Mandate of King Sigismund I the Old prohibiting the circumvention of the staple right and customs duties in Lwów

Sigismund, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, of all Prussia, Masovia, etc., lord and heir. We make known by the tenor of this [letter] to all whom it may concern. Since our councilors and citizens of Lwów have frequently complained to us that the starosta and citizens of Kamieniec, as well as certain other starostas and nobles, often allow merchants from Turkey and Wallachia to pass into Lithuania and to Muscovy, and again other Muscovite and Lithuanian merchants to proceed with their goods and merchandise to Wallachia and to Turkey, to the detriment of our customs duties and the Lwów staple. We have [previously] ordered the aforementioned starosta of Kamieniec and generally all officials to arrest those who bypass our customs duties and the Lwów staple, and upon their arrest, to provide necessary and convenient assistance to the Lwów citizens or their factors. However, since such orders of ours have so far had no effect, which we did not wish to revoke or mitigate even at the request of the envoys of the land of Podolia at the last general sejm in Piotrków, considering the great damage to our customs duties and the Lwów staple and the danger to the kingdom and our possessions resulting from this free permission granted to those merchants. Therefore, by the advice and consent of our counselors gathered at the present general sejm, we have deemed it necessary to prohibit and close to the aforementioned merchants from Turkey and Wallachia that passage to Lithuania, and from Lithuania and Muscovy to Wallachia and to Turkey through the city of Kamieniec and other unusual roads or places, and by this letter we prohibit and close it, desiring in every way that this closure and prohibition of ours be more diligently observed and guarded from now on. Therefore, we most strictly command all and individual starostas and mayors of cities and towns in the lands of Ruthenia and Podolia wherever they may be, and other subjects of ours summoned by the power of this letter, and especially the present and currently serving starosta of Kamieniec, that you observe this regulation, decree, and order of ours most strictly and inviolably, and that you in no way allow or permit the aforementioned merchants with their goods and merchandise, bypassing public and ordinary roads and routes to the detriment of our customs duties and the Lwów staple, to pass and return through byways and unusual circuitous roads, but rather arrest them, and also provide convenient assistance for their imprisonment to the Lwów citizens themselves or their factors, when you or any of you are called upon by them, and ensure that it is provided, by the duty of your office and our grace, doing nothing otherwise. In witness of this letter, to which our seal has been affixed. Given in Kraków on the Thursday next before Palm Sunday in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and twenty-seven, and in the twenty-first year of our reign. [Chancery note on the left:] Peter, bishop and vice-chancellor, signed [Chancery note on the right:] Relation of the most reverend father in Christ, Lord Peter, Bishop of Kraków and Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland [Seal:] [Signet/smaller royal seal of Sigismund I impressed in red wax through slits in the parchment, cracked] [Ink stamp in the lower left corner recto:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Verso:] [18th-century archival rubric in red ink:] Rubryka druga / Lit. B. Nr 30. [In pencil:] 2. B. 30. [Regesta from the 16th–17th c.:] 1527 / Order of Sigismund I regarding not bypassing the Lwów staple and customs duty through Kamieniec and other side roads. / D. / Nr 10. With fascicle 2/3 Chest [...] [Ink stamp:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA

Sigismundus dei gratia Rex Polonie Magnus dux Lithvanie Russie tocius Prussie Masovie etc[etera] dominus et heres Significamus tenore presentium quibus expedit vniuersis. Quia cum questi essent nobis sepius Consules et ciues nostri Leopolien[ses], quod Capitaneus et Ciues Camenecen[ses], et nonnulli alij capitanei et Nobiles permitterent crebro, Mercatores ex Thurcia et Valachia transire in Lithuaniam et Moskoviam, ac rursus alios mercatores Moskos et Lithuanos proficisci cum rebus et mercibus eorum, in Valachiam et Turciam, in detrimentum theloneor[um] nostrorum ac depositi Leopolien[sis]. Mandaveramus capitaneo predicto Camenecen[si], et generaliter vniuersis officialibus, vt tales, Thelonea nostra et depositum Leopolien[se] pretereuntes arretarent, et in illis arestandis ciuibus Leopolien[sibus] vel eorum factoribus, auxilia nece[ssa]ria et opportuna preberent. Quia tamen, huiusmodi mandata nostra, nullum hactenus sunt sortita effectum, que nos neq[ue] ad supplicationem Nuntiorum terre Podolie, in conuentu generali Piotrkowien[si] proxime preterito reuocare seu relaxare voluimus, magnum incomodum theloneorum nostrorum et depositi Leopolien[sis] et discrimen regni et dominiorum nostrorum ex hac libera permissione dictorum mercatorum perpenden[tes]. Jdeo de consilio et assensu Consiliariorum nostrorum in presenti Conuentu generali congregatorum, transitum ipsum predictis mercatoribus de Turcia et Valachia, in Lithuaniam, ac de Lithuania et Moskowia, in Valachiam et Turciam, per ciuitatem Camenecen[sem] et alias vias seu loca insolita prohibendum et occludendum duximus ac presentibus literis prohibemus et occludimus, Volentes omnino eandem occlusionem et prohibitionem nostram diligentius deinceps obseruari et custodiri, Quocirca Vniuersis et singulis Capitaneis, ac ciuitatum et oppidorum Proconsulibus in terris Russie et Podolie vbilibet existentibus ceterisq[ue] subditis nostris, vigore presentiu[m] requirend[is], presertim vero Capitaneo Camenecen[si] moderno et pro tempore existenti Strictissime Mandamus, vt hanc ordinationem Decretum et mandatum nostrum firmissime et inuiolabiliter obseruetis, prefatosq[ue] Mercatores cum eorum rebus et mercibus vias et itinera publica et consueta pretereuntes in detrimentum Theloneorum nostrorum, et depositi Leopolien[sis] per diverticula et vias obliquas insolitas transire et redire nequaquam permittatis, nec permitti faciatis, Verum illos arestetis, ac etiam ad eos arestandos ciuibus ipsis Leopolien[si]bus seu eorum factoribus cum per illos requisiti fueritis aut aliquis vestrum fuerit requisitus, auxilia opportuna prebeatis, et preberi faciatis pro debito officy vestri et nostra gratia aliter non factur[i]. Harum testimonio literarum quibus sigillum nostrum est impressum. Dat[um] Cracovie feria quinta proxima ante dominicam palmarum Anno domini Millesimo quingentesimo vigesimo septimo, Regni vero nostri Anno vigesimo Primo. [Nota kancelaryjna po lewej:] Petrus Ep[iscop]us et Vicecancell[arius] ss[ubscripsit] [Nota kancelaryjna po prawej:] R[elati]o Reveren[dissi]m[i] in Ch[rist]o patris domini Petri Episcopi Cracovien[sis] et R[egni] Polo[niae] Vicecancel[larii] [Pieczęć:] [Odciśnięta pod nacięciami w pergaminie pieczęć sygnetowa/mniejsza królewska Zygmunta I w czerwonym wosku, spękana] [Pieczątka tuszowa w lewym dolnym rogu recto:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Verso:] [XVIII-wieczna rubryka archiwalna czerwonym atramentem:] Rubrica Secunda / Litt. B. Nro 30. [Ołówkiem:] 2. B. 30. [Regesty z XVI–XVII w.:] 1527 / Mand[atum] Sigism[undi] I. De no[n] pertranseundo Deposito et Teloneo Leopolien[si] per Camenecz aliasq[ue] devias. / D. / N[ro] 10. Cu[m] Fasc[iculo] 2/3 Arca [...] [Pieczątka tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA