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

1529

128

István Brodarics to Piotr Tomicki and Krzysztof Szydtowieczki [Buda], [late October 1529]1

Manuscript used: HHStA, Polen I., Kart. t.. Konv. 1527-28, fol. 146r-v.2

/. He is about to go to France as an envoy: this is a long trip but he is happy to embark, since he can stop in Venice to cure himself on the way or the way back. — 2. The envoy o f King of France Francis is with Szapolvai; Ferdinand should make peace with the Voivod, otherwise he will ruin the country. He is asking for the support of Tomicki and Szydlowiecki in this matter. - 3. Ferdinand’s recent preparations for war can only bring destruction of both countries: both the Voivod and Brodarics are sorry about it but what can they do if Ferdinand rejects all suggestions for agreement.

[ 1.] Scribit se proficisci ad regem Christianissimunf irt re regni Hungáriáé et universae Christianitati salutari, quod iter licet sit longum, eo tamen libentius suscepit, ut vel eundo vel redeundo Venetiis possit sanitati suae consulere,4

[2.] Dicit etiam regis Franciae oratorem5 venisse ad waywodam, et scribit Broderi- 5 cus, quod consuleret, quod Matestas Vestra6 cum waywoda1 quamprimum concordaret, aliter timendum esse, ne ruat primum ipsa, postea de ipsis Hungaris et Polonis, nescit, quid erit, et rogat eos, ut ad hoc velint omnes ingenii sui nervos intendere. Scit, quod Maiestas Vestra nunc etiam exacerbata ipsis malis conabitur se ulcisci in Hungaris. [3.J Item intelligit Maiestatem Vestram novos facere apparatus, quod si verum sit, io nihil aliud esse, nisi brevi perdere et hanc et illam. Concordia esse opus, quod nisi fiat,

1 regni correxi ex: regno

1 There is no date in the abstract. Its content suggests that even though it is kept in a volume for letters from 1527-28 it was certainly written in 1529 and probably before the next letter dated 9 November. Since Brodarics does not yet mention the meeting between Szapolyai and the Sultan, it seems that it was produced before Suleyman camped in Pest, e.g. before early November. We exclude the possibility that Brodarics mentioned the Sultan in the letter and the copier who made the abstract omitted that, because that would have been quite important piece of information. Brodarics’ letter dated 9 November survived in full and in an abstracted version too. The person who made the abstracts essentially considered only Suleyman’s visit and his promises to John important enough to copy.

2 The original text did not survive, only abstracts prepared for Ferdinand. Stil, I believe it is important to publish it because it is doubtlessly based on a letter by Brodarics, and it reports important information on Brodarics’ views and plans in late 1529.

3 King of France Francis I. Brodarics does not seem to mention that he intends to visit the Pope too, even though he made attempts during his journey in 1530. So originally he was probably poised to visit France as a legate. Visiting the Pope became important only when it turned out that Pope Clement VII excommunicated Szapolyai under Habsburg pressure.

4 Regarding this, see the letter by Brodarics to Tomicki and Szydlowiecki on 31 January 1530.

5 Antonio Rincon, French legate.

6 Ferdinand 1, the addressee of the abstracts.

7 Brodarics obviously did not call Szapolyai “Voivod” in the original letter but Ferdinand’s clerk naturally used Habsburg terminology that refuses to accept Szapolyai as King.

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