Michael Von Cotta-Schönberg

Silvio Enea

Piccolomini

Aeneas Piccolomini

Pope Pius II Piccolomini Silvius

Bishop Bartolmeo

Visconti ; Albrecht

Michael V Cotta-Schönberg

(Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II; 3) Foreword

In 2007, I undertook a project of publishing the Latin texts with English translations of the orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II. Altogether 801 orations (including papal responses to ambassadorial addresses) are extant today, though more may still be held, unrecognized, in libraries and archives.

At a later stage the project was expanded to include ambassadors' orations to the pope, of which about 40 are presently known.

I do not, actually, plan to publish further versions of the present volume, but I do reserve the option in case I -during my future studies -come across other manuscripts containing interesting versions of the oration or if important new research data on the subject matter are published, making it appropriate to modify or expand the present text. It will therefore always be useful to check if a later version than the one the reader may have previously found via the Internet is available in HAL Archives.

I shall much appreciate to be notified by readers who discover errors and problems in the text and translation or unrecognized quotations. Sigla and abbreviations

July 2019 MCS

Table of volumes in Collected Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II. 12 vols. Edited and translated by Michael von Cotta-Schönberg. [Available on the web in HAL Archives]

II. TEXT AND TRANSLATION

1.

Introduction [1] 2.

Obligations towards the Empire [2] 3.

Albrecht's eminent qualifications [3] 4.

Advantages to the Hungarians [4] 5.

Advantages in relation to the Turks [5] 6.

Advantages to Albrecht's family [6] 7.

Advantages to Albrecht himself [7] 8.

Advantages to the Church [8] 9.

Advantages to the Empire [9] 10. Conclusion [10]

I. INTRODUCTION 1. Context 1

On 9 December 1437, Emperor Sigismund died. The prince electors of the Empire gathered in Frankfurt, and on 18 March 1438 they elected Albrecht, Duke of Austria and King of Hungary, as Holy Roman Emperor. Immediately afterwards they sent a message to Albrecht, notifying him of his election and asking him to accept it. It appears that Albrecht was hesitant to do so because of problems connected with his accession to the Kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia. During the month of April, while in Vienna, he discussed the matter with his counsellors. [START_REF]Albrecht's support against them by presenting them as a common enemy[END_REF] First on 29 April he accepted the election, as Albrecht II. [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] In the meantime, the Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti sent Bishop Bartolomeo Visconti as his ambassador to Vienna to join the princes and other ambassadors assembled there and to support their efforts to persuade Albrecht to accept the election -probably a gesture aimed at improving the relations of the Visconti dynasty with the Empire.

Bartolomeo Visconti was a former employer of Enea Silvio Piccolomini. Some years earlier, they had parted company in rather ambiguous circumstances, connected with an unsuccesful Milanese plot against Pope Eugenius V in which Piccolomini became embroiled -with or without his knowledge. Nonetheless, relations between the two remained amicable, and when Visconti asked Piccolomini to join him on his voyage to Vienna, Piccolomini agreed.

In the section on Albrecht in his De viris illustribus (published 1458), Piccolomini wrote about the event -with no mention of the "Quid est", but with focus on Hungarian opposition:

Quo tempore et ego illuc veneram cum novariensi antistite, qui ducis Mediolani legatus erat et me in societatem ex Basilea uocauerat. hic multa consilia fuerunt an recipi imperium deberet; nam Hungari contrariari videbantur; nec enim bene prouideri et imperio et regno suo per unam personam rebantur. sed uicit alia pars, que acceptationem suadebat. 4 And in his Commentarii from 1462-1464, Piccolomini again wrote about the events in Vienna:

Duke Filippo of Milan despatched his legate Bartolomeo, Bishop of Novara, who on arriving at Basel managed to persuade Aeneas to go with him to Austria. 5 Albert had not yet accepted the crown on account of the opposition of the Hungarians, who claimed that he had ascended the throne of Hungary on the understanding that he would not accept the Empire even if it was offered to him. Feeling unsure what to do, Albert decided to consult the envoys of the various princes who were present. 1 2 During the time allowed for deliberations, Aeneas gave Bartolomeo a written statement [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] outlining why Albert should accept the crown and suggesting how the Hungarians could be induced to consent. When Bartolomeo read it out in the council, he was publicly thanked and Albert proclaimed himself emperor, with the Hungarians not only consenting, but actually urging him to do so. 4 It is not certain whether the bishop really did read the memorandum in council, but in any case it is unlikely that it would have carried any weight as such. 5 Gianantonio Campano, one of Pius' contemporary biographers, gave a somewhat differentand erroneous -account in his biography:

He went to Albrecht, the emperor-elect, in Noricum and stayed with him briefly, trying to persuade him to side with the council fathers in Basel. However, Albrecht's sudden death made it uncertain whether he had succeeded. 6 Campano mentions neither the Bishop of Novara nor the matter of the imperial succession. His claim that Piccolomini somehow had dealings with Albrecht concerning the Council of Basel is most unlikely, and the Council had actually sent its own representatives to the king, Johann von Zengg and Juan de Palomar. [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] Voigt scornfully declared Enea's memorandum as dem Inhalt nach höchst unbedeutend. 8 Lhotsky, however, did not share this opinion. He wrote:

