Letter #16
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Andrzej ZEBRZYDOWSKI]s.l., [1546-12-07]
English register:
The addressee did not reply to Dantiscus’ letter written in his own hand and sent through his kinsman, the mayor of Gdańsk (Danzig), Georg Schewecke. Instead, he spoke disparagingly of Dantiscus before many people. This has not diminished Dantiscus’ goodwill towards him, which he gives expression to in the present letter.
He defended the addressee against the accusations that had arisen in Prussia in connection with the presence of women in his company. In this defence he was supported by the Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno) [Tiedemann Giese]. Their reward for this was to be suspected of heresy and gluttony. Even if these accusations were well-founded, the addressee ought to have sought to lead them away from their error through fraternal admonishment rather than by disparaging them. They would then have abandoned their improper conduct and shown their gratitude.
He asks the addressee not to persist in this opinion of them, but to learn of their conduct from people who know them well. He may then change his view of them and be more favourably disposed towards them. The things that Dantiscus does out of the duty incumbent upon his sworn office, though disagreeable to the addressee, ought not to disturb their friendship. As a token of its continued strength, he offers his assistance in the ordination of priests in his diocese [of Włocławek].
Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
AAWO, AB, D. 6, f. 132rReverendissime mi Domine.
Tametsi litteris manu mea ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam per spectabilem dominum Georgium Georgium Scheffke praeconsulem Gedanensem, affinem meum, datis dedignata sit respondere, quin potius coram nonnullis contemptim Dantiscum verbis non admodum amicis afficere se non continuerit, nihil tamen in eo erga Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam benevolentiae meae observantiam laesam sentio, quae, ut hanc schedam praescriberem, effecit. Infitias iri nequit nos aliquando fuisse tenebras, nunc autem oramus sedulo, ut lux simus in Domino, qui corda novit omnium et ad se redeuntes non reicit paenitentes.
Ego quidem quorundam apud nos calumnias, qui gynaecium in comitatu Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae reprehendebant, quantum potui, pro honestate Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae refellebam. Qua item in re socium habui reverendissimum dominum Culmensem. Quae nobis refertur compensatio, liquet, cum ille de haeresi et de ingluvie Dantiscus ex quadam vehementia, quam olim accedens aetas temperabit, insimulatur, super quibus Dei sit iudicium. Quodsi etiam tales essemus, non traduci, sed fraternis commonitionibus ex errore nos abduci oporteret. Hoc si fieret, certo sibi Dominatio Vestra Reverendissima persuadeat, fore ut agnoscentes errorem resipiscerent, atque etiam gratiam haberent.
Ne itaque in ea de nobis opinione persistat, verum ab iis, qui nos penitius norunt, de vita moribusque nostris disquirat, rogo. Tum forte mutabit et sententiam, et benevolentiorem in nos concipiet mentem. Quod ad me attinet, si quid ex officio, ad quod iusiurandum me astrinxit, facio non satis Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae gratum, ne ob id, quaeso, causari velit me a nostra olim inter nos inita amicitia descivisse, quam apud me firmam esse, vel hoc praebeat indicium, quod hic, apud ecclesiam meam, si qui dioecesis Dominationis Vestrae Reverendissimae sacris initiari postulaverint, me studiosum offero suffraganeum. Qua in re si ex veteri amore voluntatis suae certam significationem mihi fecerit, acceptum mihi erit hoc a Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima plurimum.
Cui commendatissimus esse cupio etc.