Letter from Fr. Just Słowikowski to the authorities of Lwów regarding the orphans of his brother

[P. 2] Distinguished Gentlemen, worthy Friends! By the decree of fate, it has happened that the care of the children left by several of my own brothers has fallen upon me; however, it is a consolation to me that under the care and administration of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, remains the little daughter of my late brother, Mr. Ludwik, a part of my own blood, and thus, among other inheritance rights, there has fallen to me the bond and duty of reciprocating and serving in return for all those considerations which my late brother received and the memory of which has been preserved by his offspring and by my sister-in-law. And since I have always had their daily examples before my eyes, there grew in me an ever-greater desire to attest to my kindness and gratitude toward Your Graces, my Gracious Lords. This was not a secret to all those Gentlemen who, being envoys to the court, personally experienced proofs of my friendship and services, and later reported this to the college of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, and surely also to all the estates of the city. Let this not be said out of vanity, but so that I may all the more encourage Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, to further trust in me, should it ever be of benefit to the city, and so that I may reciprocally show my kindness and submission to the city estates publicly. Entreating greatly, meanwhile, that You, my Gracious Lords, in your assumed humanity and piety toward the mother and her orphans, do not cease, and in that which their colleague, Mr. Harder, will bring before Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, and the Gentlemen of the Forty, you yourselves may prove to be friends and assist those for whom he intercedes, accepting as a pledge and earnest money this present kind promise of all service, both to the private persons of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, and publicly to the whole city. This promise, as long as I live and remain in this place, I wish to keep, and furthermore, I entrust myself and my orphans most diligently to the grace and friendship of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords. Given in Warsaw, on the 15th of December, 1639. Of Your Graces, my Gracious Lords, in every way a kind friend and servant, Fr. Just Słowikowski, Canon of Kraków, signed by his own hand

[S. 2] Spectabiles D[omi]ni Amici observa[n]di. Fatorum lege stało się, ze na mię przypadła cura liberorum po kilku Braci moich rodzonych pozostałych; lecz in partem consolationis biorę sobie, iż pod protectią y sub regimine Wmciow moich MMPP została się coreczka Nieboszczyka Brata mego P[ana] Ludwika pars sanguinis mei, a zatym ze sye mnie inter alia haereditatis iura dostał się nexus y obligatio odwdzięczać y od- sługować te wszytkie favory, ktore y Brat moy zmarły doznawał, y pozostała iego uspotomku y Paniey Bratowey memoria odnosiła. Ktorych iakom zawsze miał przed oczyma codzienne exem- pla, tak coraz to większe rosło wemnie desiderium contestandae voluntatis et gratitudinis meae prze- ciwko wm moim MMPP. Co ze nietayno było tym wszytkim Ich Msciom ktorzy Posłami do Dworu bywaiąc amicitiae et officiorum meorum doznawali una experimenta y potym Collegio wmow moich MMPP a podobno też et universis Ordinibus Civitatis donosili: non ad va- nitatem sit dictum, ale abym tym barziey zachęcał wmow moich MMPP do dalszey ku mnie Confidentiey, iżeliby kiedy usui Civitatis mogła bydz, y w swoiey wzaiem szyczliwość y powolność publicam Ordinibus Civitatis facerem: Upraszaiąc przytym wielce abyście wm moi MMPP w zawziętey ludzkości y pobożnośći swey przeciw P[aniey] Matce y oney sierotom nie ustawałi, a wtym co imieniem moim JMP. Harder Collega wmow do wm moich MMPP y Ich Msciow Quadraginta Viros wniesie, y sami się przyiaciołmi stawili, y apud quos intercedit dopomogli w zastaw y w zakład przyiąwszy uprzeymą teraznieyszą obietnicę do odsłużenia wszelakiego tak osobom prywatnym wm moim MMPPanom, iako y publice universae Civitati: Ktorą ia dum vivam et eo loco sum dochować chcę, a potym łasce y przyiazni Wmow moich MMPP iako naypilniey siebie y sieroty moie oddaię. Dan w Warszawie d[ia] 15 Decembris 1639. Wm[ościo]w moich M[ści]wych Panow cale chętny przyiaciel y sługa X. Iust Slowikowski Canoni[cus] Crac[oviensis] m[anu] p[ropria]