Judgment of King Sigismund II Augustus in the dispute between Andrzej Gembicki and the Lwów benchers regarding the appeal procedure

Sigismund Augustus, by the grace of God, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, etc., lord and heir. We hereby announce to all and each one, to whom it should be known, who shall receive information about this. The illustrious reeve and benchers of our city of Lwów were summoned by our writ of summons by Andrzej Gembicki [Gebiczki], a burgher of Śniatyn, for the reason that when he filed an appeal against the judgment of that court to us, he demanded that they issue the sealed process in the case of a tenement house located in Lwów, conducted before their bench court with Jan Peusz and his co-litigants, and also – after giving and paying, as is the custom, the appeal fee [pecunia recipiunzina] – issue it in an authentic form, as the further part of the summons contains more extensively. When, on this date, the reeve and benchers of Lwów, through the illustrious Wojciech Fakterz [Albertum Factarium], bencher, and Jan Spończ[a?], notary of Lwów, their proxies, and Andrzej Gembicki personally appeared, and the Lwów citizens presented the letter of privilege and the decree of our divine parent, arguing that both the bench court and the council office of Lwów were granted for all time that in all and any appeals filed both from the bench court and from the council office, whether to the supreme law of the Kraków castle or to our royal tribunal, the procedural files are not to be sent in any other way than closed in sealed scrolls. And this by a court messenger, after the appealing party has previously deposited the monetary fee customarily paid for the appeal. Relying on this ordinance, the benchers argued that for this reason, they sent the appeal scroll, closed and sealed, to us through their messenger in due time. For this reason, they requested that they and their principals be maintained in the aforementioned privilege and decrees and recognized as free from the summons of Andrzej Gembicki. We, having examined the dispute of the parties together with our advisors and experts in law, and having diligently reviewed and considered the above-cited privilege and decree of our divine parent, while maintaining the aforementioned privilege and decree in due force, rule that both the council and the bench court of Lwów must send all and individual appeals to our tribunal or to the higher court of Kraków in all cases whatsoever, filed either from the bench court or from the council office of Lwów, in no other way to us or to the higher court of Kraków than through their court messenger in a closed and sealed scroll, after the appealing party has previously deposited and paid the money for the filed appeal, in accordance with the provision of this letter of privilege and the decree of our divine parent, without setting or defining any deadline for the parties to conduct the appeal and appear before us. Therefore, we recognize the benchers of Lwów as free and released from this summons and from the deadline by means of this our decree. In witness of this letter, for credibility, our seal has been appended hereto. Given in Warsaw on the nearest Saturday after the feast of Saint Hedwig, in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and fifty-six, and the twenty-seventh year of our reign. [Note of relation on the right:] Relation of the magnificent Jan of Ocieszyn [Ocieski], Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland, Starosta of Kraków, Gdańsk, Sandomierz, Olsztyn, Sub-chamberlain of Kraków. [Chancery signature on the left:] Jan Ocieski, Doctor of Both Laws, Chancellor, by his own hand. [Verso:] Decree between Andrzej Gembicki and the bench court of Lwów, year 1556. [Other notes on the verso:] To the acts g Cabinet 2, no. 16 No. 19. / C. No. 10. [Round archival stamp of the Archive of Ancient Records of the City of Lwów] [Seal:] [Greater Crown Seal of Sigismund II Augustus in red wax in a natural wax bowl, suspended on a parchment strip through a double fold (plica). In the field, an eagle in a crown with the monogram SA on its chest, surrounded by wreaths with coats of arms of the lands of the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania].

SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS D[e]i gratia Rex Polonię, Magnus Dux Lithuanię, Russię, Prussię, Masovię, Samogitięq[ue] etc. Dominus & Hęres. Significamus pręsentibus literis nostris quibus expedit vniuersis & singulis haru[m] noticiam habituris. Famatos Aduocatum & Scabinos Ciuitatis nostrę Leopolien[sis] vocatos esse citatione nostra literali ab Andrea Gebiczki Ciue Sznathinen[si], ideo quod processum obsignatum in causa Domus Lapideę Leopoli sitę, coram Iudicio eorum Scabinali cum Joanne Peusz eiusq[ue] litis consortibus agitata, cum a sententia Iudicii eiusdem ad nos appellationem interposuisset, ab eis sibi extradi requisiuisset, data etiam et soluta vt moris est pecunia recipiunzina in forma autentica extradere vti citatione reliqua fusius continentur. Ad terminoq[ue] huiusq[ue] continuato Aduocato & Scabinis Leopolien[sibus] per famatos Albertum Factarium Scabin[um] & Joannem Sponc[zi?], Notarium Leopoliensem plenipotentes suos, Andrea vero Gebiczki per se, comparentibus, atq[ue] Leopolien[sibus] reproductis literis priuilegii & Decreti Diui parentis nostri, deducen[tibus] tam Iudicio Scabinali quam officio consulari Leopolien[si] perpetuis temporibus concessum esse, appellationum omnium quarucunq[ue] siue ad Ius su[pre]mum Arcis Cracouien[sis] siue ad tribunal nostrum Regium, tam a Iudicio Scabinali, quam ab officio consulari deferunt[ur], non alio modo processus causarum esse remitten- dos, nisi rotulis obsignatis occlusos. Idq[ue] per Iudiciarium nuncium, deposita prius a parte appellante pecunia solutione ab appellatione pręstari solita. Cui ordinationi Scabinos inhęrentes eius causa rotulum appellationis occlusum sigillatumq[ue] per Nuntium suum ad nos tempestive remisisse allegabant. Ob idq[ue] se, principalesq[ue] suos in priuilegio & Decretis memoratis conseruari atq[ue] ab impetitione Andreae Gebiczki liberos pronunciari expetebant. Nos cum Consiliariis & Iurisperitis nostris contro- uersia partium examinata, priuilegioq[ue] & Decreto superius recensito Diui parentis nostri diligenter reuensis & expensis, priuilegium & Decretum prędictum in robore debito conseruantes, Decernimus tam consulatum quam Judicium Scabinale Leopolien[se] omnes & singulas appellationes ad tribunal nostrum vel ad Iudicium supremum Craco- uien[se] in causis vniuersis quęcunq[ue] siue a Judicio Scabinali siue ab officio consulari Leopolien[si] deferuntur, non alia ratione ad nos vel ad Iudicium supremum Cracouien[se] remittendas esse, quam per Nuntium suum Iudiciarium occluso obsignatoq[ue] rotulo, deposita et soluta prius pecunia, per partem appellantem ab appellatione interpo- sita, iuxta pręscriptum earundem literarum priuilegii & Decreti diui parentis nostri, nullo etiam designato & pręfixo termino ad prosequendam appellationem partibus coram nobis comparendi. Ideoque Scabinos Leopolien[ses] ab hac impetitione et a termino liberos et absolutos pronunciamus hoc nostro Decreto mediante. Harum testimonio literarum quibus in fidem Sigillum nostrum pręsentibus subappensum est. Datum Varssouię Sabbato post festum Sanctę Heduigis proximo, Anno Domini Mille- simo Quingentesimo Quinquagesimo Sexto, Regni vero nostri Anno Vigesimo Septimo. [Nota relacji po prawej:] Relatio Magnifici Joannis de Oczyeszino Regni Polonię Cancellarii, Cracouien[sis], Gdanen[sis], Sandomirien[sis], Olsthinen[sis] Capitanei, Succamerarii Cracouien[sis]. [Podpis kanclerski po lewej:] Joannes Ocieski / J[uris] v[triusque] d[octor] Cancel[larius] m[anu] p[ropria] [Verso:] Decret[um] inter Andream Gembiczki et Iudicium Scabinale Leopoli[ense] A[nn]o 1556 [Inne noty na verso:] Ad Acta g Arca 2da No 16 No 19. / C. No 10. [Okrągły stempel archiwalny Archiwum Akt Dawnych Miasta Lwowa] [Pieczęć:] [Pieczęć koronna większa Zygmunta II Augusta w czerwonym wosku w misce z naturalnego wosku, zawieszona na pasku pergaminowym przez podwójną zakładkę (plica). W polu orzeł w koronie z monogramem SA na piersi, w otoku wieńce z tarczami herbowymi ziem Korony i Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego].