27 Louis II to István Brodarics Pozsony, 12 January 1524 Manuscript used: HHStA, Ung. Akt. Fasc. 1. Konv. D, fol. 57. 1 1. The Sultan spreads false rumours about his preparations for a war against Persia in order to lull Hungary and Europe to sleep, while spy reports and information from Voivods of Moldova and Wallachia suggest that he wants to attack Hungary in March in alliance with the Tatars. – 2. Knowing this, Ferdinand also sent an envoy to Rome to press for the aid. Brodarics should cooperate with the Austrian envoy fully. – 3. The Pope should order Legate Cajetan de Vio to pay the money he has for repairs of Hungarian border fortresses or the soldiers’ pay before more substantial aid arrives. – 4. Brodarics receives a copy of the letter by the Vice-Voivod of Transylvania as well as pieces of news from the Voivods. He can learn all about the Sultan’s plans from these. Ludovicus Dei gratia Rex Hungariae etc. Venerabilis Fidelis nobis Dilecte.

[1.] Semper nobis fuerunt suspecta callidissimorum hostium nostrorum consilia, qui dum anno superiore universam Europam falsis complent rumoribus eorum imperatorem bellis orientalibus distineri, parare in Persas expeditionem, de nostris atque aliis Thomas Crnić (Negri). Humanist of Dalmatian origin, Canon of Spalato from 1499, later Archdean, Secretary of Croatian Ban Péter Beriszló from 1514. Protonotary Apostolic from 1519, Bishop of Scardona from 1520. The Pope sent him to Poland in January 1523 as his envoy. (Compare: AT VI. 220–222, 222–224, 224–225., and Henricus Damianus Wojtyska CP, Acta nunciaturae Poloniae Tom. II., Romae, 1992, 137– 147., also by him, Toma Crnić jedini sloven nuncije u Polskoj, Radovi 21 Zavoda za hrvatsku povijest Filozofskog Fakulteta, Zagreb, 1988, 35–44.) 1    Photocopy in the MOL DF 276058.

-- 86 --

Christianorum regnis non amplius hoc tempore cogitare, quam ut relictis praesidiis necessariis ea tantum, quae ab illo sunt parta, in reditum suum defendi ac retineri possent, et haec tanto ingenio et artificio fingebantur, ut eos quoque fallerent, qui secretorum tyranni se non esse ignaros arbitrarentur, qua fraude et simulatione nihil aliud agebatur, quam ut nos securos et imparatos possunt opprimere.

Habemus 2 enim recens ex waywodis Moldavo 3 et Transalpino, 4 aliisque exploratoribus nuntium destinasse Turcas omni genere apparatuum instructissimos proximo mense Martio regnum hoc nostrum Tartaris etiam in societatem belli adiunctis invadere.

[2.] Quod ubi ex auctoribus certis serenissimus quoque frater noster, archidux Austriae 5 cognovisset, misit et ipse ad Sanctissimum Dominum Nostrum 6 oratorem, 7 quod pro avertendis periculis aperte imminentibus opportunum Sedis Apostolicae praesidium imploraret. Tecum is ex mandato sui principis consilia communicabit, tecum una ad Sanctitatem Domini Nostri et ad reverendissimos dominos cardinales accedet. Vide, ne illi usquam desis, agitur commune utriusque nostrum negotium. Hostis instat, tempus breve est. Vos ita provinciam vestram administretis, ut, quod ab ista Sede Apostolica flagitamus, auxilium adsit in tempore.

[3.] Nam in his quinquaginta milibus ducatorum, quod reverendissimus dominus legatus 8 habet in potestate, adversus hostem potentissimum leve admodum et per exiguum habebimus praesidium. Mandet nihilominus Sanctitas Domini Nostri eidem domino legato, ut hanc pecuniam, quoad maius auxilium miserit, aut in arcium nostrarum instaurationem, sicuti antea petebamus, aut, si id secum fuerit, ad comparandas saltem copias iam tandem erogare non dubitet. 9 9 ignaros correxi ex: ignoras 11 Moldavo correxi ex: Moldano 2  The part between Habemus...invadere published: Veress Endre (ed.), Akták és levelek Erdély- és Magyarország Moldvával és Havasalfölddel való viszonyához, Budapest, 1914, 128. 3  Stephen IV (1517–1527), Voivod of Moldova. 4  Probably refers to V. Radu (Radu de la Afumaţi), who fled to Hungary in April 1523, away from Turks who invaded Wallachia (see the letter by Louis II to Brodarics on 1 June 1523). He fought the throne back in January 1524 from his own brother Radu VI (Radu Baduca) who got the position from the Turks. 5  Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Habsburg (1522–1564), brother-in-law of Louis II, Hungarian and Czech King (1526–1564), Holy Roman Emperor (1558–1564). 6  Pope Clement VII. 7  Andreas da Burgo (dal Borgo) (1467–1533). Comes from a merchant family in Cremona. He was raised in the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan and entered the service of Maximilian Habsburg in 1502. Fulfilled diplomatic tasks until his death. More on his life: Rosemarie Aulinger, Andrea da Borgo = Contemporaries of Erasmus: a Biographical Register of the Renaissance and Reformation, Toronto, 1985, 172–173; Rill, Fürst und Hof ...141–150. 8  Cardinal Tommaso Cajetan De Vio, Bishop of Gaeta, was sent to Hungary as a legate with Baron Burgio in 1523 by Hadrian VI. 9  Pope Hadrian promised aid of 100,000 gold pieces for the fight against the Turks. He really sent 50,000 by Cardinal Vio.

-- 87 --

[4.] Misimus ad te litterarum vice wayvodae 10 ad fidelem nostrum spectabilem et magnificum Ioannem comitem Scepusiensem wayvodam nostrum Transsylvaniensem 11 exempla, accipies insuper, quae ex legatione ad nos utriusque wayvodae sunt exceptae, ex quibus fusius omnia, quae ad conatum caesaris cognoscendum pertinent, intelliges. 12

Datum Posonii, feria tertia intra octavas Epiphaniarum Domini. Anno eiusdem millesimo quingentesimo vigesimo quarto.

Ad oratorem regis Hungariae in Urbe Romana