CIDT&C Corpus of Ioannes Dantiscus' Texts & Correspondence

Letter #113

Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN
Cracow (Kraków), 1518-07-12

Manuscript sources:

1	fair copy in Latin, autograph, ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 13r-v

Prints:

1	CEID 2/1 No. 8, p. 88-90 (in extenso; English register)

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

ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 13v

Domino Sigismundo de Herberstein paper damaged⌈[de Herberstein]de Herberstein paper damaged⌉, consiliario Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊caesareae maiestatisMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋, equiti aurat paper damaged⌈[equiti aurat]equiti aurat paper damaged⌉o etc. domino et amico colendissimo[1].

ONB, Cod. 13.597, f. 13r

Magnifice Domine, commendationem plurimam.

Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌈Dat(ae)Dat(ae) or Dat(um)⌉ Cracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌊CracoviaeCracow (Kraków, Cracovia), city in southern Poland, Małopolska, on the Vistula river, from 1038 capital of the Kingdom of Poland⌋, 12 Iulii anno 1518.

Magnificentiae Vestrae deditissimus 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⌊Ioannes DantiscusIoannes 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⌋, secretarius.

[1] Missing part of address were written on the lost piece of paper the seal was impressed through.

[2] Unknown letter.

[4] After the congress in Vienna (Wien, Vienna), city in eastern Austria, on the Danube river⌊ViennaVienna (Wien, Vienna), city in eastern Austria, on the Danube river⌋ (1515) Christoph Rauber (*1476 – †1536), 1494-1536 Bishop of Ljubljana, 1509-1512 coadjutor of the bishopric of Seckau, 1512-1536 - administrator (CEID 2/1, p. 89, footnote 4)⌊RauberChristoph Rauber (*1476 – †1536), 1494-1536 Bishop of Ljubljana, 1509-1512 coadjutor of the bishopric of Seckau, 1512-1536 - administrator (CEID 2/1, p. 89, footnote 4)⌋ was supposed to go on a mission from Maximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌊Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian I of Habsburg (*1459 – †1519), from 1486 King of the Romans, actual ruler of the Empire from the death of Frederick III (1493), 1508-1519 Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation; son of Emperor Frederick III and Eleanor of Portugal⌋ to Muscovy (Grand Duchy of Muscovy, Moscovia)⌊MoscowMuscovy (Grand Duchy of Muscovy, Moscovia)⌋. Because he kept delaying his departure and Juan Dalbion ⌊DantiscusJuan Dalbion ⌋ kept insisting the envoys should leave as soon as possible, the mission was ultimately entrusted to 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)⌊HerbersteinSigmund 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)⌋ (see Wiesflecker IV, p. 212; Picková, p. 170-171, cf. Introduction, p. 23-24 and cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN [Augsburg], [1516-10-21 — 1516-10-28], CIDTC IDL 122⌊IDL 122cf. Ioannes DANTISCUS to Sigmund von HERBERSTEIN [Augsburg], [1516-10-21 — 1516-10-28], CIDTC IDL 122⌋, footnote 7)..

[5] Pristaff – a term of Ruthenian origin (pristav) meaning – especially in Muscovy Russ – an official who accompanied foreign diplomats arriving in Muscovy, usually from the very border, and was their guide, assistant and companion, and also a spy discreetly controlling their unofficial activities and contacts. The term, adopted into Polish in the form przistaw – przystaw was used at least from the last quarter of the 14th century to mean ‘helper, assistant, guide, messenger’ (see SS), and it is in this meaning that it appears in the letter. Its notation in Dantiscus’ hand can denote both the Ruthenian and the Polish phonetics of the word. A similar notation, but certainly eflecting the Ruthenian sound, in the form: Prystaff (next to Pristaw), can be found in Herberstein’s Selbstbiographie (Herberstein 1855, p. 120-121, cf. Herberstein 1556, p. 44, 138, 152; Herberstein 1557, §§ 93, 161, 280,573, 576, 581, 600, 610, 616, 57-658).

[6] Cf. cf. Gerhard Deggeller, Karl V. und Polen-Litauen. Ein Beitrag zur Frage der Ostpolitik des spaeten Kaisertums., Wuerzburg - Aumuehle, 1939 ⌊DEGGELLERcf. Gerhard Deggeller, Karl V. und Polen-Litauen. Ein Beitrag zur Frage der Ostpolitik des spaeten Kaisertums., Wuerzburg - Aumuehle, 1939 ⌋, p. 40.

[7] The court proceedings mentioned in the letter, which entailed high costs for Dantiscus, were linked to his efforts to obtain a canonry in Warmia (Ermland). While in Pressburg in 1515, King Sigismund I gave Dantiscus a written promise to grant him a canonry in the Warmia chapter, in accordance with the right to appoint canons granted him by Pope Leo X in 1514. With the death of canon Andrzej Kletz (von Tostir,Tustir) on September 5, 1515, the post of custodian became vacant in the Warmia chapter. Despite the royal guarantee, in 1517 the pope promised this benefice to Warmia canon Walenty Grabau who was in Rome. Sigismund I’s opposition to this decision is documented by his letters to the pope and cardinals (AT, IV, No. 209, p. 169-170). Dantiscus did not obtain a Warmia canonry until 1529 (see SBKW, pp. 74, 113; Borawska 1996, p. 172; BCz, pressmark 403, p. 533 (note in Maurycy Ferber’s hand on the documents connected with the case); pressmark 1594, p. 323-324 (letter of Dantiscus to Warmia bishop Fabian Luzjański, Augsburg, November 19, 1516), cf. Müller-Blessing, p. 176-178; Pociecha, IV, p. 228). .

[8] Emperor Maximilian I probably promised Dantiscus a bishopric in the Reich on June 5-6, 1517, when Dantiscus was setting off for Poland, having been recalled by King Sigismund I. This was the only time during Dantiscus’ stay at the imperial court in 1517 that Maximilian I was in Cologne (see CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 22-23)..

[9] Most probably a reference to the imperial diploma granting Dantiscus the title of the count palatine ( comes palatinus, Hofpfalzgraf), see CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 21, footnote 29 and p. 27..

[10] Dantiscus owed Jacob Spiegel’s poet’s laurels (1516) to his support. For more about the circumstances in which Dantiscus dedicated his Soteria to him, and the probable link between this fact and Dantiscus receiving the title of count palatine , see CEID 2.1, Introduction, p. 25-27..