De pace Herum reformata et destructa et de edi/icacione castri Santirii.
Desperate Counsel and the Sending of Hostages
Beset on all sides, the brothers adopt Raweb of Redino's prudent counsel: sending Mestowinus as a hostage to Austria and appealing to Germany, Bohemia, Cracow, and Poland for swift relief, trusting in divine grace to preserve the faith.
The brothers, hemmed in on every side by such distress, having sought counsel from many directions, finally settled on this plan proposed by the brother called Raweb of Redino, a man of prudence and one who is careful in difficult matters: that they should send Mestowinus, the son of Swantepolcus, as a hostage to the Duke of Austria, and that they should entrust the state of the land of Prussia and of the brothers to the regions of Germany, Bohemia, Cracow, and Poland, realizing that the cause of the faith and of the faithful would quickly perish there unless it were swiftly helped by the power of divine grace and by their own quick relief.
Reinforcements Arrive and Swantepolcus Submits
Master Poppo arrives with brothers from Misna and Thuringia, the Duke of Austria sends mounted archers, and Swantepolcus, terrified by the show of force, renews the old peace with the brothers.
When this had been done, the brother Poppo, the master, came with him and six brothers from the March of Misna and Thuringia. The Duke of Austria also sent, at his own expense, thirty mounted archers to the aid of the said land. The brothers rejoiced greatly at their coming, but Swantepolcus, for his part, was deeply troubled and thrown into such fear that, seeking favor again from the brothers, he obtained it, and the old peace was renewed.
Tarnend's Malice and Defiance of All Authority
Tarnend ceaselessly persecutes the brothers and his own people, devastates Gasimir's land, defies pope and emperor alike, and demands his son's return as the price of peace—which the brothers refuse, provoking renewed open persecution.
But Tarnend's innate malice did not cease from its open and secret persecution of the brothers and of his own people, Traudulentae, and when he was confronted by the brothers about this, he paid no attention. Finally, so that his hidden malice might be exposed, having gathered a strong force, he marched into the land of the Duke of Gasimir in hostile fashion, laying it waste with fire and plunder in many ways, and after capturing and killing many Christians there, he returned with great spoil and other goods. When he was rebuked again over this, he declared that he would not stop persecuting his own people on account of the pope, nor on account of the emperor, nor on account of any living person. And he added: 'Return my son to me, if you want to have peace with me.' Since the brothers would not return his son to him, he began to persecute them publicly, just as before.
The Castle of Santir and River Piracy
Swantepolcus builds the castle of Santir at the confluence of the Vistula and Nogat, stationing wicked men there to rob, seize, or kill the brothers' subjects traveling by ship.
For he built a castle called Santir at the confluence of two rivers—the Vistula and the Nogat—and stationed wicked men there who would not allow the brothers' subjects to travel up or down the river by ship in peace; instead they would rob them of their goods, or seize them, or kill them.12
Read the original Latin
Fratres sic undique angustiis angustiati, inter multa consilia hinc inde quesita tandem fratris dicti Raweb de Redino, viri prudentis et in arduis negociis circumspecti, consilium hoc fuit, ut Mestowinum filium Swantepolci obsidem mitterent duci Austrie, et demandarent ad partes Alemanie, Rohemie, Cracovie et Polonie statum terre Prussie et fratrum, attendentesc, quod negocium fidei et fidelium breviter ibi periret, nisi per divine virtutis auxilium et ipsorum celeriter sucurreretur. Quod cum factum fuisset, venit frater Poppo magister cum im fratribus, et de Marchia, Misna et Thuringia sex fratres. Dux etiam Austrie misit sub expensis suis xxx sagitarios equites in subsidium dicte terre. De quorum adventu fratres multum gavisi sunt, Swantepolcus autem e contra perturbatus et meticulosus factus in tantum, quod pre timore graciam querens, iterum a fratribus obtinuit et vetus pax innovatur. Tarnend innata ejus malicia a persecucione fratrum et suorum Traudulentae et clandestina non cessavit, et quando super hoc argueretur a fratribus, non curavit. Tandem ut occulta ejus maliciaa detegeretur, congfegato exercitu valido, intravit hostiliter Guyaviam terram ducis Gasimiri, eam incendiis et rapinis multipliciter devastando, captisque ibi multis Cristianis et occisis cum aliarum rerum rediit preda magnab. Super quo dum iterum reprehenderetur, ait: quod nec propter papam, nec propter imperatorem, nec aliquem viventem vellet desinere persequi bestes suos, et addidit: reddatis mihi filium meum, si vultis habere pacem mecum. Cum ergo fratres non redderent ei filium suum, incepit eos publice persequi sicut prius.
Edificavit enim circa confluenciam fluminum scilicet Wysele et Nogadi castrum dictum Santirium, in quo locavit viros iniquos, qui fratrum subditos nec pacifice ascendere autc descendere navigio permiserunt: quin spoliarent eos rebus suis, vel caperent aut mactarent.
Notes
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