Translation / modern text
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 by this our letter to all whom it may concern: That when some of the Armenians of Lviv came to us on behalf of their elders and their entire community, submitting before us that although by virtue of their privileges granted to them by our most illustrious predecessors, the kings of Poland, and also by virtue of the verdict of our father of blessed memory, issued between them and our Lviv burghers – with the exception of those four articles expressed in that verdict – they enjoy and use their Armenian law, yet there are some among them who are accustomed to evade their law and flee under other jurisdictions, and at the same time refuse to pay their dues. Therefore, when it was petitioned on behalf of the said elders and the entire community of the Armenians of Lviv that we should prevent and remedy their laws in this matter, we, wishing to have regard for their arguments, deemed it proper by this our letter to prevent and remedy, as we do prevent and remedy, and we wish that from now on for all eternity every Armenian, wherever he resides with them and uses their laws, prerogatives, and freedoms, shall also be obliged and compelled in all things to submit to their law and jurisdiction and to bear all burdens equally with them. And whoever would not wish to obey their jurisdiction, let it be permitted for them to punish such a person according to their laws, statutes, rites, and customs, so that [?] none of them may henceforth be able to flee from their law and jurisdiction under other jurisdictions, nor exclude themselves, nor shield themselves with letters of exemption issued by us or anyone else, or to be issued in the future by us or our successors, which would stand in the way of him being obliged to submit to their jurisdiction and laws according to earlier laws, privileges, and decrees. And we promise on behalf of ourselves and our most illustrious successors that from now on we shall not give, and our most illustrious successors shall not give, any letters of exemption to any Armenian that could violate their jurisdiction. If, however, such letters of exemption were ever received and obtained by any of the Armenians from us or our successors, we wish and hereby declare that they shall have no legal force. In witness whereof our seal has been appended hereto. Given in Vilnius, on the Friday before the upcoming feast of Pentecost, in the year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and sixty-first, and in the thirty-second year of our reign.
[Signatures below the text:]
[On the left:] Filip Padniewski, bishop and vice-chancellor, signed with his own hand.
[On the right:] Relation of the most reverend father in Christ, Lord Filip Padniewski, Bishop of Kraków and Vice-Chancellor of the Kingdom of Poland.
[On the plica in view 2, act inscription from 1769:]
On the Friday after the feast of the holy martyrs Vitus and Modestus [...] the 16th day of the month of June in the year of our Lord 1769. This privilege was presented, accepted, and entered into the Lviv land records [...] by oblation.
[Verso:]
[Upper part, round ink seal:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT RECORDS OF THE CITY OF LVIV
[In a modern hand:] 1561
[Notes in Armenian: 4 lines of Armenian script]
[Chancery note:] In the year 1561, on the Friday before the feast of Pentecost, in Vilnius.
[Another regest note:] On punishing Armenians who transgress and do not act according to the laws, customs, and traditions.
[Signatures and archival marks:] Litt: H. / EE. Nr 54 / Sub Lit. AA / N 57.
