Translation / modern text
Noble and distinguished Lords, most esteemed Friends and Neighbors!
Receiving frequent news of contagious diseases spreading in Ruthenia, Ukraine, and Podolia, we should beg God to deign to avert from us a severe and terrible punishment. We should also diligently pay attention to all circumstances through which such a plague could penetrate to us.
By the duty of our office, we are therefore sending Prałowski [?], a citizen of Kraków, to obtain accurate information about these plagues. We ask you and address you with an official request that you duly inform him where and in what places these plagues currently prevail and appear.
We also ask that you detain people of all ranks on the roads under your city's jurisdiction, Christians and Jews, merchants and others, especially those passing through and arriving from areas affected by the plague. Question them thoroughly, check their passports and certificates stating that they have arrived and brought goods from healthy places.
If these documents prove to be good and credible, confirm them with an official signature and the city seal. Only then allow the travelers to continue their journey on the basis of such reliable and correct passports.
We earnestly ask that you diligently maintain these rules and watch over their observance for public safety and your own good. We remain with all appreciation,
Your noble and distinguished Lords, most esteemed Brothers and Friends,
sincere friends and most devoted neighbors,
the mayor and councilors of the city of Kraków, capital of the Kingdom of Poland.
Given in Kraków, November 26, 1770.
[Address:] To the noble and distinguished lords, the mayor, councilors, and the entire magistrate of the royal city of Lwów, capital of Ruthenia, most esteemed Lords, Friends, and Neighbors.
[Note on the reverse:] From Kraków, 2 [November or December?] 1770, regarding the pestilential plague [date of the note read with uncertainty].
Original wording — transcription
Nobiles et Spectabiles Domini
Amici et vicini observandissimi.
Maiąc częste wiadomości o szerzących się zaraźliwych chorobach na Rusi, Ukrainie y Podolu należy nam błagać Maiestat Boski aby srogą y okropną karę od Nas oddalać raczył, niemniey mieć pilną baczność na wszelkie okazye, przez ktoreby takowa zaraza do Nas wtargnąć się mogła. Przeto gdy z obligacyi Urzędu Naszego dla powzięcia należytey o tychże zarazach wiadomości wysyłamy [wyraz przed nazwiskiem nieodczytany] [Prałowskiego?; nazwisko niepewne] Mieszczanina Krakowskiego, Upraszamy WMPanow, Rekwirowiemy abyście Jegoż należycie gdzie y w ktorym mieyscu takowe zarazy dotychczas panuią y potkażuią się raczyli uwiadomić. Oraz Żebyście wszelkiey Kondycyi Ludzi tak Chrześcian iako y Żydow Kupcow y innych mianowicie od tamtych Stron Zarazom podległych przeieżdżaiących y przechodzących na Traktach do Miasta swego należących zatrzymywali, należycie onychże examinowali, Paszporty y Attestata iako z mieysc zdrowych przybyli y Towary sprowadzili rewidowali. A takowe gdy by postać oyść dobre, y wiary godne podpisem Urzędowym y Pieczęcią Miasta utwierdzili, y dopiero dalszego przeiazdu za temiż rzetelnemi y doskonałemi Paszportami iadającym dopuscili. To wszystko dla publicznego bezpieczeństwa y własnego dobra raczcie WPanowie pilnie zachować y przestrzegać usilnie upraszamy zostaiąc z wszelką rekognicyą.
Nobilium ac Spectabilium Dominorum Fratrum Amicorum Observandissimorum
Amici Sinceri et Vicini addictissimi.
Proconsul et Consules Urbis Cracoviæ Metropolis Regni Poloniæ.
Datt[um] Cracov[iæ] d[ie] 26. 9bris A[nn]o 1770.
[Parafa/oznaczenie XLVII.]
[Adres, PDF s. 3:]
Nobilibus et Spectabilibus Dominis Præconsuli, Consulibus Totiq[ue] Magistratui Civitatis Sacræ Regiæ M[aies]t[a]tis Leopoliensis Metropolis Russiæ Dominis Amicis et Vicinis observandissimis.
[Dopisek na odwrociu:] z Krakowa d[ie?] 2da [9br/Xbr?] 1770 względem zarazy powietrzney.
[Adnotacja archiwalna u góry listu: ex fasc. 642 a.a.]
Reading notes
All three pages of the PDF were examined. The date of the letter itself, '26. 9bris', means November 26, 1770, and matches the cover. The ambiguous note on the reverse was not used to date the letter: the visible form '2da' and the abbreviation of the month are uncertain; it may refer to December. The word before the envoy's surname remains unread, and the surname was written as 'Prałowskiego?' with a clear reservation; no externally established identity was assigned to him. This local reading should be revisited during paleographic consultation. 'Potkażuią się' has been preserved as a source variant. 'Gdy by postać oyść dobre' is an unusual, not fully explained construction; the subsequent 'wiary godne' and the order to authenticate documents are legible. Christians and Jews are mentioned in the source in parallel among the controlled travelers; this information has not been omitted. 'Rewidować' passports and attestata means to check them, not a modern personal search. The orders for control and authentication of documents do not prove that the Lwów magistrate had already performed them. The source speaks of contagious diseases and plagues, without a clear diagnosis of a specific pathogen. Official signature, without the names of its signatories. No separate legible seal impression is present.
Location in scan: 132/1/177, PDF p. 2: letter; p. 3: address and note; p. 1: cover.
Notes on the translation (transferred from the text): the word before the surname is unread. The original construction of this condition is unclear.