing with, among other things, the affairs of the Ermland Chapter; 1532-1551 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); Canon of Mainz and Lübeck; in 1551 he was appointed Bishop of Lübeck, but he did not accept the dignity (KOPICZKO 2, p. 263; SBKW, p. 200)⌊Dietrich von RhedenDietrich von Rheden (Teodoryk Reden) (*1492 – †1556), doctor of both canon and civil law. Rheden spent most of his life in Rome where he was dealing with, among other things, the affairs of the Ermland Chapter; 1532-1551 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); Canon of Mainz and Lübeck; in 1551 he was appointed Bishop of Lübeck, but he did not accept the dignity (KOPICZKO 2, p. 263; SBKW, p. 200)⌋.

[3] 1538-06-09.

[4] In connection with Dantiscus being postulated as Warmia bishop, King Sigismund I asked him to resign from the parish of Gołąb (Cracow diocese), of which Dantiscus was the parish priest, for the benefit of Samuel Maciejowski (cf. cf. Sigismund I Jagiellon to Ioannes DANTISCUS Tarnów, 1537-07-10, CIDTC IDL 5689⌊Sigismund I’s letter to Dantiscus from Tarnów, July 10, 1537, orig. AGAD, AZ 2999, No. 157cf. Sigismund I Jagiellon to Ioannes DANTISCUS Tarnów, 1537-07-10, CIDTC IDL 5689⌋). Jerzy Starnawski – on the basis of rather questionable sources – believes Dantiscus received the Gołąb parish in 1506 at the latest and not, as his biographers claim, in 1521 (cf. cf. STARNAWSKI 1977 p. 194 ⌊Starnawski, p. 194cf. STARNAWSKI 1977 p. 194 ⌋); Maciejowski received the presentation of the Gołąb parish on July 10, 1537 (cf. cf. DWORZACZEK 1985 p. 81 ⌊Dworzaczek, p. 81cf. DWORZACZEK 1985 p. 81 ⌋); cf. also letters cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-07-30, CIDTC IDL 1678⌊of Dantiscus to canon custos Tiedeman Giese, Lubawa, July 30, 1537cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESE Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-07-30, CIDTC IDL 1678⌋ and cf. [Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI] Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-25, CIDTC IDL 1726⌊of Dantiscus to royal secretary, Cracow and Gniezno canon Samuel Maciejowski, Lubawa, September 25, 1537cf. [Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI] Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-09-25, CIDTC IDL 1726⌋ and cf. Dantiscus' record Samuel MACIEJOWSKI Löbau (Lubawa) 1537-11-16, CIDTC IDT 164⌊Dantiscus’ document of resignation from the current year’s income from the Gołąb parish in favor of Maciejowskicf. Dantiscus' record Samuel MACIEJOWSKI Löbau (Lubawa) 1537-11-16, CIDTC IDT 164⌋. NB Z. Nowak claims that Dantiscus benefited from the Gołąb income until 1541, and that his brother Jerzy was curate there permanently (cf. cf. NOWAK 1982 p. 159 ⌊Nowak, p.159cf. NOWAK 1982 p. 159 ⌋).

[5] Perhaps Dantiscus is referring to the recent disagreements with Malbork treasurer Stanisław Kostka, as a result of which Kostka accused the Prussian Council before the king of conspiracy. The conflict was assuaged at the autumn Prussian assembly of 1536 and, contrary to the fears Dantiscus expresses here, was not renewed.(cf.cf. BODNIAK p. 283-284 ⌊Bodniak, p.283-284cf. BODNIAK p. 283-284 ⌋).