Source catalogue

Maintaining friendship and diplomatic contacts through envoys.

A letter to the magistrate and residents of Lwów. Khmelnytsky declares that he did not desire the shedding of Christian blood, mentions the defeat of the Crown forces at Gródek, and demands a quick response and submission. The exact wording of several sentences requires further reading.

Postponing the response until the next day after a night council with all the military elders; a call for the city's delegation to return as early as possible in the morning.

News about the capture of Kraków by the Swedes; assurance of an alliance between the Cossacks, Muscovy, and the Swedes, and information about sending Mikołaj Grodzicki for talks.

A letter of recommendation for Paweł Tetera, scribe of the Zaporozhian Host, traveling to the King; a request for kindness and assistance from the mayor.

An order to issue three cannons to Jan Tarnowski to supply the royal castle in Stryj. One of the cannons is described as weighing two centners.

An order to hand over 3,000 florins or the possible sum to be collected to Stanisław Orlik for the upcoming payment of wages to mercenaries serving in Podolia. The King promises repayment before Easter or earlier.

Following news of a Tatar invasion of the lands of Rus and Podolia, the King sends Jan Tarnowski and orders the magistrate to hand over smaller cannons, weapons, and gunpowder to him. He announces that he will follow him shortly.

An order to issue three royal cannons to Jan Tarnowski for the castles in Lubaczów and Stryj. They were previously entrusted to the city by Sigismund I during the expedition against the Moldavian voivode named Bogdan.

Zygmunt III instructs the authorities of Lwów to hand over to Jakub Pretfic, the starosta of Trembowla, the quarterly funds collected at the town hall for the pay of the Lower Cossacks. He demands assistance in the swift dispatch and the provision of horses for the transport of the money to Trembowla.

The King thanks the authorities of Lwów for releasing the quarterly funds from the town hall to Jakub Pretficz, the starosta of Trembowla, for the payment of the earned wages to the Lower Cossacks. He instructs the chancellery to issue the city the requested security document, which the starosta had previously promised.

Renewed intervention against people assuming the status of soldiers and attacking noble and royal estates. The King orders the addressee to cooperate with Jerzy Mniszech; a previous demand to redress grievances and disperse the group was not fulfilled.

Due to danger, the King orders the authorities of Lwów to take care of defensive equipment and fortifications and to gather food, gunpowder, bullets, and other necessary supplies. He announces his personal arrival and expects good order, recommending consultation with the hetman and the starosta.

The King calls on Lwów to prepare and persistently defend against a possible invasion. He entrusts the Starosta of Lwów with unified command and authority over the inhabitants, orders the city authorities to cooperate, and assures them of his efforts to provide aid.

The King reprimands Lwów for not sending representatives to the parliamentary commission setting prices. Arguments sent in writing should have been presented by delegates. Separately, he assures of the commissioners' supervision over the soldiers' behavior and orders the authorities to take care of the city's safety.

The King authorizes the use of cash from the deposit of the Voivode of Kiev to cover missing funds for the army. The release requires security provided by commissioners and the consent of the Crown Subchamberlain as tutor; jewels and other items are to remain in the deposit.

The Royal Prince orders Stanisław Kazanowski to be given two cannons entrusted to the city, requests a short-term loan of 200 cannonballs and the necessary amount of gunpowder, and asks for assistance with transport.

The King instructs the starosta to provide timber from the starosty forests for the palisade and wooden supports. He demands effective assistance for the magistrate in collecting contributions for the fortification, including from residents of noble and ecclesiastical houses.

Due to the threat from enemies, the King sends artillery with equipment to Lwów. He requests the temporary storage of gunpowder, cannonballs, and equipment in the city arsenal and a plot for his own arsenal according to the plan of Paweł Grodziecki.

Jan Kazimierz orders Stanisław Lanckoroński to participate in the audit of expenditures from the excise tax for the fortifications of Lwów. He forbids sending municipal infantry to the pospolite ruszenie (levy in mass); it is to remain as the city's garrison.

The King thanks Lwów for its loyalty during the war, announces the gathering of loyal and foreign troops, and promises assistance. He instructs the authorities to coordinate with the governor the supply of regiments, especially Butler's, left for the winter; he ensures that expenses will be included in the treasury accounts.

