Kasza Péter (szerk.): Stephanus Brodericus - Epistulae (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Medii Recentisque Aevorum, Series Nova XIV., Argumentum Kiadó - Magyar Országos Levéltár, Budapest, 2012)

1526

„Nigrum” vocant. Est natione Rascianus,5 genere, ut pro certo asseritur, de familia imperatorum Constantinopolitanorum. Multi eum sequuntur. Recuperavit his diebus Tureis inde expulsis castrum Cherewgh6 non procul a Savo flumine. Hodie accepimus 5 litteras a despoto Rasciae,7 in quibus scribit eum civitatem quoque et sedem episcopatus mei,8 Banmonostrha9 vocata a Tureis liberasse et milites suos ibi imposuisse, scribit praeterea despotus eum a se petere bombardas, velle transire Savum, invadere terras hostiles.

[2.] Italiam totam intelligimus bellis fervere, Hispanorum aliquot milia ostia Tibe- io rina occupasse. De pontifice10 11 etiam intelligimus rursus nescio quid adversi, miro modo prosperatur ubique caesaris fortuna. Nescio quomodo dominus waywoda11 sit et viribus et fortunae caesareae par futurus; Deus det illud, quod est pro regno Hungáriáé, misera patria mea, et pro tota Christianitate melius.

[3.] Ego cum viderem nostrarum dissensionum istarum, quae exoriuntur, non fore ita 15 cito finem, in quo utinam sim falsus vates, sigillum regium, quod fuit apud me, quod iam nullo poterat esse usui, dominis apud maiestatem rcginalem existentibus et maie- stati reginali publice praesentavi consulens, quidnam de eo esset agendum. Illi habita superinde deliberatione responderunt ob easdem causas, quas ego proposueram, illud esse confrigendum, atque ita praesente maiestate reginali, dominis consiliariis, multis

5 Jovan Cerni, the “Black Man”, former soldier of Szapolyai. He organised a competent army from Serbian peasants who were fleeing from the Turks in the autumn of 1526. Its numbers reached 10-15 thousand by early 1527. Szapolyai first tried to integrate them into the defence of the southern border but land- owners were suspicious towards them and attacked them several times. Because of this (and of the activities of János Haberdanecz, an agent of Ferdinand), Jovan Cerni sided with the Habsburgs in April 1527, and Szapolyai's troops could defeat him only after several months of struggle. Jovan was killed, his army dispersed. More on Jovan Cemi: Bánkúti Imre, A: Alföld népeinek harca a török hódítók ellen a mohácsi csata után 1526-27. Acta Universitatis Szegediensis, Sectio Historica 11, 1957, 15-27.; Szakály Ferenc, Honkeresők. (Megjegyzések Cserni Javán hadáról), Történelmi Szemle, 1979, 227-261.; Smolka Szaniszló. Fekete Iván, Századok, 1883, 1-31. On the circumstances of Jovan’s death see also Szapolyai's letter to Piotr Tomicki around 6 July 1527 (AT IX, 234-235.).

6 Cserög (today: Cerevic, Serbia). A settlement in Szerém county on the right side of the Danube. It is first mentioned in the 14,h century. Before the battle of Mohács it belonged to the Török family of Enying.

7 István Beriszló, Serbian despot.

8 The bishopric of Szerém.

9 Bánmonostor (today: Banostor, Serbia). Earlier sources refer to it as Keu, Kő. Kew, Bánostora. Seat of a chapter, then seat of the bishopric of Szerém after it was established in the 13"' century.

10 Clement VII.

11 János Szapolyai was elected King on 11 November 1526 in Székesfehérvár. The letter was undoubtedly written before the news reached Pozsony, that is why Brodarics calls Szapolyai “Voivod". (Nevertheless, the coronation, which was essentially valid, was not recognised in the environment of Maria and Ferdinand Habsburg based on the Habsburg-Jagiello family pact in 1515, so they kept labelling Szapolyai “Voivod” even after the coronation.)

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