Letter #2989
Karel UUTENHOVE to Ioannes DANTISCUSGhent (Gandavum), 1546-09-12
English register:
There has been a long silence between them, but Uutenhove has never ceased to remember Dantiscus and his excellent qualities. He has even often considered visiting Dantiscus in Poland.
One year ago it was rumoured that Dantiscus was deceased, but Dantiscus' inseparable companion, Cornelis De Schepper, Lord of Eke, removed their fears.
They were all delighted to hear that Dantiscus is alive and well and lives a quiet life, all the more since it is rare that someone can enjoy a well-deserved rest after a life of strenuous and successful activity. Uutenhove is doing well and has withdrawn from public life to devote himself to the Muses and sacred literature, in his estate of Markegem. Whenever requested, he will still fulfill his public duties. He also gives news of Dantiscus’ other acquaintances in Ghent: his host at the time, Arendt Sturm, is in his eighties and still in good health; he has resigned from his office.
His two daughters are happily married; Livina is the happier because she has numerous offspring. Uutenhove is even more fortunate, with six sons and one daughter alive, and the spouse that suits him. Dantiscus' former steward, Michiel De Vriendt, has married a rich, somewhat older woman. He lives a carefree life, without children. He misses no opportunity to praise Dantiscus, and asked Uutenhove to write in his name also. Robbius is living in Antwerp now; he married a second time and has many children. He remains himself and regularly sends witty letters. Lord Des Fosses sr., Willem De Waele and Lord Secretary [Omaar van Edingen] have died. About the courtiers Dantiscus will be informed by De Schepper or someone else from the court.
There is no further news worth mentioning except the incredible disaster that occurred in Mechelen on the night of 7 August 1546 during a heavy thunderstorm. One of the towers of the Sand Gate (Zandpoort), used as a storehouse for gunpowder, was struck by lightning. This caused a devastating explosion that destroyed the nearby Imperial Court, the recently built mansion of the Lord of Hoogstraten, the palace of Margaret of Austria, Saint Peters' church, and many other buildings, including the house of the Lord of Nassau, that of the treasurer, the house of the Lombards, the convent of the Augustines and most of the houses in the Voogdstraat. About 600 houses were destroyed, and not a single house in the town remained undamaged.
Flying pieces of stone sowed death and destruction everywhere. In the resulting consternation and distress, it was thought that the last judgment had come. There were only 200 deaths, but countless people were injured and mutilated.
It is said that the whole city trembled, and that shortly before the storm the howling of animals from the surrounding countryside was heard. The events were so gruesome that undoubtedly hordes of malevolent spirits were involved.
Stones were projected up to a mile outside the city, and fish flew up into the trees. A woman's head was cut off by a falling window. In a tavern that collapsed, card players were found dead, the cards still in their hands. Other people were rescued from the debris, terrified but unharmed. The reported events are amazing but true; others may even give Dantiscus a more extensive report.
| received Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1547-02-04 Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Et litteris, et omni virtutum genere ornatissimo Domino Ioanni Dantisco, episcopo Culmensi etc.
Ubi, ubi fuerit.
Salutem plurimam.
Tametsi, Reverende Praesul, altum omnino inter nos silentium iamdudum fuit, adeo tamen (Deum testor) non excidit menti nostrae Dantisci numquam satis laudata virtus, ut etiam non raro illius humanitas, comitas ac morum insignis decor (vel in summis) obversentur mihi. Et quod eo magis sic saepe benevolentiae ac tui desiderio oestro concitus fui, ut de petenda Polonia tui unius visendi gratia cogitarem. Haec tu aegre fortassis crediturus es, sed revera sic se res habet. Quinimo, si commoda sese obtulisset occasio, habuisses iamdudum pro litteris Utenhovium ipsum.
Iam alter agitur annus, ni fallor, quo hic rumor fuit te vita defunctum fuisse, sed ex hoc metu iam pridem nos liberavit dominus Cornelius Scepperus, Aequanae ditionis dominus, tuus olim individuus comes, qui asserebat et vivere te, et valere, et summa in tranquillitate istic vitam agere. Quod quidem adeo nobis fuit iucundum, ut nihil potuisset narrari iucundius, hoc magis, quod perpaucis admodum contingere videmus, quod tibi contigisse audimus, ut videlicet post multos exanclatos labores, post ardua ac impedita (summa cum laude) peracta negotia, in tranquillissimum otium sese recipere detur. Verum nos istam tibi felicitatem vehementer gratulamur, haud ignorantes, quibus tu studiis id, quicquid otii est, impartias.
De me vero quid agatur, si forte rogas, scias. Imprimis valere me quidem atque ita instituisse vitam, ut a publicis negotiis, quantum potuerim, me subtraxerim, ac in rusculum quoddam meum Marchemianum recepisse meme Musis ac literariis studiis sacris potissimum, quicquid otii est, impendens, vocatus tamen interdum, et rei publicae meam operam pro virili accomodo.
