Decree of King Sigismund II Augustus ordering the subjection of Lviv residents to municipal jurisdiction and taxes

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, AMEN: For the eternal memory of the matter. We, SIGISMUND AUGUST, by the grace of God, KING of Poland, grand DUKE of Lithuania, and also lord and heir of the lands of Kraków, Sandomierz, Sieradz, Łęczyca, Kuyavia, Ruthenia, all of Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Chełmno, Elbląg, and Pomerania, etc. We make known by this our letter to all and each one whom it concerns, present and those who will be in the future: That our ancestors, kings of Poland of holy memory, always had in mind in all things our city of Lviv as not belonging to the least in their Kingdom, and they strove so that for the preservation of its flourishing state, nothing at all would be lacking on their part. Since we, following their example and imitating many other things, see that the state of this city is greatly disturbed by those who persistently demand time and again to be excluded from the jurisdiction of the municipal magistrate and to be endowed with immunity from bearing municipal burdens, and by their example incite many others to follow the same path so that they may demand exemption from all municipal laws and relief from us in bearing burdens – we have deemed that in this measure, the needs of the said city must be remedied in time, and by this our letter we decide and stipulate that henceforth we shall not grant any immunities or exemptions, neither from jurisdiction nor from municipal burdens, to any people, of whatever status or condition they might be, without any exception, subject to the jurisdiction of the city of Lviv, nor shall our most serene successors, the kings of Poland, grant them. But whoever in the city of Lviv and outside the city shall possess any goods subject to municipal jurisdiction, or shall wish to seek a living in the city of Lviv from trade or for any other reason, over them the mayor together with the councilors and other officials of the said city of Lviv shall have full jurisdiction, just as over other burghers, and they shall be obliged to bear equally with other burghers all [burdens] within the city and all others, and they may be legally compelled to them by the mayor and councilors and other officials, and in no way shall they be able to be exempted from this jurisdiction and the bearing of burdens, for all eternity. If, however, any immunities and exemptions were obtained after the date of this [document] from us or from our most serene successors, we order that they should have no power or weight; and [them] and the remaining officials we release and make free, giving them full power so that, regardless of such exemptions, they may exercise their jurisdiction for all eternity over all subject to the Lviv municipal judiciary and collect the due services equally as from other burghers who do not have immunities. In faith and stronger testimony of which, we have ordered our seal to be attached to this and have signed it with our own hand. Given in Warsaw, on the twenty-fifth day of September, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty-eight, and in the twenty-ninth year of our reign. In the presence of the reverend father in Christ, Lord Jan Przerembski, bishop-elect of Chełm, vice-chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, as well as the magnificent, venerable, and well-born: Stanisław, Count of Tęczyn, voivode of Kraków, and starosta of Lublin and Bełz; Stanisław Laski, voivode [...] of the Masovian voivodes; Stanisław Maciejowski of Sandomierz, marshal of our court and starosta of Luboml and Zawichost; Mikołaj Trzebuchowski of Gniezno, head of our chamberlains, and starosta of Brześć, Lelów, and Rogoźno; Florian Zebrzydowski, starosta of Lublin and Tyszowce; Jan Tomicki of Rogoźno; Jan Sierakowski of Lędź, referendary of our court and starosta of Przedecz; Stanisław Wolski of Rypin and starosta of Krzepice – castellans; Jan of Ociesęki, chancellor of our Kingdom, general starosta of Kraków, starosta of the duchies of Oświęcim, Sandomierz, and Chełmno, and chamberlain of the Kraków land; Stanisław Karnkowski of Gniezno, referendary of our court; Wojciech Starosźrebski, cantor of Kraków, archdeacon of Dobrzyń; Andrzej Przerembski of Kraków; Seweryn Krzykowski, scholastic of Włocławek and Kraków – canons; Mikołaj Łaski, our cupbearer; Mikołaj of Mielec, starosta of Chmielnik – our secretaries, and very many other witnesses present at the above, sincerely and faithfully beloved by us. Given through the hands of the REVEREND father in CHRIST, Lord Jan Przerembski, nominated bishop of Chełm and vice-chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, SINCERELY BELOVED BY US. [King's autograph:] King Sigismund signed [Note on the right side under the text:] From the report [...] of the reverend father in Christ [...] Jan Przerembski [...] [Seal:] Round crown seal (red wax in a bowl of dark natural wax) with the image of the White Eagle with a crown on its chest, suspended on a braided hemp / silk cord. [Verso:] [Main note:] That no one under municipal jurisdiction should be free from municipal burdens and jurisdiction, even if they were excluded by royal prerogative [or servitorate?] 1558 Abolition of servitorates No. 21 [Other entries and archival signatures:] Fasciculus I. No. 40 [or 46] Fourth rubric / Letter D No. 11 Letter D No. 112 [and other old numbers and cancellations].