Gewiss ist, dass das Elaborat eine erstaunliche Probe staatsmännerlischer Einsicht und richtiger Beurteilung der politischen Faktoren in einem Bereiche bedeutet, der, wie man 1 Piccolomini's description of Albrecht's doubts appears to be correct, see RTA, 13, p. 23; Voigt, I, p. 155; Lhotsky: Aeneas, p. 7 [START_REF]Albrecht's support against them by presenting them as a common enemy[END_REF] Piccolomini does not mention the presence of Duke Friedrich of Steiermark, Albrecht's cousin and successor on the imperial throne, and Piccolomini's own future employer [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] Piccolomini's authorship of the text is confirmed by Beckman, RTA, 13, p. 21, and Voigt, I, p. 156 4 CO I, 9 (Meserve, I, p. 38-39) 5 Voigt, I, 156 6 Zimolo, pp. 12-13: Profectus ad Noricum ad Albertum Caesarem designatum, brevi apud eum mansit, traducere in sententiam Basiliensium conatus; an potuerit subsecuta statim illius mors incertum fecit [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] Hödl, p. 16 8 Voigt,I,p. 156,n. 1 fürs erste meinen sollte, einem bisher nur im Süden und Westen Europas bewanderten Kenner nich ohne weiteres vertraut sein konnte. 1 2

Themes

The main theme of the oration is that Albrecht should accept his election as emperor.

After referring to Albrecht's moral obligation towards the Empire, Piccolomini presents seven arguments in favour of accepting his election: Firstly, Albrecht is the best of the possible candidates since he is the most powerful, the most popular, and the wisest of them all.

Secondly, it is an advantage for the Hungarians that their king be also emperor, for in that case he is in a better position to defend them against, for example, the Venetians. In this context, Piccolomini mentions some reticence on the Hungarian side concerning Albrecht becoming emperor. If there was such a reticence it might have been caused by the Hungarian experience with Albrecht's predecessor as king, Emperor Sigismund, whose Western European orientation caused losses to Hungary. [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] He does not refer to any conditions, made by the Hungarians, that Albrecht would become King of Hungary with the proviso that he would refrain from also becoming emperor. 4 Such a condition is only mentioned years afterwards in Piccolominmi's De Europa, published in 1458:

When Albert was crowned with his wife at Székesfehervár, he also received the crown of Bohemia. Marveling at his success, the leaders of Germany also decided to elevate their own flesh and blood by entrusting him with the Roman Empire. Albert was not permitted to assume this position unless the lords of Hungary acquiesced, and to them it seemed disadvantageous for their king to rule the Germans; they had therefore bound Albert by oath not to accept the empire without their approval. However, after being summoned to the king, who was then in Vienna, they were overcome by his pleas and granted their consent. 1 The Hungarian conditions are also mentioned in Pius Commentarii, cf. above, The Bishop of Novara and Piccolomini arrived in Vienna only some days before the 27th,2 but as trained observers and diplomatic agents they would have been able to quickly pick up any rumours or reports concerning Hungarian opposition to Albrecht becoming emperor.

In article 13 of the electoral capitulation of 18 December 1437, setting out the conditions for the election of Albrecht as King of Hungary, he had promised to normally reside in Hungary:

Item quod in isto loco, in quo sumus, nos cum ipsis manebimus et procedemus postea ad domos habitacionium nostrarum tam ante coronacionem quam post in Hungaria et ibi mansionem more aliorum regum faciemus et continuabimus. [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] And the envoy from Frankfurt reported that the Hungarians were not very positive ("wenig freundlich") concerning Albrecht's election as emperor. 4 The character and importance of any Hungarian opposition are not attested to elsewhere, but it seems unlikely that Piccolomini would have referred to it in the speech if it was a matter of pure invention on his part: that would indeed have been very undiplomatic, and it would also have made a curious and negative impression on the audience. At any rate, the Hungarian issue is not the main subject of the speech, but only concerns one of Piccolomini's arguments for Albrecht's acceptance of the imperial crown.

Thirdly, the combined forces of Albrecht's dominions and the Empire will strenghten them all against external enemies, and primarily against the Turks.

Fourthly, accepting the imperial crown will benefit Albrecht's own dynasty, not only in terms of prestige and dignity, but also in terms of bestowing vacant offices, duchies, counties and margravates on members of his own family, thereby making it richer and more powerful.

Indeed, the dynastic arguments may have been decisive in the process that led Albrecht to accept his election. 1 Fifthly, it is advantageous to Albrecht himself who should not spurn Fortune, but accept its gifts. Remarkably, Piccolomini refers directly to the personal pleasure of exercising power ("the management of great things").

Sixthly, it will help the Church to have an emperor who can reunite the divided Church, torn apart by the conflict between Pope Eugenius and the Council of Basel. As mentioned in the Commentarii, Piccolomini would at the time have preferred the emperor's help to the Church to consist in support of the Council of Basel against the pope, but it would have been impolitic to say so in view of the German movement towards formal neutrality between the two parties, and the fact that the Bishop of Novara's master, the Duke of Milan, was beginning to side with the pope.

