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Letter #2623

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI]
Heilsberg (Lidzbark), 1543-01-29

English register:

Dantiscus has handed over useful information and letters of recommendation to the royal envoy [Krzysztof Konarski]. He instructed the citizens [of Gdańsk (Danzig)] to provide the envoy with a length of Lund cloth and fifty Prussian marks. He noted that if Maciejowski’s letter on this matter produces no result, he doubts that his own efforts will have any effect. The two defendants [Barthel Brandt and Tiedemann Giese Jr] strongly object to any developments which they learn are in accordance with Dantiscus’ wishes.

At the most recent [Royal Prussian] Diet in Marienburg (Malbork), members of the [Royal Prussian] Council boldly wrote to the king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] in the two men’s defence, prompted by the chairman of the session standing in for Dantiscus [Tiedemann Giese], either feigning ignorance about the reason for the lawsuit or actually lacking any knowledge on the matter. They sent the letter to the syndic [Konrad Lagus] in such a way that it reached the king but bypassed Maciejowski. Dantiscus encloses a copy of that letter, secretly obtained by his chancellor [Nicolaus Human], who was despatched to the Diet. Dantiscus did not consent to undermining the king’s authority nor to calling the royal court distant and unusual for these lands. His request is that his protest be conveyed to the king.

The aforementioned letter praises the loyalty of the defendants to the king more than their faith. However, Dantiscus doubts they can indeed be loyal to the king, given that their faith is perverse. During the feast of Corpus Christi, they did not take part in the procession, withdrew from the city, and drew their allies away with them. He has already written enough on this subject.

He supports the departure of the castellan of Gdańsk [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)] to Denmark, provided that he can reach the destination without hardship. In the attached letter to the king, he has explained why such a journey is impossible during the harsh winter months and what he believes can be done in the meantime.

He asks to be excused from attending the upcoming Diet of the Kingdom of Poland, and also to be spared from travels and hostile people.




Manuscript sources:
1rough draft in Latin, in secretary's hand, corrections in author's hand, AAWO, AB, D.101, f. 28r-v
2excerpt in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8244 (TK 6), a.1543, f. 11r-12r

 

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

 

[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ nuntium serenissimae maiestatis regiae nobilem paper damaged⌈[m]m paper damaged⌉ Christophorum Konarsky paper damaged⌈[Christophorum Konarsky]Christophorum Konarsky paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ eius legatione in omnibus, quae [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ abunde edoctum commendaticiisque ad paper damaged⌈[ad]ad paper damaged⌉[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ a me auctum absolvi, dedi item [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ et ad eos, qui inibi non parum possunt [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ commodo illorum procurando ad hoc iter non admodum paper damaged⌈[um]um paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ proficiscatur, ut illi cum uno Lundensis panni stamine et quinquaginta marcarum nostratium pecuniola subvenirent. Quod adminiculum si non litterae Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae, quas habet, impetrabunt, nescio, si meae quid momenti habebunt. Duo enim illi citati, ubi quippiam ex meo desiderio progressum agnoverint, strenue se opponunt.

Pro quibus (quod satis mirari non possum<)> ab eo, qui pro me praesidebat, in conventu proximo Marienburgi domini consiliarii inducti, dissimulantes vel nescientes citationis causam, satis animose serenissimae maiestati regiae scripserunt. Quae litterae sic missae sunt ad syndicum, ut sic serenissimae maiestati regiae redderentur, ne de illis Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima notitiam habere possit. Quarum exemplum, quod cancellarius meus, quem ad conventum miseram, secreto nactus est, iis inclusum mitto. De quibus Ad eas me non consensisse, ut auctoritati regiae derogetur quodque superinscribed⌈quodquequodque superinscribed⌉ tribunalque regium remotum et insolens his terris dl(?) dici debeat, impense rogo, Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima protestationem ex me serenissimae maiestati regiae faciat plurimum.

In illis litteris fides erga serenissimam maiestatem regiam citatorum supra fidem superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌈supra fidemsupra fidem superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌉ commendatur. Quam in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out tamen⌈tamen Quam Quam in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out tamen⌉ neque ego admodum impugno. Quomodo autem recta et vera in principem esse debeat, cum praepostera written over e⌈eaa written over e⌉ sit et iniqua erga Deum et Eius vivum Corpus et Sanguinem? Ipsi videant on the margin, in the hand of Dantiscus⌈Ipsi videant or viderint⌈videantvideant or viderint⌉ Ipsi videant on the margin, in the hand of Dantiscus⌉. Cui, ut hostes, ne honorem exhiberent debitum, manifesto se processioni, quae illo die, utpote Corporis Christi apud omnes pios in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out fere⌈fere pios pios in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out fere⌉ Christianos solemnis est et venerabilis, se subduxerunt et alios suos complices ex illa extra urbem traxerunt. Qua in re, cum iam satis superque aliquoties scripserim, nulla affectione, sed conscientia et fide mea erga serenissimam maiestatem regiam adactus, scripserim, finem facio.

Ceterum, quod generoso written over us⌈usoo written over us⌉ domino written over us⌈usoo written over us⌉ castellano written over us⌈usoo written over us⌉ Gedanensi profectio in Daniam sit iniuncta, non improbarem, si eam commode transigere posset. Quod qua de re hoc duro brumae tempore fieri nequeat, et quae in eo ipso(?)interim commodo superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌈interim commodointerim commodo superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌉ esse mihi visa sint pro rudi meo captu, in adiunctis serenissimae maiestati regiae descripsi.

Cui ut me, quod ad regni comiAAWO, AB, D.101, f. 28tia paper damaged⌈[tia]tia paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ ut me Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima dictatorem adhuc [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ns et plurimum oro, sunt enim in me (qu[...] hidden by binding⌈[...][...] hidden by binding⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉corrosimus(?)) maria et flumina congelata, quae [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉cio(?), non nisi ferventiore sole resolventur [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ in Dominum Deum spero serenissimam maiestatem regiam [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉m et hic amplius non ero Dominationemque superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌈queque superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌉ Vestram Reverendissimam [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉mem videbo aliquando superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌈aliquandoaliquando superinscribed, in the hand of Dantiscus⌉ cupidissime.

Quam oro, ut me habeat commendatissimum meque veteri sua benevolentia prosequi non desinit et sic me in corpore et animo affectum a superinscribed⌈aa superinscribed⌉ profectionibus et malevolis meis tueatur.

Eandem Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam ad prorogatissima tempora salvam et felicem esse ex animo cupio.

Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Heilsberg, XXIX Ianuarii 1543.