Reliqui hic tui, qui tibi aliquo consuetudinis iure coniuncti fuere, vivunt fere et rem sic satis feliciter agunt. Arnoldus Stormius, olim hospes tuus, homo octuagenarius, et vivit, et valet perbelle. Praeturam deposuit et ea proxima sibi affinitate convictum induit. Utraque illius filia iuncta viro est, felices utraque nacta nuptias, feliciores tamen Lynkia, quae etiam et sobolem numerosiorem protulit. Ego tamen hac in parte utramque vinco, ut cui modo sex superstites sunt filii cum unica filia, verum hoc felix, quod uxor contigit ex animi sententia. Michael Vryndius sive Amicus, olim tuae oeconomiae praefect[us], et ipse uxorem duxit bene dotatam, sed ann<i>s se graviorem, qua cum sine liberis vitam solutam curis peragit. Hic certe tuae virtutis unicus ac candidissimus est buccinator, nusqu[am] enim convenimus, ubi ille non statim de te amicam ac honorificam mentionem faciat ac tui nobis memoriam refricet. Nunc etiam apud me institit, ut non meo tantum, sed etiam illius nomine ad te scriberem. Robbius noster iam Antwerpiae practicum agit, alteram duxit uxorem et magnam habet liberorum turbam, usque sui similis est, interdum facetus facetas ad nos litteras mittit. Dominus ille a Fossis senior, dominus Gulielmus a Wala, cuius neptem uxorem duxi, item et dominus scriba Edingus iamdudum ex hac vita migrarunt. De aulicis scribet dominus Schepperus vel alius quispiam ex aula.
Ego si quid habuissem, quod tibi gratum aut acceptum fore fuissem arbitratus, transcripsissem. Id, quicquid est , sit tibi veluti nostrae erga te benevolentiae pignus obsecro. Nam novarum hic rerum nihil est, quod scribi possit, praeter id unum memorab<i>le ac paene incredibile, quod pauc[is] ab hinc diebus accidit Machliniae, nempe septimo Idus Augusti circa undecimam noctis horam. Exorta est enim ingens tempestas contrariis ingruentibus ventis, coepit horend[is] tonitruis mugire ac fulminibus ardere caelum sicque cuncta turbari, ut tam caelum terramque misceri dixisses. Iuxta caesar[is] ibi palatium porta est, quam Arenosam vocant, ubi duae turr[es] praegrandes, quae refertae erant pulvere tormentario. Quarum altera icta fulmine tam triste edidit civibus spectaculum, ut admodum difficile explicare, difficiliu[s] etiam quis credere possit. Primum impetu tota demolita est regia, turris autem ipsa, in qua erat pulvis, ita prorsus evulsa ac funditus eversa est, ut in ipso fundamento ne vel lapillus minimus remanserit. Domus Hochstratana vicina et ipsa eodem impetu solo strata est, qu[ae] miris impensis ac sumptibus non ita pridem constructa fuerat. Deiecta est et huic non inferior domus quondam divae Margaretae Sabaudianae cum templo proximo Sancto Petro sacratum, dirutae aedes domini a Nassau, thesaurarii et ea, quae foeneratorum erat, quam Lombardam vocant, et nescio quae aliae, quae omnes insignes fuere. Concidit etiam monasterium Augustinentium(!) et magna pars aedium vici illius, quem Tutorium vocant.
Tota civitate dirutae sunt aedes fere 600 aut eo amplius et aiunt nullam fere fuisse domum, quae illaesa et sine ullo prorsus damno evaserit. Sic per totam volitabant urbem saxa, ut nusquam se esset tutatum abdere, omnia praesentem hominibus intentabat mortem: foris saxa, tonitrua, fulgura, intus ruina. Luctus ubique ingens, ubique pavor et plurima mortis imago. Putabant omnes extremum adesse diem, tanta erat hominum perplexitas, ultra tamen ducentos hom<in>es non puto interiisse. Innumeri tamen fuere laesi et mutilati, sic ut sauciorum plena fuerint nosodochia postridie.
Aiunt totam tremuisse urbem et paulo ante tempestatem ululasse in agris feras ac in circumvicina loca armenta. Immissi fuerant dubio procul cohortes aut legiones aliquot malignorum spirituum, nam plane stupenda sunt, quae ibi tum contigerunt. Aiunt quidam lapides proiectos ad unum miliare extra urbem, pisces e lacubus ac stagnis excussos ac in summitate arborum inventos. Quaedam matrona nobilis et forma (ut aiunt) praestanti, dum fenestram cubiculi nititur occludere, illi amputatum est capud(!) spectante pedisequa, quae alteram fenestram clauserat. Quodam in oenopolio ludebant quidam chartis. Derepente concidit domus ac omnes perierunt excepta hospita, quae forte in penum promptura vinum descenderat. Postridie reperti mortui, manu chartas tenentes. Reperti sunt et alii, qui inter parietes trabesque succlusi fuerant, exanimes paene metu, illaesi tamen, qui dum extr<a>herentur, rogabant, num qui adhuc superstites essent.
Magna sunt, quae narramus, sed profecto maiora hi[s] contigerunt, quae omnia persequi prolixum esset. Tu, quaeso, et fidem his habeas (nam res certa est et testium apud nos plus satis), et narrationem hanc parum comodam boni consulas. Audies ea fortassis luculentius narrat[a] ab aliis. Salutant te officiose tui hic omnes.
Bene vale, ornatissime praesul, et nos numero tuorum asscribe.
Gandavi, pridie Idus Septembris, anno M D XLVI.
Tuae Paternitati deditissimus Carolus Utenhouius scripsit