CIDT&C Corpus of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence

Letter #667

Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Klamm, 1531-08-10

received Brussels, [1531]-08-31

Manuscript sources:

1	fair copy in Latin, autograph, UUB, H. 154, f. 71
2	copy in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8242 (TK 4), a.1531, f. 69-70

Auxiliary sources:

1	register in English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 30, No. 52

Prints:

1	DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 153, p. 406 (English register)
2	CEID 2/1 No. 18, p. 116-119 (in extenso; English register)

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

UUB, H. 154, f. 71v

Reverendissimo domino, 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⌊Ioanni DantiscoIoannes 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⌋ episcopo Culmensi, Sigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌊serenissimi Poloniae regisSigismund I Jagiellon (Zygmunt I) (*1467 – †1548), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1506-1548); Duke of Głogów (Glogau) (1499-1506), Duke of Opava (1501-1506), Governor of Silesia (1504-1506); son of King Kazimierz IV Jagiellon and Elisabeth of Austria⌋ oratori apud Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), 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⌊caesaream maiestatemCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), 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⌋ etc. domino suo observandissimo, Hoff

UUB, H. 154, f. 71r

Reverendissime Domine, Domine observandissime. Post mei et servitiorum meorum commendationem.

Bona Sforza (*1494 – †1557), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1518-1557); the second wife of Sigismund I Jagiellon; Duchess of Bari and Rossano; daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza of Milan and Isabella of Aragon⌊Serenissima regina PoloniaeBona Sforza (*1494 – †1557), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1518-1557); the second wife of Sigismund I Jagiellon; Duchess of Bari and Rossano; daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza of Milan and Isabella of Aragon⌋ narravit mihi Vestram Reverendissimam Dominationem cupere ab hoc onere legationis absolvi[13] at inquit se Vestrae Reverendissimae Dominationi respondisse neminem esse, qui tam cito posset informari de his suae maiestatis negotiis[14]. Necesse esse Vestram Reverendissimam Dominationem ea in finem deducere. Sua Bona Sforza (*1494 – †1557), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1518-1557); the second wife of Sigismund I Jagiellon; Duchess of Bari and Rossano; daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza of Milan and Isabella of Aragon⌊reginalis maiestasBona Sforza (*1494 – †1557), Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania (1518-1557); the second wife of Sigismund I Jagiellon; Duchess of Bari and Rossano; daughter of Gian Galeazzo Sforza of Milan and Isabella of Aragon⌋ se omnino Ferdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌊serenissimo rege meoFerdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌋ adiunxit et video iam ferme omnem Poland (Kingdom of Poland, Polonia)⌊PoloniamPoland (Kingdom of Poland, Polonia)⌋ mutatam[15] quoad voluntatem erga Ferdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌊serenissimum regem meumFerdinand I of Habsburg (*1503 – †1564), from 1521 Archduke of Austria, from 1526 King of Bohemia and Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia as Ferdinand I, 1531-1558 King of the Romans, 1558-1564 Holy Roman Emperor; son of Philip I the Handsome and Joanna the Mad of Castile, a younger brother of Charles V of Habsburg⌋, qui promisit se promoturum negotia illa[16] apud Charles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), 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⌊caesaream maiestatemCharles V of Habsburg (*1500 – †1558), 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⌋ summa diligentia. Vestra Reverendissima Dominatio promoveat etiam, ut amor inter nostros principes crescat et firmetur, unde omnibus nobis salus. His Vestrae Reverendissimae Dominationi, quam Deus felicem conservet, me et servitia mea commendo.

Ex Klamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌊ClamKlamm (Clam), castle on the border of Lower Austria and Styria, N of Schottwien am Semmering⌋, X Augusti 1531.

Eiusdem Vestrae Reverendissimae Dominationis deditissimus Sigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌊Sigismundus ab HerberstainSigmund von Herberstein (*1486 – †1566), diplomat in the service of Emperor Maximilian I, Charles V, and Roman King Ferdinand I, writer and historian. In 1517 sent to Poland to conduct the marriage between King Sigismund I Jagiellon and Duchess Bona Sforza d'Aragona, and to Moscow to arrange a truce between the Grand Duchy of Muscovy and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; 1515 member of the Council of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1515-1553 carried out many diplomatic missions (in 1517 and 1526 he was twice an imperial envoy at the Muscovy court)⌋

