Kasza Péter (szerk.): Stephanus Brodericus - Epistulae (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Medii Recentisque Aevorum, Series Nova XIV., Argumentum Kiadó - Magyar Országos Levéltár, Budapest, 2012)
1527
82 István Brodarics to Ferdinand I Dévény, 18 March 1527 Manuscript used: MOL, R 319. Nr 2443. Published: Kasza Péter - Páli r v Géza, Bmdarics-emlékkönyv. Eg)’ különleges pártváltás a mohácsi csata után, Budapest, 2011, 70-75. In Hungarian: ibid. 76-80. /. After the death of King Louis, nobleman around Queen Mary wanted Ferdinand to become their King, since they deemed him the right person for the task and because they hoped the whole country would accept him as ruler. -- 2. Brodarics has been voicing his intention to stay out from any military action against his country. - 3. If his advice had been taken in time everything that they are trying to acquire through violence now would have fallen into their hands, but now the lost castles can be won back on/v by shedding Christian blood. - 4. He served Ferdinand and Maria loyally as long as it was possible and did not accept one penny for it, but he does not even want to know about or take part in actions against his country. - 5. Ferdinand knows that he was reluctant to participate in the election in Pozsony. - 6. He trusts that Ferdinand will forgive him if he returns to his country to which he owes much and he cannot take part in its repression. - 7. He has personal grievances: they are being secretive with him, he is considered suspect, and thus he cannot go on serving Ferdinand; he was offered 50 forints for his services for 6 months, while he knows well that others were offered fortunes; Ferdinand's mercenaries tried to kill him in Pozsony and this has not been redressed until this day. - B. He is outraged by what Cuspinianus wrote, that Hungarians are traitors who have abandoned their King. - 9. He is afraid of the spread of Lutheranism, something that Ferdinand will be unable to stop. - 10. He will be charged with treason for having taken the Country Seal abroad and using it for the authentication of documents harmful to the country. This is not true and he himself wants to exonerate himself. -11. He requests Ferdinand to display the same moderation and sobriety in taking possession of Hungary as he had shown when he had acquired his other provinces: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia. He should not use the title King while he was elected by four or five persons rather than the whole country. - /2. He should consider what he will be thought of in the Christian world if he attacks Hungary, the nation that already suffered more than any other from the pagan Turks. - 13. He is still willing to serve Ferdinand in any other matter; he will keep secrets entrusted to him, but he asks Ferdinand to forgive him for his loyalty towards his country taking precedence over his loyalty to any mortal. Sacra Regia Maiestas et Domine, Domine mihi Clementissime. Post servitutis meae in gratiam Vestrae Maiestatis humillimam commendationem. [1.] Exstincto in proxima infelici ac luctuosissima clade serenissimo domino rege Ludovico divae memoriae, domino meo gratiosissimo, fratre et cognato1 Vestrae 5 Maiestatis, cum regnum Hungáriáé in extremas angustias adductum rege careret, qui apud maiestatem reginalem,1 2 sororem item Vestrae Maiestatis, dominam meam cle- mentissimam eramus, neminem ex Christianis principibus praesertim vicinioribus3 existimantes patriae nostrae utiliorem commodioremque, quam Vestram Maiestatem, animum adieceramus ad eam in regem Hungáriáé creandum. Sperantes id, quod nobis 1 Louis II, brother-in-law of Ferdinand, fell in the battle of Mohács on 29 August 1526. 2 Maria Habsburg (1505-1558), sister of Ferdinand, widow of Louis II. ■' From among neighbouring rulers, only King of Poland Sigismund, the uncle of Louis could have been reckoned with as pretender. See Krzycki’s letter on 5 December 1526 on this. 173
