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Letter #4832

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Ermland (Warmia) Chapter
Heilsberg (Lidzbark), 1541-11-07

English register:

Dantiscus asks the chapter to send him an inventory of the valuable items that were present in the castle at Heilsberg (Lidzbark) when he assumed the bishopric of Ermland (Warmia), as he intends to keep his oath and not deplete those resources.

Where he considers exempt from this obligation is those items he had brought with him, as well as the cash for current expenses. He notes that his predecessor [Mauritius Ferber] found 8,000 ducats in the treasury, but only left 4,000, of which more than 1,000 were in illegal or debased coinage. While Dantiscus has no intention of leaving the treasury empty, he writes about that situation with his own successor in mind.




Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, GStA PK, XX. HA Hist. StA Königsberg, HBA, C 1a, K. 497

 

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

 

Venerabiles Domini, fratres sincere dilecti.

Commonefaciendas duximus Fraternitates Vestras in hoc generali capitulo de eo, quod cum illis novissime apud ecclesiam ratione rerum a nobis Heilsberg (Lidzbark, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland, now Lidzbark Warmiński⌊hicHeilsberg (Lidzbark, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland, now Lidzbark Warmiński⌋ inventarum contulimus, eas quidem, quas pretiosas vocant, quemadmodum in sedem recepti iuravimus, neque diminuere aut alienare statuimus. De nostris dumtaxat, quas huc adveximus et hic paravimus, sicut Fraternitatibus Vestris liberum est apud ecclesiam cum eiusmodi vestris rebus advectis seu acquisitis agere et disponere, quod volunt, et nobis liberum esse velimus. Id ipsum, ut Fraternitates Vestrae litteris suis decernere earumque rerum pretiosarum descriptum inventarium illis inserere velint, oramus.

Pecuniae, quae in dies in varios usus commutantur, inter res pretiosas, quae fixae manent, veluti nobis nuntii Fraternitatum Vestrarum, antequam in pacta iuravimus, declarabant, non aestimantur. Repperit Heilsberg (Lidzbark, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland, now Lidzbark Warmiński⌊hicHeilsberg (Lidzbark, Heilsberga), town in Ermland (Warmia), the main seat of the bishops of Ermland, now Lidzbark Warmiński⌋ Mauritius Ferber (*1471 – †1537), doctor of both laws; from 1507 Canon of Ermland (Warmia) and Lübeck; from 1514 Canon of Trier; 1512–1515 parish priest of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Gdańsk (Danzig); from 1516 Custos of Ermland and parish priest of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gdańsk; from 1519 Canon of Dorpat; from 1523 Canon of Reval; 1523–1537 Bishop of Ermland (KOPICZKO 2, p. 71-72; SBKW, p. 59-60)⌊praedecessorMauritius Ferber (*1471 – †1537), doctor of both laws; from 1507 Canon of Ermland (Warmia) and Lübeck; from 1514 Canon of Trier; 1512–1515 parish priest of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Gdańsk (Danzig); from 1516 Custos of Ermland and parish priest of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gdańsk; from 1519 Canon of Dorpat; from 1523 Canon of Reval; 1523–1537 Bishop of Ermland (KOPICZKO 2, p. 71-72; SBKW, p. 59-60)⌋ noster proximus, cui aeternam beatitatem precamur, octo milia marcarum. Reliquit nobis, ut Fraternitatibus Vestris incognitum non est, non amplius quatuor milia et in ea summa supra mille prohibitae et monetae malae inerat. Haec non ideo scribimus, ut vacuum aerarium relinquamus, habebitur nihilo secius Tiedemann Giese (Tidemannus Gisius) (*1480 – †1550), ennobled by King Sigismund I in 1519; 1504–1538 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); 1516–1527 and 1533–1537 Judicial Vicar and Vicar General of Ermland; 1523–1538 Custos of Ermland; 1537–1549 Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno); 1549–1550 Bishop of Ermland (BORAWSKA 1984)⌊successorisTiedemann Giese (Tidemannus Gisius) (*1480 – †1550), ennobled by King Sigismund I in 1519; 1504–1538 Canon of Ermland (Warmia); 1516–1527 and 1533–1537 Judicial Vicar and Vicar General of Ermland; 1523–1538 Custos of Ermland; 1537–1549 Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno); 1549–1550 Bishop of Ermland (BORAWSKA 1984)⌋ nostri ratio, modo se non iniquo nostro desiderio Fraternitates Vestrae accommodent.

Quas feliciter valere optamus.