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Letter #1776

[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Seweryn BONER]
Löbau (Lubawa), 1537-11-16

English register: Dantiscus hopes that in accordance with his request, contained in the letter of September 28 (letter No. 43), Boner made sure to send the enclosed letter from Dantiscus to Otto Heinrich (Wittelsbach), count of the Rhine Palatinate. Dantiscus condemns the cruelty, licentiousness and despotism of the king of England (Henry VIII), spilling the blood of his subjects who rise to defend the confiscated estates of the church and of shut-down monasteries. He is also outraged by the king’s taking advantage of the privileges of the head of the English church, which he has appropriated, to make the duration of his marriages dependent on the gender of the progeny produced by successive queens. Dantiscus is fearful of the future of the present queen (Jane Seymour) who is due to give birth soon. Dantiscus asks for news about the emperor, French and Turkish affairs, and also about the General Council.


Manuscript sources:
1rough draft in Latin, autograph, BCz, 244, p. 310 (b.p.)
2copy in Latin, 18th-century, BK, 232, p. 233-234
3copy in Latin, 18th-century, B. Ossol., 151/II, f. 170r-v
4copy, 18th-century, BCz, 55 (TN), No. 72, p. 467-468
5register with excerpt in Latin, English, 20th-century, CBKUL, R.III, 32, No. 631

Auxiliary sources:
1register in Polish, 20th-century, B. PAU-PAN, 8248 (TK 10), f. 646

Prints:
1CEID 1/1 No. 80, p. 338-340 (in extenso; English register)

 

Text & apparatus & commentaryPlain textText & commentaryText & apparatus

 

Magnifice Domine, amice carissime et honorande. Salutem et successuum felicissimorum continuum precor Magnificentiae Vestrae profectum.

Scripsi XXVIII Septembris novissimi Magnificentiae Vestrae additis litteris ad illustrissimum dominum Ottonem Henricum comitem palatinum Rheni, quas, quemadmodum rogavi a Magnificentia Vestra, iam perlatas esse existimo. Neque in praesentia mihi temperare potui, cum hunc fratrem meum ad aulam allegarem, quin per illum et hanc scriptionem Magnificentiae Vestrae faustum statum et, ut in bono more apud nostrates positum est, prosperam valetudinem inviserem, quam diu fore sartam tectam atque integram Magnificentiae Vestrae cupidissime opto. Ceterum quid hinc scribam, non habeo, quam quod Angliae rex indutam semel tyrannidem adeo in suos fertur atrociter in dies exercere, maxime in magnos et bonos viros, qui monasteriorum et templorum expilationibus non applaudunt, quod abhinc multis saeculis omnes, qui umquam humanum sanguinem sicientes profuderunt, superarit longeque post se reliquerit. Novi item et prodigiosi priusque numquam auditi pacti, quod inivit ratione coniugii cum ea, quam duxit loco reginae, occisa priore , eventum dicitur expectare, quae, ut fama est, iam gravida partui appropinquat; si marem pepererit, manebit uxor, sin minus, soluta fuerint iura matrimonii et vitae fortassis huius miserae puerperae, ducturus eadem condicione aliam atque aliam, quousque masculinum quiddam nascatur. Hanc legem, cum in ea insula se et regem, et pontificem fecerit, ipse sibi sanxit libidinosis et impuris adulteris non ingratam. Porro legislatorem tot sceleribus et caedibus madentem paulo post Deus pro sua in omnes et omnia aequitate non imp[unitate] impunitate non donabit. De caesare nostro et Gallicis ac Turcicis rebus iam dudum hic nihil audimus. Si quid certi atque etiam de concilio Magnificentia Vestra habuerit, ut me participem faciat, meque, qua cepit, benevolentia prosequi non desinat, impense oro. Eandem Magnificentiam Vestram Christus dominus noster quam diutissime sospitet prosperetque in omnibus.

Ex castro meo Lubaviensi, XVI Novembris MDXXXVII.