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Letter #246

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigismund I Jagiellon
Toledo, 1525-06-01


Manuscript sources:
1office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, BNW, BOZ, 2053, TG 6, No. 570, f. 36r-vBNW, BOZ, 2053, TG 28, No. 3596, f. 92r-93rBNW, BOZ, 2053, TG 28, No. 3645, f. 154r-v
2copy in Latin, 16th-century, AGAD, LL, 23, p. 294-296
3copy in Latin, 16th-century, BJ, 6557, f. 151v-153r
4copy in Latin, 16th-century, B. Ossol., 177/II, f. 225r-226v
5copy in Latin, 16th-century, BK, 213, a.1525, No. 22, p. 346-348
6copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 37 (TN), No. 54, p. 271-274
7copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 274, No. 125, p. 188-189
8copy in Latin, 19th-century, MHMT, former BJ, Przyb. 15/52, f. 200r-201v
9register with excerpt in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8241 (TK 3), a.1525, f. 15r-v

Prints:
1AT 7 a.1525, No. 37, p. 269-271 (in extenso)
2Sumariusz No. 1047, p. 123 (Polish register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Serenissima Maiestas Regia et Domine, Domine clementissime. Post humillimam perpetuae meae servitutis commendationem.

Cum mihi hic litterae Maiestatis Vestrae Serenissimae 4 mensis praeteriti essent redditae, altero die subinde, quantum temporis angustia admisit, Laconice scripsi pollicitus, cum primis me de omnibus copiosius scripturum, quod tamen in praesens praestare nequeo, cum propter postae celerem abitionem, tum etiam, quod nuntius is, qui iturus est, aliquid incertitudinis mihi habere videtur, ea itaque, quae quantocius in notitiam Maiestatis Vestrae Serenissimae pervenire cupio, paucis perstringam. Superiore die fui cum domino Mercurino Arborio di Gattinara (*1465 – †1530), humanist, jurist, trusted and influential advisor to Charles V; 1501 entered the service of the Habsburgs as legal counsel to Duchess Margaret of Austria, 1504 advisor and President of the Privy Council of Margaret of Austria, after the governoship of the Netherlands was entrusted to her, 1518 Grand Chancellor of Castile and later of Charles V as Roman Emperor, 1529 Cardinal of St. Giovanni a Porta Latina (after the death of his wife, Andreetta Avogadro) (DE VOCHT 1961, p. 12; CE, vol. 2, p. 76-80)⌊magno cancellarioMercurino Arborio di Gattinara (*1465 – †1530), humanist, jurist, trusted and influential advisor to Charles V; 1501 entered the service of the Habsburgs as legal counsel to Duchess Margaret of Austria, 1504 advisor and President of the Privy Council of Margaret of Austria, after the governoship of the Netherlands was entrusted to her, 1518 Grand Chancellor of Castile and later of Charles V as Roman Emperor, 1529 Cardinal of St. Giovanni a Porta Latina (after the death of his wife, Andreetta Avogadro) (DE VOCHT 1961, p. 12; CE, vol. 2, p. 76-80)⌋ apud ⌊maiestatem caesaream⌋, cui Maiestatis Vestrae Regiae et Reginalis litteras reddidi, exponens quantum potui accuratius haec, quae mihi fuerant iniuncta. Inveni maiestatem caesaream affectam votis Maiestatis Vestrae Serenissimae illique plurimum gratum esse, quod Maiestas Vestra Serenissima de expeditione cum domino doctore Borgk missa fuerit contenta. Ceterum quae consensum matrimonii spectarent, consiliariis suis revidenda se commissuram et in omnibus, ubi Maiestati Vestrae Serenissimae gratificari posset, se non vulgarem operam daturam. Haec fuit summa responsi. Postea a me nihil fuit omissum ad istiusmodi negotiorum expeditionem, de quibus multa forent scribenda. Rem tandem cum consensu illac perduxi, quemadmodum ex illius copia, quam his inclusam mitto, videbitur. Alia etiam, quae mihi erant demandata, quam habuerint expeditionem ex decretationibus, quas cum primis sum missurus, cognoscentur. Omnia ad forum iudiciale remittuntur, promittiturque, quod omne id, quod iuris est, fieri debet; ulterius non potui, saltem ne in consensu mihi aliqua, quam timebam, fieret difficultas, clausulae, quae sunt in illo, sunt communes et generales, solentque sic dari, et hic a stilo cancellariae ne latum quidem per unguem disceditur. Alia quae hic aguntur, sic habent. Fuit hic orator captivus regis Galliae captivi, qui inter multa alia obtulit maiestati caesareae regem suum dominam Leonoram, reginam Portugaliae, sororem caesareae maiestatis ducturum coniugem et illum summam pecuniarum, quantum esset possibile pro redemptione daturum, de provinciis vero domui Burgundiae ablatis et a regno Franciae possessis nihil posse restitui. Ad quod fuit illi responsum: Leonoram iam esse desponsatam domino duci Borbonensi, redemptionem pecuniariam fieri non posse et si ea, quae de domo Burgundiae possidentur, bonis mediis non restituerentur, id aliquando vi futurum. Sic ille absolutus et non parum animo consternatus discessit. Sunt etiam hic alii duo oratores, de quibus prius scripsi, praeter tertium regis Angliae, qui iam hic agit a biennio. Illi a rege suo caesari maria et montes pollicentur, quibus tamen hic non omnino creditur. Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊Maiestas caesareaCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ certo in Italiam profectionem parat. Nihil aliud quam nervus deest, qui omnibus modis quaeritur; itaque hic in Toledo (Toletum), city in central Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, on the Tagus (Tajo) river⌊ToletoToledo (Toletum), city in central Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, on the Tagus (Tajo) river⌋ non diu sumus immoraturi. Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊Maiestas suaCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ ad alia regna se etiam conferet, utpote Kingdom of Valencia⌊ValentiamKingdom of Valencia⌋, Kingdom of Aragon (Aragonia), region in northeastern Spain, until 1479 the Kingdom of Aragon⌊AragoniamKingdom of Aragon (Aragonia), region in northeastern Spain, until 1479 the Kingdom of Aragon⌋ et, ut aliqui dicunt, Granada (Granata), city in southern Spain, Andalusia, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains⌊GranatamGranada (Granata), city in southern Spain, Andalusia, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains⌋ pro conquirendo viatico. Nos vero in hoc inferorum aestu cum eo peregrinabimur, et plus solito pecuniarum exponemus, de quibus mihi adhuc a Maiestate Vestra Serenissima nullus modus datus est; eaque de re non parum animi pendeo a The Fuggers German family of merchants and bankers that dominated European business during the 15th and 16th centuries⌊FuccarisThe Fuggers German family of merchants and bankers that dominated European business during the 15th and 16th centuries⌋ ad meam fidem in mutuum accipiendo. Spero tamen in horas, quemadmodum Maiestas Vestra Serenissima mihi scribendum commisit de his curis resolutionem. Cui me humillime, ut domino meo clementissimo, commendo.

