Letter #1586
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Mauritius FERBER]Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-03-10
English register: Dantiscus is replying to two letters from Ferber. He thinks Ferber is rightly worried about the interpretation of the concept of indigenousness at the Diet in Cracow, but he hopes that together they can find a solution to this problem. Dantiscus is considering where to convene the approaching springtime Prussian assembly. He would be willing to hold it in Malbork, as long as Ferber (despite his health problems) takes part in the assembly and undertakes the effort of chairing the sessions. Dantiscus also thinks that the Polish lords (i.e. the commissioners delegated to the Prussian assembly by the king) will travel via Toruń, and that the king’s will should be followed as to the choice of the assembly’s location. Dantiscus thinks it will be sufficient if the gentry and the cities read the king’s letter on the eve of the assembly. The time and place of the assembly, on the other hand, should be announced publicly as soon as possible as well as the issues that are to be discussed which were specified by the king and queen during the Diet in Cracow. Dantiscus has not received a letter from Ioannes Tymmermann. If he does, he will arrive at the time specified. As for the election capitulations, he will act in accordance with Ferber’s advice and his will. Dantiscus cannot send Ferber a copy of the reply given on behalf of the king by the Płock bishop (Jan Chojeński) to the Prussian gentry’s envoys, because the royal court is not in the habit of presenting such replies in writing. Ferber knows its content from Dantiscus’ earlier letters. He explains that the (memorandum) which Ferber received from the Malbork voivode (Jerzy Bażyński) was sent to him through Bażyński by Johann von Werden, in accordance with what had been decided among the Prussian Council’s legation. The news as to the General Council, promised by the papal nuncio, has not arrived yet. Dantiscus fears that the Council will not come about because of the imminent war between the Empire and France. France has forged an alliance with Turkey against the Christians. It is said that a large part of the Turkish army is in Hungary and is due to move towards Germany. Dantiscus is returning to Ferber the horses he borrowed for his journey. He complains about the expenses he had in Cracow, and the pain that the gossip about this matter is causing him. Dantiscus informs Ferber that the Płock bishop (Jan Chojeński) became Grand Chancellor on February 16, while the post of Vice-Chancellor went to Jakub the Gostynin castellan (in fact: Gostynin starosta Paweł Wolski). He encloses a copy of the letter from the voivode of Pomerania (Jerzy Konopacki) concerning the swearing-in. In the postscript: Dantiscus replies to Ferber’s reproach that he complains too much about the expenses and hardships he has suffered in connection with his mission. He writes that he expected nothing more from Ferber than a friendly ear for his confidences, which brought him relief after the distress he suffered. He had been particularly pained at the accusations thrown by his ungrateful compatriots that he had not financed the mission from his own funds. Nevertheless, he thanks Ferber for his fatherly reprimand.
Manuscript sources:
Prints:
| ||||||||||||||
Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus
Reverendissime in Christo Pater et Domine, Domine et Amice carissime ac plurimum observande.
Post novissimas meas satis prolixas, quas, utcumque fessus adhuc ex itinere male pinxi, accepi a meo unas et alteras a nuntio Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae, qui heri applicuit, ex quibus mentem Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae, quemadmodum mihi visum est, plane intellexi. Quod in primis scribit se non parum perplexam moleste ferre interpretationem de indigenis nostris Cracoviae factam, iure quidem id facit Dominatio vestra Reverendissima, nollem tamen, ut hoc ipsum gravius, quam oportet, in animum admitteret, quandoquidem communi ea in re habito consilio, quid responderi expediet et oporteat, Deo intellectum praestantes inveniemus.
In alteris quod scribit Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima consultius fore, ut conventus futurus propter temporis angusti intercapedinem in Marienburgo loco solito relinquatur, minime reluctarer, si Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima certo posset adesse, cuius praesentia tum maximopere respublica nostra opus habitura est. Si vero res, ut nuper in Elbingo, non succederet, nollem ego eam molem, quae nobis incumbit, in Marienburgo solus ferre – solus, inquam, sine Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima, cum multa eaque ardua in rebus nostris publicis se offerent. Neque opinor dominos Polonos ad nos venturos Thoroniam praetergressuros. Quicquid ea in re maiestas regia statuerit, ferendum est.
De litteris a maiestate regia praemittendis, etiam si uno die, priusquam conventus celebretur, nobilitati et civibus reddantur, satisfactum putabo, cum prius sciant tempus futuri conventus et causas a maiestat[ibus] regiis utrisque Cracoviae designatas. Ceterum, ut locus sciatur, necessarium esse arbitror. Ego me velim et a tempore et loco esse liberum, cum in nullum magis quam in me unum , si sine Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima praesum, omne odium et malorum hominum iniqua calumnia conici soleat. Unde et me velim aegritudine quapiam praepediri, ut sine iis turbis quoquomodo, quod vitae reliquum est mihi, transigere liceret, utpote non admodum vitae, cuius me saepe cepit taedium, avido etc.
