Letter from Prince Ivan Khovansky to the commissioners of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth regarding an armistice and safe passage

[P. 2] Response from Prince Khovansky via Mr. Machnicz By the grace of God, Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince Aleksey Mikhaylovich, Autocrat of all Great, Little, and White Russia, and of many eastern, western, and northern states and lands, father, heir, successor, sovereign, and ruler, His Tsarist Majesty's boyar, voivode, and deputy of the court, Prince Ivan Andreyevich Khovansky – to the Most Serene and Great Sovereign John Casimir, by the grace of God King of Poland and others of His Royal Majesty, the great and plenipotentiary commissioners: Jerzy Hlebowicz, General Starosta of Samogitia, Krzysztof Zawisza, Marshal, Cyprian Paweł Brzostowski, Referendary and Scribe [the same, Deputy Chancellor]. In the current year, in the month of January, you, the commissioners, wrote through your messenger Samuel Midolański, that [...] the army should be restrained from war and not cross the Niemen. In the same letter, you announce that [...] sent a messenger, Mr. Korzak, to His Royal Majesty, and the place designated near Borisov in the month of February [...]. You also write that there should be free passage for His Royal Majesty's crown commissioners to us and that your wagons should be allowed to pass to us freely. I declare to you, my brothers: it is impossible for me to restrain the army of the Great Sovereign His Tsarist Majesty from war without the will of God and the order of the Great Sovereign His Tsarist Majesty; and I have crossed the Niemen and [...] I will not cease from this, but with God's help, I will proceed further. And may God grant the great crown commissioners of His Royal Majesty good health [P. 3] to travel [...], and there will be no hindrance or provocation from the protective forces of the Great Sovereign His Tsarist Majesty. We are glad of this, may God grant that Christian blood is not shed. Your wagons are free to travel to us, and I will give your messengers safe-conducts for the journey, and I am sending with them my Reiter lieutenant Aleksey Shveytser. Written in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, granted to His Tsarist Majesty by God, in the city of Brest, in the year 1660, on the 9th day of the month of January. Second response on the same matter via Mr. Mikołaj Hłasko. In the same style, with the addition of this: And regarding the reeve (killed by the Don Cossacks), I wrote to you before through my messenger Hrehoryj Czyrekoszy, how I judged the matter and what I did to the enemies, and I make this known to you, so that you, my brothers, do not hold it against me that I detained your messenger at that time, until I captured the Brest fortress; and this happened in his presence, and the blood was shed not by me, but by the stubbornness of the Brest Jews, and your messenger saw this. Written etc. As in the previous letter, the conclusion follows.

[S. 2] Respons od Kniazia Chowanskiego przez Pana Machnicza Bożoiu myłostiu Welikaho Hospodara Cara, y Welikaho Kniazia Alexia Mychayłowicza, Wseia Welikoia y Małoia, y Biełoia Rossii Samoderca, y mnohim Hospodarstwom, y Zemlam Wostocznym, y Zapadnym, y Sewernym otczycza, y Dedycza, y Naslednyka, y H[ospo]d[a]ra, y: obładatela, Ieho Carskoho Wełyczestwa Boiaryn, y Wojewoda, y Namestnyk Dziadki, Kniaz Iwan Andreiewicz Chowanski, Naiasneyszaho, y Wełykaho H[ospo]d[a]ra Iana Kazymira, Bożoiu Myłostiu Krol[ia] Pol[skiego] y inszych Ieho Krolew[skieho] Welycz[estwa], Wełykym, y Połnomocnym Commisarom, Ieremu Hlebowiczowi Generalnomu Staroscie Zmudzkomu, Krysztofowi Za-wiszy Marszałkowi, Cypryanowi Pawłowi Brestowskiemu Referendarzowi, y Pysarowi [na marginesie dopisek: idem Podkanclerzy]. W nynieyszym Hodu, Henuara M[ie]s[ią]ca, pisały wy Komissaryie swoiem y Posłannykom Swoiem z Samojłom Mydolianskym, sztob Wele H[ospo]d[a]ra Ieho. I. C. Watycze. Woysko od Woyny uderzał, y n[ie]:stępyło zanemer. W ty[m]że lyste obiawlaiecie, szto W[asza] K. M. I. C. W. odpustył ku Krolewskom Wed. Posłannyka Pana Korzaka, y Meyce naznaczona pod Borysowom, Fewruarius M[ie]s[ią]ca Wel[ikoho] H[ospo]d[a]ra K. I. C. W. Zyselkinsy y Połnoczny Ludy weno Zachwatijsia. Wyż pyszete, szczob preiezd wołny Korole Wed. Koronnym Comisiarom k nam, y szczob wozy wasze propustył k nam wolno. Ja wam Braty Swoiey obiawlaw Woyska W. H. I. C. W. od Woyny mene uderzał, nemozmożno, do woley Bożej, y do nakazu. W. H. I. C. W. a za Nemen wstupył, y na Wai wnare toho nie skroczu za Bożoiu pomoczu y daley postupiyt. A Korolewskoho Wed. wełykim Kommissarom koronnym day Bożey w dobrym Zdorowiu [S. 3] iechat nadkazanyie nestes, y uderzania im, y zaczepki, W. H. I. C. W. ochrannych ludey nebudet. My tomu rady, day Boże krow Chrestyjanskaia nielasze. Wozom waszym wołno iechat k nam, yszczo dam posłancom waszym pereiezdzie Pamiatki, y Posyłam z nymy Poruczyka Raytarskaho Swoiu Alexia Szweizyra. Pysan W. H. I. C. W. w Wełykim Kniaztwie Lytewskom od Boha darowanym, w Horodie Berestiu Hodu 1660. M[ie]s[ią]ca Henuara dnia 9. Respons drugi in eadem m[ate]ria. przez Pana Mikołaia Hłaskiego Typili stylo, his additis. A o waytowskim (zabytym od Dunskich Kozakow) pisał ia k wam peredtym z Posłannykom Swoiem Hrehorym Czyrekoszym, kakim ia sprawu uczynył y szcz[o] worohom, y tomu wam widomo daie, yszczo Bratia moia nedypruyte na mene, szto Ja Posłannyka Waszeho zaderżał szczoto czasu nemat dostiwczy Fortecy Breskoie, y to prynem uczynyło się, y krow przełała się ne od mene, od Uprenstwa Bereskich Zydziakow, y to żydił Posłanec wasz. Pysan etc: Ut in prioribus literis seq[ui]tur conclusio.