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:
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Text & apparatus & commentary Plain text Text & commentary Text & apparatus
Perlatum est huc certo serenissimam maiestatem regiam in comitiis nuper Cracoviensibus capitaneatum Sluchoviensem magnifico domino palatino Posnaniensi et alterum, Gnevensem, capitaneatum domino palatino Plocensi contulisse. Quae res hic omnium animos vehementer pe[r]turbavit, ut quae graviorem privilegiis hic nostris derogant, in eo, quod iam dominos palatinos ex Regno et tertium illum Borszimowski in castro Rogosnensi habere hic capitaneos debeamus. Estque iam ea opinio in non paucis apud nostrates, quod domini Poloni Prutenos non solum privilegiis privare, verum etiam eos funditus eicere ex Prussia seque inserere conantur.
Unde potissimum a civitatibus consilia quaeruntur, quae alter ab altero, non privatim modo, verum et publice postulare incipiunt, quid faciendum veniat, ne sic ex insperato opprimantur et in perpetuam servitutem redigantur, ex quo potentes adeo duo palatini iis terris contra pr[i]vilegia intrudantur. Quae aperte haec verba et eam sententiam 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.
Proinde, Serenissime Rex, domine clementissime, cum serenissimae maiestatis vestrae maiores, praesertim serenissimus parens serenissimae maiestatis vestrae, eadem privilegia , i[tem] in eo articulo maxime, non semel, manu etiam propria subscripta confirmaverit, quod nemini hic incognitum est, et iam contr[a]rium fiat, suspicantur omnes serenissimae maiestatis eius in hac ultima [aeta]te non plene istius rei habere scientiam, quae alioqui in promissis semper fuit constantissima, quandoquidem sub maiori sigillo litterae, quibus mandatur, ut castrum Slochoviense domino palatino Posnaniensi t[rada]tur, sunt conscriptae. Rogarunt itaque omnes harum terrarum ordi[nes] per reverendissimum dominum episcopum Culmensem et me, qui ea in re paulo ante serenissimae maiestati eius regiae ambo scripsimus, ut serenissima maiestas eius hanc collationem castri Slochoviensis usque ad proximum hic nostrum pro die Sancti Stanislai in Maio conventum differret, unde ex communi consilio quaedam ea in re essent ad eius maiestatem referenda.
Interim tamen venerunt litterae regiae sub maiori sigillo, ut possessio castri illius domino palat[ino] Posnaniensi sine ulla mora concederetur. Quod hic omnes non parvo afficit maerore, quorum Deus corda novit. Cumque hic sim constitutus consilii Pruteni praesidens et veluti rerum omnium, quae hic aguntur, excubitor et custos, videamque iis periculosissimis temporibus in tot sectis, quae passim in vicinis atque etiam hic apud nos dispersae sunt, facile novi motus posse fieri, ex quibus non solum mihi et ecclesiae meae subditis, qui eiusmodi sectis viciniores sumus, verum etiam terris serenissimae maiestatis vestrae his omnibus manifestissima imminere pericula, non potui commi[t]tere, quin haec omnia in notitiam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae deducerem, et potissimum ob id, quod Serenissima Maiestas Vestra iussit, ut de iis, quae scriptu digna viderentur, hinc scriberem saepius. Haec quidem, pro fide mea non digna sol[u]m, verum etiam et necessaria esse arbitratus sum, ut ea Serenissima Maiestas Vestra sciret quamprimum.
Cui humillime supplico sic hoc negotium apud serenissimum parentem suum, dominum meum clementissimum, tra[cta]re velit, ut collatio haec Slochoviensis suspenderetur quousque eius serenissimam maiestatem regiam instantibus hic comitiis, vel per nuntios, aut [per] litteras domini consiliarii harum terrarum convenire possent eaque sugg[e]rere, quae et pro dignitate, et commodis eius serenissimae maiestatis videren[tur] opportuniora.
Hanc itaque schedam ad mandatum Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae scrip[si], ne mihi aliquando incommodet, ut Serenissima Maiestas Vestra una mecum clementer comm[enda]tam habere dignetur, rogo supplicissime.