A domino Ioanne Czimmerman nullas accepi, quae si oblatae tempus, quo adiri debeam, a me postulaverint, non gravate praestabo. In articulis sic me geram, ut Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima consuluit atque voluit.
Poscit a me Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima exemplum responsi nobilitati a maiestate regia dati. Quod ex scripto non fuit prolatum, sed reverendissimus dominus Plocensis ex quibusdam annotatiunculis in margine nostrae consultationis, cuius Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae misi copiam, additis verbo dumtaxat a maiestate regia respondit, neque usu in aula regia receptum est, ut istiusmodi responsa scripto firmentur. Quae Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae scripsi ita, ut omnes audivimus, sic ea in notitiam Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae deduxi. Ea, quae magnificus dominus palatinus Marienburgensis Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae misit, ad eum a domino Ioanne a Werden ex nostra omnino mente, ut ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam perferrentur, fuerunt missa.
De concilio nihil est quod boni sperare debeam. Fuit, ut prius scripsi, Cracoviae nuntius quidam pontificis, qui ad minimum tribus mensibus, priusquam certo concilium Mantuae constitui debuit, pollicitus est pontificem id Regni praelatis denuntiaturum. Quod hucusque neque successit, neque quando succedere debeat, sciri potest stantibus his inter caesarem et Gallum bellis, qui in Christianos omnem Turcarum vim , cuius ad praesens non parva pars esse in Hungaria fertur, maxime autem in Germaniam inducere conatur.
Equos Reverendissimae Dominationis Vestrae hinc integros ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam mitto cum summa, qua possum, gratiarum actione, atque utinam istiusmodi profectio numquam mihi deinceps sit necessaria, a qua, quantum possum, cum damno factus cautior, me continebo in posterum. Hoc unum laudis a nostris nobilibus obtinui, quod dicor impensis Gdanensium hanc totam profectionem, in qua supra trium mensium spatium absumpsi et in qua praeter decem equites (erant enim plures) quadraginta equos alui, transegisse. Nihilominus tamen nulli quam Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae debeo, cui immensas ago gratias, quod adhuc pacientiam mecum habeat . Si eam pecuniam a fratre meo Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima accepisset, iam illam Fuggaris, quibus ea satisfeci, deberem, neque illos frustrarer, ... licet per duos annos sese subsequentes graves impensas fecerim. Nihilo secius tamen, modo domi manere liceret, nihil mihi in gratia Dei deesset vel deesse posset. Dominus providebit etc.
Sigillum maius datum est feria sexta ante Invocavit reverendissimo domino Plocensi, minus domino Iacob castellano Gostinensi. Copiam litterarum ratione iuramenti, quas dominus palatinus Pomeraniae attulit, his adiunctas mitto. Quod reliquum est, me paterno Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae amori ex corde commendo Deumque precor, ut illam quam diutissime sospitet prosperetque in omnibus.
Lubaviae, X Martii MDXXXVII
Postscript:
Reverendissime mi Domine. In scheda prioribus litteris, quas nuper nuntius meus attulit, inclusa scribit me lamentari et in cunctis meis litteris conqueri de impensis et molestia. Quae lamenta, si imprudens emisi, et querelae ne Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae animum offendant, oro. Non parum in rebus duris ferre solet leniminis, ubi tuto in sinus amici id, quod grave et onerosum est, effundere licet, etiam si ab amico nil speretur levaminis. Quantum patriae debeam, non me praeterit, ad cuius commodum et honorem si quas feci graviores, quam forte oportebat, expensas, non ducor paenitudine, verum nostratium ingratitudine moveor, quod id honoris mihi non tribuant, quod de meis impenderim, sed, quasi ab aliis stipendio conductus, tam splendide et honeste cum principibus viris in aula regia convixerim. Neque me secus atque Irum quempiam existimant ac {ac} aestimant, cum in Dei gratia omnia mihi suppetant, et me Croesum esse arbitror, non excedens, quod ioco mihi Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima scripsit pro paroemia “vas du kanst, dos thu”, hunc modum hucusque in magnis rebus et expensis satis longo tempore versatus in debito servavi tenore servaturusque, porro pro paterna admonitione gratias habeo immensas, illamque et consilium Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae secutus sum in omnibus. Cui me iterum iterumque commendo.