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Letter #2001

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Sigismund I Jagiellon]
Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1538-11-26

English register:

Dantiscus has received a letter from the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon]. He sent the letters addressed to the Royal Prussian voivodes immediately to the Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno) [Tiedemann Giese]. He promises to spare no effort to fulfil the King’s will.

Dantiscus denies the accusations put forward against him [in Queen Bona Sforza’s letter] that he decided by himself that the tax money should be kept at the Thorn (Toruń) Town Hall. He reminds the King of the relevant letter of the [Royal Prussian] Council dated October 9, 1537. As the first councillor, he is sometimes forced to pass the Council’s collegial decisions on to the King. He gives assurances of his respect for royal authority and rank.




Manuscript sources:
1office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, BCz, 245, p. 107 (t.p.)
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BNF, Lat.11095, p. 85 (t.p.)
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, BK, 232, p. 119-120
4copy in Latin, 18th-century, B. Ossol., 151/II, f. 112v-113r
5copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 56 (TN), No. 39, p. 275-276
6register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1538, f. 47

Prints:
1STARNAWSKI 1995 O listach p. 27-28 (in extenso)
2CEID 1/2 No. 34, p. 151-153 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

BCz, 245, p. 107

Serenissime etc.

Accepi litteras ad me Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae unacum aliis ad harum terrarum dominos palatinos, quas evestigio ad reverendissimum dominum episcopum Culmensem misi. Satisfietque haud dubie voluntati Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae, cui me, ut consuevi semper, quoad eius fieri poterit, obsequentissimum accommodabo.

Perscriptum est ad me, quasi ego solus sim auctor, quod pecunia in usus harum terrarum pro Serenissima Maiestate Vestra contributa in praetorio Thoronensi conservari debeat. Idipsum quam verum sit, litterae consiliariorum sub harum terrarum sigillo ex conventu Graudentino IX Octobris anni Domini MDXXXVII ad Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram datae declararunt. Porro quod ego de iis Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram suppliciter commonuerim, effecit officium meum, in quod me hic Serenissima Maiestas <Vestra> statuere dignata est, cum enim consiliarii in iis terris bis dumtaxat in anno conveniant, non possunt, si quid scribendum ad Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram occurrit, omnes sub communi sigillo hoc facere, sed ad praesidentem praecipui quidam illorum scribunt, ut illud, quod necessarium videtur, nomine omnium in notitiam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae deducat. Cum itaque in hoc hic Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae consilio eum locum habeam, id quod praedecessores mei fecerunt, negare non potui.

Quod si ea de re, quae omnium consensu fit, mihi exprobrari culpaque impingi debeat soli, satius erit, ut me contineam, non tamen eam non curantiam rebus Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae commodo futuram existimo, cuius dignitatis ac auctoritatis tanta est apud me ratio atque existimatio, ut nulla de re in terris possit mihi esse maior, priusque meipsius obliviscar, quam tot in me collatorum beneficiorum Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae fieri umquam possim immemor, in eoque numquam mihi monitore opus erit, modo dominus Deus eandem Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram nobis diutissime incolumem et superstitem conservet.

Quod a divina clementia, quantum totis eniti viribus possum, orare non desino Serenissimaeque Maiestati Vestrae eiusque solitae in me gratiae supplicissime me commendo.

Ex Heilsberg, 26 Novembris MDXXXVIII.