[1] After completing his mission to Hungary with the aim of achieving a truce in Visegrád, on May 25 Herberstein was urgently sent to Poland, chiefly in connection with Hungarian affairs (safeguarding the truce by having Sigismund I and Saxon duke Georg sequester castles belonging to Ferdinand I and Zápolya). He set off from Vienna to Cracow on June 6, arrived on June 14, to leave on July 7 ( cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 294-295 ⌊Herberstein 1855, p. 294-295cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 294-295 ⌋, cf. cf. EFE 46 No. 54, p. 74 ⌊Elementa, XLVI, No. 54, p. 74cf. EFE 46 No. 54, p. 74 ⌋; cf. AT 13 No. 95, 96, p. 94, No. 199, p. 195-196, No. 218, p. 209, No. 221, p. 211 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 95, 96, p. 94, No. 199, p. 195-196, No. 218, p. 209, No. 221, p. 211cf. AT 13 No. 95, 96, p. 94, No. 199, p. 195-196, No. 218, p. 209, No. 221, p. 211 ⌋; cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 117-121 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 117-121cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 117-121 ⌋ , see also cf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Esztergom, 1531-05-07, CIDTC IDL 621⌊IDL 621cf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Esztergom, 1531-05-07, CIDTC IDL 621⌋, footnote 8!!!, 10, 14!!!).

[2] This fascicule probably contained Dantiscus’ letter to Sigismund I (see cf. AT 13 No. 194, p.188-9 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 194, p.188-9cf. AT 13 No. 194, p.188-9 ⌋) and Dantiscus’ unknown letter to queen Bona, mentioned below (see footnote 9).

[3] Unknown letter. Its content can be guessed from queen Bona’s reply to Dantiscus dated on the day Herberstein left Cracow – July 7 ( cf. AT 13 No. 221, p. 211 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 221, p. 211cf. AT 13 No. 221, p. 211 ⌋), from Lodovico Alifio’s letter to Dantiscus (see footnote 11), and from the present letter.

[4] cf. Lodovico ALIFIO to Ioannes DANTISCUS Bari, 1531-03-24, CIDTC IDL 604⌊Lodovico Alifio’s letter to Dantiscuscf. Lodovico ALIFIO to Ioannes DANTISCUS Bari, 1531-03-24, CIDTC IDL 604⌋, dispatched from Bari on March 24, 1531 (delivered in Ghent on May 25), concerns the suspension of navigation in the port of Bari, which hampered trade (AAWO, AB D. 67, f. 62r-v).

[5] The day Herberstein left Cracow – July 7, 1531 – is the date of Queen Bona’s letter to Ferdinand I with assurances of her friendship and confirming her authorization for Herberstein to report on matters he has been entrusted with orally (see cf. AT 13 No. 218, p. 209 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 218, p. 209cf. AT 13 No. 218, p. 209 ⌋, cf. cf. AT 13 No. 270, p. 251 ⌊No. 270, p. 251cf. AT 13 No. 270, p. 251 ⌋; cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 119-121 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 119-121cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 119-121 ⌋).

[6] Hieronim Łaski in spring 1531 he went on a mission to Suleiman I to obtain his consent to a year-long truce for Hungary (see cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Brussels, 1531-07-20, CIDTC IDL 654⌊IDL 654cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Brussels, 1531-07-20, CIDTC IDL 654⌋, footnote 8). In Visegrád in May (see cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Brussels, 1531-07-20, CIDTC IDL 654⌊IDL 654cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Brussels, 1531-07-20, CIDTC IDL 654⌋) and in Cracow in July, he negotiated with Herberstein on the terms of the truce and its guarantee (see footnote 4).

[7] After leaving Cracow (see footnote 4), on July 24 Herberstein and Hieronim Łaski reached České Budějovice (Budweiss) where Ferdinand I was staying ( cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 295 ⌊Herberstein 1855, p. 295cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 295 ⌋; cf. cf. HERBERSTEIN 1560 f. D2v ⌊Herberstein 1560, f. D2vcf. HERBERSTEIN 1560 f. D2v ⌋).

[8] Herberstein is probably referring to Giannantonio Donato, duke d’Atri, count of Conversano and San Flaviano (d. 1554). We know Dantiscus corresponded with his father, condottiere Andrea Matteo III Acquaviva d’Aragona, duke d’Atri (1457-1529), a close neighbor and friend of Duchess Isabella d’Aragona, mother of queen Bona Sforza.

[9] Cf. cf. AT 13 No. 309, p. 291 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 309, p. 291cf. AT 13 No. 309, p. 291 ⌋. The unofficial objective of Hieronim Łaski’s stay at Ferdinand I’s court was to discuss the terms of entering the service of the Habsburgs (see cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 122-123 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 122-123cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 122-123 ⌋).