The King thanks Lwów for its resistance against the troops of the Transylvanian Voivode and requests a loan of 100,000 zlotys. The security is to be the customs revenues collected under lease; the treasurer will provide details.

The King rebukes the delay in the delivery of artillery supplies and demands the preparation of carters in consultation with the captain left with the cannons in Lwów. The costs are to be covered by the General of Artillery; further delay will hold the addressees responsible.

The King again orders the authorities of Lwów to provide the necessary number of carters to transport the ammunition remaining in the city. The artillery captain is to pay in cash. The King threatens that further delay will be considered stubbornness on the part of the city and will result in execution against the persons and property of the authorities.

The King entrusts full command over the city and castle of Lwów to Olewiński, the wojski of Lwów. The magistrate is to communicate with the commander on security matters, comply with the King's will conveyed by him, and show him obedience.

Following the raids by Tatars and Cossacks, the King entrusts the defense of Lwów to Jan Berens, lieutenant colonel of the Ruthenian Voivode's regiment. He orders them to receive him with his soldiers, take an oath, provide assistance in defense, and issue funds from the czopowe tax for the needs of the garrison. Expenses are to be settled against the city's taxes.

The King demands that Jan Sobieski immediately garrison Lwów with an experienced commander and an appropriate force. The city's czopowe tax is to be used exclusively for ammunition and other defensive needs in accordance with the resolutions of the Senate and regional councils (sejmiki). Sobieski is to support such an allocation of funds also through cooperation with the Lwów land.

The King assures of his knowledge of Lwów's loyalty and his efforts against the enemy. He informs that he has ordered the Hetman to immediately assign an appropriate garrison and commander to the city and to ensure the allocation of the czopowe tax for fortifications. He announces his own arrival, dependent on the gathering of the pospolite ruszenie.

The King instructs Jabłonowski to stop two banners of the district expedition from beating residents, requisitioning food by robbery, making arbitrary assignments, and entering the city with horses. He allows the army to be supplied from surrounding estates due to military necessity.

The King orders both commissions to cooperate in recovering the silver of the Żółkiew church, taken from the deposit in the Lwów Cathedral during the Turkish siege. The items or their fair equivalent must be recovered, and those guilty of illegal trade in them must be judged.

August II praises Lwów's unwavering loyalty to the enemy, announces the readiness of troops, and orders appropriate sanctions against Dr. Altenberk, who for unknown reasons went to the King of Sweden under the guise of a diplomatic mission.

The King directs senators, officials, and the nobility of the Ruthenian Voivodeship to abolish the 'szelężne' tax in Lwów. The tax, initially passed for one year for fortifications and then extended for two years, was still being collected after several years, despite small benefits for the city and other burdens.

August II recommends Wojciech Urbański, formerly a councilor and mayor of Jarosław, for the vacant office of councilor in Lwów. He cites his defense of Jarosław against military arbitrariness and the granting of a royal servitor status.

The Magistrate of Brody complains about the detention of goods and the collection of tolls by the people of Lwów. According to the complaint, several dozen armed men detained the merchants' oxen in Toporów, demanding 1300 zł; later, 300 zł was taken in Lwów for the detained goods. A request to the Crown Standard-Bearer for the protection of the city's privileges.

The councilors describe the return of a patrol from near Włodawa and announce the transmission of testimonies from captured spies. They report the rumor about the Lithuanian Hetman's success as unconfirmed. They ask Lwów to keep its promise to respect Zamość's rights when collecting fees and regarding the deposits of its residents.

The councilors convey a report from an envoy returning from the Lithuanian hetman: news of the loss of Obuchowicz, commander of a reconnaissance unit composed of five banners, his retreat, and his movement towards the Ruthenian voivode in the vicinity of Lublin. They inform about sending a copy of the correspondence, which is not present in the preserved unit.

Krosno explains that daily oppression by military banners made it impossible to quickly collect and send the donative. It mentions the received news about extending the deadline for payment to November 20 and asks Lwów for the greatest possible relief in its difficult situation.

