Document of the Lviv City Council regulating the number and organization of the cloth cutters' guild

THE CITY COUNCIL OF LVIV To all together and to each one individually who shall read this letter, we make known by its authority: That at the request of the distinguished, venerable, and most famous clothiers, citizens of Lviv, adhering to the privileges most graciously granted by former kings of Poland, which privileges fully restore the ancient custom regarding the condition otherwise called "the WORD", and which condition states that the number of clothiers should not exceed twenty, we also, for ourselves and our successors, promising in good faith, as far as the authority of our office allows, will not permit [acting] beyond this number to the Lviv clothiers, whether they dare to do so secretly or openly; indeed, with all help and effort, we will oppose those who would dare to do so, and we will not allow any schismatic to be counted among this number, but we will ensure that only Catholics support themselves by this honest way of earning a living. Among these, if anyone wishes to be newly counted in this number of twenty, then he will not be able to achieve this until he first obtains city citizenship from us in a legal manner, and this exclusively at the request of two honest citizens. Whatever these same clothiers, with the consent of all and each one individually, decide among themselves for good management and order, we shall recognize as strong, legal, and desirable by our authority, and if anyone among them opposes and resists their statutes, we will punish and curb such disobedience by our office and upon the report of two from among the clothiers. In these private ordinances and statutes of theirs, whatever the greater part decides, let it be legal; if the votes are equal, let there be an appeal to us, and we shall resolve the dispute according to equity, goodness, and justice. In faith and clearer testimony of which, our seal has been affixed to this letter. Given in Lviv on the Monday after the nearest Low Sunday [Misericordia], in the Year of Our Lord one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight. [Seal:] [A wax seal of the city of Lviv suspended on a yellow-red cord: an image of a gate with three towers, in the open gate a lion rampant to the left] [Verso:] [Ink seal:] ARCHIVE OF ANCIENT RECORDS OF THE CITY OF LVIV [Note top right:] to bundle 905 / Lviv [Note top left:] [...] Clothiers / Given [Archival notes in the center:] 19r. Ser 10 / Bundle: 486. / Old No.: / 1598 [Note bottom right:] No. 10.

CONSULES CIVITATIS LEOPOLIEN[SIS] Vniuersis et singulis harum notitiam habituris notum facimus earundem tenore: Quia v[er]o ad petitionem Spectabilium Hono- ratorum & Famatissimorum Pannicidarum Ciuium Leopolien[sium] inhaerendo Priuilegijs Priorum Regum Poloniae liberalissime indultis, qua quidem Priuilegia maxime restituunt consuetudinem antiquam de conditione alias o SŁOWO, qua quidem Condictio nume- rum vicesimum Pannicidarum excedere non debet, nos quoq[ue] pro se et successoribus nostris fide bona promittendo quantum Oficij nostri facultas poterit supra eum numerum Pannicidas Leopolien[ses] siue clam siue aperte id audentes non permittemus, imo om[ni] ope et opera iis quicunq[ue] id ausi fuerint obsistemus, nullumq[ue] Schismaticum in eo numero censeri permittemus, imo vti soli Catholici ea victus quaerendi honesta ratione sustententur curabimus. Inter quos quidem in hoc vicenario numero censos si quis recenter cen- seri cupierit, tum id assequi non poterit, quam prius Ciuitate modo legitimo a nobis donatus fuerit, idq[ue] singulariter ad petitionem duorum Honestorum Ciuium. Quicquid autem boni regiminis et ordinis causa inter se iidem Pannicidae ex Vniuersorum & sin- gulorum consensu constituerint, id nos autoritate nostra firmum ratum gratumq[ue] habebimus, et si quispiam inter ipsos contra eo- rum Constitutiones luctetur et refragetur, inobedientiam eiusmodi autoritate nostra et delatione duorum ex numero Pannici- darum corrigemus & comfescemus. In quibus quidem Ordinationibus et Constitutionibus suis priuatis quitquid maior pars concluserit id ratum esto: sin vero sententiae pares fuerint ad nos prouocatio fiat, nos ex aequo bono et iusto differentiam moderabimur. In cuius rei fidem et euidentius testimonium sigillum nostrum praesentibus est appressum. Datum Leopoli feria secunda post Dominicam Misericordia proxima Anno Domini Millesimo Quingentesimo Nonagesimo Octauo. [Pieczęć:] [Na żółto-czerwonym sznurze podwieszona woskowa pieczęć miejska Lwowa: wizerunek bramy z trzema basztami, w otwartej bramie lew wspięty w lewo] [Verso:] [Pieczęć tuszowa:] ARCHIWUM AKT DAWNYCH MIASTA LWOWA [Nota z prawej u góry:] ad Fasc 905 / Leopoliens [Nota z lewej u góry:] [...] Pannicid[arum] / Danum [Noty archiwalne pośrodku:] 19r. Ser 10 / Fasc: 486. / Nr: ant: / 1598 [Nota na dole po prawej:] Nro 10.