Source catalogue

The mayor and councilors of Gródek issue an official receipt for a royal mandate concerning a donative imposed on the town, delivered by a messenger of the Lwów councilors. The document was authenticated with a seal and the signature of the town notary.

The councilors of Dolyna confirm the receipt of the royal universal and the protestation of the Lviv magistrate concerning the collection of the enacted parliamentary donation. They declare that they have informed the commoners about the imposition of a sum of two hundred zlotys on the town and have set the deadline for its transfer for May 15.

The mayor and councilors of Drohobycz address the authorities of Lviv with a humble request to send the city executioner for an imprisoned criminal. They assure them of proper hospitality, remuneration, and the return of the master of justice after the sentence is carried out.

Elbląg declares solidarity with the magistrate of Lwów and support for the protection of municipal authorities. Since the provincial assemblies ended unsuccessfully and no deputies to the Sejm were elected, it cannot fulfill the request through that channel. It announces that the secretary, who is soon to depart for Warsaw, will be instructed to lobby the Grand Chancellor and other patrons for a favorable resolution of Lwów's case.

The town councilors describe the return of a reconnaissance unit from near Włodawa and announce the forwarding of testimonies from captured spies. They report a rumor of a success by the Lithuanian hetman as unconfirmed. They ask Lwów to keep its promise to respect the rights of Zamość regarding the collection of fees and the deposits of its inhabitants.

The town councilors convey a report from an envoy returning from the Lithuanian Hetman: news of the loss of Obuchowicz, commander of a reconnaissance unit consisting of five banners, his retreat, and his departure towards the Voivode of Ruthenia in the vicinity of Lublin. They inform about sending copies of correspondence, which is not present in the preserved unit.

The authorities of Zamość convey reports of the plague in Niemirów, the vicinity of Pików, and deep within Ukraine. They describe the ban on receiving people without verification, announced by the sound of a trumpet, and the requirement for a passport for arrivals. They ask Lwów to implement similar protective measures.

The mayor and councilors of Kałusz certify the receipt of a royal universal concerning a donation of one hundred thousand zlotys for the needs of the monarch and the state. They also confirm the receipt of an attached letter from the municipal authorities of Lviv.

The councilors of Kamianets return to the correspondence and the royal resolution regarding the passage of caravans, merchants' goods, and the staple rights of Lviv. They request that the agreements be honored and that men be present to guard the merchants and goods. They mention an attached copy of a royal letter under their own seal; the detailed transit clauses remain partially illegible.

The Magistrate of Kamianets-Podilskyi responds to a letter from the Lviv authorities concerning the runaway servants of the Grand Crown Chancellor. They assure that the local fortress commandant has been informed and express their readiness to immediately apprehend the deserters should they appear in the city.

The Magistrate of Kamieniec certifies that Szymon Łaminoty [?], a municipal servant of Lviv, brought packages on carts related to the Lithuanian Chamberlain Mniszek, an envoy of the Republic to the Porte. It confirms their receipt and authenticates the document with a seal; the uncertain part of the list was left with gaps.

Following a reduction in the value of currency, the Podolian Voivodeship established a commission to set prices for goods and equipment. Merchants requested a postponement for submitting their registers and closed their shops. The commission ordered sales at half the previous price. The magistrates of Kamieniec requested information from Lwów regarding a similar tariff; the final resolution remains open.

The mayor and councillors of Kolomyia confirm the receipt of a royal universal concerning a donative for the benefit of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, delivered through the mediation of the Lviv councillors. The issued certificate is intended to serve the Lviv authorities as proof of the proper fulfillment of duties towards the monarch and the state.

The Mayor and Council of the Capital City of Kraków thank the authorities of Lwów for the news sent and request that further updates be conveyed via the returning messenger. They declare their willingness to reciprocate the favor at the next opportunity.

Kraków requests the release of its burgher Ciamer from a second payment of the donativa in Lwów and the unsealing of his goods. It argues that the merchant has already paid in Kraków, and that the universal decrees exclude the collection of the same tribute again in another city. It also cites the merchant's account of established practice and his commercial losses.

Kraków claims that Scottish merchants are using royal rescripts and letters of protection to violate municipal trade laws, evade burdens, and avoid jurisdiction. It describes the case of the merchant Rijdt [?] and the seizure of his goods. It asks Lwów for joint action and the sharing of similar judicial rulings.

Kraków thanks Lwów for suspending the execution of the ruling regarding competing claims to the estate of the late Jan Nyżek [?], a shop assistant of Mrs. Węgrzynowiczowa. It informs about the dispatch of her legal representative and requests a fair examination of her claims.

Kraków presents the efforts of the Krakow Academy to have John Cantius recognized as a patron of the Kingdom of Poland, to move the date of his feast, and to establish a solemn octave. It asks Lwów to submit its own petition to the Pope and to send a copy to Krakow, enclosing its own submission as a model for the content.

