Letter #3872
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI]Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), [1539-08-01]
English register:
Dantiscus is not happy about Jan Sokołowski’s appointment to the Elbląg (Elbing) castellany. He thinks things would have taken a better turn if it had not been for the addressee’s illness.
Dantiscus appeals for Maciejowski to take care of his health and not take on too much of a burden in his recently assumed chancellor’s post. He is not surprised that his recommendation for the addressee was not effective. He thanks him for the promise of his support against people who slander him.
With reference to information sent earlier, Dantiscus offers a reminder about the ignoble way in which the Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno) [Tiedemann Giese] was treated by certain fellow countrymen, and especially the voivode of Kulm [Johann von Lusian (Luzjański)]. This matter has been recounted extensively to both the addressee and the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon] by Giese as well. Dantiscus asks for support on the matter. He advises that Giese has sent templates he would like to be used as the basis for the royal instructions for the next Diet [of Royal Prussia], the related petitions and the decree against the nobleman from Dobrzyń Land (Ziemia Dobrzyńska) [Moszczyński] who abducted a peasant with all his possessions from one of the villages in the bishopric.
In view of the recurrence of the plague in Kulm Land (Ziemia Chełmińska), Thorn (Toruń) and neighbouring towns, Dantiscus is not sure if the Diet will gather on St. Michael’s Day [September 29]. Rather, he expects the plague to escalate as a result of the ongoing market fairs in Gdańsk (Danzig). Even if the meeting place is changed to somewhere safer, the disease will be spread by the those involved in lawsuits who are coming to the assembly from infected areas.
Dantiscus asks Maciejowski to inform the King that he has accepted the Duke’s [Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach’s] invitation to the wedding of the daughter of the Master of his court [Melchior von Kreytzen]. On this occasion, they are to discuss matters related to neighbourly relations. It would have been impolite for Dantiscus to refuse, but he is worried the trip will provoke further slander at the court.
Manuscript sources:
Prints:
| ||||||||
Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
AAWO, AB, D. 7, f. 100vReverende Domine, frater et amice carissime et honorande paper damaged⌈[amice carissime et honorande]amice carissime et honorande paper damaged⌉.
Dominationi Vestrae Reverendae precor [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ navatam Dominatonis Vestrae Reverendae ex [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ ipsa intellexi, pro qua omnes [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ castellanatus Elbingensis adeo sit [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ dedecuisset morula quaedam in ea praesertim re [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ momenti habetur castellanus iste, qui hunc nov[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ solus dissonat sententiisque fere omnium reluctatur et hoc nu(?)[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉do quodam impetu similiorem sibi apud nostrates reperire non potuit dignum p[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ operculum etc. Prius nobis negotium fuit cum uno, in posterum de eadem cera et farina paper damaged⌈[na]na paper damaged⌉ cum duobus. Quam inde respublica habitura est utilitatem, aliquando docebit exitus. Adversam valetudinem Dominationis Vestrae Reverendae in causa fuisse existimo, quod adeo repente, praeter aulae usum, satis non apte collocata fuerit haec dignitas. Ad dignos non sit haec properatio. Sed de iis et in aurem hactenus.
Deo gra(tia), qui nobis Dominationem Vestram Reverendam salvam restituit. Quam ut sic longissimo tempore conservet, intime oro. Ceterum, mi Domine carissime, adnitendum curandumque esset, ne se in huius officii principio pluribus, quam humeri ferre valeant, oneret negotiis sollicitudinibusque non parum saluti hidden by binding⌈[i]i hidden by binding⌉ noxiis, illius diffinitionis veter(is) or veter(um)⌈veter(is)veter(is) or veter(um)⌉ memor, quam olim a reverendissimo domino meo Creslao, episcopo Vladislaviensi, regni cancellario audivi, cancellariatum nempe esse dulcis vitae exinanitionem. Cautior itaque, quam prius, habenda est Dominationi Vestrae Reverendae valetudinis suae ratio tempe ms. o(!) ⌈ee ms. o(!) ⌉ramentumque adhibendum in omnibus, ne quid nimis etc.
Quod commendatio mea non admodum accepta fuerit, ob id aequiore animo fero, quod ab aliis prius maioribus me in rebus iustissimis et reipublicae commodis facta non semel repudiationem repperit ms. ceperit(!) ⌈repperitrepperit ms. ceperit(!) ⌉. Continuissem quidem me, quemadmodum et cor praesagiebat, si amor in Dominationem Vestram Reverendam reprimi potuisset, qui hoc ipsum, quod a me factum est, vehementia non modica extorsit. Boni itaque suscipiat, oro, quod bona et amica mens suggessit. Prodesse certe, obesse nolui, divina nihilosecius voluntas, quam non obscuris argumentis Dominationi Vestrae Reverendae propitiam esse nosco, irritis etiam osoribus fiet.
Patrocinium suum, quod mihi contra eos, qui me calumniari solent, offert, adeo gratum est, cum in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out quam⌈quam cum cum in the Dantiscus hand, superinscribed in place of crossed-out quam⌉ exspectationi meae et in re praesenti iam non semel integerrime mihi responderit, ut quid gratius esse valeat, non facile a me inveniatur pro eoque gratias numquam intermorituras ms. intermerituras(!) ⌈intermoriturasintermorituras ms. intermerituras(!) ⌉ habeo sicque me vicissim erga Dominationem Vestram Reverendam geram, ne quid umquam, quod sibi a me praestari written over e⌈eii written over e⌉ velit, desiderare merito possit. Hocque non aulic{a}e etc.