Seventhly, if Albrecht does not accept his election, the Empire -like the Church -risks being torn apart between various other candidates for imperial power.

Date, place, audience and format

The oration/memorandum was delivered to Albrecht on 27 April, either in writing or being read directly, as Piccolomini states in his Commentarii.

The place was Vienna where Albrect resided in April 1438 for the purpose of deciding whether to accept the imperial election.

The audience, if the text was presented during a formal meeting, would have been the counsellors of Albrecht, and possibly also the ambassadors and envoys present in Vienna.

The text was a memorandum, formally written as a letter but in a style which made it possible to deliver it in the form of an oration. Lhotsky considered it as eine als Ansprache gedachte, aber vermutlich niemals deklamierte und bloss überreichte schöne lateinische Denkschrift. [START_REF]Albrecht's support against them by presenting them as a common enemy[END_REF] In 1 Hödl, p. 18 2 Lhotsky: Wiener,p. 134 his edition of Piccolomini's Pentalogus, Christoph Schingnitz refers to the text as eine Rede. 1 For the purpose of the present collection, it is classified as an oration.

Text 2

The oration was not included in the Collected Orations of Pius II, compiled in 1462 under his direct supervision. The reason may be that the text was not available at the time of compilation, or that because of its character it was considered inappropriate for the collection.

Manuscripts

 Melk / Stiftsbibliothek 751,1 (729, slim), ff. 101r-102v (M)  Sémur / Bibliothèque Publique 39 (40), ff. 134v-136v (S)
In his edition of the oration, see sect. 4.2 below, Pez used a manuscript from Gemnic. [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] According to the editor of Albrecht II's acts, Gustav Beckmann, Gemnic stands for Gaming. Beckmann wonders why Pez did not use the text in Melk / Cod. Ms. 729 which he knew since he reproduced two other texts from that manuscript in his Thesaurus, but in view of the many differences between the manuscript used by Pez and the Melk manuscript, Beckmann appears to conclude that the manuscript used by Pez' was not the one from Melk. 4

Editions

The text has been published in:

Text:

The present edition is based on the two manuscripts listed above and the edition by Pez, with the Melk manuscript as the lead text.

Though the two manuscripts were ably edited by Pez, they have -as a matter of principlebeen re-collated for the present edition.

Pagination:

The pagination is from the Melk manuscript (red) and the Semur manuscript (blue).

Sources 1

Due to the circumstances of delivery and presentation, the oration "Quid est" was not intended to be an exercise in grand and classical rhetorics, and there are only a very few rhetorical devices and classical references in the text. Indeed, only one quotation has been identified, from Plutarch on Socrates. Cicero refers to this saying in Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.37.108, where Piccolomini probably picked it up. He might also have known it from Burley (Socrates).

II. TEXT AND TRANSLATION

Epistola per dominum Bartholomaeum, episcopum Novarimissa domino Alberto Hungariae etc. regi et duci Austriae in Romanorum regem electo persuasiva, ut consentiat electioni 1 [1] {101r} {134v} Quid est, rex serenissime, quod imperium renuis 2 ? Quid est, optime princeps, quod tantum refugis honorem? Estne, quod vulgo dicitur, verum? Absit hic error. Neque enim utile, neque tibi 3 honorificum esset, falsum quoque 4 rumorem hunc 5 arbitror. Video 6 namque inifinitas paene causas, quae [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] te Romano 8 imperio praeficiant et 9 acceptare cogant [START_REF]Quod si feceris, pacem ecclesiae dabis, collapsum reparabis imperium, regna tua conservabis melius, Australi vero domui ac familiae tuae divitias et honores et tibi 7 perpetuam et gloriosissimam 8 acquires 9 famam 10 , quae 11 nec in humanis est 12 13 quidquam praeclarius, nec aliud ad sepulchrum justius 14 sequitur. Haec volui tuae majestati dixisse: cui licet ex officio non teneor, ex caritate tamen consulere obligor, quamquam neque hoc consilium est, sed recordatio quaedam notissimarum rerum 15 . Optime namque et ista discernit majestas tua 16 , {136v} cui det bonorum omnium largitor Deus amplecti 17 , quod in rem fuerit populi Christiani et ipsius aeterni Dei laudem. Vale per omnia, rex dignissime, et me servitore tuo utere pro arbitrio[END_REF] , quas 11 etsi tibi 12 existimo 13 notas 14 , earum 15 tamen 16 aliquas 17 in praesentiarum retulisse non poenitebit, ut 18 si 19 forte dubius sit animus, hoc momento impellatur. 20 Illudque 21 tibi persuade primum, non propter te {135r} offerri imperium tibi, sed propter rem Christianorum publicam. Neque enim imperium homini, sed homo imperio servit. Letter of Bartolomeo Visconti, Bishop of Novara, to Albrecht V, Duke of Austria, in which he exhorts the duke not to refuse the rule of the Roman Empire, but to accept it willingly 1. Introduction [1] Most serene king, why do you refuse the Empire? Why, oh best of princes, do you spurn this great honour? Is it really true what people say? May there be no such error: it would be neither to your advantage nor to your honour. I must believe this rumour to be false for I see almost countless reasons for you to become head of the Roman Empire, urging for your acceptance. Though I believe you know them all, I shall present some of them -so that if you are in doubt, they will point you in the right direction.

