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Letter #1775

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to Dietrich von RHEDEN
Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-11-16

English register: Dantiscus expects that Rheden received his letter, sent on October 1 from Grudziądz, together with enclosed documents concerning Dantiscus and Tiedemann Giese. He now encloses the next part of the documentation concerning the papal provision for himself and Giese, and also concerning his resignation from the Warmia canonry and prebend in favor of Fabian Wojanowski. He sends more copies of the king’s letters to the pope and the Cardinal Protector, and also new letters to them from the king, together with copies for Rheden, concerning a reduction in the annates. He notes that this fee is particularly unjustly high (700 ducats) for the Chełmno bishop, compared to the annual income from his bishopric, as the income does not even reach 700 ducats in cash. Though Dantiscus was forced to pay this amount seven years ago, because the pope needed money for the war with Florence, today there are no grounds for Giese to be charged such a large sum. Dantiscus informs Rheden that he has written a separate letter on this matter to the Cardinal Protector. He encloses the letter together with a copy for Rheden. In a letter from Giese, Rheden will receive detailed information on the annates of Warmia bishop Fabian (Luzjański). Luzjański paid about 750 ducats. Dantiscus thinks this amount is excessive as well and asks Rheden to try to get it reduced. Dantiscus asks Rheden to make all of his and Giese’s payments through the Fuggers’ bank. The Fuggers will also pay his remuneration – 30 ducats from Dantiscus and 20 from Giese. Rheden will find more detailed instructions in Tiedemann Giese’s letter which has already been posted. Dantiscus asks Rheden to send Giese’s provision bulla to Cracow as soon as possible, so that the king can issue a letter to the people of the diocese and install Giese in his new office. Dantiscus is very grateful to Rheden for promptly sending the breve giving him the right to administrate the Warmia diocese (before obtaining the papal provision). He has also read Rheden’s letter to Giese of September 23 and was happy at the obvious goodwill towards himself that it contained. He thanks him for the news about the emperor, Turkey and Venice. He sees no need to instruct Rheden as to the document of resignation (from the Warmia canonry in favor of Wojanowski). If any doubts arise, Rheden should turn to Dantiscus’ brother Bernard who is in Cracow.


Manuscript sources:
1office copy in Latin, in secretary's hand, BCz, 244, p. 289-290
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BK, 232, p. 230-232
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, B. Ossol., 151/II, f. 168v-169v
4copy, 18th-century, BCz, 55 (TN), No. 70, p. 451-453
5register with excerpt in Latin, Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8243 (TK 5), a.1537, f. 63r-v
6register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 32, No. 596

Prints:
1CEID 1/1 No. 63, p. 298-301 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Venerabilis Domine, amice et frater carissime ac honorande. Salutem et omnem felicitatem.

