[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.

Venetum oratorem Sanctitati eius narras praedixisse, propediem subsequantur. Id tamen nulla profecto nostra vel incuria vel negligentia accedere poterit, sed quoniam haec exigua unius Hungariae vectigalia tuendis amplissimis finibus sufficere nullatenus poterunt. Non parvi reditus ex Bosnia proveniebant, magnum ex Croatia et Dalmatia tributum quotannis in fiscum regium paulo ante hanc aetatem vel ipsius Matthiae regis temporibus deferebatur. Integrae erant, et fructuosae Themesiensis, Sirmiensis, Posega, Walko, et inferiores civitatum partes, hostium vero opes, numerus, potentia dimidio, quam sint hodie, minores erant. At nunc ea, quae commemoravimus, loca assiduis Turcarum incursionibus pene in solitudinem sunt redacta, adeo, ut tenues reliquias et paucas, quae adhuc in illis regnis supersunt, arces, maxima parte redituum nostrorum tueri nequeamus.