Letter #7063
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Tiedemann GIESEs.l., [1539-05-25, postscripts 1539-05-26 and 1539-05-27]
English register:
Late the previous evening, when Dantiscus had finished writing his letter to Giese [this part of the letter is lost], a reply came from the King [Sigismund I Jagiellon] regarding the change of the time and place of the [Royal Prussian] Diet. Dantiscus is sending it to Giese. He thinks his extensively argued request, made on behalf of all the members of the [Prussian] Council, has not been considered in depth and the reply has been given as if he were asking solely on his own behalf. He sees the reason for this in the chancellery’s unwillingness to prepare new Diet memos. Therefore Dantiscus thinks it is necessary to set a new time and place for the meeting and consider whether the King needs to be asked for his consent again.
He proposes the Diet be summoned for June 15 or sooner in Marienburg (Malbork), and if the danger of the plague does not pass – in another, safer place. He asks the addressee and neighbouring lords for their opinion on this. He himself will ask for the opinion of the Voivode of Marienburg (Malbork) [Georg von Baysen (Jerzy Bażyński)], the Castellan of Gdańsk (Danzig) [Achatius von Zehmen (Cema)], the Elbing (Elbląg) Town Council, and the Gdańsk Town Council.
The Vice-Chancellor [Samuel Maciejowski] has written that, according to the King, the matter of the accounting of the contributions was exhausted in earlier instructions.
Dantiscus encloses the news he received. He prays for God to restore the addressee to good health. He thinks that if Giese is absent, the Diet cannot possibly have a good outcome.
After finishing the first postscript, Dantiscus received Giese’s letter with the good news of his restored health. Dantiscus expresses his joy and also the hope that disease will now hit those who wish Giese ill and are the cause of his troubles. He declares his support against Giese’s adversaries at the next Diet.
The Duke [Albrecht I von Hohenzollern-Ansbach] informed Dantiscus before St. Stanislaus’ Day [May 8] that the King commanded him to send his envoys to the [Prussian] Diet, something he was unable to do, so he asked for the designation of a few [Royal Prussian] councillors he could meet with or contact through emissaries. Dantiscus informed him that the Diet had been moved because of the plague and promised to inform him of the new time and place. He asks Giese also to consult neighbouring lords on the matter.
He sends Giese the Duke’s letter and the thing that the Duke wanted Giese to read. The first ratification is in the hands of the Thorn (Toruń) Town Council. Giese can have them deliver it to the Diet.
[Mikołaj] Płotowski will explain to Giese why he did not leave Dantiscus the previous day.
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Postscript No. 1:
Cum has pridie maerens absolvissem, sera iam nocte nuntius meus ex Cracovia rediit, qui adiunctas adportavit. Quae serenissima maiestas regia de conventu nostro rescripsit, facile Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima intelliget. Ego quidem litteris meis abunde significaveram, qua de re dominis hic consiliariis locus conventus non satis tutus esse videbatur. Quod minus accurate est expensum respondeturque mihi quasi ipse solus temporis et loci translationem petivissem, cum certe non meo, sed omnium dominorum nomine scripserim, addens et rationes, quas propinquiores Marienburgo domini, magnificus videlicet palatinus Marienburgensis et castellanus Gdanensis, immo et Elbingensis in notitiam meam deduxerant de pestis aperta suspicione, verum quoquo modo res habeat, existimo cancellariam taedio affectam, quod putarit novas fuisse ad conventum scribendas litteras, ut in regno usu receptum est.
Ineundum igitur novum nobis erit consilium, ubi et quando nobis sit conveniendum, et si hoc ex nobis ipsis sit statuendum, an iterum pro consensu ad maiestatem regiam scribendum. Daturus expensas et nuntium. Videretur tamen mihi, salvo meliori Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae et aliorum dominorum iudicio, quod si periculum pestis in Marienburgo cessasset, quod eo nos pro XV-a Iunii vel, si placeret, etiam citius conferamus, sin vero, alium quempiam tutiorem deligeremus locum, qui qualiscumque sit, mihi non erit ingratus. Quicquid in his Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima cum vicinioribus dominis magis cognoscet esse expediens, certiorem me reddere non gravetur. Communicaturus sum et haec cum palatino Marienburgensi et castellano Gdanensi, praeterea et cum Elbingensibus et Gdanensibus, idque, quod illi faciendum consulent, Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam non celabo.
De ratione contributionis scribit mihi reverendus dominus vicecancellarius, quod serenissimae maiestati regiae visum est satis esse in prioribus commissionibus, idipsum et Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae reor in litteris regiis annotatum.
Quae ad me nova scripta sunt, ex schedis adiunctis Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima accipiet. Dominus Deus pro nobis pugnavit, illi sit laus, honor, gloria atque omnis gratiarum actio Vestramque Reverendissimam Dominationem sospitet saluberrimaeque valetudini restituat, ut in futuro conventu, qui sine Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima absolvi plene non potest, nobis sanitate ac viribus recuperatis adsit, suumque in tractandis negotiis impartiatur adminiculum etc.
Postscript No. 2:
Reverendissime mi Domine.
Cum ab hac scheda commodum manum amovissem, adfu[it] nuntius meus cum litteris Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae pridie datis, quae me ob id non vulgariter exhilararunt, quod recidiva Dominationem Vestram Reverendissim[am] liberatam significarent, quae utinam in illos recidat, qui Domination[i] Vestrae Reverendisimae male volunt, et has turbas, de quibus scribit, concit[ant]. Unde non minus, quam Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima, afficior daturusque sum operam in futuro nostro conventu, ut ii, qui Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae advers[an]tur, cognoscant, non secus mihi curae et cordi esse res Dominationi[s] Vestrae Reverendissimae atque meas proprias, promissumque meum integrum a[tque] solidum experietur actionem illum habere cum utrisque nobis, qui Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam aspere attingere audebit, communicatoque, De[o] paulopost favente, inter nos consilio facile turbatoribus is[tis] obicem ponemus. Interim Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima boni sit animi curetque [va]letudinem suam, neque molestius, quam oportet, malorum hominum fera[t] insaniam etc.
Scripserat ad me illustrissimus dominus dux vicinus noster ante divi Stanis[lai] festum, quod maiestas regia iniunxisset, quando conventus noster celebraretur, ut et ipse suos nuntios mitteret, cum autem tum cum su[um] pro eodem tempore conventum coegisset, se voluntati regiae satisface[re] non posse, postulans, ut post nostrum in Marienburgo conventum, qu[em] tunc existimabat futurum, quidam ex dominis consiliariis designarentur, cum quibus vel ipse in persona convenire, vel oratore[s] suos ad eos mittere posset. Cui respondi translatum esse convent[um] ob locum peste suspectum, quamprimum vero aliud tempus et locus const[i]tueretur, me idipsum ei non celaturum. Velit itaque et hoc n[e]gotium, quid in eo faciendum, cum aliis vicinis dominis Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima ponere in consultationem.
Remitto ea, quae illustrissimus dominus dux [a] Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima legi voluit eiusdemque litteras, ex quibus intell[iget], quid cupiat. Ratificatio illa prima est apud Thoronenses, cum [quibus] Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima agere poterit, ut eam secum ad futurum conventum deferant etc.
Heri dominus Plotowski abire debuit. Qua de re non successit, dicet etc.