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

1523

oriri possent, non potui tamen aliud et magis praesentaneum responsum a Sua Sanctitate impetrare.

[2.] Responsum ipsum, quod uterque nostrum habuit, ex litteris reverendissimi 15 domini cardinalis Maiestas Vestra intelliget,2 contra quod ego non existimarem. Clementissime Domine, Maiestati Vestrae (quod cum illius gratia dictum sit) iam amplius repugnandum. Nam aut difficillimum certe erit, quantumcunque nitamur, aut prorsus impossibile pontificem ex hac sententia deduci.3 Et isti latius aliquanto interpretantur et extendunt Sedis Apostolicae iura, eorumque sacerdotia, qui, quacunque de causa in 20 Urbe manserint et vitam finierint, ad suas provisiones spectare contendunt. Quod quidem iurene an iniuria faciant, viderint alii.4

Ego si quid vel in hoc adhuc, vel in quibuscunque aliis negotiis Vestrae Maiestati servire possum, supplico humillime, dignetur mihi praecipere et iubere, cui nihil gratius, nihil optatius erit, quam Vestrae Maiestatis iussa et imperia impigre capessere et 25 diligentissime obire. Me et meam servitutem perpetuam rursus in gratiam Vestrae Maiestatis humillime commendo. Quam Deus conservet felicem et victoriosam. Ex Urbe XV. lanuarii 1523.

Eiusdem Maiestatis Vestrae

servitor et capellanus humillimus 30 Stephanus Brodericus praepositus

Quinqueecclesiensis, orator

On the outer side: Serenissimo principi et domino, domino Sigismundo Dei gratia Poloniae regi ac magno duci Lithvaniae etc. domino semper mihi clementissimo

26 victoriosam correxi ex: victoriosum

2 From Sigismund’s answer below it seems he had not received de Grassis’ letter.

Essentially the Pope refused all of Sigismund’s requests. His candidate for the bishopric of Plock remained Marquis Johann Albrecht, he reduced the period of the kermess to half a year, and wanted to charge his own people with the collection of the Peter’s pence. Naturally, Sigismund protested indignantly. See his letter to Cardinal de Grassis: AT VI. 207.

4 Against this argumentation, the Polish court referred to international law which says that envoys are entitled to immunity and extraterritoriality, so it does not matter that Ciolek died in Rome. Since he was an envoy of the Polish King, it should be regarded as if he had died in Poland. Compare:. Sigismund's letter to Archbishop of Gniezno Jan Laski: AT VI. 159-160.

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