[ERROR: no reftable :]12 István Brodarics to Sigismund I Rome, 1 January 1523 Manuscript used: BN T. 4. fol. 122 r–v. 1 Published: Acta Tomiciana VI. 219–220. 1. Brodarics fulfilled Sigismund’s request and approached the Pope regarding the Płock bishopric and the matter of indulgences. Sigismund will learn the Pope’s answer from a letter to be sent through Anton Fugger. – 2. He informs Sigismund that the Pope holds him in the highest esteem among all Christian rulers, and he alone is considered the refuge of Christianity and also the only support of Hungarian King Louis. – 3. He says he is happy to be available for Sigismund because he knows that by serving Sigismund he is of service to his own master Louis. Serenissime Princeps et Domine, Domine Clementissime. Post servitutis meae in gratiam Vestrae Serenissimae Maiestatis humillimam commendationem.

[1.] Dignata est Vestra Maiestas his diebus superiore dare ad me litteras, 2 ut in facto ecclesiae Plocensis pro voto ac desiderio Maiestatis Vestrae apud Sanctissimum Dominum Nostrum elaborarem, miserat etiam Maiestas Vestra binas alias litteras ad Sanctitatem Domini Nostri, alteras gratulatorias, 3 alteras de indulgentiis et officio collectorio. 4 [ERROR: no reftable :]9  After the death of Bishop of Płock Erazm Ciołek the King of Poland wanted to install Rafał Leszczyński, Bishop of Przemiśl into the vacant position. However, Hadrian VI did not wait for Sigismund’s recommendation but appointed Johann Albrecht, brother of Albrecht von Brandenburg, Grand Master of the Teutonic Order which had a hostile relationship with Poland. (Compare: AT VI. 154–155.) The Polish ruler protested angrily. Since neither party would budge, a one-year-long diplomatic struggle began. Brodarics played an important part of its settlement. More on this: Kasza Péter, Egy magyar diplomata lengyel szolgálatban. Újabb források Brodarics István rmai követi működéséhez., Irodalomtörténeti Közlemények, 2009, 593–605. The same in English: A Hungarian diplomat in Polish service New sources for the functioning of István Brodarics as ambassador in Rome, Camoenae Hungaricae, 2010, 61–73. manuscript: BK 223 fol. 83–84. No doubt, it is the letter by Sigismund in October 1522. 3  Sigismund greeted Hadrian VI for his election in a letter dated in Vilnius 22 October 1522. Compare: AT VI. 130. [ERROR: no reftable :]1  Another

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Ego non solum omnes has litteras Maiestatis Vestrae Sanctissimo Domino Nostro exhibui, sed in his negotiis ex sententia Maiestatis Vestrae obtinendis, quantum in me fuit, sedulam operam dedi. Quid facturus sit pontifex, et quale responsum ad petita Maiestatis Vestrae dederit, superfluum est me pluribus verbis Maiestati Vestrae explicare, cum ex eius litteris, 5 quas cum domino Anthonio Fukaro, 6 diligentissimo servitore Maiestatis Vestrae ad eandem mittimus, sit omnia plene cognitura.

[2.] Ego hoc unum etiam litteris meis Vestrae Maiestati notum esse volui, incredibilem esse et admirandum Sanctissimi Domini Nostri in Vestram Maiestatem amorem et de illius clarissimis virtutibus opinionem. Nullus est princeps in tota Christianitate, cui non Vestram Maiestatem rebus omnibus, quae ad excellentissimum regem pertineant, quaeve domi forisque sint magno principi necessariae, non quam longissime anteponat. Deum testor, eo tempore, quo ei litteras Vestrae Maiestatis redderem et cum hae per secretarium eius me audiente legerentur, eum in eam Vestrae Maiestatis laudum praedicationem prorupisse, ut clara voce et quae ab omnibus, qui ibi tum aderant (aderant autem et ex cardinalibus nonnulli et multi archiepiscopi, episcopi et diversorum principum oratores) exaudiretur, diceret, solam Maiestatem Vestram esse, in cuius virtute post Deum sita esset labentis rei Christianae fortuna, solam esse, in qua serenissimus Ludovicus, rex nepos, 7 regni sui tuendi et Belgradi recuperandi 8 spem ponere deberet, multaque in hanc sententiam magna cum laude Vestrae Maiestatis dixit, praeter alias virtutes domesticas, summam eius in re militari peritiam, incredibilem felicitatem miris laudibus extollens. Sed haec et eiusmodi non sunt iam in auribus meis nova, qui nunquam possum ad eius Sanctitatem accedere, quin semper de Maiestate Vestra honorificentissimam faciat mentionem.

[3.] Si quid id est, in quo Maiestati Vestrae inservire possum, id tam libenter ac prompto animo faciam, ut certe nihil libentius, scio me eodem tempore, quo Maiestati Vestrae servio, servire etiam gratiosissimo et serenissimo principi meo. Quod si non esset, singularis tamen Vestrae Maiestatis virtus, magnanimitas, prudentia et generosi [ERROR: no reftable :]4  He wrote another letter the same day, in which he asks for confirmation of the kermess that Leo X permitted. The permission became invalid as Leo died. He also asks the after the death of Bishop of Płock Ciołek, who was charged with collecting Peter’s pence, the commission be transferred to Bishop of Poznań Piotr Tomicki. Compare: AT VI. 135. 5  The breves of Hadrian VI did not survive. 6  Anton Fugger (1493–1560): cousin of Jakob Fugger, who laid down the foundations for the power of banker family. After his childless uncle dies (1525), he and his brothers take over control of the Fugger banking house. (More on Anton Fugger: Götz Freiherr von Pölnitz, Anton Fugger, Bd 1–3., Tübingen, 1958–1986. On the Fuggers’ activities in Rome: Aloys Schulte, Die Fugger in Rom 1495–1523, 2 Bde, Leipzig, 1904.) Sigismund counted on the help of the Fuggers – who were influential in Rome – in settling the dispute with the Pope. His letters to Jakob Fugger and Jan Boner from the end of October demonstrate this (see: AT VI. 145–147.) Anton Fugger must have written to the Polish ruler on this matter. 7  Hungarian King Louis II was the cousin of Sigismund. 8  Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade, today: Beograd, Serbia) was occupied by the Turks on 29 August 1521. This was a serious blow to Hungary, since this fortress was central in their Southern defence line. One of the main purpose of sending Brodarics to Rome as an envoy was to obtain support of the papal court to the campaign to reconquer Nándorfehérvár.

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atque excelsi animi omnibus numeris absoluta ac perfecta excellentia traheret me ad omnem servitutem, quae a me praestari posset, illi libentissime impendendam. Me et obsequia mea perpetua in gratiam Vestrae Maiestatis rursus commendo. Quam Deus servet semper incolumem ac victoriosam.

Ex Urbe Calendis Ianuarii Anno 1523. Quem etiam annum cum plurimis sequentibus cupio Vestrae Maiestati decurrere felicissimum et multis victoriis insignem. Eiusdem Vestrae Maiestatis servitor et capellanus humillimus Stephanus Brodericus praepositus Quinqueecclesiensis, orator

[ERROR: no reftable :]On the outer side: Serenissimo principi et domino, domino Sigismundo Dei gratia regi Poloniae ac magno duci Lithvaniae etc., domino semper mihi clementissimo