Scripsi hinc unacum decreto postulationis, quod ex conventu nostro Graudnicensi ad Dominationem Vestram prima die Octobris praeteriti misi, ea, quae tum meis, tum etiam reverendissimi domini electi Culmensis rebus oportuna ac necessaria esse cognoscebam; quae iam haud dubie puto Dominationem Vestram accepisse. In praesentia item eiusdem postulationis duplicatas, ut vocant, mitto cum instrumento quod habere voluit Dominatio Vestra addito, et eo, quod ad resignationem canonicatus et praebendae meae Varmiensis in personam nobilis Fabiani a Damarau pertinet. Sunt et litterae regiae ad pontificem, et ad cardinalem Regni protectorem duplicatae, eiusdem tenoris, quo fuerunt priores. Praeterea et aliae regiae sunt litterae ad sanctissimum dominum nostrum in copia earundem involutae de taxarum moderatione, maxime in ea, quae contingit ecclesiam Culmensem, de qua prioribus meis litteris Dominationi Vestrae scripsi. Dedi etiam et ego alteras eadem in re ad reverendissimum dominum cardinalem Regni protectorem, involutas similiter in earundem exemplo, ex quo quid et quomodo ad obtinendam taxae Culmensis moderationem Dominationi Vestrae agendum erit, edocebitur. Indignissimum quippe et omni aequitati esset contrarium, quod dominus electus ad veteris integrae taxae solutionem cogi deberet, cum, ut ingenue fateor et testor, episcopatus Culmensis, cui iam in septimum annum praefui, de paratis pecuniariis censibus septingentorum ducatorum valorem ex omnibus reditibus non habeat. Nihilominus istiusmodi summa a me fuit iniquissimis modis extorta contra Florentinos, in quos tunc pontifex saeviebat. Cum autem iam bellum hoc unacum suis auctoribus extinctum est, non puto, quod dominus electus ad eam impensam faciendam, quam ego feci, cogetur et hoc integritate et prudentia Dominationis Vestrae, cui uterque summe confidimus. De mea expeditione habebit in litteris domini electi indicem, quibus modis et quantum tempore reverendissimi olim Fabiani episcopi Varmiensis expositum sit, qui ratione electionis obtinuit confirmationem. Summa fuit, si recte memini, 750 ducatorum. Minus, ut arbitror, ratione postulationis deberet impendi, quod item dexteritati Dominationis Vestrae committo. Quicquid erit pro mea et domini electi expeditione pendendum et solvendum, Dominatio Vestra accipiet a Fuggaris, qui hoc in se a nobis onus susceperunt. Dabunt praeterea et Dominationi Vestrae meo nomine triginta, et ex parte domini electi viginti in auro ducatos, quos non pro labore, qui longe plura merebitur, sed pro quadam animorum nostrorum dumtaxat gratitudine Dominatio Vestra accipiet, quemadmodum de iis et aliis omnibus fusius dominus electus Dominationi Vestrae scribit etc.

Quod vero litterae meae aliquot diebus sint recentiores quam domini electi, causa fuit cogendi auri et tractatus cum Fuggaris, qui se nobis satis faciles praebuerunt, quod, non dubito, Dominationi Vestrae etiam praestabunt.

Cum Dominatio Vestra bullas omnes pro domino electo habuerit, eam, quae serenissimo regi nostro Poloniae inscripta erit, Dominatio Vestra seorsum committet Fuggaris, ut Cracoviam ad manus factoris eorum Georgii Hegel cum primis mittatur, qui illam regi reddet, illiusque vigore a rege litteras ad diocesanos Culmenses ecclesiaeque subditos, ut mos et usus est, pro oboedientia accipiet, quibus tum primum dominus electus episcopatus sui capiet possessionem. Aget itaque Dominatio Vestra expeditis omnibus cum Fuggaris, ut nostris impensis per bancum, ut vocant, omnem nostram expeditionem ad eundem Georgium Hegel Cracoviam mittant, a quo illam et tuto et cito sumus habituri.

Operam et diligentiam Dominationis Vestrae in mittendo huc brevi apostolico, quo mihi admittitur administratio, impense probamus: hoc quidem ipsa oportunitate venit oportunius. Misitque ad me dominus electus litteras Dominationis Vestrae Romae XXIII Septembris datas, quae mihi apprime erant gratae, cum ob nova illa, quae certo ad nos Dominatio Vestra de rebus caesaris, Turcarum et Venetorum perscripsit, tum quod singularem Dominationis Vestrae in me benevolentiam spirabant. Respondissetque Dominationi Vestrae dominus electus, verum putabat me cum iis iam nuntium Cracoviam ablegasse, unde istae ad vos perferentur. Fecitque sibi me Dominatio Vestra ob huius brevis tam maturam et commodam missionem devinctum plurimum, quumque iam hoc diligentiae suae immo et benevolentiae in me specimen ediderit, quod reliquum est, non minore propensione et cura absolvet.

De instrumento resignationis Dominationi Vestrae quid faciendum sit, non est, ut edoceatur necesse, si quid tamen erit, quod Dominationem Vestram in eo scire oporteat, frater meus Bernardus, quem cum iis Cracoviam misi, Dominationi Vestrae scribet. Alia in praesentia non restant, quam quod Dominationem Vestram, quae monitore non eget, rogo, ut fidei et integritati suae res nostras commissas commendatas habeat. Dominum electum et me Dominatio Vestra numquam experietur ingratos. Quam felicissime valere cupio.

Ex castro meo Lubaviensi, XVI Novembris anno 1537.