30 Louis II to István Brodarics Buda, 8 March 1524 Manuscript used: [Original is lost]1 Published: Georgius Pray, Epistolae procerum regni Hungariae I., Posonii,1806, 177–182. 1. The fall of Ostrovica raised concerns in Rome. It is serious loss indeed, but more will follow, because the country’s resources are not sufficient to contain the ever strengthening Turks. – 2. 32,000 forints per year are spent on the borderland in Croatia only, even in peace time, and upholding Temesvár, Pétervárad, Szörény, and Titel, not to mention Jajca, costs enormous sums. So loosing Ostrovica is not due to negligence but to poverty. – 3. He is happy to hear that the Pope launched an investigation into the abuses around grain sent to Croatia, something that King Louis also called for. – 4. More favourable news about the situation in Hungary would probably boost the Pope’s good will, but this is possible only if His Holiness and Christian rulers help the country with deeds instead of lip service. – 5. He is pleased to hear that Legate Campeggio has arrive. He will hopefully be successful in combating Lutheran heresy and in stimulating German reigning princes to fight the Turks. He instructed his envoys to negotiate with Campeggio as well as Ferdinand. – 6. He is sorry to hear that the Emperor and the French King are still at war with each other. Archduke Ferdinand is trying to mediate through Andreas da Burgo; Louis supports him in this. – 7. Louis has been informed about the peace agreement between Turkey and Persia and about the Sultan’s plans for attack. Brodarics should therefore do all he can for the papal aid together with Marsupino and da Burgo. – 8. Even though the Sultan and the Shah signed peace, if the Pope agrees, it might still be useful to send Hannibal of Cyprus on a mission to Shah Sophi. – 9. He thanks the Pope for the money, weapons, and food sent to the Klissa castle with the help of Bishop of Scardona. – 10. Brodarics is forbidden to return home because of his tight financial situation since the Fuggers have been instructed to provide him with the needed money. Reverende Fidelis nobis Dilecte.

[1.] Scribis gratulationem nostram Sanctissimo Domino Nostro fuisse iucundam, quae accidisset multo iucundior, nisi eodem tempore pervenisset Osthrowyczae a Turcis captae fama in Urbem, 2 quae tam ipsius Sanctissimi Domini Nostri, quam patrum animos magnopere commoverit, cum intellexerit eam arcem omni iudicio secundas partes a Clissio 3 obtinuisse. Iactura est, fatemur, gravis ac ceteris calamitatibus nostris merito adnumeranda, quam tamen veremur, ne longe maiores, sicuti 3 O[s]throwyczae correxi ex: Othrowyczo 4 capite del. BAV. Ottob., in marg. captae alia manu 5 cum: quam BAV Ottob. 1  The only known manuscript of the text survives in a codex in the Ottoboniana collection of the Vatican Library (BAV, Ottob. Lat. N. 2746. 44–46.), so it is, too, a replica, and is certainly not identical with the one György Pray, who was first to publish the letter, used. The manuscript in the Vatican is severely damaged, and the defects often make it senseless, so the basis for the present publication is the text published by Pray. In spite of this, I indicate all the differences from the manuscript in the Ottoboniana collection. 2  The castle of Ostrovica (Croatia) was overtaken by the Turks in September 1523. 3  The Turkish army kept Klissa, the important fortress in Dalmatia under siege from early February 1524. Finally they did not succeed in capturing it, because the rescue army of Constable of Zengg Péter Krusics defeated them in April.

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