[10] After leaving České Budějovice (Budweiss), Herberstein and Hieronim Łaski traveled via Krems an der Donau to Vienna, from where Łaski set sail along the Danube to Buda on August 5, while Herberstein went to his Klamm Castle near Schottwien am Semmering (see cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 295 ⌊Herberstein 1855, p. 295cf. HERBERSTEIN 1855 p. 295 ⌋, cf. cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Klamm, 1522-07-06, CIDTC IDL 155⌊IDL 155cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN Klamm, 1522-07-06, CIDTC IDL 155⌋, footnote 4).

[11] Together with Hungarian chancellor István Brodarics, designated by King János I Zápolya, and with delegates of the Polish king, Hieronim Łaski was supposed to go on a great mission to the emperor, the pope and the kings of France and England to discuss the peace in Hungary. Ultimately, in early October Łaski set off for the Reich diet called by Emperor Charles V in Speyer. The diet did not gather then, but was called again for early 1532 inRegensburg (began in April). Meanwhile, Herberstein’s reports made Ferdinand I change his stance on resolving the Hungarian conflict with Polish mediation and Łaski’s negotiations at the end of 1531 failed (see cf. AT 13 No. 286, p. 263-264; No. 309, p. 291-292 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 286, p. 263-264; No. 309, p. 291-292cf. AT 13 No. 286, p. 263-264; No. 309, p. 291-292 ⌋; cf. AT 13 No. 83, p. 141-142 ⌊AT, XIV, No. 83, p. 141-142cf. AT 13 No. 83, p. 141-142 ⌋; cf. EFE 35 No. 282, p. 42-43 ⌊Elementa, XXXV, No. 282, p. 42-43cf. EFE 35 No. 282, p. 42-43 ⌋; cf. DEGGELLER p. 42 ⌊Deggeller, p. 42cf. DEGGELLER p. 42 ⌋; cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 122-128 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 122-128cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 122-128 ⌋).

[12] János I Zápolya (1487-1540), voivode of Transylvania (1511), a representative of Hungarian magnates related to the Jagiellons (his sister Barbara was the first wife of King Sigismund I); in November 1526 he was proclaimed the “national” king of Hungary by a part of the Hungarian nobility (against Ferdinand I) and crowned, which led to a division of the Kingdom of Hungary that had far-reaching consequences. In 1539 he married Isabella – daughter of King Sigismund I and Bona Sforza.

[13] A reference to Dantiscus’ request, put forward with increasing forcefulness at least from 1528, to relieve him of his long-lasting diplomatic service at the court of Charles V, which had lasted uninterruptedly since his departure from Cracow in March 1524. Dantiscus was formally recalled to Poland in February 1532 (see cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to [Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN] Sitzendorf an der Schmida, 1532-07-16, CIDTC IDL 6253⌊IDL 6253cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to [Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN] Sitzendorf an der Schmida, 1532-07-16, CIDTC IDL 6253⌋, footnote 2!!!).

[14] Most likely a reference to matters of the Italian duchies of Queen Bona: the duchies of Bari and Rossano. In 1524, after the death of Isabella d’Aragona – Queen Bona’s mother – envoys Lodovico Alifio (see footnote 10) and Dantiscus were entrusted with taking over this inheritance. Dantiscus, as a resident representative of the king and queen of Poland at the imperial court in 1524-1532, dealt with all matters related to Queen Bona and Sigismund I entering into possession of the Italian duchies, to administration of the duchies and to the income derived from them (see cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 211-296 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 211-296cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 211-296 ⌋; cf. letter cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to [Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN] Sitzendorf an der Schmida, 1532-07-16, CIDTC IDL 6253⌊IDL 6253cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to [Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN] Sitzendorf an der Schmida, 1532-07-16, CIDTC IDL 6253⌋, footnote !!!).

[15] A reference to the merely opportunistic change of attitude towards Ferdinand I after the hostile mood that Herberstein had commented on in 1529 (see cf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Cracow, 1529-07-24, CIDTC IDL 434⌊IDL 434cf. Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN to Ioannes DANTISCUS Cracow, 1529-07-24, CIDTC IDL 434⌋, footnote 27).

[16] Another reference to matters of the duchies of Bari and Rossano. Most likely Ferdinand I’s vague reply to the queen Bona’s letter of July 7, 1531 includes a promise to support these very issues (see footnote 13; cf. AT 13 No. 270, p. 251 ⌊AT, XIII, No. 270, p. 251cf. AT 13 No. 270, p. 251 ⌋, cf. cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 121 ⌊Pociecha IV, p. 121cf. POCIECHA 4 p. 121 ⌋).