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

1538

fere ante ultimam cladem divi regis Ludovici, ubi nec ordinem ullum, nec capitaneum, nec artellarias, quae bene fuissent tractatae, habuimus,5 decem milia Hungarorum victoriam habuerunt contra viginti vel viginti quinque milia et plura Turearum.6

25 [3.] Nullum autem videtur maius stratagema in hoc bassa devincendo, quam collectis prius in loca tutiora populis permittere ipsum progredi ulterius, quo volet, vel ut ponat se ad obsidendum aliquem locum, sive ille sit Buda, sive Walpo, sive quid aliud, et interim dare omnem operam ad intercipiendum pontes, quos vel super Dravum, si in Hungáriám nobis nunc Transdanubianam, vel super Savum habuerint, si in Sclavoniam

30 venerint. Quod etiam ipsum Vestra Maiestas non existimet possibile non esse. Tunc, credat mihi Vestra Maiestas, nesciet nec quo fugere, nec ubi consistere, et victoria erit facillima domino Deo annuente. Opus autem est celeritate, perito capitaneo, victualibus, viribus navalibus et secreto. Maiestas Vestra boni consulat. Tenetur quisque in tanto periculo communi dicere, quod sápit.

35 [4.] Lutheranis principibus, ut essent auxilio, fortasse non esset negandum, quod non

agetur cum eis, nisi Scriptura Sacra, in quo Vestra Maiestas nescio quid posset errare.

On the outer side: Serenissimo Principi et Domino, Domino Ferdinando divina favente clementia Romanorum etc. regi semper augusto etc., domino meo clementissimo.

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István Brodarics to Ferdinand 1 [sine loco], [end of June 1538]1

Manuscript used: MllStA, Ung. Akt. Fasc. 35. K.onv C, föl. I93-195.1 2

/. For the sake of defending the country, both monarchs should station 2000-3000 soldiers in the border areas, financed from the country's income. In addition. Ferdinand should spend on this from the incomes of his other countries. - 2. The Emperor and Ferdinand should intercede with the German Empire, the Pope, and other monarchs in order to mobilise 40,000 soldiers for the defence of Hungary. 20,000 of these should always be available for the two reigning princes in the border areas, and the pay of the other 20,000 should

5 Interestingly, Brodarics, here, speaks about conditions of the army that went to Mohács as if he was using the description given by Cuspinian: Rex, licet caret et imperatore experto, qui aciem instruere sciret, tormenta iaculari et exercitum ordinari /...J, aciem educit non satis compositum.

6 On 6-7 August 1523, in the battle of Szávaszentdemeter, Hungarian troops lead by Pál Tömöri defeated the army of Begler-Bey of Rumelia Ferhad and Bey of Nándorfehérvár Bali, who were ravaging the Szerémség region.

1 Unfortunately, the document is undated., but the text shows that Brodarics sent the draft to Ferdinand after their consultations, on his way back home, so it can be dated late June the earliest. The draft itself was probably produced even earlier, in Várad, at least Brodarics’ note on the back side suggests this. Ferdinand mentions in his official reply to Brodarics that he would be glad to get to know the details of the plans for the defence of the country. See HHStA, Ung. Akt, Fasc. 35. Konv. C, fol. 190v.

2 Autograph.

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