Grant of lifetime use of a house to Canon Mikołaj Poniatowski by the Lviv Metropolitan Chapter

WE, Bernard Gołaczek, custodian, [...]eska, Master Andrzej Bergier, Stanisław Wojenda, Professor of Sacred Theology, Vicar in Spirituals and Official General, Adam Myszkowski, Provost, Master Sebastian of Lviv, and Marcin of Kurów, Doctor of Decrees, canons, and the entire chapter of the holy Metropolitan Church of Lviv. We make known by the power of this [letter] to all and each individually, to whom it may concern, present and future, who shall receive knowledge of this [document], that having regard for the benefits by which the venerable Lord Mikołaj Poniatowski, Canon of Lviv, etc., our dearest brother, has diligently and usefully sought to deserve in a certain matter and for our chapter benefit, and [that] he managed to erect with brick, at great and significant personal expense, our house located at the rear of our common Lviv chapter buildings, on the street called Szkolna, situated between the house of the once famous Wawrzyniec Mleczka and [the house?] of the habrkonam [?] brewers, citizens of Lviv, and to construct therein highly impressive vaults as well as to bring to completion the entire structure and building of the said house. Desiring to preserve the memory of this benefit, so that this toil and labor of his, contributed for the benefit of our chapter estate, may not fade from the memory of us and our successors, and that the reward of our gratitude may be perpetually maintained by us and our future successors, the canons of Lviv, towards him, we have given and granted him the possession and use of our said house, erected by him – as stated above – solely for the duration of his life, and we shall not disturb him under any contrived pretext in the use and peaceful possession of the same house, whether by renting it to others or by using it himself. Moreover, we have promised and do promise to protect and defend him against any claims that might accidentally arise by reason of the aforementioned house, for as long as he shall enjoy the breath of life; upon whose passing or death, the possession of the above-mentioned house shall return and fall by full right to us and our successors. In eternal memory of this fact, we all and our successors, the canons, do hereby bind ourselves, for the salvation of the soul of the same venerable Lord Mikołaj Poniatowski, Canon, when by the will of the Lord God he shall depart from this world, to celebrate by ourselves every returning year, on the day on which his death shall fall, in the Metropolitan Church of Lviv, an anniversary, that is, the vigil of nine readings for the dead, and on the day immediately following, the singing of a mass, that is, a Requiem. And furthermore, each of our brother canons, present and those in office at the time, personally or through any other subordinate priest, shall be obliged and compelled every year in future times, in the same week in which the anniversary is sung, to specially celebrate and fulfill a mass, that is, a Requiem, for his soul. In witness whereof, our chapter seal has been appended to this document. Given in Lviv, on Monday the day after Reminiscere Sunday, at the general chapter then being held, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and thirty-eight. [Verso:] [Chancery note:] Confirmation of canonical houses concerning the house located at the rear, for the lifetime of Lord Mikołaj Poniatowski, etc. [Chancery note:] Obligation of the chapter to celebrate one mass for the soul of Mikołaj Poniatowski [...] [Signature:] C.C. [Seal: round seal of the Lviv Metropolitan Chapter in red wax in a dark wax bowl, depicting the BVM with the Child in a radiant mandorla, suspended on a yellow silk cord].

NOS Bernardus Golaczek Custos, [...]eska, Magister Andreas Bergier, Stanislaus Woyenda sacre Theologie Professor, vicarius in sp[irit]ualibus et officialis generalis, Adam Mmysskowski prepositus, Magister Sebastianus de Leopoli et Martinus de Curow Decretorum doctor, Canonici, totumq[ue] Capitulus [!] sacre Ecclesie Metropolitane Leopolien[sis]. Significamus tenore presentium, Vniuersis et singulis, quibus expedit, presentibus ac etiam futuris, presentium noticia[m] habituris, Quia habenti in prospectu benefacta, quibus Venerabilis dominus Nicolaus Poniathowski Canonicus Leopol[iensis] etc. Confrater noster charissimus, de negocio certo et comodo nostro Capitulari, diligenter et vtiliter mereri mereri studuit, Domumq[ue] nostram, in postico edium nostrarum comunium Capitularium Leopol[iensium] sittam et in platea scholastica nuncupata, inter domum famati olim Laurentij mleczko, et Braseatorum habrkonam, Civium Leopolien[sium] locatam, multis magnisq[ue] impensis suis propriis, muro erigere, testitudinesq[ue] in eadem satis egregias conficere, ac omnem structuram et fabricam eiusdem domus in effectu deducere, curavit. Cuius nos beneficij memores esse volen[tes], ne hoc ipsius studium et opera, in comodum rei Capitularis nostre collata, e memoria n[ost]ra, et successorum n[ost]rorum intercidat, et recompensa gratitudinis n[ost]re, per nos et successores n[ost]ros futuros Canonicos Leopolien[ses], perpetuo in eum deinceps servetur, sibi possessionem et vsufructu[m] eiusdem domus n[ost]re, per eum vt prefertur, constructe, ad tempora vite sue duntaxat dedimus et contulimus, eumq[ue] in ipsius domus vsu et pacifica possessione, siue aliis ea locando, siue per semetipsum vtendo, nullo colore exquisito inquietabimus. Immo enim tueri et deffendere ab omni impetic[i]one si quam forte occasione predicte domus habuerit, spopondimus et pollicemur, tamdiu quoad vitali fruetur aura, Post cuius decessum seu mortem prenotate domus possessio ad nos et successores nostros pleno iure devolvetur et succedet. In cuius facti perpetuam memoriam, Nos omnes et successores nostros Canonicos in unum obligamus per presentes, in remedium salutis anime eiusdem Venerabilis d[omini] Nicolai Poniatthowski Canonici, postq[uam] Domino Deo volen[te], ex hac luce decesserit, Anniuersarium, singulis annis recurrentibus, Die quo ipsum decedere contigerit, in Ecclesia Metropolitona Leopolien[si] pernosmetipsos facere hoc est, vigilias nouem Lectionu[m] pro deffunctis, in crastino vero mediate sequen[ti] missam seu Requiem decantare. Et insuper vnusquisq[ue] fratrum nostrorum Canonicorum, presentium et pro tempore existentium per se, vel alium quemvis subordinatum presbiterum, sitz singulis annis futuris temporibus in eadem septimana, qua anniuersarius decantabitur Missam als Requiem pro eiusdem anima specialiter legere et adimplere tenebitur et erit astrictus. In cuius rei testimonium sigillum nostrum Capitulare presentibus est subappensum. Dat[um] Leopoli feria Secunda in crastino Dominice Reminiscere in Capitulo generali protunc celebrato. Anno Domini Millesimo quingentesimo trigesimo Octavo. [Verso:] [Nota kancelaryjna:] Confirmatio domorum Canonicorum super domum in postico sit[am] ad tempora vite domini Nicolai Poniatthowsky etc. [Nota kancelaryjna:] Obligatio Capituli ad unam Missam celebrandam p[ro] Anima Nicolai Poniatowski [...] [Sygnatura:] C.C. [Pieczęć: okrągła pieczęć kapituły metropolitalnej lwowskiej z czerwonego wosku w misce z ciemnego wosku, przedstawiająca NMP z Dzieciątkiem w promienistej mandorli, zawieszona na żółtym jedwabnym sznurze].