Translation / modern text
HENRY, by the grace of God King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Kiev, Podlachia, Livonia etc., Duke of Anjou, Bourbon, Auvergne, Count of La Marche, Forez, Quercy, Auvergne, Montfort. We announce by the tenor of this [document] to all whom it may concern, and to each one individually who shall receive knowledge of it:
That there have been presented before us by our illustrious burghers of Lviv the documents of a decree, written on paper and under the title of the once most serene Sigismund Augustus, King, our predecessor, authenticated in the courts of the same by the seal of the deputy judge and the signature of the scribe of the Lviv land [acts], containing within itself an explanation or determination regarding the privilege of these same burghers, granted to them by the once most serene, of divine memory Jadwiga, Queen of Poland, regarding customs freedom in our Kingdom and domains, and confirmed by the once of holy memory Władysław, King, our predecessor – sound, intact, and entirely free from any defect. And these same Lviv burghers beseeched us that we might deign to transcribe these same above-mentioned documents onto parchment and issue them under our seal, in the form of a vidimus, and by this royal authority approve, confirm, and ratify them. The tenor of which follows word for word in this manner:
This took place at the Lviv castle [...] of Lviv, on the Thursday next after the feast of Saint Margaret the Virgin, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and sixty-seventh. Having appeared personally before the court and the present Lviv land acts, the illustrious Wojciech Bakalarz and Mikołaj Gelazyn, Doctor of Laws, Lviv councilors, in the name and on behalf of the illustrious mayor, councilors, reeve, and jurors, and the entire commonalty of the same city of Lviv, presented the document of the decree of His Holy Royal Majesty regarding the explanation or determination of customs freedom in the Kingdom and domains of His Holy Royal Majesty, issued at the general sejm in Piotrków, strengthened by the title and seal of His Royal Majesty. Which document of the decree of His Royal Majesty was announced and read, [and] it is in the following tenor: SIGISMUND AUGUSTUS, by the grace of God King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia etc. [...] We therefore, having obtained information from ancient privileges [...], decree that the above-mentioned explanation shall be legally valid forever [...].
Given in Kraków, at the coronation sejm of our Kingdom, on the twelfth day of the month of April in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and seventy-fourth, and in the first year of our reign.
[Chancery note on the left at the bottom:] By the own command of His Holy Royal Majesty
[Chancery note on the right at the bottom:] Piotr Dunin Wolski, Bishop of Płock, Deputy Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, signed
[Scribe's signature under the fold:] Bartłomiej [...]
[Verso:]
[Note from the era:] Confirmation of King Henry regarding the customs freedom of the city of Lviv [...]
[Note:] Privilege of King Henry regarding customs freedom for the city of Lviv, 1574
[Note of oblation from 1627:] Oblated to the books of the Greater Chancery of His Holy Royal Majesty for the purpose of entry into the acts on Friday, the feast of the holy apostles Philip and James, in the Year of Our Lord 1627. Józef Romocki
[Archival signatures:] Capsa 79 Nro 7; Fasc. 63; Capsula 281; 1574 d. 12 Aprilis / A. 1567
Original wording — transcription
HENRICVS
Dei gratia REX POLONIAE, magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Kijoviae, Podlachiae, Livoniae, etc. Dux Andium, Borboniensium, Alvernorum, COMES Marchiae, Foresti, Quercii, Alverniae, Montisforti. Significamus tenore praesentium, quoscunq[ue] intererit, universis et singulis harum notitiam habituris. Reproductas esse coram nobis per famatos Cives n[ost]ros Leopolien[ses] literas decreti papyro illius inscripti, ac sub titulo SER[enissi]mi olim Sigismundi Augusti REGIS praedecessoris nostri, in Iudiciis ill[ius] Subiudicis sigillo, atq[ue] Notarii subscriptione terrestrium Leopolien[sium] communitas, elucidationem sive liquidationem super privilegium ipsorum Civium a SER[enissi]ma olim divae memoriae HEDVIGI Regina Poloniae super libertate theloneorum in Regno et dominiis n[ost]ris ipsis concessum, A pie olim pie memoriae WLADISLAVM REGEM antecessorem nostrum confirmatum, in se continentes, salvas, integras et omni prorsus vitio carentes. Supplicaruntq[ue] ei[sdem?] nobis per eosdem Cives Leopolien[ses], vt easdem literas praenominatas in pergameno describi, et sub sigillo n[ost]ro, vt in forma vidimus, extradere, atq[ue] authoritate pra[e]sen[ti] Regia approbare, confirmare et ratificare dignaremur. Quarum tenor de verbo ad verbum sequitur eiusmodi. ACTA sunt haec in Castro Leopolien[si] [...] Leopolien[sibus], feria quinta post festum Sanctae Margaritae virginis proxima Anno Domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Sexagesimo septimo. Compariti personaliter coram iudicio et actis praesentibus terrestribus Leopolien[sibus] famati Albertus Baccalaurus et Nicolaus Gelazinus iuris prudentiae Doctor, Consules Leopolien[ses], nomine et ex parte Famatorum Proconsulis, Consulum, Advocati et Scabinorum totiusq[ue] communitatis eiusdem civitatis Leopolien[sis], obtulerunt literas decreti Sacrae M[aiesta]tis Regiae, quatenus elucidationis seu liquidationis libertatis theloneorum in Regno et dominiis Sacrae M[aiesta]tis Regiae in conventione generali Petricoviensi lati, titulo et sigillo suae M[aiesta]tis roboratas. Quas literas decreti suae M[aiesta]tis publicavit et legit, sunt in tenore eiusmodi: SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS Dei gra[tia] REX Poloniae, magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae etc. [...] Nos igitur habita informatione ex antiquis privilegiis [...] decernimus elucidationem praefatam ratam fore perpetuo [...] Datum Cracoviae in comitiis Regni nostri coronationis die duodecima mensis Aprilis Anno Domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Septuagesimo Quarto, Regni vero nostri Anno primo.
[Nota kancelaryjna z lewej strony u dołu:] Ad mandatum Sacrae Regiae Maiestatis proprium
[Nota kancelaryjna z prawej strony u dołu:] Petrus Dunin Wolski Episcopus Plocensis Regni Poloniae Vicecancellarius s[ubscripsi]t
[Podpis pisarza pod zakładką:] Bartholomaeus [...]
[Verso:]
[Nota z epoki:] Confirmatio Henrici Regis super libertate theloneorum civitatis Leopoliensis [...]
[Nota:] Regis Henrici Privilegium libertatis theloneorum pro civitate Leopoliensi, 1574
[Nota oblaty z 1627 r.:] Oblata sunt hisce in monumenta Cancellariae Sacrae Regiae Maiestatis maioris ad actiandum feria sexta in festo SS. Apostolorum Philippi et Jacobi Apostolorum Anno D[omi]ni 1627. Joseph Romocki
[Sygnatury archiwalne:] Capsa 79 Nro 7; Fasc. 63; Capsula 281; 1574 d. 12 Aprilis / A. 1567
Reading notes
Parchment document preserved in good condition; minor abrasions and staining on the folds. The initial 'H' and the letters of the king's name 'HENRICVS' in the header section are decorated calligraphically with floral and interlacing motifs. At the bottom, the royal seal is preserved (wax, under a diamond-shaped paper cover) suspended on a parchment strip drawn from the fold. The document contains a transumpt of an extract from the Lviv land books from 1567, which in turn contains the decree of King Sigismund II Augustus issued at the sejm in Piotrków, explaining and confirming the ancient customs privileges of Queen Jadwiga and Władysław Jagiełło for Lviv.