Above all, know that the Empire is not offered to you for your own sake, but for the sake of the Christian Commonwealth, and that it is not the Empire which serves the man, but the man who serves the Empire.

[2] Congregati ergo 1 domini electores, viri clarissimi, de salute imperii cogitantes, unum te in toto orbe viderunt, qui posses imperium sublevare, unaque sententia te 2 vocaverunt 3 . Quid igitur facias, vide, quia non tibi nec 4 Austriae natus es 5 , sed reipublicae, quae, ut est major, tanto nos astringit magis 6 . Certum est nos esse 7 obligatos solo, in quo nascimur, idque patriam patriam appellamus, pro qua multi clarissimi viri non dubitaverunt 8 se 9 morti 10 objicere, sicut 11 sicut 11 Thebis Meneheus 12 , Athenis Codrus 13 , Romae Curtius, et alii quamplures, quos hic praetereo. Certum est tamen, quia 14 plus orbi quam uni urbi sumus 15 obnoxii, ideoque 16 Socrates non Atheniensem 17 aut ex alia urbe oriundum, sed mundanum 18 se dicebat, ut qui sciebat omne ipsius 19 studium omnemque cogitatum pro salute omnium publica consumendum nec esse ullam provinciam, quam 20

Obligations towards the Empire 1

[2] Assembled to provide for the good of the Empire, the Worshipful Lord Electors considered you as the one man in the whole world who can restore it, and they have elected you unanimously. So, think carefully on what to do, for you were born not to Austria, but to the whole Commonwealth 2 which is greater than Austria and therefore requires more of us. Certainly we have an obligation towards the place where we are born and which we call our Fatherland, and many famous men did not hesitate to die for it, like Meneheus 3 in Thebes, Codrus 4 in Athens, Curtius 5 in Rome, and many others whom I shall not mention here. But, certainly, we have an even greater obligation towards the world than towards one particular city. Therefore Socrates 6 did not consider himself as a citizen of Athens or any other city, but as a citizen of the world, [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] and he knew that he had to spend all his thought and energy on the common good of all, and he preferred no single region to the whole world. 8 [cont.] 1 In this section, Piccolomini reuses some ideas concerning internationalism vs. local patriotism from his Oration "Audivi" [1], sect. 12, delivered a year and a half before, to the council fathers of Basel (November 1436), here substituting the empire for the council 2 "reipublicae" [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] Not identified 4 Codrus: Last of the semi-mythical Kings of Athens 5 Marcus Curtius: (Roman myth.) Sacrificed himself to the gods of Hades 6 Socrates (c. 469-399 BC): Greek philosopher 7 "mundanus": Socrates as quoted by Plutarch: On Exile, in Moralia: the saying of Socrates is still better, that he was no Athenian or a Greek, but a "cosmian" (as one might say Rhodian or Corinthian), because he did not shun himself up with Sunium or Taenarus and the Ceraunian mountains. Cicero refers to this saying in Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.37.108, where Piccolomini probably picked it up. Cf. also Burlaeus, Socrates 8 Also the idea of avoiding local patrotism was used in the "Audivi" [1]: So, Fathers, let us put aside the names of nations, let everyone free himself of local patriotism, and let us discuss instead what may serve this council and the Christian faith (Sect. 13) [2 cont.] Quod si pro patria et pro salute civium 1 vitam tenemur exponere, tanto 2 magis pro imperio et salute omnium. Tantique est salus cunctorum, ut ipsum Dei filium ex caelesti regno ad mortem traxerit. Pro hac 3 et apostoli et ceteri martyres 4 excarnificati obierunt 5 . Hoc 6 autem ideo dico [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] , ut intelligas, quantum imperio quisque teneatur, quod non solum unam civitatem aut provinciam, sed totum complectitur orbem, ac 8 errare illum minime dubitem [START_REF] Timeo | ne imperium quoque 1 renuntiatio tua dividat[END_REF] , qui non solum fortunas suas, sed 10 vitam pro imperio non 11 [2 cont.] So, if we are obliged to risk our life for our country and for the good of its citizens, how much more are we not obliged to risk it for the Empire and for the good of all?1 So important is the salvation of all that it even drew the Son of God from the Kingdom of Heaven to his death. The apostles and the other martyrs died, under torture, for Salvation. This I say so that you may understand how much each of us is bound to the Empire, comprising not only one city or region, but the whole world. I am sure that those who are not willing to give their property or even their life for the Empire are in error.

