Vasile Lupu Assures János Kemény of His Friendship and Reports on the Khan's Intentions and the Cossack Rebellion

[S. 2] Noble Lord Kemény, Benevolent Lord and Friend! As the whole world is accustomed to entering upon auspicious auguries, I wish Your Magnificence from my heart that the beginning of the newly commenced year may pass auspiciously, not only in this year, but also through the course of many years to come; at the same time, I testify that I remain steadfast on the path of our friendship, and my sincere goodwill suffers no change. The grievances that I set forth in my recent letters in a plain style ought not to have disturbed Your Magnificence so much; for clear agreements make clear friends, and I could not remain silent (being a sincere friend) about that which served to preserve our friendship and dispel the slanders of ill-willed people. When the Most Serene Prince, of blessed memory, the father of the Most Serene Prince, my compère [George II Rákóczi], was still alive, various people slandered me in diverse ways, yet truth and the just cause always triumphed; for they could not prove even the slightest fault against me, and whatever the insolent mouths of my adversaries gossiped about me, all of it vanished into thin air, while the purity of sincere friendship always remained in the same state. The same happens to me with the present Most Serene Prince: I know that the same enemies accuse me many times and undermine [my name] with calumnies, but to me, as one defamed, [S. 3] this matter does not affect me at all, for no one can engrave any blemish upon the sincerity and purity with which I regard the Most Serene Prince. I did not use those words in my past letters out of any suspicion, but based on the report of my envoy sent to the funeral of the Most Serene Sigismund [Rákóczi]; this man, being among the foremost boyars and mature in age, would not submit trivial and hollow matters to me—which I never permit—but recounted that which concerned my honor. For there could be no greater contempt and slight than when he had to travel through the lands of the Most Serene Prince by oxen and maintain himself at his own expense. But I consign all this to oblivion and would not have mentioned it had Your Magnificence not asked me about it. I testify a hundred and a thousand times over that I sacredly keep the friendship established with the Most Serene Prince, and whatever will be of benefit and to the advantage of the Most Serene Prince, in every fortune I shall perform gladly and sincerely without hesitation; likewise Your Magnificence, whose grace and favor I have abundantly experienced, I especially cherish in my heart as a faithful friend. Moreover, for Your Magnificence, [S. 4] I wish long, prosperous, and happy health. In Roman, on 16 January 1652. Your Magnificence’s benevolent friend, Vasile, by the grace of God Prince of the Lands of Moldavia [signature in Cyrillic] [S. 5, address:] To the Noble and Well-Born Lord János Kemény of Gyerőmonostor, Count of the Fehér County in Transylvania, as well as Prefect of the Castle, Garrison, and District of the Fogaras Land of the Most Serene Prince of Transylvania, Supreme Captain of All Field Armies, benevolent Lord and Friend. [S. 6, news report:] The news that I have just received, I describe briefly to Your Magnificence. In recent days, my envoy, having returned from Crimea, reported that the Qalgha Sultan was ready for war with his army; it is commonly said that they wish to strike against the Kalmyk Tatars and those Cossacks who dwell along the Don River [Tanais]. On this occasion, the Khan sent his mirza to Khmelnytsky, Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, requesting reinforcements against those Cossacks who caused great damage at sea in the Ottoman Empire this past summer and led the Kalmyk Tatars against the herds and cattle of the Nogai Horde at nearly the same time. Moved by this, the Khan is now dispatching the Sultan with reinforcements of Zaporozhian Cossacks. Since, however, the fidelity of the Tatars and Cossacks is fickle, one should not believe them in everything, for this barbarian people does not always strike at those whom it threatens, but quickly turns its arms against others from ambush. Khmelnytsky from the Zaporozhian Host recently sent two military commanders, whom they call colonels, to Korsun to draw up a new register of the Cossacks, striking twenty thousand Cossacks from the old register, which he did under the agreement with the Poles. The Cossacks, having realized that they were struck from the register, raised an enormous rebellion and killed those two colonels. When this was reported to Khmelnytsky, he was exceedingly outraged, but skillfully brought about the capture of the leader of that rebellion, called Mozyra, [S. 7] also known to Your Magnificence, for he served on an embassy to the Most Serene Prince of Transylvania this past spring. He was condemned to beheading by order of Khmelnytsky.

[S. 2] Magnifice D[omi]ne Kemeni D[omi]ne Amice benevole Cum universus Orbis in felicia abire consuevit omina, exordium Anni recens inchoati diu prospero non tantum praesentis, sed etiam multorum aliorum Annorum decursu M[agni]f[i]cae D[omi]n[ia]e V[est]rae animitus precor; simulq[ue] testor me in cursu amicitiae nostrae firmissime perseverare, nec candidus animus ullam unquam patitur alterationem. Querellas illas quas in nuperis meis literis rudi stylo expresseram non debuisset M[agni]f[i]ca D[ominatio] V[est]ra tantopere movere; nam clara pacta claros faciunt amicos, nec silentio premere poteram illa (cum sim syncerus amicus) quae ad conservandam amicitiam nostram, et excludendas malevolorum traductiones spectabant. Dum adhuc superstes esset piae memoriae Ill[ustrissi]mus Princeps parens Ill[ustrissi]mi Principis compatris mei, a variis varie traductus fui, sed Veritas et iusta causa semper triumphabat, non poterant enim me vel minima nota convincere, imo quicquid de me impudentissimis adversariorum ora effutiebant, id totum cum vento evanescebat, et candor syncerae amicitiae in eodem statu semper permanebat. Idem mihi cum Ill[ustrissi]mo Principe evenire solet: scio me ab iisdem adversariis multoties accusari, ac tamen meum calumniis convelli, sed me calumniantium [S. 3] haec causa minime movet, nam sinceritati et candori quo Ill[ustrissi]mum Principem prosequor nulla ab illis labes inuri potest. Non ex suspicione aliqua verba illa in praeteritis meis literis expresseram sed ex relatione Internuncij mei qui ad funeras Ill[ustrissi]mi Sigismundi missus erat, hic cum sit ex primariis Baronibus et iam adultus non proposuisset mihi res futiles et inanes, quas ego nunquam admitto, sed hoc narravit quod meum honorem concernit. Non poterat maior esse contemptus et despectus quam cum per Ditiones Ill[ustrissi]mi Principis bobus veheretur et propriis se sumptibus sustentaret. Sed haec omnia oblivioni trado, nec mentionem illorum fecissem, si a Magnifica D[ominatio]ne V[est]ra requisitus non fuissem. Ego centies millies protestor me sacrosancte initam cum Ill[ustrissi]mo Principe amicitiam colere, et ea quae e re et usu Ill[ustrissi]mi Principis erunt in utraq[ue] fortuna prompte ac sincere exequi non ambigam: similiter et Magnificam Dominationem Vestram, cuius favorem et gratiam abunde sum expertus, ut fidum amicum in corde meo singulariter foveo. In reliquo Magnificam D[ominationem] Vestram [S. 4] diu prospere ac feliciter valere cupio. Romani d[ie] 16 Ianuarii 1652. Magnifica[e] D[omi]n[i]is Vestrae Amicus benevolus Basilius D[e]i gra[ti]a Princeps Terrarum Moldaviae [podpis hospodara cyrylicą] [S. 5, adres:] Magnifico ac G[e]n[er]oso D[omi]no Ioanni Kemeni de Gerimonostor Comiti Comitatus Albensis Transylvanici nec non Ill[ustrissi]mi Principis Transylvaniae Praefecto Arcis ac Praesidii Districtusq[ue] Terrae Fogarasiensis Universalis Militum Campestrium Capitaneo Supremo D[omi]no et Amico benevolo. [pieczęć lakowa pod opłatkiem] [S. 6] Rumores quos nunc recens accepi breviter M[agni]ficae D[omi]ni[ae] V[est]rae perscribo. Elapsis hisce diebus Mandatarius meus redux ex Krym asserit Soltanum Kalga paratum fuisse cum suo exercitu ad bellum, communis vox est illos velle hostilitatem inferre Kalmucensibus Tartaris simul et Kozaeis illis qui fluvium Tanaim accolunt, atq[ue] hac occasione Chanus misit Murzam suum ad Chmielnicki Generalem Exercitus Zaporoviensis subsidia petiturus contra illos Kozakos qui et in Imperio Ottomanico maxima damna hac aetate [recte: aestate] per Mare fecerunt et Tartaros Kalmucenses eodem ferme tempore ad greges et iumenta Nahaiensium duxerunt, quo facto commotus Chanus mittit modo Soltanum cum subsidio Kozacorum Zaporoviensium. Cum tamen sit lubrica fides Tartarorum et Kozacorum non credendum est omnimode illis, nam barbara haec Gens non semper illos quibus minantur infestat sed mox ex insidiis arma contra alios convertunt. Chmielnicki Exercitus Zaporoviensis duos Praefectos Militum quos illi Pulkownicos vocant miserat nuper Korsuniam, ut novum Cathalogum Kozakorum conscriberent rejectis ex antiquo cathalogo viginti millibus Kozacorum, quod ex pacto cum Polonis fecerat. Kozaci vero cum advertissent se rejectisse [= rejectos esse] ex cathalogo maximum tumultum excitarunt, et illos duos Pulkownicos occiderunt, quod ubi significatum fuisset Chmielnicki perturbatus summopere fuit, dextre tamen curavit principalem illius tumulti capi qui vocabatur Mozyra [S. 7] notus etiam Magnifica[e] D[omi]n[i]ae V[est]rae, nam Legatum egit elapso Vere apud Ill[ustrissi]mum Principem Transylvaniae. Hic iussu Chmielnicki capite damnatus est.