Source catalogue

In view of the enemy approaching the city, the Lwów councilors ask the Grabowiec starosta Marek Matczyński for his support with the Grand Crown Hetman. They desire the arrival of soldiers with prepared means for their maintenance, a good commander, and help in purchasing ammunition and food, including from the city's beer and spirits tax. They also ask for letters to land officials so that they immediately issue taxes for the city's urgent needs.

The Lwów councilors ask the hetman to protect the municipal villages of Zubrza and Sichów and to exempt their subjects from the forced transport of oaks. They claim that the villages have already been devastated by the army and the rest of the inhabitants may leave. They propose using artillery carters who have horses and wagons.

The delegates confirm receipt of the letter from the Lwów magistrate with Sejm projects. They declare their respect for its will but do not understand the reasons for the decision provided in the letter. They announce their further journey. A dense postscript contains additional instructions, largely unreadable.

The presidents of the Lwów council assure sub-judge Łoś that in the case of the Osmulska tenement house initiated by the Kaniów starosta, they will not allow any prejudice to his rights. They promise treatment in accordance with justice and the dignity of the addressee; the letter does not contain a resolution of the dispute.

The authors write from Zamość to the Lwów magistrate about the difficulties of the journey. Before departure, the axle of the luggage wagon broke; reloading items and obtaining parts for the carriage delayed the trip. They set off in the evening for Janów, leaving the driver with the belongings, and the next day they waited for him until noon. Further on, the carriage kept breaking down. The final part of the report is missing.

The councilors of Przemyśl postpone all lawsuits with Lwów before the royal relational and assessor courts until March 6, 1595, in the hope of a settlement and with the preservation of the parties' rights. They mention a similar commitment from the people of Lwów.

The councilors of Przemyśl declare the suspension of municipal, private, and guild cases against the people of Lwów until three weeks have passed since the start of the next Sejm. The goal is to enable a settlement; Lwów was to make a similar commitment.

The councilors describe the decline of cities, the killing of one mayor and the dragging of another to the castle, the reduction of jurisdiction and lands, and trade difficulties. They call on Lwów to act together before the Sejm and announce a meeting on December 29. The allegations are presented as the authors' claims.

The councilors send back to Lwów correspondence received from the treasurer, intended for the municipal authorities and two officials. They explain that the mayor accidentally took out and opened one of the letters. They ask not to treat this as an intentional breach of secrecy.

The authorities of Przemyśl ask for transcripts from the Lwów books regarding royal resolutions in the dispute between the magistrate and the commoners: exemption from all contributions and an assessment of the community's charges against the magistrate. They are interested in records relating to the authority of the municipal office. They promise gratitude and later payment to the scribe for his work.

The Przemyśl magistrate accuses the Lwów authorities of hiring their municipal master (executioner) without a testimonium. According to the senders, he left without notifying the office, leaving behind his wife and children. They demand a refusal of employment and that he be sent back on the same cart with the same driver, as they have several prisoners. The letter does not describe their cases or sentences.

Poznań responds to the news received by mail from Lwów about Becal, whom the senders accuse of oppressing Christian merchants under the pretext of a new constitution. The letter expresses fear that similar actions will also affect Poznań. It announces the presentation of the matter to persons inclined to intervene so that it reaches the king and the Crown Treasurer.

Poznań expresses sympathy for the injury of the president and the entire Lwów magistrate, suffered according to the letter on January 5, 1738. It declares a joint defense of municipal rights and the sending of news to the chancellor and the royal court, asks for further information, and wishes the president a recovery. The original does not mention the perpetrators or the exact course of the event.

Ratno received from a Lwów messenger a royal universal ordering the transfer of a donation to Lwów by October 15. The authors state that the universal arrived on that very day, and they immediately, working day and night, sent the payment through their neighbor. They ask for a favorable reception and confirmation of receipt; they explain the delay by the late delivery of the universal, not by negligence.

The mayor and councilors of Rohatyn confirm receipt of the royal universal forwarded by the Lwów councilors regarding the donation. The preserved short fragment about money and its dispatch is difficult to read; the amount or stage of payment has not been determined with certainty.

The magistrate confirms receipt of the call for the donation enacted in Toruń and asks Lwów to intervene to exempt Rohatyn. It argues the decline of trade: it rhetorically asks about even one ox sold in Jarosław, a piece of cloth, or a sack of pepper; a small peddler was supposed to bring barely one stone of pepper. It also points to the burdens caused by the army.

The mayors and council of Świecie complain about the almost daily passage of soldiers and the announced arrival of dragoons numbering 90 horses, coming from Hungary for winter maintenance by order of the Inowrocław voivode. They refer to the news from the lessee and an earlier payment, the verb of which remains unread. They ask Jan Jabłonowski for help in the face of the city's impending ruin and the destitution of the inhabitants.

Świecie renews the complaint about the soldiers and states the city's losses at five hundred zlotys, and the president's at 58 zlotys 20 groszy in taken goods. It asks Jan Jabłonowski to lead to the consideration and deduction of losses when paying the army at the general Lwów commission. Separately, it asks for a receipt allowing to receive wood from the Świecie starosta's forest for a bridge threatened with destruction by ice after a hard winter; the lessee does not accept earlier receipts.

The authorities of Świecie ask their starosta for protection against the military execution of services, also dependent on the lessee's decision. They assure that they previously used his protection, apologize for an unspecified offense, and send representatives who are to explain the expenses, difficulties, and damages related to the dams, heads, and banks of the Vistula.

The Śniatyn office certifies the testimony of the bailiff about the public announcement of the king's confirmation of the Lwów right of staple at the Piotrków Sejm. It warns against bypassing the staple city and looking for another route. It anticipates the detention of the merchant along with oxen and other goods. The testimony was entered into the records and confirmed with a seal; it is not a report of a completed seizure of goods.

At the request of Krzysztof, a glazier and Lwów burgher acting as a proxy for the Lwów councilors and commoners, the bailiff's testimony about announcing the sub-starosta's order to arriving merchants was recorded. The announcement cites the royal mandate, the Crown constitution, and the universal regarding Lwów trade. It prohibits buying goods and oxen in violation of the regulations and bypassing the usual Lwów road, under penalty of confiscation of goods, half for the king and half for Lwów.

The magistrate of Stara Sól asks the President of Lwów to send an executioner to carry out a sentence on an unnamed convict. Piotr Staromiejski, the former mayor, is left in Lwów as a guarantor until the executioner returns. The letter assures payment, safety, and the health of the residents of Stara Sól and the Russian military posts. The planned arrival is to take place on Thursday, the execution on Saturday, and the return for the holidays; the letter does not confirm the realization of these intentions.

The councilors of Stryj certify that on April 9 they received a royal universal and a reminder from the Lwów magistrate regarding a donation of 100,000 zlotys. As a merchant city, Stryj is allocated 200 zlotys, which are to be sent to Lwów by May 15. They confirm announcing the obligation to the residents, but not its payment.

The Councilors of the city of Chełm inform the authorities of Lwów about the delivery of a treasury universal regarding the donative by a messenger and the payment of his due remuneration. Despite the poverty of the local population and the lack of wealthy merchants, they declare their willingness to comply with the royal orders.

The mayor and councilors of Jaworów ask the councilors of Lwów to send a ruling in an appeal case between Grzegorz Bobolowicz [spelling of the surname uncertain], the plaintiff, and Marek Woskobujnik, a cooper, the defendant — if the case has already been resolved.

The mayor and councilors of Jaworów certify receipt from the Lwów authorities of a royal universal from Warsaw, dated March 20, 1629, ordering the transfer of a local amount tentatively read as 500 zlotys for the donation. The total sum enacted by the Sejm for the Crown cities is 100,000 zlotys. The document does not certify that the payment was made.

The authorities of Jazłowiec certify complaints from Eastern merchants regarding the burdens imposed by Lwów translators. According to the merchants, the fees exceed the customs duties entered in the register, and the inspection is repeated. The Jazłowiec magistrate asks the Lwów authorities to stop the abuses, arguing that they also harm the city itself, and confirms the letter with a seal and signatures.

In the records of the Jarosław bench court, a bailiff's report was recorded regarding the announcement at the four corners of the market square of an order to bring goods via regular routes to Lwów and to respect the staple right. The order was announced during a fair at the request of the Lwów authorities, with the authorization of the Crown estates and Mikołaj Herburt of Fulsztyn. It provides for the detention of persons bypassing the law and the seizure of their goods.

The mayor and councilors of Jarosław ask the Lwów council to announce to merchants that the upcoming Jarosław fair will take place at the usual time. They refer to the will and authority of the Marshal and Grand Crown Hetman and their benefactress, and encourage them to arrive with goods without fear of hostile actions. This is an assurance and invitation from the senders, not a confirmation of the fair's progress.

The authorities of Jarosław respond to a letter from Lwów regarding merchant attendance at the fair. They inform that on that day they instructed the bailiff to announce during the market an invitation for safe arrival, without fear of extraordinary extortions. They refer to the promised protection of the Marshal and Grand Crown Hetman and offer New Year's greetings.

Jarosław responds to Lwów's request by sending an executioner. It demands his quick return after the execution, with a certificate and on a good wagon. A Lwów burgher remains in Jarosław as a guarantee of return.

Piotr Abramowicz addresses Stanisław Suski, the deputy starosta of Mościska. Legible fragments concern fish, the lack of something, and faint hope; there is also a mention of Jews and a prince. Significant reading difficulties make it impossible to reliably reconstruct the conditions or direction of the transaction. The date, signature, and address are much more legible than the content.

The sender reports on the proceedings before the Rota regarding St. Lazarus Hospital. After obtaining absolution with the help of a breve, it was decided who is entitled to manage the hospital. He points to the prior and the senior brothers and the decision of May 15. He hopes for victory but continues to strive to conclude the case and mentions legal expenses.

Alberti assures of his zeal in carrying out the recipient's orders. He writes about the liveries of a gentleman with an uncertainly read surname, intends to support the case, and obtain the necessary letter. He conveys his respects to the voivodess.

Armand confidentially reports on the Queen's agreement with her son Jakub after 10–12 days of negotiations. The Queen was to settle for a life interest in her late husband's estates; movables, jewels, and cash were to be divided equally between the brothers. He mentions the mediators and the dates of the dietines (July 27) and the convocation (August 29), which point to the year 1696.

The priest has been ill for a week. He reports an improvement but will remain in Lwów until he regains his strength and the roads improve. He regrets not listening to his benefactor; he promises gratitude and prayer.

The author, signed Bal, responding to Ciepanowski, defends a man referred to in the letter as a Cossack. He cites his innocence and loyalty to him. He considers sending him away but notes that he does not want to hand him over as a slave. Details of the first complaint and the conditions of dismissal remain partially illegible. These are the author's claims, not a confirmation of an acquittal.

The sender, writing from Vilnius, discusses the handling of the addressee's letters and the method of forwarding them according to his instructions. He also mentions an obligation to another person; the details of this passage are illegible.