[3] Eapropter, si es ad imperium accersitus 1 , debes quidem omni re postposita ad ejus gubernationem te accingere. Neque retrahere te 2 Austria debet, aut Hungaria, aut Bohemia, non denique ipsa 3 corporis 4 et vitae tuae conservatio. His namque omnibus publica imperii cura est anteponenda, peccatque non mediocriter, qui ista pervertit. Efflagitat te imperium teque non solum poscit, sed obsecrat. {101v} Vides etiam, quam multipliciter sit laceratum 5 quanta indigeat reparatione. 6 At dicis forsitan 7 : "Sunt 8 alii, qui me utilius illud 9 regant." Id quidem non admitto, nam nemo 10 inter Christianos est, qui plus quam 11 te 12 agri possideat, qui potentior sit, qui magis diligatur, qui prudentius regat 13 . Quod 14 si alteri quam tibi committatur imperium, actum profecto de ipso judicaverim teque tanti mali causam 15 , qui, cum posses 16 sublevare, nolueris. Quod malum taceo, quam grande sit, quoniam deficiente imperio omnia incendio aestuarent 17 membris invicem sine capite disceptantibus. [3] Therefore, if you are called to the Empire, you should put everything else aside and prepare yourself for governing it. Neither Austria, Hungary, nor Bohemia, nor even the preservation of your own body and life should hinder you. For the public charge of the Empire is more important than all these, and whoever lets them be a hindrance commits a great sin. The Empire asks, nay you: you see how it is being scourged on all sides and how greatly it needs to be restored. Maybe you will say: "There are others who could govern the Empire better than me." I do not agree, for nobody among the Christians has more territory than you, is more powerful, is loved more, and rules more wisely. If the Empire is entrusted to another than you, I believe that it will be the end of it, and that you will be the cause of a great disaster since you could help it and did not want to. I cannot tell how disastrous this will be: if the Empire fails, there will be a general conflagration as its members, without a head, come into open conflict.

Albrecht's eminent qualifications

[4] His rationibus satis 1 liquet 2 regnum Hungariae nullo te pacto ab imperio posse 3 retrahere, retrahere, qui 4 plus capiti quam membro ulli tenearis. Sed cur 5 Hungari te impediant 6 ? An non non etiam eorum regno expediat {135v} te esse imperatorem? Vide quod [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF]

Advantages to the Hungarians

[4] For these reasons, it is quite evident that the Kingdom of Hungary may in no way hinder your assumption of the Empire, for the head should concern you more than any one member. But why should the Hungarians hinder you? Is it not an advantage to their Kingdom if you are also the emperor? Consider that they would be obstructing their own good, and that one should help even those who do not want to be helped if they do not know their own good. The Kingdom of Hungary is in conflict with both the Venetians and the Teucrians. 1 Each of these enemies is great, and Hungary does not have the force to resist them, but with the aid of the Empire it could defend itself very well: many who are adversaries of the king will not wish to be enemies of the emperor. Why have the Venetians taken it so badly that the King of Hungary has been elected emperor? It may confidently be argued that if the Venetians are upset, the Hungarians should rejoice, and that what is bad for the Venetians is good for the Hungarians. [START_REF]Albrecht's support against them by presenting them as a common enemy[END_REF] Indeed, as lawyers 3 claim: Opposites are two sides of the same issue. 4 The Venetians will undoubtedly change their behavior towards you as emperor. It follows that an emperor can defend the Hungarian Kingdom better than a king -and even extend it more boldly!

[5] Idem quoque de Teucris existimandum 1 est. Quis enim non velit hostem suum esse debiliorem? Et quis nesciat regem cum imperio fieri fortiorem, quando et imperium regno et regnum imperio sustentatur 2 : plus quoque 3 hoc nomen imperii, ubicumque sit imperator, regno proderit, quam si rex 4 in Hungaria praesens maneat 5 . Quamquam 6 imperatorem 7 quis prohibebit personaliter in Hungaria commorari, cum et illa non sit inepta 8 imperio sedes 9 ? Quod si nollent Hungari propter absentiam te fieri imperatorem, sic nec Bohemorum suscipere regnum oportebat, quoniam et propter regnum Bohemiae 10 saepe te necesse abire 11 erit. At sicut Hungariam [START_REF]Ambassadors' orations to Pope Pius II 6. Bibliography[END_REF] Bohemiae vires juvare possent 13 , sic regnum utrumque vires imperii. Et facta duorum regnorum cum imperio conjunctione 14 , incredibile est, quantum robur connectatur, ut manifestum sit, quod propter imperium nemo audeat haec duo regna invadere, et propter ipsa 15 regna nemo audeat imperium devastare 16 .

Advantages in relation to the Turks

[5] The same applies to the Teucrians. Who does not want his enemy to be weakened? And who does not know that a king becomes stronger if he also has the Empire? For the Empire supports the Kingdom, and the Kingdom the Empire. Regardless where the emperor resides, imperial status will benefit the Kingdom more than a [mere] king who stays all the time in Hungary. Actually, nobody would forbid the emperor to in Hungary which would be a quite suitable seat of the Empire. But if the Hungarians do not want you to become emperor because of your absences, then you should not accept the crown of Bohemia either, for you would often have to leave Hungary for affairs in Bohemia. But just like the strength of Bohemia can help Hungary, the strength of the Empire can help each kingdom. If the two kingdoms are joined with the Empire, their united force will be incredible. Clearly, because of the Empire nobody would dare to attack the two kingdoms, and because of the two kingdoms nobody would dare to attack the Empire.

