Privilege of King John III Sobieski appointing Albert Mielczewski as Royal Typographer in Lwów

[Initial vignette with the Janina coat of arms under the royal crown] JOHN III, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, KING OF POLAND, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Ruthenia, Prussia, Masovia, Samogitia, Kiev, Volhynia, Podolia, Podlachia, Livonia, Smolensk, Severia, and Chernihiv, etc. We hereby make known to all and each, whom it may concern. The more we have been recommended the particular experience of the honorable Albert Mielczewski, a burgher of Lwów, in the typographic art, his diligent and praiseworthy zeal therein, and furthermore his highly benevolent effort to serve Us and the public through it, the more just a reason we have found to decide that the title of Our Royal Typographer should be given and granted to him, as we do give and grant it, and we hereby appoint, declare, and proclaim him by this Our letter as Our true and lawful Royal Typographer: giving and granting him full and complete power to freely practice this typographic art in Our City of Lwów, to press, reprint, print with type, and make public books both Latin and Ruthenian, of old or new edition (however, with the prior consent of the Superior or the approval of those to whom it belongs by law), as well as to distribute and sell them for the benefit of the people both in this Our City of Lwów and in other cities of the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in other places, regardless of any privileges of anyone; as well as to enjoy and use other freedoms, immunities, and prerogatives concerning other typographers of Our Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and other provinces, and in particular those of Kraków, Gdańsk, and Vilnius, without any hindrance from people of any estate, condition, or dignity. Furthermore, we make and declare the same honorable Albert Mielczewski, Our Typographer, free and immune from paying any contributions and levies of our said City of Lwów, insofar as and in any way or under any pretext they might ever be imposed on his printing house. Moreover, we exclude and exempt his house or the part thereof from receiving any guests by office, and especially from soldiers of Our garrisons, both during Our presence and absence. Making this known to all whom it may concern, and especially to dignitaries, officials, and land, castle, and municipal courts of the Crown and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, we order that they hold and recognize the aforementioned Albert Mielczewski as Our true and lawful Typographer and allow, and by virtue of Our grace, ensure that he is allowed by all to freely and legally enjoy and use the above-written freedoms and others serving Our typographers, which we wish to be considered as expressed here. In witness whereof, we have ordered this letter, signed by Our hand, to be strengthened with the Crown seal. Given in Złoczów, on the 13th day of August, in the Year of Our Lord 1684, and the 11th year of Our reign. John King [autograph] [On the tab on the right:] Servitorate with the prerogative of the typographic art for the honorable Albert Milczewski [Below the tab on the right:] Stanisław Szczuka Regent of the Crown Chancellery [autograph] [On the tab on the left:] [Oblation note:] Oblated in the castle [acts] [...] Year [...] 1748 [...] [Verso:] [Municipal chancellery note:] Document submitted on behalf of the honorable Albert Milczewski in the Lwów council acts on Wednesday in the octave of [...] Corpus Christi [...] of the same year 1691. [Another hand from the period:] [...] 1684 [...] Milczewski [...] [Seal:] No seal; preserved silk cord/ribbon threaded through the tab.

[Winieta inicjałowa z herbem Janina pod koroną królewską] JOANNES III DEI GRATIA REX POLONIAE, Magnus DUX Lithuaniae, Russiae, Prussiae, Masoviae, Samogitiae, Kyoviae, Volhyniae, Podoliae, Podlachiae, Livoniae, Smolensciae, SEVERIAE, CZERNIECHOVIEQUE etc. Significamus praesentibus literis Nostris quorum interest universis et singulis. Quo magis praecipuam Famati Alberti Mielczewski Civis Leopolien[sis] in arte Typographica experientiam, sedulam et laudabilem in illa diligentiam, propensissimum insuper de Nobis, deq[ue] universis per eandem benemerendi studium, commendatum habemus; eò justiori ex motivo Regij Nostri Typographi titulum eidem dandum et conferendum esse duximus, prout damus et conferimus, actualemq[ue] et realem Regium Typographum Nostrum, nominamus, dicimus, et declaram[us], praesen[tibus] l[itte]ris N[ost]ris: Dantes et concedentes ejdem plenam et omnimodam potestatem liberè hanc artem Typographicam in Civitate Nostra Leopolien[si] exercendi, libros tam latinos quam Ruthenos veteris seu novae editionis (praevio tamen Consensu D[omi]ni seu ejus cui de jure competit approbatione) typis excudendi, recudendi imprimendiq[ue], et juris publici faciendi, ac eosdem in usum hominum tam in eadem Civitate n[ost]ra Leopolien[si], quam in alijs Regni et M[agni] D[ucatus] Litva[niae] Civitatibus, alijsq[ue] locis non obstantibus quorumvis Privilegijs, distrahendi et divendendi, nec non alijs libertatibus, immunitatibus et praerogativis caeteros Typographos Regni N[ost]ri et M[agni] D[ucatus] Lithuaniae alia[rumq[ue]] Provinciarum praesertim verò Cracovien[sem] Gedanen[sem] et Vilnen[sem] concernentibus gaudendi et utifruendi, absq[ue] omni quorumvis Status, Conditionis et praeeminentiae, hominum praepeditione. Liberum insuper immunemq[ue] eundem Famatum Albertum Mielczewski Typographum N[ost]rum, à solventis quibusvis, sic et inquantum modo aliquo et praetextu super ejus Typographiam aliquando imponerentur, contributionibus dictae Civitatis Nostrae Leopolien[sis] et collectis facimus ac declaramus. Domum praeterea ipsius seu partem se concernentem ab excipiendis quibusvis hospitibus ex Officio praesertim à praesidiarijs militibus N[ost]ris tam in praesentia, q[ua]m absentia N[ost]ra, excipimus et liberamus. Quod ad notitiam omnium quorum interest praesertim verò Dignitariorum, Officialium, Judiciorumq[ue], Terrestrium, Castren[sium] Nec non Magistratuum Civilium Regni et M[agni] D[ucatus] Lithuaniae deducentes mandamus, ut praefatum Albertum Mielczewski, pro vero et legitimo Typographo Nostro habeant et agnoscant, eiq[ue] suprascriptis libertatibus et alijs Typographis N[ost]ris servien[tibus], quas hic pro expressis habere volumus liberè et licitè gaudere et utifrui permittant, permittiq[ue] ab omnibus curent pro gratia Nostra. In cujus rei fidem praesentes manu Nostra subscriptas Sigillo Regni communiri jussimus. Datum Złoczoviae die XIII Mensis Augusti Anno Domini MDCLXXXIV Regni verò N[ost]ri XI° A[nn]o. Joannes Rex [m.p.] [Na zakładce po prawej:] Servitoratus cum praerogativa artis Typographicae Fam[ato] Alberto Milczewski [Pod zakładką po prawej:] Stanislaus Szczuka Regens Regni Canc[ellariae] [m.p.] [Na zakładce po lewej:] [Nota oblacyjna:] Oblata in Castren[si] [...] Anno [...] 1748 [...] [Verso:] [Nota kancelaryjna miejska:] Documentum ex parte Famati Alberti Milczewski productum in Actis Consulari[bus] Leopolien[sibus] feria quarta intra Octavas [...] Corporis Christi [...] Anno Ejusdem 1691. [Inna ręka z epoki:] [...] 1684 [...] Milczewski [...] [Pieczęć:] Brak pieczęci; zachowany jedwabny sznur/wstęga przewleczona przez zakładkę.