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
BCz, 245, p. 292Perlatum est huc certo serenissimam maiestatem regiam in comitiis nuper superinscribed in place of crossed-out iis⌈iis nuper nuper superinscribed in place of crossed-out iis⌉ Cracoviensibus capitaneatum Sluchoviensem magnifico domino palatino Posnaniensi et alterum, Gnevensem, capitaneatum on the margin⌈capitaneatumcapitaneatum on the margin⌉ domino palatino Plocensi contulisse. Quae res hic omnium animos vehementer per hidden by binding⌈[r]r hidden by binding⌉turbavit, ut quae graviorem superinscribed in place of crossed-out plus(?) derogat⌈plus(?) derogat graviorem graviorem superinscribed in place of crossed-out plus(?) derogat⌉ privilegiis hic nostris derogant superinscribed⌈derogantderogant superinscribed⌉, in eo superinscribed in place of crossed-out quam prius ... [...]tum est⌈quam prius ... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉ [...] hidden by binding⌈[...][...] hidden by binding⌉tum est in eo in eo superinscribed in place of crossed-out quam prius ... [...]tum est⌉, quod iam dominos palatinos ex Regno et tertium superinscribed in place of crossed-out prius⌈prius tertium tertium superinscribed in place of crossed-out prius⌉ illum Borszimowski on the margin⌈BorszimowskiBorszimowski on the margin⌉ in castro Rogosnensi habere hic superinscribed⌈hichic superinscribed⌉ capitaneos debeamus. ... illegible⌈...... illegible⌉ Estque iam ea opinio in non paucis apud nostrates superinscribed⌈apud nostratesapud nostrates superinscribed⌉, quod domini Poloni Prutenos non solum privilegiis privare on the margin in place of crossed-out spoliare⌈spoliare privare privare on the margin in place of crossed-out spoliare⌉, verum etiam eos superinscribed⌈eoseos superinscribed⌉ funditus eicere ex Prussia seque inserere superinscribed in place of crossed-out extorquere seque intrudere⌈extorquere seque intrudere eicere ex Prussia seque inserere eicere ex Prussia seque inserere superinscribed in place of crossed-out extorquere seque intrudere⌉ conantur.
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 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.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⌉
Proinde, Serenissime Rex, domine clementissime, cum serenissimae maiestatis vestrae maiores, praesertim maxime serenissimus parens serenissimae maiestatis vestrae, eadem privilegia et, item hidden by binding⌈[tem hidden by binding, possibly ure⌈temtem hidden by binding, possibly ure⌉]tem hidden by binding⌉ in eo articulo maxime, non semel, manu etiam propria subscripta confirmaverit, quod nemini hic incognitum est, et iam in ea ultima aetate contra hidden by binding⌈[a]a hidden by binding⌉rium fiat superinscribed in place of crossed-out fieri permittat⌈fieri permittat fiat fiat superinscribed in place of crossed-out fieri permittat⌉, suspicantur omnes serenissimae maiestatis eius in hac ultima aeta hidden by binding⌈[aeta]aeta hidden by binding⌉te non plene istius rei habere scientiam, quae alioqui in promissis ser hidden by binding⌈[er]er hidden by binding⌉vandis semper fuit constantissima, quandoquidem superinscribed in place of crossed-out namque⌈namque quandoquidem quandoquidem superinscribed in place of crossed-out namque⌉ sub maiori sigillo litterae, quibus mandatur, ut castrum Slochoviense domino palatino Posnaniensi trada paper damaged⌈[rada]rada paper damaged⌉tur, sunt conscriptae. Rogarunt itaque omnes harum terrarum ordines paper damaged⌈[nes]nes paper damaged⌉ per reverendissimum dominum episcopum Culmensem et me, qui ea in re paulo ante serenissimae maiestati eius regiae ambo superinscribed⌈amboambo superinscribed⌉ scripsimus, ut serenissima maiestas eius hanc collationem castri Slochoviensis usque ad proximum hic nostrum pro die Sancti Stanislai in Maio conventum differret, ex quo unde ex communi consilio quaedam ea in re essent on the margin in place of crossed-out esset⌈esset ea in re essent ea in re essent on the margin in place of crossed-out esset⌉ ad eius maiestatem et ea in re referenda.
Interim tamen venerunt litterae regiae sub maiori sigillo, ut possessio castri illius domino palatino hidden by binding⌈[ino]ino hidden by binding⌉ 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 quod iis periculosissimis temporibus facile in tot sectis, quae se passim in vicinis atque etiam hic superinscribed⌈hichic superinscribed⌉ apud nos infuderut dispersae sunt, facile nescio novi motus posse fieri, ex quibus non solum mihi et ecclesiae meae subditis, qui eiusmodi sectis viciniores sumus, verum etiam terris superinscribed⌈terristerris superinscribed⌉ serenissimae maiestatis vestrae his omnibus superinscribed in place of crossed-out et iis terris⌈et iis terris his omnibus his omnibus superinscribed in place of crossed-out et iis terris⌉ manifestissima imminere pericula, non potui commit hidden by binding⌈[t]t hidden by binding⌉tere, quin haec omnia in notitiam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae deducerem on the margin⌈quin haec omnia in notitiam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae deduceremquin haec omnia in notitiam Serenissimae Maiestatis Vestrae deducerem on the margin⌉, et potissimum ob id, quod Serenissima Maiestas Vestra iussit, ut de iis, quae scriptu digna viderentur, hinc superinscribed⌈hinchinc superinscribed⌉ scriberem saepius. Haec quidem, pro fide mea superinscribed⌈pro fide meapro fide mea superinscribed⌉ non digna solu hidden by binding⌈[u]u hidden by binding⌉m, verum etiam et necessaria esse arbitratus sum, ut ea superinscribed⌈eaea superinscribed⌉ Serenissima Maiestas Vestra me illa nova s(?) sciret quamprimum.
Cui humillime supplico sic hoc negotium apud serenissimum parentem suum, dominum meum clementissimum, tracta paper damaged⌈[cta]cta paper damaged⌉re velit, ut collatio haec Slochoviensis suspenderetur quousque eius serenissimam maiestatem regiam pro instantibus hic superinscribed in place of crossed-out nostris⌈nostris hic hic superinscribed in place of crossed-out nostris⌉ comitiis, vel per nuntios, aut per paper damaged⌈[per]per paper damaged⌉ litteras domini consiliarii harum terrarum convenire possent eaque sugge paper damaged⌈[e]e paper damaged⌉rere, quae et pro dignitate, et commodis eius serenissimae maiestatis viderentur hidden by binding⌈[tur]tur hidden by binding⌉ opportuniora.
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.