De morte Swantepolci ducis Pomeranie et rebellione Mestowini filii sui.
Swantepolcus's Deathbed Warning
The dying Duke Swantepolcus confesses his failed wars against the Teutonic brothers and urgently counsels his sons never to oppose them, for God fights on their side.
against the brothers. This year Swantepolcus, duke of Pomerania, took to his bed, and when he realized that he was dying, he summoned his sons to him, and as a final testament, which he confirmed by his death, he gave them this instruction, saying: after war grew between me on one side and the brothers of the Teutonic house on the other, I always resolved — through right and through wrong, and by various means — to attack them, and I achieved nothing, because God is with them and fights for them. So I advise you never to oppose them, but to honor them with all reverence.
Mestowinus Disobeys and Invites the Prussians
Mestowinus, the firstborn, rejects his father's counsel and, upon becoming duke, recklessly allies with the Prussians, following his father's evil example.
Mestowinus, his firstborn, did not adhere to this instruction. But after his father had died, while he was duke of Pomerania, in a certain reckless January daring, following the evil first footsteps of his father, he led in the Prussians.
Prussian Raids and the Ambush on the Vistula
The Prussians ravage Kolm and Pomesania, then boldly attack fifteen Teutonic ships on the Vistula, forcing the sailors to jettison their cargo to escape.
When they ravaged the land of Kolm and the bishopric of Pomesania with an army from the opposite side of his castle at Neumark with fire and plunder, and the Prussians boldly attacked fifteen ships of the brothers, loaded with goods necessary for the defense of the faith and of the faithful, from one side of the Vistula, and the garrison soldiers from Neumark from the other side, until the sailors, forced — since they could not escape otherwise — having thrown all the goods out of the ships, escaped.
Read the original Latin
contra fratres. Hoc anno Swantepolcus dux Pomeranie decidit in lectum, et ut cognovit, quod moreretur, vocavit ad se filios suos, et pro testamento ultimo, quod morte confirmavit, dedit eis hanc doctrinam, dicens: postquam inter me ex una parte et fratres domus Theutonice ex altera bellum crevit, ego semper decrevi; per fas et per nefas et modis variis impugnavi eos, et non profeci, quia deus cum eis est et pugnat pro eis. Unde consulo, quod nunquam vos eis opponatis, sed cum omni reverencia honorate. Huie doctrine non adhesit Mestowinus primogenitus ejus. Sed mortuo patre, dum esset dux Pomeranie, temerario quodam januar ausu sequens sinistra patris sui prima vestigia, induxit Pruthenos. quod cum exercitu terram Colmensem et episcopatum Pomesaniensem ex opposito castri sui Nuwenburgk deslruerent incendio et rapina, et xv naves fratrum oneratas rebus necessariis ad defensionem fidei et fidelium Prutheni ex una parte Wisele et castrenses de Nuwenburgk ex altera fortiter impugnaverunt, quousque naute coacti, cum aliter evadere non possent, ejectis de navibus rebus omnibus evaserunt.
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