In novissimis scripseram, quibus indignis modis reverendissimus dominus Culmensis a quibusdam no written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉nono written over ...⌉stratibus, et maxime a palatino Culmensi, homine crudiore, quam officio, quod administrat, convenit, habeatur et tractetur. Qua in re serenissimae maiestati regiae et Dominationi Vestrae Reverendae copiosius scribit. Proinde, ut huic praesuli inter nostri ordinis praelatos carissimo iuxta et eruditissimo in omnibus Dominatio Vestra Reverenda adsit. De quibus ad serenissimam maiestatem regiam retulit, quantum possum, rogo impensius. Mittit formulas, quibus conscribi petit commissionem regiam ad conventum nostrum proxime futurum, citationes praeterea ad commissionem pertinentes mandatumque contra eum nobilem ex terra Dobrinensi, qui violenta manu omni iure contempto ex quadam eius villa colonum unum cum omnibus, quae habuit, praedonum more abstulit, quemadmodum ex formul(is) Dominatio Vestra Reverenda latius agnoscet. In written over i⌈inn written over i⌉ iis conficiendis litteris regiis ne gravetur, quae [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ Dominatio Vestra paper damaged⌈[Dominatio Vestra]Dominatio Vestra paper damaged⌉ Reverenda operam impendere, ut ear paper damaged⌈[r]r paper damaged⌉um auctoritate id possit assequi [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ eius, quibus hic episcopatus nostri sunt dotati iurisdictioneque(?), qua me paper damaged⌈[me]me paper damaged⌉rito utitur, deposcunt, ne deinceps ad similes inferendas violentias paper damaged⌈[as]as paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ hominibus grassandi pateat iter liberius. Quicquid ea in re favoris paper damaged⌈[is]is paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ 
AAWO, AB, D. 7, f. 100r [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉volentia reverendissimo domino Culmensi c[...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉rit aeque gratum immo et gratius [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ Dominatio Vestra paper damaged⌈[Dominatio Vestra]Dominatio Vestra paper damaged⌉ Reverenda commodaret.
Quam diutissime incolumem paper damaged⌈[umem]umem paper damaged⌉ [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉atus sui feliciorem esse summopere cupio.
Ex Heilsberg, [...] paper damaged⌈[...][...] paper damaged⌉ anno paper damaged⌈[anno]anno paper damaged⌉ Domini MDXXXIX.
Postscript:
De conventu nostro, si pro festo divi Michaelis coibit, plane adhuc apud me incertum est, adeo iterum pestis denuo superinscribed⌈denuodenuo superinscribed⌉ in terra Culmensi, Thoroniae et in propinquis written over ...⌈... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉ propinquis propinquis written over ...⌉ oppidulis grassari coepit verendumque est, post instantes superinscribed⌈instantesinstantes superinscribed⌉ nundinas Gdanen(ses), unde semper infectio haec ob variarum superinscribed⌈variarumvariarum superinscribed⌉ gentium, quae ibi confluit, multitudinem, fit apud nostrates superinscribed in place of crossed-out in iis terris⌈in iis terris apud nostrates apud nostrates superinscribed in place of crossed-out in iis terris⌉ vehementior, ne latius ac durius superinscribed in place of crossed-out gravius⌈gravius durius durius superinscribed in place of crossed-out gravius⌉ saeviat. Quod si etiam locum salubrem eligerimus, ab eo tamen non possunt arceri, qui vel vocati superinscribed in place of crossed-out citati⌈citati vocati vocati superinscribed in place of crossed-out citati⌉, vel qui alios in causis suis citarunt, ex viciniis pestilentibus on the margin⌈ex viciniis pestilentibusex viciniis pestilentibus on the margin⌉ adveniunt qui. Ii secum contagium adferunt secum adferentes in omnes virus diffundere solent. Quod igitur scribo temporius, si forsan ob id comitia nostra iterum impedirentur, ne gravius serenissima maiestas regia ferret, a Dominatione Vestra Reverenda ex hac mea significatione superinscribed in place of crossed-out relatione⌈relatione significatione significatione superinscribed in place of crossed-out relatione⌉ praemonita.
Accedit et aliud, quod per Dominationem Vestram Reverendam serenissimam maiestatem regiam scire velim. Invitavit me pro festo divi Bartolomei on the margin⌈pro festo divi Bartolomeipro festo divi Bartolomei on the margin⌉ vicinus meus, ill(ustrissimus) dominus dux, ad filiae magistri curiae suae nuptias, eo ut puto potissimum, ut mecum de multis ac utrimque necessariis rebus ad bonam vicinitatem pertinentibus colloqueretur. Negare non potui, promisi me venturum ... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉, licet multo redimere cupiam, ut hoc gaudio carere possim, ne itaque quispiam sit (quemadmodum iniqui delatores mihi non desunt), qui hunc congressum aliorsum, atque res habet, interpretentur, deducendum hoc in notitiam serenissimae maiestatis regiae per Dominationem Vestram Reverendam existimavi. Quam plurimum oro in eo se praebeat facilem. Sciet paulopost serenissima regia maiestas et superinscribed⌈regia maiestas etregia maiestas et superinscribed⌉ Dominatio Vestra Reverenda, quid in iis ducendis on the margin⌈ducendisducendis on the margin⌉ choris, qui subinscribed in place of crossed-out est quibus⌈est quibus qui qui subinscribed in place of crossed-out est quibus⌉ iampridem access rudem merui superinscribed⌈access rudem meruiaccess rudem merui superinscribed⌉ me rude donarunt subinscribed in place of crossed-out renuntiavi⌈renuntiavi me rude donarunt me rude donarunt subinscribed in place of crossed-out renuntiavi⌉, egerimus etc.