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Letter #6229

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Bona Sforza
Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński), 1544-03-27


Manuscript sources:
1copy in Latin, 16th-century, BJ, 6557, f. 397v-398r
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 61 (TN), No. 31, p. 163-165
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, BCz, 274, No. 253, p. 502-503
4register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8244 (TK 6), a.1544, f. 8r-v

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Ioannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485-11-01 – †1548-10-27), diplomat, neo-Latin poet and traveller; 1504 royal scribe; 1507 referendary for Prussian affairs at the court of Sigismund Jagiellon; 1508-1513 royal envoy to Prussian towns and to the Prussian assemblies; 1515 secretary of the Polish legation at the imperial court; in 1516-1532 envoy in the service of the king of Poland Sigismund Jagiellon and emperors Maximilian and Charles V of Habsburg; 1529 Kulm canon; 1530-1537 bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 bishop of Ermland⌊Ioannes Dantiscus Episcopus VarmiensisIoannes Dantiscus (Johannes von Höfen, Ioannes de Curiis, Jan Dantyszek, Johannes Flachsbinder) (*1485-11-01 – †1548-10-27), diplomat, neo-Latin poet and traveller; 1504 royal scribe; 1507 referendary for Prussian affairs at the court of Sigismund Jagiellon; 1508-1513 royal envoy to Prussian towns and to the Prussian assemblies; 1515 secretary of the Polish legation at the imperial court; in 1516-1532 envoy in the service of the king of Poland Sigismund Jagiellon and emperors Maximilian and Charles V of Habsburg; 1529 Kulm canon; 1530-1537 bishop of Kulm; 1537-1548 bishop of Ermland⌋ Bona Sforza (*1494-02-02 – †1557-11-19), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, the second wife of King of Poland Sigismund I Jagiellon⌊Bonae Reginae PoloniaeBona Sforza (*1494-02-02 – †1557-11-19), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, the second wife of King of Poland Sigismund I Jagiellon⌋

Serenissima Reginalis Maiestas et Domina, domina clementissima. Humillimam servitiorum et orationum mearum commendationem.

Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae Reginali supplices gratias ago, quod in causa, cuius ratione testium picturam vidit, se adeo clementem ad meas commendaticias exhibuerit effeceritque, quod huc ad Council of Royal Prussia ⌊dominos consiliariosCouncil of Royal Prussia ⌋ sit remissa. Haec, quali affectione tractabitur, exitus docebit. Per me non stabit, quominus id fiat in hoc perplexo negotio, quod mera iustitia postulat. Creverunt in his novissimis temporibus conscientiae vinculo observantiaque religionis soluta, qua plurimi modo neque deum neque homines verentur, tam perversae mentes, ut difficile sit cognitu, cui tuto credi possit. In hac tamen causa, licet satis obscura videatur, sunt non dubia, quo se referat aequitas, indicia; quae utcumque aliquando opprimitur, semper tamen in lucem erumpit.