IN NOMINE DOMINI AMEN: Ad perpetuam rei memoriam. Nos SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS DEI gratia REX Poloniae, magnus DVX Lithuaniae, necnon terrarum Cracoviae, Sandomiriae, Siradiae, Lanciciae, Cuiaviae, Russiae, totius Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Culmensis, Elbingensis, Pomeraniaeq[ue] etc. dominus et Haeres. Notum facimus literis nostris quorum interest universis, et singulis qui nunc sunt, et qui postea futuri sunt. Magnam semper maiores nostros Divos Poloniae Reges civitatis nostrae Leopoliensis non postremi in Regno suo in omnibus rationem habuisse, idq[ue] studuisse, ut ad florentem in ea statum conservandum nihil prorsus in illis desiderari posset, QVOD nos illorum exemplum secuti pleraq[ue] alia imitantes, quum eiusdem Civitatis statum per eos maxime videmus perturbari, qui se ex Magistratus Civilis Iurisdictione eximi, et Civilium onerum ferendorum immunitate donari importune identidem flagitant, multisq[ue] aliis eadem uti ratione, se omnibus legibus Civitatis solvi, oneribusq[ue] ferendis per nos levari flagitent, exemplo suo incitant. Existimavimus in hoc eiusdem Civitatis rationibus in tempore esse prospiciendum, uti quidem iam in hunc modum literis hisce nostris prospicimus, et cavemus, ut deinceps nullis hominibus cuiuscunq[ue] status et conditionis fuerint, nullis prorsus exceptis, Civitatis Leopolien[sis] iurisdictioni subiectis, ullas immunitates, et exemptiones, tam a iurisdictione, quam ab oneribus civilibus concessuri simus, successoresq[ue] nostri Serenissimi Poloniae Reges sint concessuri. Sed quicunq[ue] in Civitate Leopoliensi extraq[ue] Civitatem bona aliqua iurisdictioni Civili subiecta habebit, aut mercatura, vel alia quavis ratione, victum in Civitate Leopoliensi quaerere volet, in eum Proconsul cum Consulibus, et alij Magistratus Civitatis eiusdem Leopoliensis plenam iurisditionem, quemadmodum in alios Cives habebunt, omniaq[ue] intra Civitatis, et alia quevis ex aequo cum alijs Civibus ferre tenebuntur, ad eaq[ue] per Proconsulem et Consules, ac reliquos Magistratus legittime cogi poterunt, neq[ue] ab ea iurisdictione oneribusq[ue] ferendis, ulla ratione eximi poterunt, temporibus perpetuis. QVOD siquae immunitates, et exemptiones post datam praesentium a nobis vel Serenissimis successoribus nostris impetratae fuerint, eas nullam vim et robur obtinere debere decernimus, ac reliquosq[ue] Magistratus absolvimus et liberos facimus, dantes illis plenam facultatem, non obstantibus eiusmodi exemptionibus, iurisditionem suam in omnes iurisdictioni civili Leopoliensi subiectos exercendi, ac opera debita ex aeque ut ab alijs civibus immunitatum non darentibus exigendi temporibus perpetuis. IN cuius rei fidem et firmius testimonium sigillum nostrum praesentibus appendi mandavimus atq[ue] propria manu subscripsimus. Datum Warssoviae die vigesima quinta Septembris, Anno Domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Quinquagesimo Octavo, Regni vero nostri anno vigesimo nono. Praesentibus Reverendo in Christo patre domino Ioanne Przerempsky Episcopo nominato Chelmensi Regni Poloniae Vicecancellario, Necnon Magnificis, Venerabilibus, et Generosis, Stanislao Comite in Tenczyn Palatino Cracoviensi, et Lublinensi, Belsensique Capitaneo, Stanislao Lassky Palatino [...] Masoviae Palatinis, Stanislao Maczyeyowsky Sandomiriensi, Curiae nostrae Mareschalco ac Liubomliensi, Zauchostensique Capitaneo, Nicolao Trzebuchowsky Gnesnensi Cubiculariorum nostrorum Praefecto, ac Brestensi, Leloviensi, Rogoziensique Capitaneo, Floriano Zebrzydowsky Lyublinensi, et capitaneo Thyszcovicensi, Ioanne Tomyczky Rogoznensi, Ioanne Sierakowsky Landensi, Curiae nostrae Rifferentario et capitaneo Przedecensi, Stanislao Wolsky Rypinensi, et capitaneo Criczoviensi Castellanis, Ioanne de Ocyessyno Regni nostri Cancellario Cracoviensi Generali Starostensi, Oszvyanczimensi Ducatuum, Sandomiriensi, Chelmnensique Capitaneo ac terrae Cracovien[sis] Succamerario, Stanislao Karnkowsky Gnesnensi Curiae nostrae Refferendario, Alberto Starosrzepsky Cantore Cracoviensi Archidiacono Dobrzinensi, Andrea Przerempsky Cracoviensi, Severino Kzsykowsky Scolastico Vladislaviensi et Cracoviensi Canonicis, Nicolao Laski Incisore nostro, Nicolao de Myelecz Capitaneo Chmielnicensi Secretariis nostris, et aliis quamplurimis testibus circa praemissa existentibus, Sinceris et fidelibus nobis dilectis. Datum per manus REVERENDI in CHRISTO patris Domini Ioannis Przerempsky, nominati Episcopi Chelmensis, et Regni Poloniae Vicecancellarij, SINCERE NOBIS DILECTI. [Podpis własnoręczny króla:] Sigismundus Rex subscripsit [Nota po prawej stronie pod tekstem:] Relatione [...] Reverendi in Christo patris [...] Ioannis Przerempsky [...] [Pieczęć:] Okrągła pieczęć koronna (czerwony wosk w misce z ciemnego wosku naturalnego) z wyobrażeniem Orła Białego z koroną na piersi, zawieszona na plecionym sznurze konopnym / jedwabnym. [Verso:] [Nota główna:] Q[uod] nullus ho[m]i[nu]m iurisdictionis civilis debet fore liber ab oneribus et iuris- ditione civili quamvis sit Regia p[raerogati]va [vel servitoriatu?] exemptus 1558 Cassatio servi- toriatuum No 21 [Inne zapisy i sygnatury archiwalne:] Fascic[ulus] I. No 40 [lub 46] Rubrica Quarta / Litt[era] D No 11 L[itte]ra D No 112 [i inne dawne numery oraz skasowania].