Confirmation by King Sigismund I the Old of the exemption of Lviv burghers and merchants from customs duties in Kolomyia

SIGISMUND, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, etc., lord and heir. We announce by the tenor of this [document] to all whom it may concern, present and future, who shall receive knowledge of this: Whereas the well-born Mikołaj Sieniawski, Castellan of Bełz and [hetman] of our field armies, as well as Starosta of Halych and Kolomyia, represented before us that the honorable mayor and councilors, as well as the merchants of our city of Lviv, do not wish to pay our Kolomyia customs duty on their goods, under the pretext of their freedom, which they have allegedly abused for many centuries, and we ordered an investigation of this matter by certain commissioners, who in turn were to inform us about this affair. And when those commissioners of ours, not having brought the matter to an end, sent back what they had begun to us for resolution and decision. We, therefore, when both parties appeared legally before us, after hearing their arguments, responses, and cited reasons, after carefully reading and considering the entire proceedings of the commissioners, and after a proper and appropriate examination of the decree issued in this matter ex officio in previous years, have recognized that these same burghers and merchants of ours from Lviv are free from paying the aforementioned customs duty. Therefore, we have decided that they should be left and maintained – as we do leave and maintain them by means of this decree – in accordance with our aforementioned decree regarding the non-payment of this Kolomyia customs duty, issued previously in accordance with their rights, privileges, and freedoms; with the reservation, however, that under the guise and pretext of this kind of freedom, it is strictly forbidden to transport and carry through Kolomyia the goods of others with impunity and without paying our Kolomyia customs duty, but only their own goods. In witness whereof, this letter, to which our seal has been affixed. Given in Kraków, on the Friday next before the Sunday of Laetare, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and forty, and in the thirty-fourth year of our reign. Samuel, Bishop of Chełm and Vice-Chancellor [signed]. [Relational note in the bottom right corner:] Relation of the most reverend father in Christ, Lord Samuel Maciejowski, Bishop of Chełm and Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland [Verso:] [1.] 1540. [2.] E [3.] Confirmation of freedom from Kolomyia customs duty by King Sigismund. [4.] circa N 60 [5.] to Bundle: 281 [6.] No. 56 [7.] Act Ser. 56. [8.] Rubric Two Lit. B. No. 18v [Ink stamp:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LVIV [Seal:] [On photo 4: Smaller royal seal of Sigismund I the Old impressed in red wax, in a wax bowl placed in a metal case, suspended on a parchment strip].

SIGISMVNDVS dei gratia REX Polonie magnus DVX Lithuanie Russie Prussie Masouie etc[etera] dominus et heres. Significamus tenore presentium quorum interest vniuersis presentibus et futuris harum noticiam habituris. Quia dum Generosus Nicolaus Sieniawski castellanus belzen[sis] et exercituum nostrorum campestrium ac Halicien[sis] et colomien[sis] capitaneus coram nobis exposuisset Famatos proconsulem et consules ac mercatores ciuitatis nostre Leopolien[sis] Theloneum nostrum colomiense a merci- bus eorum soluere nolle libertatis sue pretextu qua iam a multis seculis abusi essent Nosque commisissemus hoc ipsum negotium examinandu[m] certis commissariis qui demum nos de hac re redderent certiores. Cumque ipsi commissarii nostri infecto rei negotio inchoatum ab se ad nos rur- sus remisissent diffiniendum et decidendum. Nos tum ambabus partibus coram nobis legitime comparentibus auditisque earum propositioni- bus responsis allegationibus e toto commissariorum processu diligenter lecto et expenso ac decreto vltro in eadem re superioribus annis lato rite et debite examinato eosdem ciues nostros et mercatores leopolien[ses] soluendi dicti Thelonei immunes esse comperimus. Itaque eos iuxta decretum nostrum predictum de non soluendo eo ipso Theloneo colomien[si] secundum iura priuilegia et libertates suas prius latum relinquendos et conseruandos fore duximus prout relinquimus et conseruamus decreto presenti mediante ita tamen quod sub specie et pretextu huiusmodi libertatis alienas merces illac per colomiam ducere et vehere minime liceat impune et absque Thelonei nostri colomien[sis] solutione sed duntaxat suas pro- prias. Harum quibus sigillum nostrum est appensum testimonio literarum. Dat[um] Cracouie feria sexta proxima ante dominicam Letare. Anno domini Millesimo quingentesimo quadragesimo. Regni vero nostri Anno trigesimo quarto. Samuel Ep[iscop]us Chelmen[sis] et Vicecancel[la]r[i]us [subscripsit] [Nota relacyjna w prawym dolnym rogu:] Relatio Reuerendissimi in Christo patris domini Samuelis Maczieiowski Episcopi chelmen[sis] et Regni Polonie vicecancellarii [Verso:] [1.] 1540. [2.] E [3.] Confirmatio libertatis a Teloneo Colomiensi per Sigism[undum] Regem. [4.] circa N 60 [5.] ad Fasc: 281 [6.] Nro 56 [7.] Actus Ser. 56. [8.] Rubrica Secunda Litt. B. Nro 18vo [Pieczęć tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Pieczęć:] [Na zdjęciu 4: Pieczęć mniejsza koronna Zygmunta I Starego wyciśnięta w czerwonym wosku, w misce woskowej umieszczonej w metalowej puszce, zawieszona na pasku pergaminowym].