Verdict of King Sigismund Augustus in the dispute between the authorities of Lviv and the butchers' guild

SIGISMUND AUGUSTUS, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, etc., Lord and Heir. We hereby announce to all whom it may concern by this our letter. Whereas the illustrious mayor, councilors, reeve, and jurors, as well as the entire commonalty of our city of Lviv, were summoned by our third citation letter at the suit of the masters of the brotherhood and guild of butchers of our city of Lviv, for the reason that they, acting contrary to the letters of privilege, both ours and those of our most illustrious predecessors, granted to the said butchers – by which they were granted the right that, apart from them, no one else is permitted to sell in pieces or offer for sale meat of any cattle – to the detriment of those privileges, by public edict granted to people, both foreigners and suburbanites, the right to slaughter and sell such cattle, to their harm and detriment, which in the dispute against them they estimated at one thousand five hundred florins in currency and as much in damages, as is more broadly stated in the further content of the lawsuit. On the term thus adjourned, when the plaintiffs themselves, through the prudent Mikołaj Kłopot and Marcin Wilczek, their proxies, and the defendants, through the illustrious Jan Zaleski, a juror of the same city, legally appeared before us and awaited the resolution, the defendants, through their aforementioned proxy, presented our letter dated Wednesday before the feast of Saint Lawrence in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty, containing the confirmation of the settlement and agreement reached between the commonalty of the city of Lviv and the Lviv butchers themselves, and demanded that this confirmation of the settlement regarding the offering of meat for sale be maintained by us in due force. Against this, the proxies of the plaintiffs argued that this letter could in no way help the defendants nor does it have legal force, for the reason that under one and the same date an action from a different year was described, claiming that their principals were neither present at that settlement themselves, nor did they entrust any proxy with authorization in this matter; therefore, they demanded that this our letter be revoked by us, and that they themselves be maintained by us under the regulations of the privilege of our divine parent regarding the free market held in the city of Lviv on the model of the Krakow butchers. We, however, after examining the disputes of the parties at the session of our relations with the participation of our advisors and lawyers, and after diligently examining and considering the privileges of the parties and the aforementioned settlement confirmed by us, have judged that our letter confirming the aforementioned settlement between the Lviv burghers and the butchers of the same city regarding free markets for the sale of meat was obtained in accordance with the law, and therefore we maintain the said letter in due force, ordering that both the Lviv burghers themselves and the butchers of the same city comply with the wording of that settlement letter in all conditions and articles. With the reservation, however, of the butchers' privilege prohibiting the bringing in and offering for sale of meat by foreign butchers on other days on which the free market does not apply. We cancel the costs of the dispute mutually between the parties by virtue of this our verdict. In testimony whereof our seal has been appended hereto. Given in Krakow on the nearest Wednesday after the octave of Corpus Christi, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty-nine, and in the thirtieth year of our reign. [Chancery note on the left:] Jan Orieski / chancery verifier [?] [Chancery note on the right:] Relation of the most illustrious Jan of Ocieszyn, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, Starosta of Krakow, Radom, Sambir, Zator, Stary Sącz, and Olsztyn. [Verso:] [Round ink seal:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT ACTS OF THE CITY OF LVIV [Archival note:] Verdict between the butchers and the City 1559 [Archival note:] Chest 17 [Signatures and notes:] L. 485. / Fas 263 / K. / 19v Ser. g / 59 / 551

SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS Dei gratia Rex Poloniae, magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masouiae, Samogitiae etc. dominus et haeres. Significamus praesentibus literis nostris quorum interest vniuersis. Posteaqu[am] vocati essent literis tertiae citationis nostrae famati Proconsul, Consules, Aduocatus et scabini, totaq[ue] Communitas Ciuitatis n[ost]rae Leopoliensis ad instantiam Magistrorum Fraternitatis et Contubernii Laniorum Ciuitatis nostrae Leopoliensis. Ideo quia ipsi contrauenientes literis priuilegiorum, tam nostris quam Serenissimorum Praedecessorum nostrorum eisdem Laniis concessis, quibus eisdem facultas concessa est, quod praeter eosdem carnes pecorum quorumuis frustatim vendere, venumque exponere nemini alteri permissum est, in derogationem priuilegiorum illorum, tam exteris quam suburbanis hominibus per edictum publicum potestatem mactandi vendendique pecora eiusmodi fecissent, in praeiudicium damnumque illorum, quod sibi aduersus eosdem estimarent mille et quingentis florenorum pecuniarum, et totidem damni, vti reliqua Citatione latius continentur. In terminis huiusmodi continuato, ipsis Actoribus per prouidos Nicolaum Klopoth et Martinum Wilczek Plenipotentes suos, Citatis vero per famatum Joannem Zalieski scabinum eiusdem Ciuitatis coram nobis legitime comparentibus, terminumque attentantibus. Citati per memoratum Plenipotentem suum exhibitis literis nostris, de data feria quarta ante festum sancti Laurentii Anni domini Millesimi quingentesimi quinquagesimi, continentes confirmationem transactionis et concordiae inter Communitatem Ciuitatis Leopoliensis et ipsos Lanios Leopolien[ses] initae, quam quidem confirmationem transactionis, de venum exponendis carnibus in debito robore a nobis conseruari expetebat. In contrarium Plenipotentes actorum allegabant literas eas ipsas nihil aduementi adferre posse Citatis, neque eas subsistere de iure posse. Ideo quod sub vna eademque data diuersi anni res gesta descripta sit, asseuerantes principales suos, neque ipsosmet adfuisse transactioni eidem, neque etiam Plenipotenti alicui munus plenipotentiae aliquod ea in causa commisisse, ob idque eas ipsas literas nostras a nobis relaxari, atque iuxta praescriptum priuilegii diui Parentis nostri de libero foro more Laniorum Cracouien[sium] in Ciuitate Leopolien[si] celebrando se a nobis conseruari expetebant. Nos enim Consiliariis et Jurisperitis n[ost]ris controuersiis partium in termino relationum nostrarum examinatis, priuilegiis partium atque transactione commemorata a nobis confirmata diligenter reuisis et perpensis. Comperimus literas confirmationis n[ost]ras commemoratae transactionis inter Cives Leopolien[ses] et Lanios eiusdem Ciuitatis de liberis foris vendendarum Carnium legitime obtentas esse, Ideoque eas ipsas literas in debito robore conseruamus, Decernentes vt tam ipsi Cives Leopolien[ses], quam Lanii eiusdem Ciuitatis secundum praescriptum earundem literarum transactionis in omnibus conditionibus et articulis sese conseruent. Saluo nihilominus priuilegio Laniorum de non inferendis venumque exponendis carnibus per extraneos Lanios diebus aliis, quibus forum liberum non obseruatur. Expensas litis inter partes vtrimque compensamus, hac nostra sentencia mediante. In cuius rei fidem sigillum n[ost]rum praesentibus est appensum. Datum Cracouiae feria quarta post octauam Corporis Christi proxima, Anno domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Quinquagesimo Nono, Regni vero nostri anno trigesimo. [Nota kancelaryjna z lewej:] Joannes Orieski / r[e]p[er]t[or?] can[cellariae?] [Nota kancelaryjna z prawej:] R[elatio] Magnifici Jo[ann]is de Oczieschin Reg[ni] Pol[oniae] Cancellarii Crac[oviensis] Radom[iensis] Samborien[sis] Zathori[ensis] Sandec[ensis] Olstin[ensis]q[ue] Capit[anei] [Verso:] [Pieczęć tuszowa okrągła:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Nota archiwalna:] Edictum inter lanies et Civitatem 1559 [Nota archiwalna:] Arca 17ma [Sygnatury i zapiski:] L. 485. / Fas 263 / K. / 19v Ser. g / 59 / 551