Letter #2064
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESEWartenburg (Barczewo), 1539-01-27
English register:
Dantiscus informs Giese about the many letters from Cracow he received the day before. Contrary to expectations, he did not find in them any mention of the matter of storing the tax money. He supposes the reason is the preliminary consent to put it off until the next Diet [of Royal Prussia]. However, this consent is conditional on the [Prussian] lords’ letter reaching the [royal] court in time.
Dantiscus complains about the stance of most of the Prussian Council, and especially the Thorn (Toruń) Town Council and the Pomeranian Voivode [Jerzy Konopacki (Georg von Konopat)], who is saying publicly that he knew nothing of the memorandum sent to the court from the Graudenz (Grudziądz) Diet.
Dantiscus is putting off discussing many other issues until he and the addressee meet in person.
Dantiscus believes [Prussian] affairs are not going well. At the ongoing [Crown] Diet in Cracow, they are working on burdening the residents of [Royal] Prussia with new costs and making them equal in everything to the residents of the Kingdom [of Poland].
Fabian Wojanowski (Damerau), who arrived recently, has given Dantiscus a reply from the Queen [Bona Sforza] who, as before, considers him responsible for everything that is going on in Prussia and accuses him of getting a message written to the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon] from the [Royal Prussian] Diet without the others’ consent. According to the Queen, no one [in Royal Prussia] besides the Voivode of Pomerania and the [Starost] of Strasburg in Preusen (Brodnica) [Mikołaj Działyński] shows any concern for royal interests and authority. However, Dantiscus has received a message, written on the King’s behalf, not to take these opinions to heart.
Following the majority’s example, Dantiscus intends to send the tax money to Marienburg (Malbork) soon, and advises others to do the same. He thinks, however, that the [Prussian] lords should describe the whole matter to the King, asking that he order the next Diet to take a serious approach to the settlement of accounts, thanks to which it will be clear how much has been paid by whom, and it will be possible to ease the conflicts between the nobility and the burghers over beer brewing.
Dantiscus reports that a decision was made at the Cracow Diet of the Kingdom [of Poland] regarding defence against the Turks. The costs are also to be borne by the clergy and residents of [Royal] Prussia from both estates.
Having read Giese’s latest letter, Dantiscus advises him not to write to the King on behalf of the Prussian lords, because he will incur the court’s displeasure. In his view, the letter needs to be written anew in accordance with the advice of the Castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig) [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)], and the towns should be notified of it as quickly as possible. The money already collected should be sent to Marienburg immediately. The blame for this state of affairs lies solely with the Voivode of Pomerania.
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Reverendissimo in Christo Patri et Domino, domino Tidemanno Dei gratia episcopo Culmensi, fratri et amico carissimo ac honorando
Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, frater et amice carissime et honorande.
Salutem et fraterni amoris commendationem etc.
Pridie nuntius iste meus ex aula rediit, litteras quidem attulit non paucas, verum in illis de pecuniarum contributionis collectae depositione ne verbum. Cum tamen ea de re plurima et copiose scripseram, causam esse reor primum consensum et quod ob eum reliqua silentio involvantur. Unde coniector, si litterae dominorum per Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam conceptae tempori adessent, quod in aula dilationem usque ad futurum conventum obtinerent. Sed quid pauci faciemus, cum maior pars a nobis desciverit, maxime autem palatinus Pomeraniae et Thoronenses. Ipse porro palatinus publice iactat de litteris ex Graudentino conventu ad aulam missis se nullam prorsus habere scientiam.
Hic multa omitto usque ad nostrum aliquando colloquium.
Res nostrae certe inclinant. Quare et nunc in conventu Regni Cracoviae de nobis agitur, ut ad nova dispendia cogamur et in omnibus pares regnicolis efficiamur. Si adhuc sapere nolumus, nostro malo etc.
Venit praeterea ad me dominus Fabianus Voynowski iis diebus, cui reginalis maiestas ad meas litteras mihi respondere iussit eadem, quae prius scripserat, quod ex me omnia procedant, quae hic fiunt, et quod ego iubeo ad serenissimam maiestatem regiam ex conventibus conscribi litteras sine aliorum consensu, et quod apud nos nemo sit, qui commodis et auctoritati regiae intendat, praeter palatinum Pomeraniae et Strosbergensem cum adhortatione, ut illa consuevit, de fide servanda etc. Scribitur tamen mihi nomine serenissimae maiestatis regiae, quod eiusmodi litterae vel nuntii me afficere non debent etc. Dominum Fabianum in reditu ad aulam digna responsione a me dimittam.
Ceterum, cum videam maiorem ordinum nostrorum partem pecuniam collectam Marienburgum misisse, intra paucos dies et mea eo ibit. Quod et reliquis censerem faciendum, ne nos pauci omni eo odio gra{va}vemus. Non tamen omittendum putarem (ut aliquid saltem pro nobis egisse videamur), quin serenissimae maiestati r[egiae] rem ipsam domini describerent, ut concepta est, rogando, ut sua maiestas rationem et calculum in futuro conventu serio tractari iuberet, quo sciri possit, quantum quisque contribuerit, et ut dissensio de coquenda cerevisia inter nobilitatem et oppidanos sopiretur. Mihi, qui impegi, ne hiscere quidem deinceps licebit etc.
Quae Cracoviae in comitiis aguntur, sic habent in summa: proposita est defensio contra Turcas. Ad eam etiam ecclesiastici trahuntur, ut iuxta bonorum qualitatem et valorem stipendarios milites alant utque ad eum modum Pruteni utriusque status se gerant. Alia omnia sunt turbulenta et dissidiis plena. Quorsum ista, paulopost docebit exitus. Si quid deinceps nactus fuero, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam non praeteribit.
Quam felicissime diutissimeque valere cupio ex animo.
Datae Wartenburg, XXVII Ianuarii MDXXXIX.
Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae deditissimus frater Ioannes episcopus Varmiensis etc. scripsit
Postscript:
Postquam nuntius meus cum iis abiisset, adfuit Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae meumque illico revocari iussi, perlectisque omnibus videor mihi plene respondisse, praeterquam ad id, ubi a Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima postulatur, ut ipsamet sola aliorum dominorum nomine serenissimae maiestati regiae scriberet. Quod ne faciat, consulo, et non abs re, omne enim, ut ego aulam nosco, in se odium converteret, verum efficiat, ut ad eum modum in litteris contentum, ne ut Amyclae tacendo pereamus, quemadmodum et dominus castellanus Gdanensis consulit, litterae iam signatae rescribantur, quod ipsum et civitatibus cum primis esset significandum. Pecuniam vero iam collectam, cum iam maior eius pars sit in Marienburgo, eo etiam co<n>ferre cogemur. Quod nullius alterius quam palatini Pomeraniae culpa accidit.
Nuntium Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae in crastinum usque continebo. Si quid aliud se mihi offeret, ut illud omnibus maturius despectis in notitiam Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae deferre possem. Quae iterum iterumque felicissime valeat etc.