Letter #2807
Marco de la TORRE to Ioannes DANTISCUSCracow (Kraków), 1545-03-23
English register:
Marco de la Torre wishes to receive regular information about Dantiscus’ health — good news on the matter is a relief to him in his own struggles with illness. He prays that Dantiscus live as long as possible for the good of the Catholic faith and religion, of which he is an anchor.
Heresy has spread far and wide in the [Grand] Duchy of Lithuania, but God has provided a defence in the person of Marcin Kurek (Gallinius) of Proszowice. Marco de la Torre outlines his complicated story to Dantiscus.
Ten years ago, after four years in the service of Marco de la Torre as a notary, Kurek committed theft and spent a month in a convent dungeon in Cracow. After serving his punishment he asked to be accepted into the monastic order and sent to Bohemia, but de la Torre sent him back to his parents, to confer with them about his future. Since the young man firmly stood by his requests, de la Torre sent him to study in Padua. Kurek assumed the habit there and in the course of five years made enormous progress in philosophy and theology.
Upon completing his studies, having deceived the general of the order that Marco de la Torre had recalled him to his country, he received his doctoral degree without a fee and went to Rome. There, he used deception to obtain an assignment taking him to the Bishop of Cracow [Piotr Gamrat], and with this assignment (in layman’s clothing) he came to Cracow. After finding out about this, and in accordance with regulations, Marco de la Torre ordered his arrest, but Kurek got wind of the danger and fled, wandering across the Kingdom for four years until one day, by accident, the Bishop of Płock [Samuel Maciejowski] heard him deliver a sermon and took him away to Brześć. There, he preached before the King [Sigismund I], winning great respect. He was also introduced to the King jr. [Sigismund II Augustus] and aroused in him an extraordinary eagerness to fight against dissenters from the faith and morals in Lithuania. The Bishop of Płock contacted Marco de la Torre, from whom Kurek then obtained proper absolution and a blessing for his further, now legal, pastoral activity.
Marco de la Torre thanks Dantiscus for the muscat, which he uses to treat his old body.
He promises to carry out his task when the queen [Bona] visits him in his chamber on the eve of the Annunciation [24 March].
Sigmund von Herberstein has brought news that the two monarchs [Emperor Charles V and King Francis I of France] fortunately have reached an agreement, the council in Trent has begun, the Pope has gone to Bologna, and the Venetians are peaceful.
He considers it unnecessary to renew his invitation for Dantiscus to avail himself of the convent’s hospitality. He asks him to use the monastic order’s things as if they were his own.
| received Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1545-04-06 Manuscript sources:
Auxiliary sources:
| ||||||||||
Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Reverendissimo in Christo Patri, Domino, domino Ioanni Dei gratia episcopo Warmiensi, domino et pro paper damaged⌈[pro]pro paper damaged⌉tectori observandissimo etc.
AAWO, AB, D.6, f. 68rReverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, domine observandissime.
Post singularem animi mei devotionem et perpetuam felicitatem.
Inter cetera, quae praecipue cordi meo insident, id unum est de prospera valetudine Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae et suarum rerum auspicato successu intelligere, neque ipsa rem mihi gratiorem facere potest, quam saepiuscule me de statu suo, quando huc suum mittit nuntium, certiorem reddere. Hi enim Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae fausti eventus me alioqui diuturno hoc male affectum languore mihi denuntiati mirifice solantur. Novi enim, quantum roboris et stabilitatis afferat catholicae fidei vigilantia et studium, et gravitas Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae, ita, ut si suus fervens Dei zelus in illa provincia non intercederet, procul dubio iam illud usurpare possemus: fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens gloria Christianorum.
Orandus est igitur summis precibus Dominus Ihesus Christus, ut pro salute reipublicae Christianae vitam Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae dignetur usque in senectam, senium protendere illique vires immittere, ut huic pestilentissimo morbo tamquam torrenti in nos ruenti indies magis ac magis occurrere atque impetum eius arcere et removere possit.
In Ducatu Lythuaniae haec lues late serpebat, sed Dominus Deus suscitavit spiritum Danielis prophetae, qui Susannam tot veteramentis diaboli fere involutam in sua defenderet innocentia. Et ut apertius sciat hoc opus mere divinum fore, historiam describam.
Exacti iam fere sunt anni decem, quod adolescens quidam de Proschovia, Martinus Gallinius nomine, ageret notarium apud me, cumque annos quattuor perseverasset mecum, contigit me proficisci in Russiam. Redeunte itaque me ex itinere, ipse interim in quibuscumque hospitiis dominorum, nam numquam in triviali aut communi hospitabamur, aliquid subtrahebat et latenter in currum onerarium convasabat. Quod facinus cum Cracoviae compertum fuisset, ex commissione sacrae maiestatis reginalis rebus ablatis restitutis coniectus est in carcerem conventus.
