Translation / modern text
Sigismund, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, etc., lord and heir. We make known by the tenor of this [document] to all whom it may concern. That when before [...] the burghers and merchants of the city of Lviv of all rites, that is, the Roman, Greek, and Armenian rites, presented before us the privilege of the Most Serene Lord Alexander, King, our dearest brother, by which the exemption from all customs, transport, embankment, and bridge tolls throughout the Kingdom and our domains was granted to them for all goods, merchandise, and merchant loads of any kind, sort, and material whatsoever, and brought a case before us against the magnificent Andrzej of Tęczyn, Voivode of Kraków, for the reason that in our customs houses of Bełz, Chełm, and Hrubieszów, of which places he was the starosta, he was constantly collecting unusual customs duties from them. We, having regard for the contract concluded by reason of the said goods of Chełm, Bełz, and Hrubieszów between us and the aforementioned magnificent Andrzej and his brother Jan of Tęczyn, Voivode of Bełz, had decided that during the duration of that contract they should hold and possess them under an annual fee paid to us, so that they would have intact the incomes and profits belonging to these our goods. And therefore, we wished to suspend the power and effect of that privilege regarding our customs houses of Chełm, Bełz, and Hrubieszów for as long as the contract concluded between us and the aforementioned magnificent voivodes did not expire. When that happens, only then should the Lviv burghers in our aforementioned customs houses of Bełz, Chełm, and Hrubieszów enjoy that freedom and immunity with which they were endowed by the Most Serene Lord Alexander. As can be known more clearly and abundantly from our letters given to them in this matter. Subsequently, due to the death of both brothers, the contract expired. The Lviv burghers came to us in Vilnius a second time and humbly asked us to keep the privilege of our brother and our judgment in its force. Having postponed the resolution of this matter for certain reasons until our happy return to the Kingdom, we meanwhile ordered the merchants who were to transport their goods through the aforementioned customs houses to be registered, and that nothing should be collected from them until something was first decided by us. They came to us in Kraków a second time, asking us humbly for the same thing as in Vilnius. We, considering the justice of the request, and also having regard for the merits and special loyalty to us of our city of Lviv, and for the fact that, being adjacent to enemies, it is accustomed to often suffer great inconveniences and endure dangers, we considered that privilege of our brother and the judgment, along with all its points, clauses, conditions, and articles, worthy of confirmation, approval, and ratification, so that by this document we confirm, approve, and ratify it, and we decide that it should henceforth and forever achieve its power and effect. With the addition to this matter of the consent of the Most Serene Lord Sigismund Augustus, our dearest son, to whom we have gifted the same goods of Chełm, Bełz, and Hrubieszów. Therefore, we order you all and each one individually, administrators or customs officers of any of our customs duties or tolls, established anywhere in the entire Kingdom and our domains, and in particular of the customs houses of Chełm, Bełz, and Hrubieszów, that whenever the Lviv burghers and merchants, whether of the Greek or Armenian rite, arrive for their trade with their goods, and of whatever kind, sort, or material those goods might be, you shall not collect any customs or toll from them, nor allow others to collect it, but allow them to go, travel, and pass freely and without any burden or obstacle, and order others to allow it. If you should have someone clearly suspected of either not being a Lviv citizen or carrying foreign goods, do not clear such a person until they take an oath before the municipal office that they are a citizen and are carrying their own, and not someone else's goods; after which, let them be cleared freely and without obstacle with all their goods. Do not do otherwise under your loyalty and our grace and [under the penalty] of royal displeasure. In faith and testimony of which we have ordered this to be written and strengthened with our seal. Given in Kraków on the Friday next before the feast of Saint Gall, in the Year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and forty-two, and the thirty-sixth year of our reign.
King Sigismund signed
[Plica / fold:]
[Signature:] King Sigismund, with his own hand.
[Seal:]
[Wax royal seal of Sigismund I in a metal case, suspended on a white-red silk cord threaded through the plica; in the shield the coat of arms of the Crown and Lithuania, in the rim the inscription:] SIGISMUND BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF POLAND GRAND DUKE OF LITHUANIA [...]
[Verso:]
[17th/18th c.:] Second rubric. Letter B. Number 20.
[Modern hand:] 1542.
[Note from 16th c.:] Exemption from customs duties, in particular in the customs houses of Chełm, Bełz, and Hrubieszów. 1542.