[6] Videsne, quanta utilitas ex hoc resultat? Quid hic dicas 1 ? Cur non 2 tam Hungari quam omnes alii [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] suscipere imperium 4 suadent etc. 5 At tuos nepotes audi, necessarios tuos 6 ausculta. Hos tu 7 imperio magnos {102r} facere et sublimare potes. Quot ducatus, quot comitatus marchionatusque ad imperium devolventur? His ditare tuos poteris Australemque domum perpetuis ampliare honoribus. Quid si tibi virilis nascatur soboles, numquid 8 plura cum imperio his relinquas 9 ? Det tibi maximus atque 10 optimus Deus ex consorte tua praestantissima filium; det, sicut spero 11 12 alios liberos. An ipsi adulti justam querimoniam 13 habeant, quod imperare nolueris regnumque hoc Romanorum quasi 14 haereditarium in familia tua collocare 15 ? Licet enim electione detur, nil tamen prohibet in una domo Caesari succedere Caesarem, et post patrem eligi 16 filium. Nec dubita plurimum tibi ad hanc dignitatem soceri tui 17 nomen valuisse, cui cum duplici regno successeris, ne fugias imperio quoque substitui.

Advantages to Albrecht's family

[6] Do you not see how great is the advantage accruing from this? What will you say now? Why do not just the Hungarians, but everybody else urge you to accept the Empire? Listen to your own descendants, heed your relatives. Them you can make great and raise up through the Empire. Many duchies, counties, and margravates will revert to the Empire which you may use to increase the riches and honours of your family and the House of Austria. What if you have sons: do you not want to leave them more, with the Empire? May the Great and Good God 1 grant you a son from your noble spouse 2 ; and may he give you other children, too, as I hope. When they grow up, will they not have just cause for complaint if you now refuse to rule and to make the Kingdom of the Romans almost hereditary in your lineage? Though it is bestowed through election, nothing forbids that an emperor succeed an emperor of the same House and that a son be elected after a father. [START_REF]Or the Schoolmen (scholastics)[END_REF] Do not doubt that the name of your own father-in-law 4 was very important for you as regards this office, and that since you succeeed to his double kingdom, 5 you should not refuse to succeed him in the Empire. 1 Piccolomini here applies the epithets of the pagan Roman chief God, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, to the Christian God 2 Elizabeth of Luxembourg (1409-1442): Daughter of Emperor Sigismund. Married to (elected) Holy Roman Emperor, Albert II. They had two daughters. When Albert died in 1439, Elizabeth was pregnant with a boy, the future Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary and Bohemia, Ladislaus 3 This is exactly what happened: the Holy Roman Emperors after Albrecht were from the House of Habsburg 4 Sigismund of Luxemburg (1368-1437): King of Hungary and Croatia from 1387, King of Bohemia from 1419, and crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1433 5 Hungary and Bohemia [7] Unum quoque 1 , oro: considera et apertis attende auribus. Magna est fortuna tua, quae tam parvo tempore ex duce te regem 2 fecit regnumque regno adjecit. Nunc quoque imperium tibi offert, {136r} quod etsi tuae exigant virtutes, vide tamen, ne fortunam contemnas. Indignabunda est, honorari vult. Quod si quis eam semel expulerit, numquam 3 ab ea visitatur. Si benigne recipitur, illuc 4 larga manu beneficia confert. Suscipe, quod tibi non a fortuna solum, sed ab ipso Deo et ab hominibus offertur. Quod si repudies 5 , ad ignaviam tibi atque pusillanimitatem ascribetur: "Laborem 6 ," inquient 7 , "hic homo declinat 8 , quem pro republica republica libentissime debuit suscepisse." Quamquam nec 9 labor est alta tractare negotia, habet enim 10 nescio quid lenimenti 11 ipsa rerum actio magnarum. Quod nisi esset, numquam maximorum duces exercituum tot sufferre labores [START_REF]Ambassadors' orations to Pope Pius II 6. Bibliography[END_REF] [7] And this one thing I ask you to hear with open ears. 1 Great is your luck which in a very short time has made you king from duke and then added one kingdom to the other. Now Fortune offers you the Empire, too. Of course, your own qualities merit it fully, but, still, do not scorn Lady Fortune for she is easily angered and wants to be honoured. If you reject her once, she will never come back. But if you receive her gladly, she will pour benefits over you with generous hands. So, accept what not only your good Fortune, but God himself and men offer to you. It you refuse it, people will think that it is because of cowardice and pusillanimity. They will say that here is a man who does not want to do anything that takes an effort and who refuses what he should gladly accept for the sake of the common good. However, it is not really a burden to deal with high matters, for the management of great thing actually gives some kind of pleasure. If it was not so, generals of great armies would never take on such charges. Beautiful and sweet it is to deal with and manage great affairs,2 and being occupied with them makes the body healthy and fit.

Advantages to Albrecht himself

So, what do you say now, and how will you judge yourself if you refuse the Empire? That is what the Venetians and also the King of Poland would want you to do, believing that thus they would have a timid and weak enemy.

