Translation / modern text
[P. 2]
Most Gracious Sirs,
Messrs. Mayor and Councilors
of the City of Lwów of His Royal Majesty,
I would have wished to appear in person before Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, today, but my illness has not yet allowed me to do so. I would have liked to show Your Graces and bring [the] misfortunes [...] examined myself to the court [...] one for such an examination of this [...] in this all the more so myself [...], as well as to Your Graces, my Lords, I would have shown this today and I would have had to justify myself with the private letters of His Grace, my Benefactor, although I should not have revealed these secrets which [he] writes as a master [to his] servant. But for the sake of my good reputation, I would have had to show this. When God grants that I recover, I will show this not only with the letters that have been sent here so far on April 27th from His Grace, my Lord and Benefactor, but I will also show others written, [which] are with me, [when?] to Your Graces, my Gracious Lords. Do not mind, however, without looking, that he who would strip me [of] such a good, and would have [done] to these lords [...] to Your Graces, my Lords, not [...], for he himself [...] after himself [...],
[P. 3]
as this [be?] strikes and as the grace of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, is willing to acquire it. I would have sent even now one secret letter to Your Graces, my Lords, written by His Grace to me, but it does not seem [proper] to me to send it through human hands; however, nothing will prevent me from showing it later, when God grants that I recover. I have also translated the words [...] of my His Grace Mr. Kowaliński to the Lord, for it is a shame if it is so [...] in [...] his hands, then you will recognize in my writing from one to the others [...] which I, having recovered, Lords, God willing, will be, if whose hand is written for the lord, that I will be ashamed of it, or he will not regret what he let out of his writings. Which I finally submit to the great judgment of Their Graces, my Lords, while surrendering myself to the usual love and grace of Your Graces, my Lords. From the inn, [August?] 1631.
Your Graces, my Lords' well-wishing friend and servant,
Benedykt Bernatowicz
[P. 4, address:]
To my Most Gracious Lords, Their Graces, my Lords the Mayor and Councilors of the City of Lwów of His Royal Majesty.
Original wording — transcription
[S. 2]
M[o]scie Wielce M[o]sći Panowie
Panowie Burmistrzu y Raycze
Miasta Lwowa J[ego] K[rólewskiej] M[o]sći
Życzyłbym był sobie tego abym był mogł
dnia dzisieyszego stnąć osobiście do W[aszych] M[ościów]
M[oich] M[ościwych] P[anów] ależ mi niezdrowie moie tego do-
tąd nie mogło dopuścić, ktorych chciałbym to
był pokazać y wnieść nieszczęść [...] to
badał sie m[i] do dworu [...] iendno na
takie badanie tego [...] owy chube
wtym bardzi tak samego siebie banieć, iak
y W[aszym] M[ościom] M[oim] P[anom] pokazałbym to był dnia dzie-
sieyszego y musiałbym sie był wywodzić z niemi
samemi listami privatnemi Jeg[o]m[oś]ci Pana Do-
brodzieia mego, chociabym niepowinien sie
otwierać sekretami temi, ktore iako pan
posługi pisze, ale dla dobrey Reputatiey
moiey musiałbym to pokazać; gdy da Pan Bog
ozdrowieię, pokaże to nietylko temi listami,
ktore donądze są tu przysłane 27. Aprilis od
Jeg[o]m[oś]ci M[o]i[ego] P[ana] y Dobrodzieia mego, ale po-
każe y z drugich pisane, z mną są
[kiedy?] do W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] M[ościwych] Panow, niebaczaycie iednak
niepatrząc że ten ktoryby mnie odzierał tak
dobro, a miałby sie tym panom [...]
do W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] P[anów] nieroście, bo sam po sobie odra-
[S. 3]
iakoto [bądź?] bije y iako łaska W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] M[ościwych] P[anów]
ochotna to nabędzie, posłałbym był y teraz list sekre-
tny ieden do W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] P[anów] od Jegomości do mnie pisany, a-
le nie zda mi sie przez ręce ludzkie go posy-
łać, nicz mi to iednak nieomieszka go y potym poka-
zać, gdy da Pan Bog ozdrowieię. Tradukowałem
tez y słowa [...] mego J[ana?] M[ości] P[ana] Kowalinskiego do
Pana, bo wstyd iesli tak iest, prac[...] w [...] ręce
iego, to wy poznaią pismie moim od iednego do
drugich [...] ktorzy ia ozdrowiawszy Panowie
da Bog będę, iesli niczego ręka pisana iest dla
pana, ze ia za to będę wstydział, albo ten
tego nieb[ędzie] załował, co to pism swoich wypu-
szczał, co ia ostatek pod wielki rozsądek
Ich M[ościów] M[oich] P[anów] podaię, oddaiąc sie ratem wasz[ey]
zwykłey miłości y łasce W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] P[anów]. Z go-
spodij dnia Au[...] [1]631.
W[aszych] M[ościów] M[oich] P[anów] życzliwy
przyiaciel
y
sługa
Benedykt Bernatowicz
[S. 4, adres:]
Moim Wielce M[o]sćiwym
PP. Ich M[o]sćiom PP.
Moim Panom Burmistrzo-
wi y Raycom Miasta
Lwowa J[ego] K[rólewskiej] M[o]sći
Reading notes
Italic script, difficult to read in places due to stains and paper abrasions. The day date is destroyed/abbreviated ("dnia Au[...] 631" – likely Augusti 1631, which is consistent with the year date in the inventory). On p. 4, a trace of a wax seal is preserved.
