Permission from King Sigismund Augustus for Lviv to allocate the 'czopowe' tax for the reconstruction of fortifications

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 person concerned that it has been reported to us by certain of our advisors that our city of Lviv, which had previously been severely affected and shaken many times by the miserable abyss of fire, has again, due to the immense and barely expressible cruelty of that same element, fallen into such great ruin of its goods and property, upon which it relied primarily, and into such enormous losses and damages, that it completely doubts and loses hope that it could recover what it possessed—to the great admiration of all, for the glory of its name, and for the defense of its affairs. Therefore, we, desiring that our city of Lviv be properly remedied and assisted, and wishing that it may, through our grace, again raise and renew its fallen strength (which relied mainly on weapons, towers, cannons, and other such defenses, destroyed and turned to ashes by the relentless fire), have deemed it right to endow it with such a privilege and freedom, thanks to which it will be able to conveniently repair those damages and the disaster. Therefore, that levy, which is commonly called 'czopowe', customarily paid on all kinds of drinks and enacted for the needs of the Republic and our Kingdom, and collected from those citizens who were spared by that fire disaster, for a period of six years continuously and consecutively, counting from the date of this letter, we give and graciously grant to the said city for the reconstruction of towers, cannons, and other fortifications destroyed by the fire, by this our letter. In such a way, however, that the magistrate of that city shall be obliged and compelled to render to us a sufficient and accurate account of those levies after the expiration of the term of that freedom and privilege. Which we bring to the knowledge of all whom it concerns, and in particular to the noble Mikołaj Herburt of Fulsztyn, our Starosta of Lviv and current collector, and the incumbent official, ordering that the mentioned city be kept in that freedom and privilege, graciously granted by us, and that they ensure it is maintained by those whom it concerns. In witness whereof [this letter] has been signed by our own hand, and our seal has been appended hereto. Given in Warsaw, on the twenty-fifth day of the month of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and seventy-one, and in the forty-second year of our reign. Sigismund Augustus King, signed [Verso:] [Ink stamp:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT RECORDS OF THE CITY OF LVIV [Archival inscriptions:] 732 1571 Of Sigismund Augustus For a period of six years freedom [and] donation of 'czopowe' from citizens unaffected by fire 1571 to bundle: 190. Chest 76 E 77 [Seal:] [A wax royal seal in a natural wax bowl suspended on a parchment strip]

SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS DEI gratia REX Poloniæ, magnus DVX Lithuaniæ, Russiæ, Prussiæ, Masouiæ, Samogitiæq[ue] &c. Dominus et Hæres. SIgnificamus præsentibus literis nostris, quorum interest vniversis et singulis. Delatum esse ad nos per certos Consiliarios n[ost]ros, Ciuitatem n[ost]ram Leopolien[sem], quæ antea per ignis infaustam vora=ginem, grauiter toties afflicta et conquassata fuerat, rursus per eiusdem elementi enormem, et vix verbis exprimen[dam] seuitiem, ad tantam reru[m] et substantiæ suæ ruina[m], in quibus sua præcipua collocabat p[re]sidia, iacturam damnaq[ue] ingentia deuenisse, vt omni[n]o addubitet neq[ue] speret ea recupere posse, quæ non sine magna om=nium admira[ti]on[e] nominis sui fama, protectioniq[ue] rerum suarum possidebat. Qva propter nos recte consultum, atq[ue] prospectum eidem Ciuitati n[ost]ræ Leopolien[si] esse volen=tes, cupientesq[ue] vt iterum vires suas collapsas erigere, atq[ue] redintegrare (quæ maxime armis, turribus, tormentis bellicis, et id genus alijs præsidijs ignis incle=mentia consumptis et deuastatis stabat) per gratiam n[ost]ram possit; visum est nobis, vt eandem tali prærogatiua et libertate donemus, qua ea damna et cladem refarcire commodè queat. Proinde exact[i]o[n]em illam quæ vulgo Czopowe dicitur, ab omni genere potuum solui consuetam, et pro necessitate Reipub[licæ] Regniq[ue] nostri lau=datam, a civibus ijs, qui ab ea clade ignis, liberati sunt exigendam, ad decursum Sex annorum, continuè a immediatè se sequentium, a data præsentium inclusi=uè computandorum, eidem Ciuitati pro reformatione turrium, tormentorumq[ue] bellicorum et aliarum munitionum igne exustorum, donamus et gratiosè conferimus, hisce præn[ti]bus literis n[ost]ris. Jta t[ame]n, vt Magistratus Ciuitatis illius, de redden[da] nobis sufficienti, et perfecta ratione, talium exactionum, post de=lapsum libertatis huius et prærogatiuæ tempus, astrictus sit et teneatur. Qvod ad omniu[m] quorum interest notitiam, nominatim vero Generosi Nicolai Herburt[h] de Fulsztin capitanei n[ost]ri Leopolien[sis] Exactor[is]q[ue] moderni et pro tempore existen[tis] noticiam deducimus, mandamusq[ue] vt memoratam ciuitatem in ea libertate et prærogatiua a nobis gratiosè concessa conseruent, ab ijsquorum interest conseruari curent. Jn cuius rei fidem manu n[ost]ra propria sub=scriptum, sigillumq[ue] n[ost]r[u]m p[ræse]ntibus appensum est. Datum Warssouiæ die vigesima quinta mensis Junij, Anno domini Millesimo quingentesi[m]o Septuagesimo Primo, REGNI VERO nostri ANNO Quadragesimo secundo. Sigismundus Augustus Rex s[ub]s[cripsit] [Verso:] [Pieczęć tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Inskrypcje archiwalne:] 732 1571 Sigism[undi] Augusti Ad decursu[m] sex annoru[m] libertas donatio Czopowe ex civib[us] no[n] conflagrat[is] 1571 ad Fasc: 190. Arca 76 E 77 [Pieczęć:] [Na pasku pergaminowym zawieszona woskowa pieczęć koronna w misce z wosku naturalnego]