Letter #67
[Ioannes DANTISCUS] to [Sigismund II Augustus Jagiellon]s.l., [before 1546-05-02]
English register:
Reliable news has reached Prussia that, at a general Diet recently held in Cracow (Kraków), the king [Sigismund I Jagiellon] granted the estates of Schlochau (Człuchów) to the voivode of Poznań [Janusz Latalski] and that of Mewe (Gniew) to the voivode of Płock [Feliks Srzeński]. The fact that both estates are to be held by men from the Kingdom of Poland, just as the estate of Roggenhausen (Rogoźno) is held by [Stanisław Sokołowski] of Warzymowo, has caused a considerable stir. Many are of the opinion that the Poles are seeking not only to deprive the Prussians of their privileges, but also to drive them out of Prussia and settle there themselves.
The cities in particular are deliberating and seeking ways to made sure they do not fall into subjection through the grants made to the said two powerful voivodes in contravention of their privileges. They invoke a passage [from the incorporation privilege of Prussia granted by Casimir Jagiellon in 1454] which stipulates that all ecclesiastical dignities and secular offices, as well as castles and landed estates, are to be granted only to indigenes in the strict sense of the term.
The addressee’s ancestors, his father in particular, confirmed these privileges on numerous occasions, including the aforementioned clause, authenticating the acts of confirmation with their own signatures, and yet the present course of action runs counter to those stipulations. For this reason, all are of the opinion that the king no longer has full command of this matter in his advanced age. He has always hitherto scrupulously observed his obligations, yet a privilege has now been issued under the great seal by virtue of which the estate of Schlochau is to be transferred to the voivode of Poznań. The estates of Royal Prussia make an appeal through Dantiscus and the Bishop of Kulm (Chełmno) [Tiedemann Giese], who have already written to the king previously, that consideration of the grant of the estate of Schlochau should be deferred to the Diet [of Royal Prussia] on the feast of Saint Stanislaus [8 May], from which they will send the king a joint position.
The arrival of a document ordering the immediate transfer of the said castle to the voivode of Poznań has caused general dismay. As president of the Council of Royal Prussia charged with oversight of local affairs, Dantiscus felt obliged to report that the present situation might give rise to further unrest in these lands, which are already under threat from heresy, not only in his diocese, but throughout all the addressee’s dominions. He was also prompted to share this information as soon as possible by the fact that the addressee encouraged him to write to him more frequently about matters concerning Royal Prussia which he considers to be significant.
Dantiscus asks the addressee to persuade his father to withhold the grant of the estate of Schlochau until the next Diet [of Royal Prussia]. The councillors would then be able to prevail upon the king, whether through envoys or by letter, to adopt a course of action most befitting him and his majesty.
Dantiscus has drawn up the present note at the addressee’s request. Lest it should one day be used against him, he commends himself to the addressee’s protection.
Manuscript sources:
| ||||||
Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
BCz, 245, p. 292
Perlatum est huc certo serenissimam
Unde potissimum a civitatibus on the margin⌈potissimum a civitatibuspotissimum a civitatibus on the margin⌉ consilia quaeruntur, quae alter ab altero, non privatim modo, verum et publice postulare incipiunt, quid faciendum veniat, ne sic ex insperato opprimantur et non perfractis importunis superinscribed in place of crossed-out privilegiis⌈privilegiis non perfractis(?) importunis non perfractis importunis superinscribed in place of crossed-out privilegiis⌉ in perpetuam servitutem redigantur, ex quo ... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉ privilegia nostra adeo(?) potentes adeo superinscribed⌈adeoadeo superinscribed⌉ duo palatini iis terris superinscribed in place of crossed-out nobis intrudantur⌈nobis intrudantur iis terris iis terris superinscribed in place of crossed-out nobis intrudantur⌉ contra pri hidden by binding⌈[i]i hidden by binding⌉vilegia iis terris intrudantur. Quae aperte haec verba et eam sententiam superinscribed⌈et eam sententiamet eam sententiam superinscribed⌉ continent {etc.}:
Item omnes nobiles, militares, cives et incolas terrarum Prussiae hac etiam prosequemur praerogativa, quod praelaturas, dignitates et officia hactenus illic consistentia et in posterum constituenda, item castra et tenutas civitatum et locorum in terris praedictis nullo extraneo aut forensi, sed proprio indigenae conferemus etc. on the margin⌈Item omnes nobiles, militares, cives et incolas
Proinde, Serenissime Rex, domine clementissime, cum serenissimae maiestatis vestrae maiores, praesertim maxime serenissimus
Interim tamen venerunt litterae regiae sub maiori sigillo, ut possessio castri illius domino
Cui humillime supplico sic hoc negotium apud serenissimum
Hanc itaque schedam ad mandatum Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae scripsi hidden by binding⌈[si]si hidden by binding⌉, ne mihi aliquando incommodet, ut Serenissima Maiestas Vestra una mecum clementer superinscribed⌈clementerclementer superinscribed⌉ commenda hidden by binding⌈[enda]enda hidden by binding⌉tam habere dignetur, rogo supplicissime.