Qui tandem, cum ibi per mensem deti
AAWO, AB, D.6, f. 68vneretur, videns se diffamatum, multis instetit precibus, ut eum ad ordinem nostrum acceptaremus ac in Bohemiam mitteremus. Ego autem veritus, ne squalore carceris pertaesus hoc uteretur stratagemate, eum liberum dimiseram, ut una cum suis parentibus capesseret consilium. Cuius perseverantia in proposito cum mihi esset perspecta, eum ad me accersivi, inquiens me nolle, ut Cracoviae profiteatur, neque ut in Bohemiam proficiscatur, cum nesciebam, an ex animo et fido pectore assereret se ad statum nostrum convolare, sed me instituisse illum mittendum Paduam, ut daret operam litteris ibique, si vellet profiteri, ageret pro suo arbitratu. Sin minus, affatura tamen illi omnia ad commoditatem studiorum opportuna, conducibile autem illi non esse ad terenda in Bohemiam otia pergere.
Hoc ille audito genubus flexis maximas egit gratias et lubens animo se meis gratiosis monitis obtemperaturum dixit. Interiectis itaque paucis diebus cum famulo illum Padu written over nd⌈nddudu written over nd⌉am expediveram, ubi suscepto nostro habitu mirum in modum spatio quinque annorum in philosophia et sacris litteris profecit. Demum absoluto studio insignia doctoratus, circumveniens nostrum generalem et fingens se a me revocatum in habitu, gratis suscepit urbemque illico se contulit. Ubi obreptitie et subreptitie impetrata a summo poenitentiario commissione quadam ad Cracoviensem episcopum, in habitu saeculari Cracoviam venit.
Quod cum intellexissem, dedi operam, ut caperetur, nam summus pontifex inhibuit poenitentiariae dispensationem similium fugitivorum et praelatis ordinis per breve mandat eos captivandos et cogendos ad ordinem. Ipse vero huiusmodi divulgationem subodorans in pedes se coniecit et vagatus est annis quattuor, tamquam profugus in regno.
Forte fortuna accidit, quod dominus reverendissimus Plocensis in itinere audivit eum in quodam oppido contionantem et eum secum accepit, perducens in Brzysczie coramque regia maiestate contionatus est cum magna satisfactione aliquot vicibus. Cuius doctrinam percipiens dominus reverendissimus 
AAWO, AB, D.6, f. 69r Plocensis scripsit ad me, quid facto written over us⌈usoo written over us⌉ opus esset, ne homo iste perderetur, et si esset cum mea voluntate, vellet eum collocare in suo episcopatu. Ego vero rescripseram dandam esse prius operam, ut absolveretur, quod autem ad me attinet, cum videat sua paternitas eius sufficientiam et fructum fidei catholicae, dummodo honeste vivat, me illi singula dicta aut facta remissurum.
Sicque (ut tandem finem rei imponam) serenissimo regi iuniori proficiscenti in Wylnam eum commendavit et servitio suo adiecit, ubi strenue agit coram sua maiestate in praedicando adversusque impios hostes acriter on the margin⌈acriteracriter on the margin⌉ invehendo written over i...⌈i... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉endoendo written over i...⌉, regem insuper adeo contra eos inanimavit, ut videatur ad nihil magis vires ingenii sui adhibere quam in Lutheranis et eorum libellis exterminandis, licet et contra adulteros et malos mores illius patriae clamitet. Ita quod iam in illis regionibus in portu navigamus et res est in vado, ubi magnum erat periculum, quia late virus hoc serperat.
Hisque proximis diebus ad cubiculum meum descendens reverendissimus dominus Plocensis nuntiavit advenisse absolutionem rite impetratam ex urbe rogavitque (cum maxime cupit redire in gratiam meam), ut iam illi benedictionem meam darem, ut eo alacrius et ferventius insudaret et in vinea Domini laboraret. Quod et feci. Unde credo misericordiae Dei fuisse, quod iste tam turpiter caderet, ut fortior ad rem catholicam tuendam erigeretur. Est enim affatim omnibus partibus, quae requiruntur in contionatore, dotatus et praeter id, quod humaniores litteras, quas feliciter assecutus est, etiam severiores et contentiosas callet.
Si plus nimio, quam par fuerat, prolixus fui written over e⌈eii written over e⌉rim, ignoscat, quaeso, Paternitas Vestra Reverendissima, rei enim ipsius natura me ad hoc adegit.
Quod in fovendis meis senilibus artubus muschato curae sit, Paternitati Vestrae Reverendissimae magnas habeo et ago gratias.
Munus meum cum sacra reginali maiestate, quando in vigilia Annuntiationis ad me decumbentem descenderit, diligenter peragam.
Nova scribenda nulla talia emergunt, nisi quae magnificus dominus Sigismundus Herbersteyn attulit, videlicet confoederationem duorum monarcharum feliciter succedere et concilium Tridenti celebrari coeptum, et iam summum pontificem 
AAWO, AB, D.6, f. 69v Bononiam concessisse, Venetos autem in otio ruminare.
Valeat Vestra Reverendissima Paternitas in utroque homine sospes diutissime.
Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈ Dat(ae) Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Cracoviae, 23 Martii 1545.
Eiusdem Paternitatis Vestrae Reverendissimae obsequentissimus frater Marcus a Turri Venetus ordinis fratrum conventualium generalis commissarius, sacrae reginalis maiestatis confessor etc.
Postscript:
De hospitio nihil memini in litteris, quia non erat opus repetere, quod toties Paternitati Vestrae Reverendissimae viva voce fuerat inculcatum. Utatur enim pro arbitrio nostris rebus, ac si eas dominii titulo et possessorii vindicasset etc.