[8] Sunt tamen alia longe graviora, et quibus nulla ratione valeas respondere. Etenim si qua 1 te religionis cura remordet, si conscientiae 2 tangeris 3 stimulo, imperium ut 4 accipias oportet. Videsne quantum schismatis periculum imminet? Videsne laceratam ecclesiam, concilium cum papa et papam cum concilio dissentire? Quis 5 his 6 provideat, nisi tu imperes? Rex profecto {102v} non tantum posses [START_REF]Sigla and abbreviations M = Melk / Stiftsbibliothek / Cod[END_REF] . Sperabit papa alium sibi propitium, si tu repudies 8 , idemque concilium, eritque undique 9 major disceptatio. Nunc expectatio est utrimque 10 , quid agas. Et certe, si volueris, unionem efficies, quae non tibi minorem 11 gloriam paritura est [START_REF]Ambassadors' orations to Pope Pius II 6. Bibliography[END_REF] quam socero tuo 13 Constantia praestiterit 14 . At si omnino imperare repudies 15 , nihil 16 dubito 17 durissimum schisma futurum. Cui rei nisi cupis 18 occurrere, haud leviter peccas. Causa divisionis ecclesiae reputaberis, qui, cum possis 19 unire 20 illam, praetermiseris 21 .

Advantages to the Church

[8] However, there are far more important issues about which you would have no answer. For if you care about religion and feel any pangs of conscience, you must accept the Empire. Do you not see how great is the danger of a schism? Do you not see how the Church is being torn apart, the Council disagreeing with the pope and the pope with the Council? Who may deal with this if you do not rule the Empire? Indeed, as a mere king you would not be able to achieve nearly as much in this matter. If you refuse the Empire, the pope will hope for another emperor more favourable to him, and the Council will do the same. Everywhere there will be great conflicts. Now, both sides are waiting to see what you will do. And, certainly, if you want to, you may reunite the Church, something that would bring you as much glory as it did to your father-in-law in Konstanz. 1 But if you refuse to govern the Empire, I do not doubt that the the schism will be of the utmost severity. If that is what you want, you commit a grievous sin, and you will be considered as the cause of the division in the Church since you did not want to unite Her when you could. [10] In doing so you will bring peace to the Church, you restore the collapsed Empire, you will be able better to preserve your kingdoms, you will obtain riches and honours for the House of Austria and for your lineage, and you yourself will acquire everlasting and glorious fame: nothing is more important for men, and nothing follows us to the grave more justly.

Conclusion

This is what I wanted to say to Your Majesty. Though I am not bound to speak by office, charity bids me to give advice, not as some kind of formal counsel, but simply as a reminder of facts well-known to Your Majesty. May God, the Giver of all Good Things, grant that you accept what would be to the advantage of the Christian people and to the praise of Eternal God.

Live well in all things, most worthy King, and freely use me as your servant, if you wish: I shall not hesitate to undertake both labours and cares for your sake.

  Thesaurus Anecdotorum Novissimus. Tom. VI. Augusta Vindebonorum, 1729, Pars III, sect. 108, pp. 232-234 (PE) [On the basis of a ms. in Gaming, apparently lost]

	 Fejer, György: Codex diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis. Tom. XI. Buda,
	1844. pp. 48-54
	[On the basis of Pez]
	 Deutsche Reichstagsakten unter König Albrecht II: 1438. Stuttgart, 1925. (Deutsche
	Reichstagsakten. Ältere Reihe; 13), pp. 99-102
	4.3 . Present edition

1

Piccolomini: Pentalogus (Schingnitz), p. 7: Er

[Piccolomini]

verfasste im Jahr 1438 eine Rede für den Bischof von Novara, Bartolomeo Visconti, die dieser als Gesandter des mailändischen Herzogs Albrecht II in Wien überreichte um ihn zur Annahme der Königswahl zu bewegen 2 For the textual transmission of Pius II's, see Collected Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II, vol. 1, ch. 5 3 See note in Pez: Ex cod. Gemnic 4 RTA, p. 99  Pez, Bernhard: For principles of edition (incl. orthography) and translation, see Collected Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II, vol. 1, ch. 9-10.

1

  Epistola … suscipiat : Oratio sive epistola habita per serenissimum dominum dominum B. de Vicecomitibus, dei gratia episcopum Novariensem, ad ducem Albertum Austrie et Ungarie Bohemieque regem in imperatorem electum per mortem domini Sigismundi unanimiter et concorditer per omnes dominos electores in Francfordia anno domini MCCCCmo XXXVIIImo de mense aprilis die XXVIIma renuentem acceptare, sed hac oratione motus acceptavit S; Bartholomaei de Vicecomitibus, episcopi Novariensis, epistola ad Albertum V., Austriae ducem, quem hortatur, ut oblatum Romani imperii regimen ne renuat, sed alacriter suscipiat PE

	2 respuis S 3 id S 4 falsum quoque : falsumque ego S 5 rumorem hunc : hunc rumorem S 6 vide S 7 quos M 8 Christiano PE 9 illud add. PE 10 cogunt S 11 omnes PE 12 omit. S 13 extimo S 14 notos M 15 eorum M 16 omit. S 17 aliquos M 18 et M, PE 19 omit. S 20 ut si … compellatur : etsi forte dubius sit amicus, cujus monitu compellor PE 21 illud PE

  toti orbi praeferret 21 . [cont.]

	1 igitur S 2 omit. M, PE 3 vocarunt S 4 neque S, PE 5 omit. M, PE 6 astringit magit : magis astringit S 7 omit. M, PE 8 dubitarunt S 9 sese S 10 tradere et add. PE 11 sic S 12 Meneocheris M; Meneocris S 13 Cedrus S 14 quod PE 15 simus PE 16 ideo S 17 Athenis S 18 mondanum S 19 ejus S 20 quod S 21 preficeret S

  exponit.

