Privilege of King Sigismund Augustus restoring tax exemptions for Lwów burghers affected by a fire

SIGISMUND AUGUSTUS by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, etc., lord and heir. To all and singular whom it may concern, and especially to the present Starosta of Lwów and those holding office at the given time, as well as to the collectors of all public taxes in our Ruthenian lands and the Lwów district, to whose notice this letter shall come, we make known by the tenor of these presents. Whereas, although some years ago we granted to our Lwów burghers, namely those who suffered damages from the fire, freedom and immunity from all levies, fees, and contributions: both auxiliary and all others, our private ones and those of the public Republic, established at that time, as well as those to be enacted and established in the future, for a period of eight years; and this for the reason that this city, which is as foremost in our Ruthenian lands as it is always the safest refuge and most certain defense for the people of that region during the disturbances of neighboring enemies, might recover its former growth and ornament in buildings and fortifications, lost and damaged on both sides by fire. However, it has been reported to us that in the past year, the collectors of public taxes, enacted at the last Sejm of the Kingdom in Lublin with the consent of all estates of the Kingdom, disregarding and omitting that freedom and immunity, forced and compelled those burghers to pay that contribution and public fee; and this because by our public edict, announced by the authority of that assembly, we abolished and invalidated all freedoms and immunities from any contributions and levies, for any reason granted and bestowed upon any of our subjects by us four years ago. Since, however, this same city of Lwów, before it had yet compensated for the former damage and loss suffered from the fire, was struck and oppressed again by a new kind of calamity and affliction: namely the plague, which raged for a long time among the inhabitants of that city in the past year, as a result of which the burghers, and most of all those who suffered damages from the fire, had to endure far more damage and loss in all their goods and property. Therefore, wishing to provide for their property in some way, that immunity and freedom, previously given by us only to those burghers who suffered damages from fire, and abolished by a public Sejm resolution, we have deemed it right, through the intercession of some senators of our Kingdom and by the authority of this assembly, to restore and return, and by this our letter we restore and return, and as it were, newly give and bestow. To all, therefore, whom it concerns, we strictly command that they preserve and maintain the said inhabitants of our city of Lwów, affected – as stated above – by such damages, in the enjoyment of the freedom and prerogative for the past time [...] expressed in those our [letters]. And that they do not force or compel them to pay any contribution, whether enacted at the current General Sejm of the Kingdom in Warsaw or in the future, nor cause them any difficulties on their account. Our universal letters, by which freedoms granted by us and to be granted to our other subjects might have been repealed, shall in no way stand in the way of this. Furthermore, because some collectors of public contributions, having exceeded the reasons given in the universals and interpreted them in a sense other than they should, have been accustomed to force those our Lwów burghers to unusual payments of the said contributions – as has been presented to us by the envoys of this our city of Lwów – and to summon them before the Starosta's office against law and justice; which, in view of the no small respect we are accustomed to have for those burghers inhabiting this city of Lwów, bordering on enemies [...], seems to us to be a grievance; wishing to provide that in the future they do not suffer any loss due to the ambiguity of the universals, we have deemed it right to decide, decree, and announce by this our letter in this matter: that those our Lwów burghers are obliged only to pay the tax called 'szos' from all municipal goods, both those situated in the city and outside it, as well as from villages incorporated into this city and belonging to one body of that [municipal] Republic; furthermore, to pay the 'czopowe' from the brewing of beer, mead, and the retailing of other beverages and liquors brought from outside, according to ancient custom, which we confirm to them by our royal authority, and from their receipts; and thus, and not otherwise, we maintain them and wish them to be maintained by these same collectors of public contributions now and in future times. In faith and clearer testimony of which, our seal has been appended to these presents. Given in Warsaw at the General Assembly of our Kingdom, on the eighth day of the month of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and seventy, and in the forty-first year of our reign. [Signature on the right on the fold:] Walenty Dembiński of Dębian, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland [Signature on the left on the fold:] Signed by Walenty Dembiński, Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland [Note on the right margin:] Declaration of public taxes of the city of Lwów [Verso:] [18th/19th c.:] Declaration regarding the limitation? / restoration of freedom and / [...] / of the city of Lwów / [...] / and 'czopowe' / 1570 / diploma of Sigismund Augustus [Signatures:] E / Nro 48 / Nro 48. / ad Fasc: 190. / [...] / 75

