Letter #3896
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Samuel MACIEJOWSKI]Heilsberg (Lidzbark), 1542-04-23
English register:
[The beginning of the text is damaged and the content is unclear]. Dantiscus has received a letter from one of the bishops [Łukasz Górka]. A royal [messenger] from the king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] has also arrived bearing a letter concerning taxes. Dantiscus handed that letter along with a document of resignation [fragment unclear, text damaged] to the bishop of Kulm (Chełmno) [Tiedemann Giese], asking that he should ensure its delivery to Gdańsk (Danzig). He sent a copy, so there is no need to send a separate letter unless it were to include a mention of the previous one, which pressed the matter of the tax. Should the citizens of Gdańsk refuse payment once again, the other estates will likely follow their example. Therefore, Dantiscus believes it would be advisable to admonish them once more, even if the royal letter were not to be delivered to their envoys until the [Royal Prussian] Diet.
He feels ashamed (and expects the addressee to share similar sentiments), because the more humbly he appealed to the City Council of Gdańsk regarding Hans Holsten, the more persistently the Council hounded him. The Council seeks to make Holsten publicly retract [text damaged], to his dishonour. However, Holsten would rather lose his life and property than suffer such disgrace. This situation clearly demonstrates the ineffectiveness of both the addressee’s and Dantiscus’ intercession.
Those [citizens of Gdańsk] who have so inflamed this matter, though seemingly close to Dantiscus, do not deserve his further assistance, especially since they have become permeated with Lutheranism. To the scandal of many, they publicly consumed meat during Lent. Moreover, when the elections to the City Council were to take place, having gathered as usual in the church, they commanded the priest to refrain from celebrating the customary Mass of the Holy Spirit. In all these things, they imitate their neighbour [Albrecht I von Hohenzollern], with whom they share a close relationship in this matter. Dantiscus deems an intervention by the king to be necessary. He advises that the king send a letter to the [Royal Prussian] Diet regarding these issues, also referring to the interruption of the Corpus Christi procession.
He asks the addressee to maintain discretion and to burn this letter.
Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
AAWO, AB, D. 7, f. 10r
Nuntio meo on the margin⌈
Inte paper damaged⌈[Inte]Inte paper damaged⌉rim vero misit ad me probably
Pudet me, Reverendissime mi Domine, quod quidem et Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae usu venire existimo, quo or que⌈quoquo or que⌉
me toties adeo demisse superinscribed in place of crossed-out submisse⌈submisse demisse demisse superinscribed in place of crossed-out submisse⌉, nedum diligenter,
Isti, qui hoc negotium adeo exasperarunt (suntque de nostris, qui magis plurimum nobis intimi videri volunt), nullius nostrum superinscribed⌈nostrumnostrum superinscribed⌉ se opera aliquando indigere superinscribed in place of crossed-out indignaturos(?)⌈indignaturos(?) indigere indigere superinscribed in place of crossed-out indignaturos(?)⌉ putant. Indigni vicissim, quibus a on the margin⌈aa on the margin⌉ Dominatione Vestra Reverendissima quacumque etiam in re in posterum on the margin⌈in posterumin posterum on the margin⌉ gratificetur, me certe multum a se abalienarunt, cum in hac causa, tum quia toti madent Luteranismo, totam enim Quadragesimam
... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉sime or sive⌈simesime or sive⌉
enim transactam usu carnium cum multorum offendiculo publice sunt abusi. Praeterea, cum nuper superinscribed⌈nupernuper superinscribed⌉ electio
Haec, quemadmodum alia omnia, in aurem scripseram manu mea, sed vix ipse hoc caliginoso tempore meas notas agnovi.
Meque Dominationi Vestrae Reverendissimae intime et studiosissime commendo.