Reverendissimo in Christo Patri, Domino ac domino Ioannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌊Iohanni Dei gratia episcopo VarmiensiIoannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485 – †1548), eminent diplomat and humanist in the service of the Jagiellons, neo-Latin poet; 1530-1537 Bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 Bishop of Ermland⌋ in Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland⌊HeilsbergkHeilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland⌋, domino suo clementissimo

Si scirem, Reverendissime Praesul, quonam argumento Vestra Reverenda Paternitas convenienda esset, eo nunc erga ipsam potissimum uterer. Iam et culpa mihi deprecanda est, quod neglegentius ac rarius ad Vestram Reverendam Paternitatem scripserim. Gratiae praeterea pro eximiis beneficiis agendae, nec non maximam humanitatem atque mansuetudinem animi summis laudibus mihi extollenda est. Non arbitrabor autem, quod Vestra Reverenda Paternitas paulo durius hoc meum diuturnum silentium interpretatura sit, aut ideo mihi gravius succensere. Testor bona conscientia, quod in nullam rem attentius cogito, ac magis quicquam exopto, quam ut propensissimam Vestrae Reverendae Paternitatis voluntatem retineam. cf. Ov. Ars 2.13 nec minor est virtus, quam quaerere, parta tueri ⌊ Non enim minor est virtus quaerere, quam parta tuericf. Ov. Ars 2.13 nec minor est virtus, quam quaerere, parta tueri ⌋. Quare, si quid in ea re peccatum sit, obnixe rogo, ut Vestra Reverenda Paternitas benigniter mihi ignoscat, omni sedulitate deinceps compensabitur. Magnas autem et ingentes gratias Vestrae Reverendae Paternitati habeo, quod tam diligenter ac cum gravitate cum magnifico Achatius von Zehmen (Achacy Cema) (*ca. 1485 – †1565), 1517-1531 Chamberlain of Pomerania, 1531-1546 Castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig), 1545-1546 Voivode of Kulm (Chełmno), 1546-1565 Voivode of Marienburg (Malbork) (SBPN 1, p. 194-195; ORACKI 1984, p. 38-39; Urzędnicy 5/2, p. 198; PSB 4, p. 325-326)⌊parente meoAchatius von Zehmen (Achacy Cema) (*ca. 1485 – †1565), 1517-1531 Chamberlain of Pomerania, 1531-1546 Castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig), 1545-1546 Voivode of Kulm (Chełmno), 1546-1565 Voivode of Marienburg (Malbork) (SBPN 1, p. 194-195; ORACKI 1984, p. 38-39; Urzędnicy 5/2, p. 198; PSB 4, p. 325-326)⌋ egerit meque illi quam officiosissime commendaverit. Ac nisi ipse vidissem, audivissem ac legissem, numquam credidissem, quod cum tanto pondere verborum fuissem a Vestra Reverenda Paternitate commendatus. Maxime autem confido, quod Vestrae Reverendae Paternitatis adeo benignissima commendatio ac ipsum tempus omnem iniquam offensionem ac acerbitatem sit leniturum atque mitigaturum. Sin minus, Deo optimo hoc totum negotium committendum est, qui pro sua bonitate omni[a in] felicissimum statum deriget. Nec verbis [satis] exprimere possum Vestrae Reverendae Paternitatis summam facilitat[em] animi. Nam quod in primo aspectu Vestra Reverenda [Paternitas] blandissimo suo vultu me arriserit, ac in an[imum] suum acceperit, non solum speciem singularis [benig]nitatis insigniter ostendebat, quam illam ip[sam] prope inauditam naturae bonitatem ac h[umanita]tem penitus aperuit. Equidem ea in[signi] clementia cognita, ita in his meis afflictio[nibu]s recreatus sum, ut nihil magis solatius(!) qu[am me] putem. Nec tanta benevolentia apud me [umquam] moritura est, sed, quousque vixero, pleno ore [Vestram Reverendam Paternitatem] praedicare meminero. Maxima enim es[t] virtus principis nosse suos.

Nova, qu[ae] hic passim sparguntur, Vestrae Reverendae Paternitati incognita esse n[on] dubito. Caesar fere ubique in Saxonia [vic]toriam obtinet atque felicissimos successus h[abet]. Utinam autem ea victoria ad gloriam D[ei]atque salutem rei publicae Christianae cedat. N[unc] miseris Pruthenis nescio quo fato invis[um] bellum atque exitium minari dicitur. De[us] ad meliora, laudabiliora atque necessariora [utinam] animum eius vertat atque inclinet. Alias nihil periculi a tanto potentissimo ac fe[li]cissimo imperatore metuendum esset. Nos omnipotentem Deum ardentissim[is] votis orabimus, ut nobis pacem conceda[t] omneque malum longe depellat. Philip I of Hesse der Großmütige (*1504 – †1567), 1509-1567 Landgrave of Hesse, actually in power from 1518; son of Wilhelm II of Hesse and Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, married to Christine of Saxony (daughter of Georg, Duke of Saxony), protector of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany, one of the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League (taken prisoner by emperor Charles V of Habsburg after the defeat at Mühlberg in 1547, but released in 1552) (ADB, 25, p. 765-783)⌊Landgr[abius]Philip I of Hesse der Großmütige (*1504 – †1567), 1509-1567 Landgrave of Hesse, actually in power from 1518; son of Wilhelm II of Hesse and Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, married to Christine of Saxony (daughter of Georg, Duke of Saxony), protector of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany, one of the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League (taken prisoner by emperor Charles V of Habsburg after the defeat at Mühlberg in 1547, but released in 1552) (ADB, 25, p. 765-783)⌋, qui hactenus gloria belli floruit, ea[m] turpiter amisit atque nunc caesari supple[x] est factus. Clementissimum Johann Friedrich der Großmütige (Johann Friedrich von Wettin) (*1503 – †1554), 1532-1547 Prince-Elector of Saxony; one of the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League⌊principem SaxoniaeJohann Friedrich der Großmütige (Johann Friedrich von Wettin) (*1503 – †1554), 1532-1547 Prince-Elector of Saxony; one of the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League⌋ captum in Spain (Hispania)⌊HispaniamSpain (Hispania)⌋ iturum esse quidam autumant. Cetera brevi Vestra Reverenda Paternitas tum ex parente meo, tum ex aliorum relatu copiosius omnia cognoscet.

Quod reliquum est, Vestram Reverendam Paternitatem longissime valere cupio ac Deum continue meis precibus oro, ut Vestram Reverendam Paternitatem tum ad suam gloriam propagandam, tum ad utilitatem proflictae iam patriae diutissime incolumem conservare dignaretur. Me vero in Vestrae Reverendae Paternitatis gratiam quam officiosissime commendo, dedo ac trado.

Datae ex Stuhm (Sztum), city in north-central Poland, Pomerania, 13 km S of Marienburg⌊castro SthumensiStuhm (Sztum), city in north-central Poland, Pomerania, 13 km S of Marienburg⌋ 2 Iulii anno 1547.

Vestrae Reverendae Paternitatis deditissimus Christoph von Zehmen (Krzysztof Cema) ⌊Christophorus a CzemeChristoph von Zehmen (Krzysztof Cema) ⌋