[Various archival signatures and numbers:] 2. B. 20. | Bundle 281 | Number 57 | E | [archival initials]
Original wording — transcription
Sigismundus Dei gratia Rex Poloniae, Magnus dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, etc. dominus et heres. Significamus tenore praesentium quibus expedit universis. Quod cum prae[...] / duxissent coram nobis Cives et mercatores civitatis Leopolien[sis] omnium rituum, hoc est ritus Romani, Graeci, et Armenici privilegium Serenissimi domini Alexandri Regis fratris nostri charissimi, quo a solutionibus omnium / theloneorum, navigiorum, aggeralium, et pontalium libertas eis in toto Regno et dominiis nostris fuerat concessa a bonis, omnibus, mercibus et commertien[si]bus cuiuscunqu[e] generis speciei, et materiei existentibus, actionemque / coram nobis intentassent Mag[nifi]co Andreae de Thanczin Palatino Cracovien[si], quod is in Cameris nostris Belzen[si], Chelmen[si], et Rubieszovien[si], quorum locorum Capitaneus erat, vectigal insolitum usque ab eis exigeret. Nos habita ra / tione contractus, ratione dictorum bonorum Chelmen[sis], Belzen[sis], et Rubieszovien[sis] inter nos, et praedictum Magnificum Andream, fratremque eius Joannem a Thanczin, Palatinum Belzen[sem] initi, decreveramus, ut / durante contractu isto, ita haberent, et possiderent sub annua pensione nobis persolvenda, ut integras haberent reditus, et obventiones ad ea ipsa bona nostra pertinen[tes]. Atque ideo vim et effectum eius privilegii, quo ad Came / ras nostras Chelmen[sem], Belzen[sem], et Rubieszovien[sem] suspensum esse voluimus tantisper, dum contractus inter nos, et praedictos Magnificos Palatinos factus, exspiraret. Quo facto tum demum Cives Leopolien[ses] in praedictis Ca / meris nostris Belzen[si], Chelmen[si], et Rubieszovien[si] ea libertate et immunitate potiri debere decrevimus, qua per Serenissimum dominum Alexandrum fuerant donati. Quemadmodum ex literis nostris in eam rem illis datis clarius / et uberius licet cognoscere. Postea itaque morte utriusque fratris contractus exspiravit. Vilnam ad nos iterum Cives Leopolien[ses] venerunt, ac humiliter nobis supplicarunt, ut privilegium saepe fratris nostri, et decretum / nostrum in suo robore conservatum vellemus. Qua de re cum deliberandi certis de causis in felicem nostrum in Regnum reditum reiecissimus, interea tamen novos mercatorum, qui per praedictas Cameras merces suas vecturi / essent conscribi iussissemus, neque ab eis quidquam exigi, nisi constitutum prius per nos aliquid esset. Iterum ad nos Cracoviam venerunt, iidem illud, quod Vilnae supplices a nobis petentes. Nos attenta petitionis aequitate / habentesque etiam rationem meritorum, et fidei singulari erga nos Civitatis nostrae Leopolien[sis], quodque ea, cum finitima sit hostibus, magna saepe incommoda pati, et pericula sustinere consuevit, Privilegium hoc bene fratris nostri / et Decretum una cum omnibus suis punctis, clausulis, conditionibus, et articulis, confirman[dum], approban[dum], ratifican[dum] duximus, ita ut praesentibus, confirmamus, approbamus, ratificamus, atque id iam vim et effectum suum / sortiri debere perpetuo et in aevum decernimus. Accedente etiam ad eam rem consensu Serenissimi domini Sigismundi Augusti filii nostri charissimi, cui haec ipsa bona Chelmen[sis], Belzen[sis], et Rubieszovien[sis] donavimus. Quare man / damus vobis universis et singulis, vectigalium seu theloneorum nostrorum quorumcunque praefectis, in toto Regno et Dominiis nostris ubilibet constitutis, praecipue vero Camerarum, Chelmen[sis], Belzen[sis], et Rubieszovien[sis], / ut cum Cives et mercatores Leopolien[ses] omne illud forum, sive Graeci, sive Armenici ritus sint, ad commercia sua cum mercibus suis venerint, euni[que]demque eundem illic merces generis, speciei, vel materiei fuerint, nullum ab eis vectigal / sive theloneum exigatis, neque ab aliis exigi admittatis, sed eos libere, et absque omni molestia et impedimento ire, proficisci, et transire permittatis, et ab aliis permitti iubeatis. Quod si suspectum aliquem evidenti habueritis, quod / vel Leopolien[sis] Civis non sit, vel alienas merces vehat, eum non prius dimittatis, quam coram officio civitatis se et civem esse, et suas non alienas merces vehere iuramentum praestiterit, quo praestito libere et absque impe / dimento cum mercibus dimittatur omnibus. Secus non facturi pro fide vestra, et gratia nostra, et indignatione maiestatis. In cuius rei fidem et testimonium hoc scribi, sigilloque nostro communiri mandavimus. Datum Cracoviae feria / sexta ante festum sancti Galli proxima, Anno Domini, Millesimo Quingentesimo, Quadragesimo Secundo, Regni vero nostri anno trigesimo sexto.
Sigismundus Rex subscripsit
[Plika / podwinięcie:]
[Podpis:] Sigismundus Rex ss.
[Pieczęć:]
[Woskowa pieczęć koronna Zygmunta I w metalowej puszce, podwieszona na biało-czerwonym jedwabnym sznurze przewleczonym przez plikę; w tarczy herb Korony i Litwy, w otoku napis:] SIGISMVNDVS DEI GRA[TIA] REX POLONIE MAGNVS DVX LITVANIE [...]
[Verso:]
[XVII/XVIII w.:] Rubrica Secunda. Litt. B. Nro. 20mo.
[Ręka współczesna:] 1542.
[Nota z XVI w.:] Lib[er]tatio a solutio[n]e thelon[e]orum p[rae]sertim in Cameris Chelmen[si], Belzen[si] et Rubieszowien[si]. 1542.
[Różne sygnatury archiwalne i numery:] 2. B. 20. | Fasc. 281 | Nro 57 | E | [parafa archiwalna]