Original wording — transcription
SIGISMVNDVS AVGVSTVS DEI gratia Rex Poloniae, magnus Dux Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae etc. dominus et haeres. Significamus praesentibus literis nostris, quorum interest vniversis. Quod cum venissent huc ad nos nonnulli Armenorum Leopoliensium], nomine seniorum suorum totiusq[ue] eorum communitatis, coram nobis exponentes, quod et si illi vigore privilegiorum suorum, a Serenissimis olim antecessoribus nostris regibus Poloniae, illis concessorum, tum et vigore decreti divi olim parentis nostri inter ipsos, et cives nostros Leopolienses lati, praeter eos quatuor articulos, in decreto eodem expressos, iure suo Armenorum gaudeant eoq[ue] vtantur. Esse tamen nonnullos eorum, qui iuri illorum sese subducere, et in alias iurisditiones confugere, simulque debita denegare consueverunt. Itaq[ue] cum supplicatum esset nomine praefatorum seniorum, totiusq[ue] comunitatis Armenorum Leopoliensium vt hac in re iuribus illorum caveremus & prospiceremus. Nos rationibus illorum prospicere volentes, cavendum et prospiciendum illis hisce literis n[ost]ris duximus, vti quidem cavemus et prospicimus, volumusq[ue] vt deinceps perpetuis temporibus, quilibet Armenorum vbicumq[ue] simul cum eis habitat, iuribusq[ue], praerogativis, et libertatibus eorum vtitur, teneatur quoq[ue] et sit astrictus, iuri et iurisditioni eorum, in omnibus parere, oneraq[ue] omnia aequaliter cum eis ferre debere. Qui vero iurisditioni eorum parere noluerit, vt liberum sit illis in eum ipsum iuxta iura, leges, ritus, et consuetudines ipsorum animaduertere, ita vest[?] vt nemo illorum possit deinceps a iure et iurisditione illorum in alias iurisditiones confugere, vel sese eximere, aut etiam literis exemptionis a nobis vel a quopiam alio concessis, vel postea per nos aut successores n[ost]ros concedendis sese tutari, quominus iurisditioni et legibus eorum iuxta priora iura, privilegia et decreta ipsorum parere debeat. Promittimusq[ue] pro nobis, et serenissimis successoribus nostris, quod deinceps nullas exemptionis literas ulli armenorum quae iurisditionem eorum perturbare posset daturi sumus, et serenissimi successores n[ost]ri non sint daturi. Si vero per quempiam Armenorum eiusmodi exemptionis literae quocunq[ue] tempore a nobis vel successoribus n[ost]ris obtente & impetratae fuerint, eas nullum robur habituras esse volumus ac declaramus per praesentes. In cuius rei testimonium sigillum n[ost]r[u]m praesentibus est appensum. Datum Vilna feria sexta ante festa Pentecostes proxima Anno domini Millesimo quingentesimo Sexagesimo primo, Regni vero n[ost]ri Trigesimo secundo.
[Podpisy pod tekstem:]
[Po lewej:] Philippus Padnievsky / Ep[iscop]us et Vicecanc[ellarius] ss[t].
[Po prawej:] Relatio Reveren[dissi]mi in Chr[ist]o patris domini Philippi Padnievsky Episcopi Cracovien[sis], et R[egni] Polo[niae] Vicecancellarii.
[Na plicy w ujęciu 2, inskrypcja aktowa z 1769 r.:]
Feria Sexta in Crastino Festi SS. Viti et Modesti Martyrum / [...] die 16 Mensis Junii Anno D[omi]ni 1769. / Privilegium p[rae]sens ad Acta Terrestria Leopolien[sia] [...] / per Oblationem praesentatum, susceptum et ingrossatum est.
[Verso:]
[Górna część, pieczęć tuszowa okrągła:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA
[Ręką nowożytną:] 1561
[Zapiski w języku ormiańskim: 4 linijki pisma ormiańskiego]
[Zapiska kancelaryjna:] A[nn]o 1561. Fer[ia] 6. ant[e] Fest[um] Pentecoste / w Wilnie.
[Inna notatka regestowa:] De puniendis Armenis excedentibus et non venientibus iuxta leges, ritus et consuetudines.
[Sygnatury i znaki archiwalne:] Litt: H. / EE. N[ro] 54 / Sub Lit. AA / N 57.
Reading notes
Parchment document in Latin with a richly decorated large initial 'S' (Sigismundus Augustus) in the Renaissance-Mannerist style and majuscule in the first line. No seal preserved (holes from the cord visible on the plica). A vertical tear/loss of parchment runs along the upper margin and through the center (partially affecting the text in lines 3–7). On the verso, next to Latin archival notes, there is a multi-line regest/annotation in Armenian script. On the plica, a later oblation note to the Lviv land records from June 16, 1769.