In response to Lwów's complaint regarding the exclusion of the magistrate from price-setting, Kraków describes its own practice: two meetings per year with the participation of the voivodeship office, the castle court, and the city council. It explains the order of votes, the maintenance of a price book, the preparation of copies, and the public announcement of the tariff. In the postscript, it discusses the punishment of violations, the weighing of bread, and the testing of beer.

The Magistrate of Kraków asks whether in Lwów beer may be brewed exclusively by members of the guild, or also by other burghers for their own needs and for sale. It requests the rules for collecting the tap tax and copies of laws or decrees granting the freedom of brewing and retail to citizens, rather than the guild. It also asks about the possibility of importing beer from other places for household needs.

The Magistrate of Kraków received news via post that 27 people died in three houses in Kamieniec within two weeks. They ask the Magistrate of Lwów for confirmation and more detailed information regarding the possible plague. They intend to seek ways to prevent its spread and encourage the recipients to exercise similar caution.

Kraków confirms receipt of an earlier letter from Lwów regarding a different, partially illegible matter. It then inquires about a rumor concerning two sudden deaths in the Lwów suburbs and symptoms of plague in other individuals. It demands honest information and protective measures against travelers to preserve the health of the inhabitants, the credibility of municipal certificates, and trade with Silesia.

The Magistrate of Kraków reports news from Hungary about a severe plague beyond the Tisza and Miskolc [?]. It requests Lwów to send letters to border towns, check passports and certificates of arrivals, and recommend guards and roadblocks on the roads.

Kraków warns that the plague in Hungary is approaching the Polish border and, according to recent reports, has appeared in the towns of Orava. There is concern regarding the movement of Hungarians, Polish vineyard workers, craftsmen, and deserters. The magistrate also reports that in Biały Dunajec, eight people died in two houses following the arrival of a digger, but no further deaths have been recorded there for five weeks. It advises Lwów to exercise caution and to warn the border towns.

Kraków refers to a rumor about the appearance of a plague on the Turkish border, in a town with an uncertain name. It asks Lwów for reliable information. For safety reasons, it announces the inspection of people arriving or passing through from that direction and the requirement of an authentic passport confirming their origin from a healthy area.

Kraków received Lviv's letter of August 5th along with the interrogation of Szewelier. The creditors do not demand his transfer, as he has no means to repay his debts. They are willing to reimburse the costs of his maintenance and the officials' work, but they do not intend to pay his Lviv debts.

The Magistrate of Kraków requests the search for and imprisonment of a Frenchman named Szewele, also known as Rytter, in Lwów. He is accused of defrauding creditors, fleeing with over seven hundred red zlotys, and abandoning his pregnant wife. Information regarding two previous wives is presented as a rumor.

The creditors did not find the expected money on the detainee. Kraków leaves the adjudication of debts and charges to the local court, requests an interrogation based on the attached questions, and asks for a certified record. The creditors promise to cover chancery fees and modest board from the beginning of the imprisonment.

Upon receiving the letter from the 26th of the previous month, the magistrate persuaded Chevalier's creditors to cover the costs of his board and the work of officials. It informs about the transfer of 282 tymfs via Stobkowski [?] and thanks Lwów for their efforts and expenses.

Kraków expresses gratitude for locating and imprisoning Szewela alias Rytter. It delays sending a man for the detainee because Lwów demanded the arrival of a commissioner and the coverage of local debts and costs. It requests an itemized list of these so that the messenger may arrive with the appropriate funds.

Kraków expresses gratitude for the Christmas and New Year wishes and responds regarding the Wrocław tymfs. It informs about the application of the universal of the Grand Treasurer of the Crown, according to which a tymf has an exchange rate of two Polish szóstaks, confirmed by a decree of the Crown Tribunal. It announces the attachment of a copy of the relevant point.

Kraków thanks the magistrate of Lwów for the letter of August 8, conveying news about contagious diseases in Podolia, Ukraine, Kamieniec Podolski, and Żółkiew, as well as the precautionary measures taken. It requests further news and declares reimbursement for the costs of transporting the letters.

The Magistrate of Kraków sends its citizen to obtain detailed information about contagious diseases spreading in Ruthenia, Ukraine, and Podolia. It asks Lwów to inform the envoy, detain travelers and merchants from plague-stricken areas, and verify passports and health certificates for travelers and goods. It demands that the authenticity of these documents be verified by an official signature and the city seal before allowing further passage.

Kraków has learned that Lviv sent two barber-surgeons to the vicinity of Tarnopol to verify reports of contagious diseases. They request a report on their findings in order to take precautionary measures in advance. The sender expresses hope that the rumor will not be confirmed.

Krosno explains that daily oppression by military companies made it impossible to quickly collect and send the donative. It mentions receiving news about the extension of the payment deadline to November 20 and asks Lwów for the greatest possible relief in their difficult situation.

The municipal authorities of Leżajsk acknowledge receipt of the royal universal forwarded by the mayor and councilors of Lwów regarding the donative of one hundred thousand zlotys from the Ruthenian Voivodeship. They inform about the acceptance of the sixty zloty quota imposed on the recently burned town.

Responding to an inquiry from Lviv, Lublin provides details on fees: one zloty for the voivode and three groszy for the deputy voivode per barrel of wine. No similar charges are indicated for other goods. It mentions levies on food brought from the countryside and contributions from merchants and guilds during the twice-yearly price-fixing process. It requests that the response remain confidential.

The Lublin magistrate complains that the butchers' guild refuses to pay the poll tax, citing their residence outside municipal jurisdiction, and has issued summonses against the city before the kaptur courts. They ask the Lwów magistrate for an authentic document confirming whether guilds there pay the burdens of the Commonwealth and the city even when their members reside under other jurisdictions. In a postscript, they inquire about the organization of the Lwów court, the role of clerical judges, and the venue for court proceedings.

The President and Councilors of Lublin announce that they have elected delegates from among themselves to Warsaw for September 1, 1738, in accordance with the written order of the Grand Treasurer of the Crown. The delegates are to participate in the preparation of the Crown Treasury instruction. The authors express their hope that the magistrate of Lwów will also fulfill the Treasurer's will.

The authorities of Lublin reiterate their request to the Lviv magistrate to send a decree of the Radom Tribunal regarding the exemption from the exchange of red zlotys. In return for the assistance, they declare their readiness to reciprocate in similar matters.

The Lublin magistrate refers to reports of a royal commission examining the case between the authorities of Lviv and the Jews trading in the city. They wish to emulate Lviv's actions and request a certified copy of the decree, specifically the point concerning the removal of Jews, to serve as a precedent. They declare their willingness to cover the chancery fees.

The Lublin Magistrate expresses gratitude for the interest shown in an unusual and unfortunate incident and for the letters of intercession. They request that the case, which is to be heard by the Tribunal, be recommended to the Archbishop of Lviv, and that the enclosed letter be delivered to him. The document does not describe the incident itself nor does it name the parties involved in the dispute.

The Magistrate asks its envoys for intervention and advice regarding municipal forests, labor duties, Ruthenians operating taverns, confiscated fish, real estate, pastures, transport services, an investigation into debts owed to Gdańsk merchants, and rumors about Tatars. The second part reports on a dispute over the execution of a court ruling concerning a mill, the deposit of a sum of 1500, and the objections of the Hinek family and Sieradzki. The authors complain about the conduct of the deputy starosta and the lack of permanent legal assistance; they announce further documents and send a copy of a letter from the Wisznia sejmik.

The author of the note informs about sending a receipt from the starosta to Mr. Zaleski. The document served as an acknowledgment of the payment of 72 florins and 18 groszy in tolls by Mikołaj, a councilor of Kamianets, to the Lviv customs officer.

The Magistrate reports that Mikołaj Wilczek severely wounded the barber-surgeon Lorenc, which caused an uproar among the townspeople. It describes the sub-starosta's reluctance to assist in apprehending the perpetrator, the nobility's support for Wilczek, and the attempt to calm the situation. It requests that the matter be presented to the King. Furthermore, it discusses the refusal to release the records of the mill trial, four protests, the dispute over the correct procedure for execution, and the seeking of further legal advice. It mentions damages to herds and lands, the Gdańsk debt commission, and the death of the old scribe Jan.

The councilors respond to the envoys' letter dated in Warsaw on January 4. They request the finalization of the matter with Mr. Paczek, send documents and 70 zlotys via the city clerk's servant, Marcin. They urge the envoys to remain and prevent damage to the city's interests.

Lwów seeks the Voivode's support before the royal court in a dispute with Stanisław Szembek. According to the councilors, the city purchased the lands for several thousand zlotys from the Crown Cupbearer, while Szembek claims rights to them through his wife's predecessor (as described in the letter). This represents the argumentation of one party, not a court verdict.

The city councilors thank the Marshal for his care of Lviv's envoys and ask for his support before the King in a dispute with Stanisław Szembek over lands purchased by the city. They mention the previous rights of the father of Szembek's wife and the payment of several thousand zlotys. This is a parallel submission to letter 190 addressed to the Voivode.

The councilors and commonalty of Lwów submit a declaration to the Hetman concerning the college. The preserved paragraph mentions a royal consent/decision and contains a request regarding a school or schoolmaster (reading uncertain), but not all conditions of the city's position can be read with certainty. A note on the reverse side provides the date November 16, 1607, and states that the Hetman was not satisfied and returned the letter with anger.

Stanisław Kasperinus thanks the recipient for his help in city matters. He mentions the death of the city syndic and his successor, support from the royal secretary, and the sending of document files for legal disputes. He discusses a dispute against butchers involving a widow and the Jesuit fathers, an appeal related to the Armenians and Kamieniec, and the need to support the city's interests. Uncertain names and surnames are left with gaps.