Deberem quidem Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae, ut mihi iniunxit, nova, quae huc afferuntur, scribere, verum pauca et ea in<c>erta admodum hic accipimus. De Serenissimo Henry VIII Tudor (*1491-06-28 – †1547-01-28), king of England⌊Rege AngliaeHenry VIII Tudor (*1491-06-28 – †1547-01-28), king of England⌋ narratur, quod numerosum congerat pro Charles V of Habsburg (*1500-02-24 – †1558-09-21), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊CaesareCharles V of Habsburg (*1500-02-24 – †1558-09-21), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ exercitum, quodque non paucos equites et pedites suis stipendiis in Germany (Germania, Niemcy)⌊GermaniaGermany (Germania, Niemcy)⌋ conscribi faciat. Christian III of Oldenburg (*1503-08-12 – †1559-01-01), King of Denmark and Norway (1534-1559)⌊Rex DaniaeChristian III of Oldenburg (*1503-08-12 – †1559-01-01), King of Denmark and Norway (1534-1559)⌋ occlusas tenet freti sui angustias et neminem per eas transmittere statuit, quod non parum rei publicae Poland (Kingdom of Poland, Polonia)⌊regniPoland (Kingdom of Poland, Polonia)⌋ et hic nostrae incommodabit. Dicitur tamen, ut pacem assequi possit (qui prior bellum indixit), ad Charles V of Habsburg (*1500-02-24 – †1558-09-21), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌊CaesaremCharles V of Habsburg (*1500-02-24 – †1558-09-21), ruler of the Burgundian territories (1506-1555), King of Spain as Charles I (1516-1556), King of Naples and Sicily, King of the Romans (1519-1530), Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation (elected 1519, crowned 1530, abdicated 1556); son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile⌋ Envoys of Christian III of Oldenburg ⌊quatuor oratoresEnvoys of Christian III of Oldenburg ⌋ misisse, et quod eam Speyer (Spira), city in western Germany, on the Rhine river, 25 km S of Mannheim⌊SpiraeSpeyer (Spira), city in western Germany, on the Rhine river, 25 km S of Mannheim⌋ in Imperial Diet (Reichstag) ⌊comitiis imperiiImperial Diet (Reichstag) ⌋ illustrissimus Philip I of Hesse der Großmütige (*1504-11-13 – †1567-03-31), 1509-1567 Landgrave of Hesse, actually in power from 1518, supporter of Reformation, one of the leaders of Schmalkaldic League⌊lantgrabius HassiaePhilip I of Hesse der Großmütige (*1504-11-13 – †1567-03-31), 1509-1567 Landgrave of Hesse, actually in power from 1518, supporter of Reformation, one of the leaders of Schmalkaldic League⌋ cum Heinrich V von Mecklenburg (*1479-05-03 – †1552-02-06), 1503-1520 Duke of Mecklenburg, 1520-1552 Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin⌊MeckelburgensiHeinrich V von Mecklenburg (*1479-05-03 – †1552-02-06), 1503-1520 Duke of Mecklenburg, 1520-1552 Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin⌋ et Lucenburgensi ducibus tractandam susceperint. Quae tractatio, nisi opera serenissimi Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467-01-01 – †1548-04-01), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania⌊regisSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467-01-01 – †1548-04-01), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania⌋ nostri per allegatum eo nuntium serio fiet, cassa mihi futura videtur.

Neque hoc novum tacendum duxi: citatos proconsules Gdanenses cum magna pompa per non paucos obvios eius societatis equites quasi re optime confecta susceptos, Gdańsk (Danzig, Dantiscum), city in northern Poland, on the Bay of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula, on the Baltic, the biggest and wealthiest of the three Great Prussian Cities (Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (Elbląg)) with representation in the Council of Royal Prussia; a member of the Hanseatic League⌊civitatemGdańsk (Danzig, Dantiscum), city in northern Poland, on the Bay of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula, on the Baltic, the biggest and wealthiest of the three Great Prussian Cities (Gdańsk, Thorn (Toruń), and Elbing (Elbląg)) with representation in the Council of Royal Prussia; a member of the Hanseatic League⌋ intrasse. Quod quidem ingratum mihi esse nequit, hoc tamen non item, quod vulgo iactatur, instigatorem regii officii sub scamnum se abscondisse et in citatorum aspectum non fuisse prodire ausum, velim enim auctoritatem existimationemque regiam in ea praesertim civitate, ubi in religione non parum variatur, integram esse. Sed haec his pro fide mea addita nolim cuipiam esse offendiculo vel detrimento, qui nihil cupio ardentius, quam quod locus is mihi genitalis, in quo primam vidi lucem, per divinam atque Serenissimae Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467-01-01 – †1548-04-01), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania⌊Maiestatis RegiaeSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467-01-01 – †1548-04-01), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania⌋ gratiam cresceret fieretque in dies in omni felicitate auctior.

Si quid postea resoluta glacie navigabile mare factum attulerit, cum primis Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram non celabo. Cui me suppliciter commendo et a Domino Deo aetatem diutissime prosperrimam et fausta omnia precor.