Decree of King Sigismund I regulating the submission of municipal accounts by the Lviv councilors

Sigismund, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Lord and Heir of all Prussia, etc. We make known by the tenor of these presents to all whom it may concern. Whereas the commonalty of our city of Lviv has previously complained to us that its councilors refused to render an account of municipal revenues and the purposes for which they are spent, we had decided that the councilors themselves—if the commonalty ever wishes to learn about those municipal revenues and the manner of their distribution—should render this account before certain [representatives] of the commonalty and guilds chosen by them. However, since it could raise doubts as to which persons and in what number should be appointed for such an account, so that an unorganized multitude, which usually breeds confusion, does not cause some greater difficulty, schism, and unrest in the city under the pretext of this account, we have deemed it appropriate to clarify and define our present decree, and by the power of these presents, we define and clarify that the incumbent councilors should annually, before the election of new councilors, render [?] that account before the former councilors and four assessors, whom they shall choose from among themselves, and six men from the commonalty chosen by them, and whatever shall result from it—as they shall determine—both the said incumbent councilors and the remaining former ones and those chosen from the commonalty are bound by the oath of fidelity and obedience, by which they are bound to us and our successors, to keep it secret among themselves and under no circumstances to divulge it. In witness whereof, our seal has been appended to this letter. Given in Piotrków at the General Diet, on the nearest Friday after the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and twenty-six, the twentieth [year] of our reign. [On the left margin:] Report before former councilors and 4 assessors and 6 men from the city of the adjudicating lords [?] [Autograph:] Piotr, Bishop and Vice-Chancellor, signed. [Chancery signature:] By the report of the Most Reverend Father in Christ, Lord Piotr, Bishop of Kraków and Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland. [Seal:] [Lesser royal seal / signet of Sigismund I in a wax bowl on a parchment strip: four-field shield with the Eagle and the Vytis, topped with a crown, with an inscription in the rim] [Verso:] [Archival note:] Third rubric, letter C, number 26. [Chancery note / regest:] Clarification of the document, [that] incumbent councilors render an account before former ones, 4 assessors, and 6 men from the commonalty, who are to keep it secret and dare not tell anyone... On rendering an account to the commonalty 1526 [Oval ink stamp:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LVIV Nro Fasc. 398. Nro 18. N. 442.

Sigismundus Dei gratia Rex Polonie, magnus dux Lithuanie, Russie, totiusq[ue] Prussie etc. dominus et heres. Significamus tenore presentium quibus expedit universis. Q[uo]d cum questa esset iam pridem coram nobis communitas Civitatis nostre Leopolien[sis], q[uo]d eius Consules, racionem de proventibus civilibus, ad quos usus expendantur illi facere recusarent. Decreveramus, ut ipsi Consules, si quando communitas, de eisdem proventibus civilibus, et qualiter dispensentur scire voluerit, debeant ipsam racionem coram nonnullis ex communitate et contuberniis delectis ab ea facere. Quia vero in dubium verti posset, que persone, et sub quo numero ad huiusmodi racionem deligi deberent, ne pluralitas inordinata, que confusionem plerumq[ue] facere solet, aliquam difficultatem maiorem, et dissensionem, motumq[ue] civilem, pretextu ipsius racionis induceret. Ita huiusmodi decretum nostrum declarandum et limitandum duximus, et tenore presentium limitamus et declaramus, q[uo]d Consules residentes, coram antiquis Consulibus, et quatuor scabinis, quos, ipsimet inter se elegerint, et sex viris de communitate per illam electis, ipsam racionem singulis annis ante electionem novor[um] Consulumperagerent [? / Consulumpersolvant / Consulum facere debeant], et quicquid ex illa resultare compererint, id tam dicti Consules residentes, q[uam] alij antiqui et ex communitate delecti, apud se secreto habere, et nequaqu[am] propalare, sub juramento fidei et obedientie, quo nobis et nostris successoribus sunt astricti teneantur. Harum quibus sigillum nostrum est appensum testimonio literarum. Dat[um] Piotrkouie in Conventione generali feria sexta proxima post festu[m] Conversionis sancti Pauli Apostoli. Anno domini Millesimo quingentesimo vigesimo sexto. Regni nostri vigesimo. [In margine sinistro:] Relacio coram Consulibus antiquis et 4 scabinis ac 6 viris de Civitate d[omi]ni Decern[e]nt[ibus] [?] [Ad manum:] Petrus Ep[iscop]us et Vicecancell[arius] ss. [Subscriptio cancellariae:] Ad Relac[i]o[n]em R[everen]diss[i]mi in Chr[ist]o p[at]ris domini Petri Episcopi Cracovien[sis] et Regni Polonie Vicecancellarij. [Pieczęć:] [Pieczęć koronna mniejsza / sygnetowa Zygmunta I w misce woskowej na pasku pergaminowym: tarcza czteropolowa z Orłem i Pogonią, zwieńczona koroną, w otoku napis] [Verso:] [Nota archiwalna:] Rubrica tertia Litt. C. Nro 26. [Nota kancelaryjna / regest:] Declaratio literarum [quod] Consules residentes coram Antiquis, 4 scabinis et 6 viris de Communitate Rationem faciant, qui in secreto versemtur et nemini dicere audebant... De facienda ratione Communitati 1526 [Pieczęć tuszowa owalna:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA Nro Fasc. 398. Nro 18. N. 442.