Letter #53
Ioannes DANTISCUS to Bona SforzaHeilsberg (Lidzbark), 1543-02-27
English register:
Dantiscus thanks the addressee for the letter containing news of the young king’s marriage [Sigismund Augustus to Elisabeth of Austria]. The message has relieved him of the worries caused by circulating rumours, especially as reports from France were bringing incredible tales of some other marriage. He now feels more willing to take part in the wedding, though he continues to suffer from pain in his shoulders and arms, which has left one of his hands immobilised and forced him to dictate this letter. He hopes that his health will improve with the return of warmer weather. The ulcers on his legs, however, have not yet healed.
He responds to Bona’s playful remark that his leg troubles may be the result of drinking from stemless cups. Since returning from Wrocław (Breslau), he has changed his way of life. Life at home differs greatly from life at court, which had wearied him. He would no longer wish to leave his home. However, before he dies, he still hopes to meet the king and queen [Sigismund I Jagiellon and Bona Sforza] in person at least once. Unless prevented by serious illness, he will do his best to make his way to Cracow.
He rarely makes use of physicians, and for nearly thirty years has done so scarcely at all. They may be able to ease certain ailments, but they cannot prolong life. He would rather die when his time comes than endure the suffering brought on by medicines.
He agrees with the recipient’s observation in her letter that, unlike many other clergymen, he does not seek the dignity of a cardinal nor the increase of honours and riches. He notes that he has never done so, but has simply accepted what was granted to him by the king and queen. He did not fully realise how great a burden this would place upon him. Nowadays, clergymen commonly display ambition, greed, pride, extravagance, and disregard for the principles of religion. He fears that the Romans may suffer the same fate as the Greeks.
He thanks for the kindness shown to Georg Schewecke, mayor and burgrave of Gdańsk (Danzig), regarding keeping him in the latter office this year, for which he had interceded. He wrote briefly on this matter in a letter dated the day before yesterday [25 February]. If the Gdańsk City Council also writes to the king on this matter, he will once again appeal to the queen.
Following the queen’s request, he briefly presents the news that has reached him. He supplements the earlier information about the great battle between the English and the Scots. Only now is it known who emerged victorious. The Scots, along with their king [James V Stuart], pursued the English in their retreat from Scotland. Later, the English divided their forces and attacked the Scots from both sides, inflicting heavy losses and forcing them to flee. During the retreat, the king was reportedly heavily wounded and perished along with many others. Four earls and twenty-four lords were taken captive. They are being held under the guard of a notable gentleman in England, dressed in new garments, and each has been given a white staff, which they carry publicly as a spectacle.
In Sweden, the man claiming to be the king [Gustav I Vasa], while feigning efforts to find reconciliation with his rebellious subjects, organised a meeting and ordered the assassination of the nobles who were traveling to it. Certain lesser people who had set out earlier were killed. When the more important nobles who followed realised what had happened, they gathered their forces and are now besieging the castle and city of Stockholm, where the king resides.
Aided by his allies, the duke of Jülich [Wilhelm V der Reiche] is raising a large army against the emperor’s possessions in the Netherlands, but he has no money. Soldiers are deserting him for places where they are paid. The pay in the emperor’s army is better and more reliable than in the armies of the duke of Saxony [Moritz of Saxony], the landgrave of Hesse [Philipp I of Hesse der Großmütige] or the duke of Jülich.
The turmoil throughout nearly the all of Christendom is giving the infidels an opportunity to strike. One must pray to God for protection and defence against their unstoppable might.
Manuscript sources:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus Excerpts concerning Dantiscus' travels
Ioannes Dantiscus episcopus Varmiensis Bonae Reginae Poloniae
Serenissima Reginalis Maiestas et Domina domina clementissima. Humillimam servitiorum orationumque mearum commendationem.
Quod me Serenissima Maiestas Vestra novissimis suis litteris de nuptiis certo futuris serenissimae maiestatis regiae iunioris certiorem reddiderit et quod eam sollicitudinem, quam varius mihi hic rumor ingessit, maxime quod nescio, quid ex Gallia de alio coniugio tractari ferebatur, ex animo meo excusserit, quas possum, gratias habeo. Factusque hinc alacrior atque etiam Deo gratia in valetudine firmior, ad profectionem et ad ducendum choros sum paratior, quamvis nondum humeri et scapulae, unde adhuc manus praepedita me dictatura uti cogit, noxiis humoribus graventur, quos tamen sole redeunte calentiore dissolvi spero. Neque adhuc desunt vomicae pedibus, quibus sine pedibus cyathi (ut clementer iocatur Serenissima Maiestas Vestra) superiori tempore causam fortassis dederunt, quos quidem humores iam incenis et abstemius a reditu ex Wratislavia victu leviore relictis acepodibus diluo mutatoque more pristino alium me induere pro status et aetatis condicione proque salutis ratione non adeo necessitas, quantum voluntas adegit. Longe alia mens hominibus in domestica atque aulica vita innascitur, cuius iam prorsus pertaesus extra privatos parietes me exserere, si fieri possit, minime cupio, ut tamen priusquam e vivis cessero, Serenissimas Maiestates Vestras vel semel adhuc videre reverenterque coram venerari mihi detur (modo non gravior morbus itineris patiens intercedat) Cracoviam, Deo bene volente, quibuscumque possim modis, me duci, curabo.
