Kasza Péter (szerk.): Stephanus Brodericus - Epistulae (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Medii Recentisque Aevorum, Series Nova XIV., Argumentum Kiadó - Magyar Országos Levéltár, Budapest, 2012)
1535
Christian soldiers are not much different from the Turks. If peace is not made soon, then, as the well-known adage goes, between the two contending parlies the third will hare the country. - 3. The last eight years hare shown the drawbacks of warfare for hath parties. - 4. Those are wrong who argue that nothing should he left with John because it all goes to waste, since he has not relinquished anything to the Turks since Mohács. Both kings are guilty in the unrest, one cannot make only John responsible. - 5. Ferdinand should follow the example of his ancestors Frederick and Maximilian as well as of his brother Charles, who preferred to renounce their rights for the sake ofpeace in their countries. - 6. Signing peuce, which could save Hungary from further deterioration, would bring greater honour to Ferdinand than any war. and his subjects would be more grateful than for any gifts. Serenissime Rex. [1.] Inter tot aerumnas et calamitates, quas per hos annos superiores passi sumus ob illa dissidia, quae inter Tuam Maiestatem et serenissimum principem meum,2 regem Hungáriáé fuerunt, intervenere etiam non pauci etiam de pace tractatus,3 idque medio 5 potissimum serenissimi regis Poloniae,4 qui ut bonus princeps et pacis Christianae amator nihil praetermisit, quod per ipsum praestari in hac parte potuit.5 Ventum fuit postremo ad hoc, ut illustris Ludovicus Gritti pro hoc ipso negotio componendo, auctoritate potentissimi Turearum imperatoris mitteretur.6 Qui qualem exitum sit sortitus in ipso ad nos veniendo itinere, omnibus est notum.7 Quamvis tamen ille interierit, ac io per eius mortem eiusmodi tractatus videantur interrupti, pacem tamen tam Maiestati Tuae, quam principi meo et omnibus nobis esse summopere necessariam, et absque ea ruitura brevi omnia, nemo est, qui oculis non videat. Hoc considerantes consiliarii serenissimi principis, domini mei clementissimi nihil prius aut antiquius sibi esse duxerunt, quam ut quaererent modum et viam, qua primo is quam tempore renovari posset, vel potius continuari felicibus auspiciis, quod ita infeliciter fuisset interruptum, atque ea de causa instituerunt omni studio ac diligentia apud principem meum, ut pateretur me unum de numero suorum ad Tuam Maiestatem venire, spectantes in hoc etiam Tuae Maiestatis Sacrae ad idem tendentis desiderium et voluntatem. Qui quidem princeps meus licet non ignoraret varie posse, maxime per- János Szapolyai. Talks on truce took place several times between Ferdinand and Szapolyai: they signed truce in January 1531 in Visegrád tor three months. Then there were talks in December 1532 in Megyer, which also lead to armistice. Attempts at making peace, however, proved unsuccessful in the talks that began in February 1533 in Ovár, and were relocated to Pozsony later. 4 Polish King Sigismund I. 5 There were talks between commissioners of Ferdinand and Szapolyai with Polish King Sigismund mediating, two times. First before the actual outbreak of civil war, in June 1527 in Olomouc, then in 1531 in Poznan. Both were essentially unsuccessful. 6 Gritti returned to Hungary in the summer of 1534, and everybody knew he had full authorisation from the Sultan to decide in the conflict between the two kings. However, his death in Transylvania prevented him from fulfilling his mission. 7 One of the best supporters of Szapolyai, Bishop of Várad Imre Czibak was killed on Gritti’s command. The outrage it caused called Transylvanians to arms. They surrounded the Italian adventurer in Medgyes, captured him, and executed him on 29 September 1534. See on this the letters by Brodarics to Tomicki on 9 October 1534 and 12 November. 447
