Letter #2460
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI][Heilsberg (Lidzbark)], 1541-07-17
English register:
In accordance with the announcement made in his previous letter, delivered through the son of the district judge at Kulm (Chełmno) [probably Jan or Bartłomiej Plemięcki], Dantiscus sends via Hans Holsten the sum of 50 florins from the magistrate of Thorn (Toruń). Thorn should have sent the same amount as Elbing (Elbląg), namely 66 florins and 20 groschen, which amounts to half the sum remitted by Gdańsk (Danzig). Dantiscus does not understand why the councillors of Thorn are sending a smaller amount than is customary. Unless they provide the outstanding sum, he suggests that the chancery should charge them double fees for documents. He also emphasizes how much difficulty he has encountered in obtaining the funds from them. Aware of the goodwill and merits of the addressee, he feels ashamed that the amount due is being paid in instalments.
As he was writing the present letter, however, an envoy from Thorn arrived with a letter and the outstanding amount. In the letter, the councillors of Thorn ask Dantiscus to convey their apologies for the delayed remittance.
Dantiscus has decided to keep Holsten at his side for a short while longer, as he has been assigned a [court?] date on the Monday following the feast of St James [28 July]; this will allow Dantiscus to send news from Prussia safely through him, should any arise. He warmly commends to the addressee the matter [of Anna Wachsschlagerin (Woszczkowa)], who is causing trouble for everyone. He describes the state of this case in detail in a separate letter.
Manuscript sources:
Auxiliary sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
Reverendissime mi Domine.
Quemadmodum nuper cum filio iudicis terrae Culmensis Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae XV huius scripsi, mitto per hunc Ioannem Holsten quinquaginta florenos per triginta grossos, quos a magistra[tu] Thoronensi missos accepi. Mittere debuerant ex parte sexaginta sex florenos et 20 grossos, qui faciunt centum marcas nostrates, sicut miserant Elbingenses (Gdanenses semper tantumdem, quantum duae istae civitates, pendere solent, ubi eiusmodi fit collatio). Quo moti consuetu[di]nem hanc omiserant, mihi non liquet. Ignorantiam a me commonefacti praetendere nequeunt. Quodsi per quempiam residuum ad Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam non dederint, velim cancellaria pro litteris ab eis duplum expilare[t].
Quantum taedii, quod tamen amor in Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam dulcitudine te[m]perabat, in hoc exiguo extorquendo exhauserim , vel ex eo solo clam non est, quod intriverunt Thor[o]nenses. Pudet me profecto scientem, quantum Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae debeatur, quod sic per intervalla et frusta vix aliqua ex parte iure <a> me debitum persolvitur.
Sed ecce, me haec scribente, praeter spem adest mihi nuntius iste a Thoronensibus cum litteris et reliquiis pecuniae. Quibus orant, ut Dominationem Vestram Reverendissimam placem et pro eis interpellem, u[t] tardius missum boni consulat. Quod quidem eo facio libentius, quod sci[o], quemadmodum seram congratulationem, sic etiam tarditatem gratitudinis plerumque non solere reprehendi.
Contineboque adhuc apud me Ioan[nem] Holsten paulisper, cui feria secunda post divi Iacobi festum di[es] dictus est, si quicquam a nostris forsan accederet amplius, ut per ill[um] tute mitti possit. Commendoque Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae causam hanc, in qua nuntius is missus est contra non ceream, sed adamantinam hanc m[u]lierem. Quae non solum aulae, verum etiam omnibus nobis facessit negotium, et suo ploratu omnes nos reddere plorantes contend[it]. Sed de iis in litteris latius, quas ut sua benevolentia pro tuit[ione] hic iurium nostrum omnium commendatas habeat nobisque contra immobilem huius mulieris pervicaciam adsit, quantum possum impensius, oro etc.
Datae XVII Iulii MDXLI.