Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 73-74. (Budapest, 1975)
TANULMÁNYOK - Schultheisz Emil—Tardy Lajos: Egy reneszánsz-korbeli orvosdiplomata (angol nyelven)
a more formidable task: while also having to obtain first-hand informations on the intentions and military capacities of many possible allies, he had to coordinate the steps of the European Christian rulers too, immersed in embittered quarrels. In fact Isaac — together with the Signoria of Venice — had to create a working alliance. The instruction given by the Senate of Venice on 10th September 1471 to its envoy, Caterino Zeno, shows that Lazzaro Querini was accompanied from Persia by an emissary of Uzun Hasan. Jorga convincingly argues (relying on a careful chronological analysis) that Querini's companion was Isaac Beg, who was sent with the Venetian partly as interpreter, partly as diplomatic messagecarrier. In the following September Isaac returned, no longer as simple "orator" but as "magnus orator", "legátus" or "ambassador", bringing Zeno's letter from the Persian camp, to carry out his second, highly important European mission, which can be studied from documentary evidence. 10 Having received the extremely favourable military news sent by Zeno from Persia, brought and — according to the sources — very effectively presented by Isaac, Venice began meeting his obligations as an ally. The Republic sent another emissary, Giosafatte Barbaro, after Caterino Zeno to Uzun Hasan. But while Zeno took only a few fine precious jewels and some rare cloth to the Persian court, Barbaro's arrival meant six big and fifty smaller guns, a large number of other arms and munition. The Doge of Venice, Niccolo Trön, made no secret that all that was the result of doctor Isaac's mission. He instructed Barbaro to tell the Persian ruler that "from Isaac, the Jewish doctor, who, after a long and tiring journey through Kaffa, arrived in Venice and spent several month there, he learnt of the Persian ruler's magnanimous willingness and of his determination to turn against the common enemy, the Ottomans." He was also informed by Isaac of "what means of war his Persian Majesty needed for his further military actions ; their delivery will be taken care of. On his way back from Rome Ambassador Isaac on his own initiative but with our full approval visited His Majesty the King of Hungary, in order to convince and induce him once more to enter the war energetically against the common enemy. With a view to this, we have sent an envoy to the King of Hungary, and sent him another letter by Isaac. Matthias ordered his army in Belgrade to harry the Serbian territory occupied by the Turks, which was done," 1 ' The doge made Barbaro's duty to enlighten Uzun Hasan that he should not give credence to the intriguing rumors of an impending peace between King Matthias and the Turk. There are two notable elements in the instructions of Niccolo Trön, first that Doctor Isaac arrived to the European allies via Kaffa, and secondly that at the time of Barbaro's departure Isaac sojourned at the Hungarian court already for the second time. lc Ibid, p. 41. — Cf. Babinger, Fr.: Johannes Darius. München, 1961. (Bayerische Akad. d. Wissensch., Phil. -Hist. Klasse. Sitzungsberichte. Jgg. 1961, Heft 5), 67. p. 17 Ibid, 68—75 pp. 2 Orvostörténeti Közlemények 7374