	1 omnium S 2 quanto S, PE 3 pro hac : probant S 4 qui add. S 5 obiverunt S 6 haec PE 7 omit. S 8 ut S, PE 9 dubitet S 10 et add. PE 11 omit. M

  saluti propriae resistunt. Et consulendum est etiam nolentibus, quando, quod bonum est, nesciunt 8 . Habet illud regnum et cum Venetis et 9 cum Teucris litem. Magnus uterque hostis est, neque potens est Hungaria his resistere, sed adjuvante 10 imperio 11 optime se defendet. Multi enim 12 regi 13 adversabuntur, qui 14 non inimicabuntur imperatori 15 . Quid est enim, quod Veneti doluerunt Hungariae regem imperatorem factum? Certe ex hoc licet arguere, quod, cum Veneti doleant 16 , Hungari debeant gaudere 17 : et quod illis est damno, his 18 utilitati esse debet. Siquidem, ut jurisconsulti volunt, contrariorum eadem est disciplina. Nec dubitet aliquis alia nunc Venetos imperatori oblaturos 19 quam antea. Unde et facilius tueri regnum imperator quam rex poterit et ampliare audacius.

	1 sat S 2 liquebat M, S 3 ab imperio posse : posse ab imperio S 4 quod S, PE 5 sedne S 6 impedient S 7 quia PE 8 et consulendum … nesciunt omit. S 9 omit. S 10 juvante S 11 imperatore PE 12 etiam PE 13 omit. S 14 tamen add. S 15 non inimicabuntur imperatori : imperatori non inimicabuntur S 16 dolent M 17 debeant gaudere : debent gaudere M; gaudere debeant S 18 illis M 19 alia nunc … oblaturos: nunc Venetos imperatori minus oblatraturos S

  quaererent13 . Est namque per se pulchrum atque suave sentire ac 14 disponere omnia, eaque cogitatio 15 corpus reddit 16 sanius et habilius. Quid igitur hic respondeas, aut 17 quale judicium de te 18 feras, imperium fugiens? Hoc est 19 , quod Veneti 20 et 21 rex Poloniae cuperent, quod pusillaninem hostem et debiliorem dicerent se habere

	1 unum quoque : unumque S 2 te regem : te regem PE 3 amplius add. S 4 illac PE 5 repudias S 6 non quaerit add. PE 7 dicent PE 8 declinet S 9 enim PE 10 tamen PE 11 benemeriti S 12 sufferre labores : labores sufferre PE 13 quirent M, S 14 atque S 15 agitatio S 16 reddat M 17 ut S 18 judicium de te : de te judicium S 19 omit. M, PE 20 quodque Teucri add. S 21 ipse add. S, PE

81 orations, if the "Cum animadverto" is counted is a Piccolomini-oration, see oration "Quam laetus"[18], Appendix

Lhotsky: Aeneas, p. 8. See alsoLhotsky: Wiener, p. 135, n. 355, where Lhotsky also defended Piccolomini against Voigt's criticism, stating that the arguments in the "Quid est" (incl. those concerning Hungary) were aus dem Gesichtswinkel der Lage vom Frühjahr 1439 richtig gedacht

Some months later, a Milanese ambassador again appeared before King Albrecht, this time to formally congratulate him on behalf of the Visconti Duke of Milan. At this occasion a formal oration was delivered about which Paulhart wrote: Die Rede im April [the Quid est] geht auf Enea Silvio Piccolomini zurück, der sich damals in der Begleitung des Bischofs von Novara befand. Von seiner Mitwirkung bei der Abfassung der zweiten Rede ist nichts zu merken. Wohl unterscheidet sie sich merklich von den früher üblichen schwülstigen und überladenen Machwerken dieser Art, doch fehlt die feine Feder eines Stilisten wie des Aeneas fühlbar(Paulhart, p. 290)

A History of Hungary, p. 61

Albrecht's predecessor and father-in-law, Sigismund, had been both emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia

Piccolomini: De Europa (Brown), p. 55

It must have been shortly before 27 April since Piccolomini was present in Basel on 4 April when he delivered the sermon "Si quis me roget"[START_REF]Albrecht's support against them by presenting them as a common enemy[END_REF] to the council fathers

RTA, 13, p. 24

RTA, 13, p. 24

For an analysis of Piccolomini's use of sources, see Collected Orations of Enea Silvio Piccolomini / Pope Pius II, ch. 8

Piccolomini also used this concept in the oration "Audivi"[1], applying it to the Council rather than to the Empire: If you have an obligation to give your life for your country, you have an even greater obligation to give it for the Council (sect. 4)

The terms for hearing and listening in the text indicate that it was written as an oration

"omnia"

Under the leadership of Emperor Sigismund, the Council of Constance ended the Great Western Schism, with three popes reigning at the same time

Abbreviations CO = Pius II: Commentarii rerum memorabilium quae suis temporibus contigerunt [1464] HA = Eneas Silvius Piccolomini: Historia Austrialis.