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Letter #682

Cornelis DE SCHEPPER to Ioannes DANTISCUS
Wallendorf, 1531-09-11

English register:

De Schepper has accomplished the mission for which he had set out from Brussels for the Ardennes. He sends this letter through a messenger who is departing. He will leave for Brussels the same day and hopes to arrive there within 10 days. If there is urgent news, Dantiscus should send it through Johann Baptista von Taxis. De Schepper wrote to [Alfonso de] Valdés in order to recommend his case to [Nicolas Perrenot de] Granvelle. He also asks for the support of Dantiscus. He has no news from the deserted region where they are staying. Thanks to the Margrave of Baden [Bernhard III], who acts as the representative of the Emperor [Charles V], they have plenty of game to eat, but De Schepper prefers simple lamb or pork in the company of Dantiscus.

In the cities, the plague is spreading violently; in a few rural areas the air is so lethal that it can be compared to lake Avernus. Panic arose in Luxembourg because of the same omens as observed in Brussels. De Schepper prays that Christ protect them both from imminent danger. He sends greetings to the Margrave [Johann Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach] and other friends. Dantiscus should urge the Prince-Bishop of Liège [Erard de la Marck] to support De Schepper's request in front of the Emperor.

In an ironical postscript the Viscount (vicecomes) who accompanies De Schepper sends his greetings to Dantiscus. He would like to trade part of their venison for Dantiscus' wine. He jokes about their huge stock of salt.


            received Brussels, [1531]-09-12

Manuscript sources:
1fair copy in Latin, autograph, AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 52
2copy in Latin, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8242 (TK 4), a.1531, f. 80
3register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 31, No. 243

Prints:
1DE VOCHT 1961 No. DE, 159, p. 96-97 (English register)
2Españoles part II, No. 57, p. 226-227 (Spanish translation)
3CEID 2/2 (Letter No. 32) p. 154-156 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 52v

Reverendissimo in Ch paper damaged⌈[in Ch]in Ch paper damaged⌉risto Patri et Domino, domino Ioanni Da paper damaged⌈[i Da]i Da paper damaged⌉ntisco episcopo Culmensi, reg paper damaged⌈[reg]reg paper damaged⌉iae maiestatis Poloniae oratori, domino tamquam orig. tanquam⌈tamquamtamquam orig. tanquam⌉ patri honorandissimo[1]

AAWO, AB, D. 3, f. 52r

Salutem plurimam.

Ex quo abii Bruxella profectus per Arduennam, ea transegi, quae commissa fuere. Verum cum orig. quum⌈cumcum orig. quum⌉ hinc abeat nuntius orig. nuncius⌈nuntiusnuntius orig. nuncius⌉, ommitere non potui, quin ad te scriberem. Hodie hinc proficiscimur redituri ad vos, ut spero, intra dies X. Interim si quid novi occurrat scriptu dignum, litteras da Ioanni Babtistae de Taxis. Scripsi ad Valdesium de rebus meis, ut eas commendatas haberet domino a Grandtvella. Rogo, ut et tua commendatio interveniat.

Hic in silva orig. sylva⌈silvasilva orig. sylva⌉ rerum novarum nihil habemus neque quicquam videmus praeter steriles campos. Ferina autem commode vescimur liberalitate illustris marchionis Badensis, qui hic agit praefectum caesaris, sed malim apud vos o written over a⌈aoo written over a⌉villa aut suilla vesci. Pestis hic mirum in modum incrudescit, sed in urbibus tantum, in aliis enim locis non perinde saevit ea contagio, nisi in perquam paucis, ubi tam letalis est aer, ut aves de caelo orig. celo⌈caelocaelo orig. celo⌉ tactae non secus atque Avernum supervolitantes in terram lapsae exstinguantur orig. extinguantur⌈exstinguanturexstinguantur orig. extinguantur⌉. Signa, quae istic orig. isthic⌈isticistic orig. isthic⌉ visa sunt, hic quoque apparuere magno metu et haud dubio periculo, quod nobis imminens avertat Christus, qui te servet incolumem.

Ill(ustri) or Ill(ustrissimo)⌈Ill(ustri)Ill(ustri) or Ill(ustrissimo)⌉ domino marchioni centum bezo las manos et dominis aliis, et amicis. Apud reverendissimum Leodiensem sis memor mei, nam ille scit, pro qua re instem apud caesarem, et video officiorum rationem non haberi, nisi adsit importunitas.

Ex vico Wallenvilla, XI-o Septembris anno XV-c XXXI.

Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae ex animo inservitor Cornelius Duplicius Scepperus

Postscript:

Dominus vicecomes collega meus bezat vobis manus et pedes et cuperet, ut ferinae, quam hic copiose habemus, partem cum vino tuo nobis permutasses. Tam divites hic sumus, ut sale pro pulvere utamur.

[1 ] Missing parts of the address supplied by the editor were written on a lost piece of paper through which the seal was impressed