Privilege of King Sigismund II Augustus exempting the burghers of Lwów from the duty of providing transport (podwody)

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 and each individually, present and future, who shall receive knowledge of this, that although at the Warsaw Sejm of the Crown held in the year recently passed, We, together with our advisors, generally decided for certain reasons that absolutely all cities of our Kingdom, both those exempt [from jurisdiction] and others, should provide our messengers of any kind with draft horses, otherwise known as transport, according to the manner and order established in advance, for our money, whenever our need arises; nevertheless, for this purpose, the same cities should pay three parts of the entire burgher tax, called 'szos', each year to our Treasury, keeping the fourth part of the same for the construction of the cities. However, since it is sufficiently and more than well known to us that our burghers of Lwów are not free from numerous burdens, which they bear and carry without complaint for the supply and proper administration of that city of ours, therefore, we have decided to exempt them, and all other people subject to the jurisdiction of that city, through the intercession of the advisors of our Kingdom and with the unanimous consent of all estates of the Crown, from the very burden of providing horses, to which they were obliged by virtue of our general constitution and ordinance, and we do hereby exempt them and recognize them as completely and perpetually free by this our letter. Namely, that our peacekeepers or messengers, whoever they may be, should demand and take such transport nowhere else but at our castle in Lwów, according to the usual custom long maintained until now, from the villages designated for such service. The said burghers of ours are obliged from now on to pay and disburse to the Treasury of our Kingdom each year only three parts of the money from the aforementioned city tax under the name of 'szos', [that is] four hundred florins to us, together with all people subject to the city jurisdiction who have been accustomed to paying for a long time. Therefore, we strictly command you, all tax collectors of our Kingdom, present and future, whom this concerns, that you preserve and protect our said burghers of Lwów in this freedom and immunity, granted to them by the Warsaw constitution, in all points, clauses, conditions, and articles, and that you see to their preservation and protection, under our grace and according to the duties of your offices, doing nothing otherwise. In witness and testimony of which, our seal has been appended to this. Done and given at the general Crown assembly in Piotrków on the Monday after the Sunday of Judica next, in the Year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and sixty-five, and in the thirty-sixth year of our reign. [Note of relation on the right:] Relation of the magnificent Walenty Dembiński of Dębian, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, Starosta of Luboml. [Signature on the left:] Walenty Dąbrowski, Notary of the Chancellery of the Kingdom of Poland [?] [Verso:] 1565 of Sigismund Augustus Exemption of the city of Lwów granted from the burden of providing horses for transport + J. H. Scr: 2 [crossed out: CN No 17...] I. 64 to bundle 164 [Seal:] On a parchment strip threaded through the folded bottom of the document hangs the royal seal of Sigismund Augustus in a metal/wax protective bowl, with coats of arms and the monogram SA.

SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS DEI Gracia Rex Poloniae, magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, etc. Dominus et Haeres. Significamus praesentibus literis Vniversis et singulis praesentibus et futuris harum noticiam habituris. Quod quamvis in Comitijs Varsoviensibus Regni anno proxime peracto celebratis, Nos cum consiliariis nostris vniversaliter certis ex causis constituerimus Vt omnes omnin[o] civitates Regni nostri, tam Exemtar[um] quam alias nunciis nostris quibusvis equos subvectitios alias podwodne, secundum modum et ordinationem desuper factam, pecunia nostra quamvis necessitate nostra se offerente, darent, nihilominus tamen, Vt in eum vsum eaedem civitates tres partes, integrae exactionis Civibus, Szos nuncupata[e], annis singulis Thesauro nostro pe[n]derent, quarta parte eiusdem pro Fabrica civitatum reservata. Verum cum nobis satis superque compertum sit, Cives nostros Leopolienses, non carere plerisque oneribus, quae in providenda et recte administranda Civitate illa nostra exhibere, sustinereque non gravantur, ipsos propterea et alios quasvis iurisdictionis eiusdem Civitatis homines ad intercessionem Consiliariorum Regni nostri, de vnanimiq[ue] consensu, omnium ordinum Regni ab onere dationis equorum duntaxat, Ad quod iuxta communem constitutionem et ordinationem nostram tenebantur, liberandos duximus, liberamusque, ac omnino perpetuoque liberos esse decernimus, hisce literis nostris. Ita quod Cubicularij seu Nunctij nostri, quicunque illi fuerint, subvectiones ipsas non alibi, q[uam] in Castro nostro Leopolien[si] more solito et antiquitus hucusque observato, de villis servitio huiusmodi addictis petere habereque debebunt, Praefati vero Cives nostri tres duntaxat partes pecuniar[um], de exactione praefata Civili miasto szos[u] no[mi]n[at]a nobis florenos quadringentos, cum omnibus hominibus Civili Iurisdictioni subiectis antiquitus solvere consvetis nunc Thesauro Regni nostri inferre et anno singulis abhinc pendere teneantur. Quamobrem vobis omnibus Regni nostri Exacto[ri]bus p[rae]sentibus et futuris, quorum interest hoc ipsum denunciantes praesentibus serio mandamus, vt eos cives n[ost]ros Leopolien[ses] circa hanc ipsis per eos a constitucione Varsoviensi concessam libertatem et immunitatem in omnibus punctis clausulis conditionibus et articulis, conservetis ac manu teneatis, conservariq[ue] et manuteneri curetis. Pro gr[ati]a n[ost]ra et officiorum vestrorum debito secus non facturi. In cuius rei fidem et testimonium, Sigillum n[ost]r[u]m praesentibus est subappensum. Actis et datis in Conventione Regni g[e]n[er]ali Petricovien[si] feria secunda post Dominicam Iudica proxima. Anno domini Millesimo, Quingentesimo, Sexagesimo quinto, REGNI vero nostri anno trigesimo sexto. [Nota relacji po prawej:] Relatio Magnifici Valentini Dembinski de Dembiani Regni Poloniae Cancellarij, Lubomlien[sis] Capitanei. [Podpis po lewej:] Walenty Dąbr[ow]ski / R[egiae] P[oloniae] Can[cellariae] no[tarius] [?] [Verso:] 1565 Sigismundi Augusti Libertas Civitatis Leopolien[sis] concessa Ab Onere Dationis Equorum ad podwodas + J. H. Scr: 2 [skreślone: CN No 17...] I. 64 ad Fasc 164 [Pieczęć:] Na pasku pergaminowym przewleczonym przez podwinięcie dokumentu zawieszona pieczęć koronna Zygmunta Augusta w metalowej/woskowej misce ochronnej, z herbami i monogramem SA.