The Sleepwalkers (85 page)

Giese's
last
remark
was
in
the
nature
of
a
friendly
dig
as
from
one
Bishop
to
another.
Though
earlier
on,
they
had
been
rivals
for
the
see
of
Ermland,
a
compromise
had
been
reached
by
giving
Giese
the
Bishopric
of
Kulm,
and
they
remained
on
excellent
terms.
This
made
it
possible
for
Dantiscus
to
ask
Giese
on
repeated
occasions
to
intercede
with
Copernicus,
in
order
to
spare
the
old
Canon
further
humiliation.

Concurrently
with
the
unpleasantness
concerning
Anna,
there
was
also
political
trouble
in
the
Chapter.
Its
causes
are
extremely
involved
(for
a
brief
outline,
see
note
⁸⁷
);
but
the
central
character
was
again
the
intrepid
Canon
Sculteti,
who
not
only
lived
openly
with
his
"beer-waitress"
and
brood
of
children,
but
led
the
resistance
against
Dantiscus'
efforts
to
make
East
Prussia
safe
for
the
Polish
crown.
It
was
a
struggle
for
high
political
stakes,
which,
a
year
later,
led
to
Sculteti's
proscription
and
banishment,
and
several
years
later
to
the
temporary
excommunication
of
the
majority
of
the
Ermland
Chapter.
Since
Canon
Koppernigk
had
been
on
friendly
terms
with
Sculteti,
and
was
in
the
same
boat
with
him
in
the
focaria
scandal,
Dantiscus
was
anxious
to
keep
the
old
man
from
getting
involved
in
all
this.
On
4
July,
1539,
he
wrote
to
Giese:

"I
have
been
told
that
the
Dr.
Nic.
Copernicus
whom,
as
you
know,
I
love
as
my
own
brother,
is
staying
with
you
as
your
guest.
He
maintains
close
friendship
with
Sculteti.
That
is
bad.
Admonish
him
that
such
connections
and
friendships
are
harmful
to
him,
but
do
not
tell
him
that
the
warning
originates
from
me.
I
am
sure
you
know
that
Sculteti
has
taken
a
wife
and
that
he
is
suspected
of
atheism."
⁸⁸

It
should
be
remembered
that
Dantiscus
was
Canon
Koppernigk's
immediate
superior,
and
that
Giese
now
ruled
another
diocese.
The
letter
proves
that
Dantiscus
went
out
of
his
way
to
save
Copernicus
embarrassment,
to
the
extent
of
keeping
his
warning
anonymous,
since
a
direct
admonishment
from
his
ecclesiastic
superior
might
be
humiliating
to
the
old
Canon.
Yet
the
Copernicus
legend
has
it
that
Dantiscus
"ordered
him
abruptly
to
break
off
relations
with
his
friend
Sculteti";
and
that
he
persecuted
Copernicus
to
prevent
him
from
finishing
his
book.
⁸⁹

The
truth
is
that
when,
in
1541,
Dantiscus
learnt
of
Copernicus'
decision
to
publish,
at
long
last,
his
Revolutions,
he
immediately
wrote
a
warm
and
very
friendly
letter
to
Copernicus,
enclosing
a
poetic
epigram
to
serve
as
a
motto
for
the
book.
Canon
Koppernigk
wrote
back:
⁹⁰

"
Reverendissime
in
Christo
Pater
et
Domine
Domine
Clementissime
.

I
have
received
Your
Most
Rev.
Lordship's
most
humane
and
entirely
intimate
letter,
in
which
he
has
condescended
to
send
an
epigram
addressed
to
the
readers
of
my
book,
soberly
elegant
and
suited,
not
to
my
deserts,
but
to
the
extraordinary
benevolence
with
which
Your
Rev.
Lordship
is
wont
to
honour
scholars.
I
should
place
it,
therefore,
at
the
title
page
of
my
work,
if
only
the
work
might
be
worthy
of
deserving
to
be
so
greatly
adorned
by
Your
Rev.
Lordship,
although
nevertheless
very
learned
men,
with
whom
it
is
fitting
to
comply,
declare
that
I
am
of
some
account.
Indeed,
I
desire
so
far
as
I
have
powers
to
earn
it,
to
gratify
the
extraordinary
benevolence
and
paternal
affection
towards
me
whereby
Your
Rev.
Lordship
does
not
cease
to
honour
me;
and
to
serve
him,
as
is
my
duty,
in
all
things
in
which
I
am
able.

Frauenburg, June 27, 1541.

Your
Rev.
Lordship's
Most
obedient,
Nicolaus
Copernicus."

This
is
the
last
extant
letter
from
Copernicus
to
Dantiscus,
and
probably
the
last
he
actually
wrote
him.
The
poet
laureate's
contribution
did
not
appear
in
the
book,
nor
on
Copernicus'
manuscript,
and
is
lost.
After
thanking
Dantiscus
for
his
"extraordinary
benevolence",
Copernicus
quietly
dropped
his
epigram
into
the
waste
bin,
as
he
had
done
with
Dantiscus'
earlier
invitations.
He
really
was
an
old
sourpuss.