Translation / modern text
Sigismund Augustus, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Lord and Heir of Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, and Samogitia.
Illustrious, faithful, and beloved!
We have learned from Icek, a Jew and our servant, that the plot in our city of Lwów, which we recently granted to him by our grace, is not our property but belongs to the city. However, this Jew, whose services we use in our affairs and needs, requires this plot. Therefore, we demand and admonish you to do him this favor out of kindness to us: grant him half of this plot from the front of Jewish Street for hereditary and perpetual use.
Measure this plot for the aforementioned Icek in the presence of our bailiff, the noble Jakub Szczawiński [surname read tentatively], whom we are sending to you specifically for this matter. We shall later reward you and this city with our favor.
Given in Warsaw, July 28, 1571, in the forty-second year of our reign.
Sigismund Augustus, King.
Address: To the illustrious mayor, reeve, councilors, jurors, and the entire community of our city of Lwów, our faithful and beloved.
Original wording — transcription
Sigismundus Augustus Dei gratia Rex Poloniae, Magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiaeque dominus et haeres.
Famati fideles dilecti.
Raczyśmy już wyrozumieli z Idzka Żyda słownie [?], sługi naszego, iż ten plac w mieście naszem Lwowie, któryśmy jemu temi czasy z łaski naszej dali, nie jest nasz własny, ale miejski; wszakoż iż ten Żyd, którego w potrzebach i posługach naszych używamy, potrzebuje tego placu, przeto żądamy i upominamy W[ierności] W[asze], żebyście to z chęci swej przeciwko nam uczynili i jemu połowicę tego placu z przodku od żydowskiej ulice w dziedziczne i wieczne używanie dali, przy tem to komorniku naszym, szlachetnym Jakubie Szczawińskim [?], którego w tej mierze umyślnie do W[ierności] W[aszych] posyłamy, abyście ten plac przerzeczonemu Idzkowi wymierzyli. A my to W[iernościom] W[aszym] i miastu temu łaską naszą nagradzać potem będziemy.
Dat[um] Varsaviae die XXVIII Julii Anno D[o]m[i]ni M.D.LXXI, Regni vero n[o]stri anno XLI secundo.
[Podpis:] Sigismundus Augustus Rex.
[Adres, s.3:] Famatis Proconsuli, Advocato, Consulibus, Scabinis, ac toti communitati Civitatis nostrae Leopoliensis, fidelibus nobis dilectis.
[Późniejsza adnotacja s.3:] Warszawa28/7 1571;1571.
[Późniejsze oznaczenia s.2:] ex nr.1060 aa.;23/1;IX [oraz ślad pieczęci].
Reading notes
All three pages and enlargements of the original images from the PDF were reviewed. This is the full text of the letter and address, not just a summary. The original clearly distinguishes between the previous royal grant of the entire plot and the current request to allocate half of the municipal property. Keywords: 'is not our own, but municipal'; 'half'; 'from the front of Jewish Street'. The document was not treated as an unconditional grant of royal land. The Latin date 28 Julii 1571 and the annotation 28/7 on the reverse are consistent; the forty-second year of the reign reflects the entry 'XL secundo'. The name Icek appears in the source as Idzek/Idzkowi; it was preserved in the transcription and modernized in the translation. The bailiff's surname appears to be Szczawiński, but remains a tentative reading; no biographical data was added. 'Bailiff' (komornik) was left as a historical office, without equating it to a modern enforcement officer. Proconsul and advocatus were translated as mayor and reeve. Punctuation and spelling of the transcription were partially standardized; this is not a strict diplomatic edition. Seals and later markings were noted separately.
Location in scan: 132/1/23, PDF p.2: letter, date, and signature; p.3: address and date annotation; p.1: archival cover.
Notes on translation (transferred from text): in the original: 'verbatim', reading locally uncertain.
Location in scan: 132/1/23, PDF p.2: letter, date, and signature; p.3: address and date annotation; p.1: archival cover.
Notes on translation (transferred from text): in the original: 'verbatim', reading locally uncertain.