Postscript:

Nolui etiam Maiestatem Vestram Serenissimam latere, quod ducis Moscorum nuntii hinc rursus propediem expediuntur. Impenditur illis quolibet die a caesare pro victu ad numerum quindecim ducatorum. Nuntii isti numquam in aliorum oratorum consortium venerunt, domi semper ebrii, ut istius gentis mos est. Caesar pro honore suo, quod huc videntur tam remoti nuntii ad eum venire sic decenter et tantis illos expensis tractat, aliam certe causam non invenio.

Ex instinctu domini Anthonii de Comitibus omnino sperat, quod possit pacem certam inter Maiestatem Vestram Serenissimam et illorum principem conficere; velit enim illius maiestas, quod sua opera apud omnes pax haberetur, quam tamen hic nondum video. Proficiscitur itaque dominus Anthonius de Comitibus iterum cum illis in Moscoviam et in rem Maiestatis Vestrae Serenissimae maria et montes mihi pollicetur confiditque omnino, se commodam pacem utrisque partibus confecturum, illi ut exuli Patavino istiusmodi non obsunt legationes. Petiit me, ut illum Maiestati Vestrae Serenissimae summopere commendarem et operam eius in hac differentia componenda pollicerer. Maiestas Vestra Serenissima pro sua incomparabili prudentia omnia sine dubio recte moderabitur. Sed de his cum primis latius; referetur enim mihi omne id, quo haec expeditio fiet.

Scriptum mihi fuit a domino Ludovico Aliphio, quod Mediolanum quendam misisset ad viceregem pro omnium rerum status Barensis expeditione. Ab illo mihi huc fuit scriptum, quod de arce Barensi vicerex difficilem se fecisset et deinde collaterale consilium decrevisset, quod pars nostra partem adversam deberet ad sublationem sequestri vocare, unde hic observatorias, quemadmodum prius hic fuit nostris expeditionibus commissum, impetravi et quod ab hoc sequestrum interesse habentes non nostra pars, sed collaterale consilium vocare debeat. Quas litteras cum aliis ad dominum Ludovicum praesentibus transmisi, is ut reor Maiestati Vestrae Serenissimae et aliarum litterarum copias transmittet, ex quibus omnia latius, quam ad hanc temporis angustiam scribi potest, intelliget.