[Inicjał i majuskuła ozdobna:] SIGISMVNDUS AVGVSTVS Dei gratia REX Poloniae, magnus DVX Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae etc. dominus et haeres. Vniuersis et singulis quorum interest, praesertim vero Capitaneo moderno Leopoliensi et pro tempore existentibus, Nec non Exactoribus publicarum quarumvis in terris nostris Russiae et Districtu Leopoliensi Exactoribus, harum noticiam habituris, tenore praesentium significamus. Quia et si dederamus ante aliquot annos Civibus nostris Leopolien[si]bus, iis videlicet, qui ex incendio ignis damna perpessi fuerant, libertatem et immunitatem, ab omnibus exactionibus, pensionibus, et contributionibus: tam ancillaribus, quam aliis quibusvis, nostris privatis et Reipublicae publicis, pro tunc institutis, et in posterum laudandis et instituendis, ad decursum octo annorum: Idque eam ob causam, vt Civitas illa, quae vti primaria in terris nostris Russiae est, ita quoque tempore motuum vicinorum hostium, semper tutissimum receptaculum et praesentissimum praesidium hominibus regionis illius esse solet, pristinum suum et in aedificiis et munitionibus augmentum et decorem vtrinque ignis amissum et labefactatum, rursus recuperare posset. Perlatum est tamen ad nos, anno proxime lapso Exactores Contributionum publicarum in proxima Regni Conventione Lublinensi, Consensu omnium Regni ordinum decretarum, ea ipsa libertate et immunitate neglecta et posthabita, Cives ipsos ad pendendam contributionem et pensionem ipsam publicam, coegisse et compulisse: id autem ideo, quod publico nostro authoritate illius Conventus promulgato edicto, Omnes libertates et immunitates a contributionibus et exactionibus quibusvis ex quacunque causa subditis quibuscunque nostris a nobis ante quadriennium datas et concessas, sustuleramus et abrogaveramus, quoniam vero priore damno et incommodo ex incendio ignis accepto, non dum compensato, nouo rursus calamitatis et afflictionis genere, haec eadem Civitas nostra Leopoliensis affecta et oppressa est: peste videlicet, quae anno superiore in Civitatis illius Incolas multo tempore grassabatur, vnde multo plus damni et dispendii, cives, maxime qui per incendium damnis affecti sunt in rebus et fortunis eorum omnibus subire necesse erat. Idcirco cupientes eorum fortunis vtcunque consulere, eam ipsam immunitatem et libertatem antea per nos Ciuibus ipsis duntaxat damna igne passis concessam, et publico Comitiorum decreto abrogatam, ad intercessionem quorundam Senatorum Regni nostri authoritate praesentis Conventus rursus restituendam et reddendam duximus, restituimusque et reddimus hisce literis nostris, et quasi denuo damus et largimur. Omnibus itaque quorum interest serio mandamus, vt praefatos Civitatis nostrae Leopoliensis Incolas, talibus ut praemissum est damnis affectos, in vsu libertatis et praerogativae ad tempus praeteriti praefatis nostris illis a[...] expressum, conservent et manu teneant. Neque illos ad soluendam aliquam contributionem tam in praesentibus Warschoviensibus Regni Comitiis Generalibus, quam in posterum instituendam, cogant et compellant, vel illarum nomine negotium aliquod illis facessant. Nihil ea in re obstantibus nostris vniuersalium literis, quibus aliorum subditorum nostrorum libertatibus per nos concessis et concedendis derogatum esset. Praeterea quoniam non nulli Contributionum publicarum Exactores motas Vniuersalium literarum transgressi caussas alio sensu quam par est interpretati, ad insolitas contributionum ipsarum pensiones, vti nobis per Nuncios eiusdem Civitatis nostrae Leopoliensis declaratum est, Cives ipsos nostros Leopolien[ses] adigere, eosque Capitaneali officio praeter ius et aequum deferre consueverunt, quod quidem cum nobis non cum mediocri ipsorum Civium Civitatem illam Leopoliens[em] hostibus finitimam [...]us nos dignationem habere consueuimus, incolentum iniuria esse videatur, providere cupientes, ne in posterum ex ambiguitate Vniuersalium literarum aliquo afficiantur incommodo, taliter hisce literis nostris in ea re statuendum, decernendum, declarandumque duximus: Cives ipsos nostros Leopolienses, non nisi ad solutionem Exactionis Schos dicta, ex vniuersis Civitatis bonis, tam in Civitate quam extra eam existentibus, et Villis Civitati eidem incorporatis, ad vnumque Reipublicae illius corpus pertinentibus. Tum ad Duxillorum quoque a Braxaturis Ceruisiae, Medonis ac propinatione aliorum potuum et liquorum exteriorum pensionem, iuxta morem antiquum quem nos ipsis autoritate nostra Regia approbamus et ipsorum quietantias teneri, eosque sic et non aliter per eosdem Contributionum publicarum Exactores nunc et futuris deinceps temporibus manutenemus. Volumusque conservari. In cuius rei fidem et evidentius testimonium sigillum nostrum praesentibus est subappensum. Datum Warschoviae in Conventione Regni nostri generali, die octaua Mensis Iulii, Anno Domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Septuagesimo, Regni vero nostri quadragesimo primo. [Podpis po prawej na plice:] Valentinus Dembiensky de Dembiani Regni Poloniae Cancellarius [Podpis po lewej na plice:] Valentinus Dembiensky / R[egni] P[oloniae] Cancellarius subscripsit [Nota na prawym marginesie:] Declaratio Con/tributionum publica/rum Civitatis Leopolien[sis] [Verso:] [XVIII/XIX w.:] Declarat[io] c[ir]ca restr[ictionem?] / libertatis restitutio et / [...] / Civitatis Leopol[iensis] / [...] / et Duxillorum / 1570 / Sigis[mundi] Augusti diplo[ma] [Sygnatury:] E / Nro 48 / Nro 48. / ad Fasc: 190. / [...] / 75