The magistrate asks its envoys for intervention and advice regarding city forests, duties, Ruthenians conducting retail sales, confiscated fish, real estate, pastures, transport services, the investigation into debts owed to Gdańsk citizens, and Tatar rumors. The second part reports on the dispute over the execution of the ruling regarding the mill, the deposit of the sum of 1500, and the objections of the Hinks and Sieradzki. The authors complain about the conduct of the deputy starosta and the lack of constant legal aid; they announce further documents and send a copy of the letter from the Wisznia sejmik.

The councilors and commonalty of Lwów submit a declaration to the hetman regarding the college. The preserved paragraph mentions royal consent/decision and contains a request regarding the school or schoolmaster (reading uncertain), but not all conditions of the city's position can be read with certainty. A note on the reverse side gives November 16, 1607, and states that the hetman was not satisfied and returned the letter with anger.

The councilors send Wachlowicz the letter of the Crown instigator and instruct him to follow his advice in the dispute with the starosta of Łomża. They also ask to learn the instigator's opinion on the Tatar sum and to follow up on the lawsuit. Notes mention the delivery of documents and the messenger's costs; part of them remains unread.

In view of the enemy approaching the city, the Lwów councilors ask the Grabowiec starosta Marek Matczyński for his support with the Grand Crown Hetman. They desire the arrival of soldiers with prepared means for their maintenance, a good commander, and help in purchasing ammunition and food, including from the city's beer and spirits tax. They also ask for letters to land officials so that they immediately issue taxes for the city's urgent needs.

The Lwów councilors ask the hetman to protect the municipal villages of Zubrza and Sichów and to exempt their subjects from the forced transport of oaks. They claim that the villages have already been devastated by the army and the rest of the inhabitants may leave. They propose using artillery carters who have horses and wagons.

The authorities of Przemyśl ask for transcripts from the Lwów books regarding royal resolutions in the dispute between the magistrate and the commoners: exemption from all contributions and an assessment of the community's charges against the magistrate. They are interested in records relating to the authority of the municipal office. They promise gratitude and later payment to the scribe for his work.

The mayors and council of Świecie complain about the almost daily passage of soldiers and the announced arrival of dragoons numbering 90 horses, coming from Hungary for winter maintenance by order of the Inowrocław voivode. They refer to the news from the lessee and an earlier payment, the verb of which remains unread. They ask Jan Jabłonowski for help in the face of the city's impending ruin and the destitution of the inhabitants.

Świecie renews the complaint about the soldiers and states the city's losses at five hundred zlotys, and the president's at 58 zlotys 20 groszy in taken goods. It asks Jan Jabłonowski to lead to the consideration and deduction of losses when paying the army at the general Lwów commission. Separately, it asks for a receipt allowing to receive wood from the Świecie starosta's forest for a bridge threatened with destruction by ice after a hard winter; the lessee does not accept earlier receipts.

The authorities of Świecie ask their starosta for protection against the military execution of services, also dependent on the lessee's decision. They assure that they previously used his protection, apologize for an unspecified offense, and send representatives who are to explain the expenses, difficulties, and damages related to the dams, heads, and banks of the Vistula.

The mayor and councilors of Jarosław ask the Lwów council to announce to merchants that the upcoming Jarosław fair will take place at the usual time. They refer to the will and authority of the Marshal and Grand Crown Hetman and their benefactress, and encourage them to arrive with goods without fear of hostile actions. This is an assurance and invitation from the senders, not a confirmation of the fair's progress.

The author informs that he intervened according to the standard-bearer's order regarding the Magierów leaseholder and his father-in-law. He speaks of satisfying the claim, obligations entered into the books in Jarosław, and a receipt for money signed by the queen. In the second part, he conveys news about the Swedish and Muscovite armies and the king's departure to Lithuania; these are epistolary reports.

Anikini questions the fines imposed by Lorendowicz on Szmuklerz and the second accused in the case of the alleged pregnancy of the former's daughter by his cousin. He claims that the pregnant woman's account points to another man and asks the voivode to mitigate the proceedings. He explains that he restrained those interested from immediately appealing to the recipient.

The priest has been ill for a week. He reports an improvement but will remain in Lwów until he regains his strength and the roads improve. He regrets not listening to his benefactor; he promises gratitude and prayer.