Mandate of King Sigismund I the Old regarding taxes of Armenian and Ruthenian clergy in Lviv

Sigismund, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Lord and Heir of Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, etc. To all and singular whom it may concern, we make known: That whereas the Armenian and Ruthenian priests residing in our city of Lviv have complained to us against the collectors of public taxes, that they were compelled to pay contributions and public levies in the manner of other Ruthenian priests, which – as they claimed – they never paid otherwise than at the same time as other Lviv burghers. And this is because they enjoy the same freedom as the other Lviv burghers, and pay the same public taxes together with the other Lviv burghers according to the custom and usage long observed, and perform municipal duties. We, therefore, having learned with certainty that the Armenian and Ruthenian priests living in Lviv have the same custom in paying such public contributions as the other Lviv burghers have long had and observed, have decided that they should be maintained in it, as we hereby maintain them, and we order the present and any future collector of our Ruthenian lands, wishing it to be so, that you maintain these Armenian and Ruthenian priests in this their custom of paying public contributions and order them to be maintained by your own [officials]. Doing otherwise would be contrary to your office and our grace. Given in Kraków on the Thursday next before the feast of Saint Gall. In the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and forty-second, in the thirty-sixth year of our reign. [Signature on the left side below the text:] Samuel, Bishop of Płock and Vice-Chancellor, signed. [Seal:] [Trace of a seal under a paper wafer in the shape of a rhombus/envelope] [Relation note on the right side:] Relation of the reverend father in Christ, Lord Samuel, Bishop of Płock and Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland. [Stamp on recto, bottom left:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LWÓW [Verso:] [Oval stamp at the top:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LWÓW [18th/19th c.:] A No. 32 N. No. 3 usage and possession [16th c.:] Royal Majesty [17th c.:] Regarding the contributions of Armenian and Ruthenian priests. Armenian and Ruthenian priests shall pay contributions, when other burghers pay. 1542. Thursday before the feast of St. Gall. [18th/19th c.:] to bundle 190. No. 32. Item 8 No. 144.

Sigismundus dei gratia, Rex Poloniæ, Magnus Dux Lithuaniæ, Russiæ, Prussiæ, Masouiæ etc[etera] d[omi]n[u]s et heres. Vniuersis et singulis quorum interest manifestum facimus. Quod cum questi nobis fuissent Popones Armeni & Rutheni in Ciuitate n[ost]ra Leopolien[si] existentes, de Exactoribus Contributionu[m] publicarum, q[uod] eos ad soluendas Contributiones et Exactiones publicas more alio/rum Ruthenorum Poponum adigebant, quas illi se nunquam soluisse nisi eo tempore quo alii Ciues Leopolien[ses] asserebant. Jdque eam ob causam quod ea libertate qua reliqui Leopolien[ses] Ciues gaudent: atq[ue] easipsas publicas Contributiones cum reliquis Ciuibus Leopolien[sibus] ex more & consuetudine antiquitus obseruata soluunt, & munera Ciuilia obeunt. Nos itaq[ue] certo edocti Po/pones Armenos & Ruthenos Leopoli agentes in soluendis eiusmodi publicis contributionibus consuetudinem eam habere quam reliqui Ciues Leopolien[ses] habent antiquitus & obseruant, illos in ea conseruandos existimauimus, ita prout presentibus conser/uamus, Modernoq[ue] & pro tempore existenti Terrarum n[ost]rarum Russiæ Exactori mandamus, ita habere volentes, vt eosdem Armenos et Ruthenos Popones in hac eorum consuetudine soluendarum Contributionum publicarum conseruetis, & a suis conseruari iubeatis. Secus non facturi pro officio suo & gratia n[ost]ra. Dat[um] Cracouiæ feria quinta ante festu[m] Sancti Galli proxima. Anno domini Millesimo, Quingentesimo, quadragesimo secundo. Regni n[ost]ri anno Trigesimo Sexto. [Podpis z lewej strony pod tekstem:] Samuel Ep[iscopu]s Plocen[sis] et Vicecan[cellarius] s[ubscripsit] [Pieczęć:] [Ślad pieczęci pod papierowym opłatkiem w kształcie rombu/koperty] [Nota relacji z prawej strony:] R[elati]o Reueren[di] in Chr[ist]o patris, d[omi]ni Samuelis Episcopi Plocen[sis], & Regni Poloniæ Vicecancell[a]rii [Stempel na recto, l.d.:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH M[IASTA] LWOWA [Verso:] [Stempel owalny na górze:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [XVIII/XIX w.:] A No 32o N. No 3 usus et p[ossessi]o [XVI w.:] R[egi]a M[aiestas]ta [XVII w.:] De Contributionibus Poponu[m] Ar/menor[um] et Ruthenor[um] Popones Armenos et Ruthenos solvant Contrib[uti]on[es] Quando alii Cives solvunt. 1542. F. 5. ante F. S. Galli [XVIII/XIX w.:] ad Fasc. 190. No 32. Area 8va No 144.