Quid medici praestare valeant, incognitum mihi non est, eorumque itaque opera utor rarius et iam fere ab annis triginta usus non sum. Languores quidam non mortiferos curare doloresque sedare possunt, non item terminum prorogare, qui nulli cedit. Cumque haud dubie moriendum sit, absque cruciatu, quem illi suis pharmacis morituro addunt, hinc evolaturus sum, quando Deus iusserit liberius.
Quod cardinalatum aliumve statum ampliorem ad accumulandos honores honoribus divitiisque divitias, quemadmodum Serenissima Maiestas Vestra scribit, praeter aliorum ecclesiasticorum morem videor non ambire, sic revera habet, et si Serenissima Maiestas Vestra recte meminit, me numquam ambitiosum fuisse agnoscet. Quod Dominus Deus per Serenissimas Maiestates Vestras, quarum corda in manu eius sunt , mihi dedit, suscepi non invitus, ignorans tum quid susceperim et quam gravem provinciam, de qua seria reddenda est ratio, mihi imponi permiserim, sed non potest dicere figmentum figulo, cur me sic fecisti. Ambitio, cupiditas, fastus, luxus atque religionis observantia tenuis admodum ac modica, quibus ecclesiastici passim vitiis laboramus, turbulenta haec dederunt tempora, utinam resipisceremus, ne id nobis Romanis, quod Graecis accidit, eveniat. Sed de his hactenus.
Quod Serenissima Maiestas Vestra clementem propensionem suam domino Georgio Schefke burgrabio et praeconsuli Gedanensi ad humilem meam commendationem pollicetur, ut in officio regio hoc anno maneat, immensas gratias ago. Qua in re paucis nudius tertius Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae scripsi, cumque eiusmodi officii postulationem magistratus Gedanensis apud Serenissimam Maiestatem Regiam faciet, iterum de eo Serenissimae Maiestati Vestrae suggeram mentionem ipsumque dominum Georgium Schefke Serenissima Maiestas Vestra sibi ingratum non agnoscet.
Utque iussis Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae satisfiat, nova, quae his diebus accepi, perstringam brevibus. Scripseram prius conflictum magnum inter Anglos et Scotos commissum fuisse, de victoria tamen, ad quam tum partem inclinaverit, non constitisse. Nunc primum allatum est, excedentes e Scotia Anglos subsecutos fuisse Scotos cum rege et copiis omnibus. Quod postquam Angli compertum habuissent, in duas se partes divisisse, persequentesque Scotos in medium sui recipientes fortiter invasisse, vertisseque in fugam, in qua rex graviter saucius fertur occubuisse, cum eoque multitudinem ingentem, captos esse duces quattuor et comites viginti quattuor, qui perducti in Angliam a rege inibi novis vestibus induti ac sigillatim quisque eorum viro cuipiam in Anglia principi in custodiam datus, baculos candidos in manibus pro spectaculo publice circumferre. Quicquid in his postea adferetur, Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram latere non sinam.
Ex Suecia dicitur illum, qui se pro rege gerit, cum subditis tumultuantibus quasi concordiam et reconciliationem peteret, conventum instituisse dissimulataque fraude primores viros et gentis huius ductores in profectione ad conventum occidi curavisse, fuisseque quosdam occisos, qui praecesserant, non magni momenti viros, quod cum potiores, qui subsequebantur, intellexissent, omnibus viribus et copiis suis collectis Stokhelmum castrum et civitatem eius regni praecipuam, in qua rex ille se continet, acriter in praesens obsidere. Qui sit futurus exitus, tempus docebit.
Ducem Iuliacensem opera confoederatorum numerosum conscribere militem ferunt contra ditiones caesareas Belgicas, verum sine nervo militemque ab illo confugere eo, ubi stipendia solvuntur, quae apud Caesareos quam apud Saxonem, Hessum et ipsum Iuliacensem sunt paratiora et in copia feliciore.
Sic adhuc totus fere orbis noster Christianus turbulentis fluctibus exagitatur magnamque in se irruendi infidelibus praebet oportunitatem. A quorum vi efferataque ferocia, quod nos Dominus Deus pro nobis pugnans (quia nulla salus in homine) defendere ac tueri velit, summis precibus est contendendum.
Qui ut eandem Serenissimam Maiestatem Vestram diutissime prosperrimeque valentem atque florentem conservet, intime precor meque eiusdem Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae gratiae quantum diligentius demissiusque possum, humiliter commendo.
Datae Heilsberg, XXVII Februarii MDXLIII.