Source catalogue

An order to hand over to Jan Tarnowski three falconets from among the ten royal cannons stored in Lwów. Cannons deformed in the fire are to be identified by gunsmiths.

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.

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.

An order to issue four royal cannons stored in Lwów to Jan Mielecki to strengthen the castle in Chmielnik against enemy attack. The magistrate is released from responsibility for these cannons.

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.

Following a complaint from members of the community and explanations from the magistrate, the King orders the resolution of disputes and the observance of privileges, decrees, and amicable settlements. Income granted to the city by a recent privilege is to serve the public good, not private gain.

The King orders cooperation in the demarcation of Zboiska and Grzybowice from Lwów's property after the tribunal referred the case for on-site proceedings.

In the surviving fragments, the King refers to Adam Kisiel's readiness for service and to the Żytomierz sejmik and the sent instruction. He expects attention to the urgent defensive need of the fatherland and to persuade other voivodeships to agree. Large gaps do not allow for the reconstruction of the full demand or the details of the meeting.

The King expects an amicable resolution of disputes between Doctor Marcin Campian, a member of the Lwów authorities, and offices and private individuals. The parties are to jointly appoint honest townspeople who will lead to a settlement without violating the city's rights. The King also informs about a separate letter to the Archbishop of Lwów.

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.

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 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.

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.

The King halts the execution of the wybraniecka sum from the city lands of Kleparów. The name associated with the peasant's nickname is not sufficient to recognize the fields as sołectwo (village head) lands. The matter is to be finally decided by the King.

The King requests a reduction in the tax burden of Lwów, set at eight hundred chimneys. He points to a decline in wealth and population, as well as the removal of numerous properties from the city's tax burden in favor of the clergy and nobility.

A separate letter instructs the starosta of Lwów to stop the city's actions that harm merchants before the royal court's verdict.

August II instructs the magistrate to admit the men assigned to defend the fortress under the command of the Voivode of Kalisz, to ensure defense and provisions, and to follow the local commander.

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.

The Queen thanks Małachowski for his comments on her intended departure to fulfill her vow of pilgrimage to the Apostolic Thresholds. She promises gratitude at every opportunity. A French postscript speaks of respect and friendship and includes greetings for the addressee's wife.

The Hospodar sends his customs officer from Chernivtsi to Lwów for materials for the upcoming holidays and asks that his servant be allowed to transport the purchases safely and duty-free, as his predecessors were allowed. He promises reciprocal favors.

Jerzy Ghica asks the councilors of Lwów to announce the upcoming fair in Jazłowiec to foreign merchants and city residents. He informs them of the merchants' fears regarding new fees and the protection guarantee received, after which he ordered his merchants to set off. He also asks for confirmation and encouragement from Lwów.

The Hospodar supports his boyar's efforts to recover 700 PLN from the goldsmith Trzciński. He asks for the possibility of selling the tenement house given as collateral and for the reimbursement of 300 PLN in legal costs.

Ferdinand informs the Voivode that he has already asked the senators and nobility at the sejmiks for help in liberating Courland, Semigallia, and the Piltene district from Swedish rule. He asks the Voivode for support with his own authority and action.

The authorities of Old Warsaw ask to verify rumors of a plague in the vicinity of Kamieniec Podolski. They do not consider it confirmed, despite reports from several sides. They want to obtain certain information to ensure the health safety of their city in time.

The authorities of Old Warsaw declare solidarity with other magistrates in the defense of rights and justice. They inform that the regional council of the Warsaw land has already ended at the stage of electing a marshal. They assure of an attempt to gain other lands and voivodeships for the addressees' postulates.

The authorities of Wrocław want to restore trade interrupted by the plague in Poland. They do not consider rumors about the end of the epidemic sufficient: they ask Lwów for the reliable status of the city and the voivodeship, as well as evidence of the cessation of infections and the cleaning of infected places and buildings. They announce their intention to restore trade, even if initially with restrictions.

In connection with confirmed news about the plague in Hungary, Transylvania, and on the borders of Poland, Gdańsk establishes the requirement of reliable health certificates for persons and goods entering the city. It asks Lwów to inform residents and neighbors, comply with the regulation, and show similar preventive care.

Gdańsk recalls the earlier warning about the plague in Hungary and Transylvania and conveys news about its beginnings in some nearby places in Poland. It demands reliable health certificates for arrivals and goods, specifying the conditions for their issuance.

After receiving news about a renewed plague in Hungary, Gdańsk renews the ordinance from about two years ago. The entry of persons and the admission of goods are made conditional on reliable documents of origin from healthy places free from suspicion of infection.

Gdańsk informs about reports it considers reliable regarding the beginnings of the plague in some parts of Poland. It announces the requirement for documents of origin for persons and goods from healthy places and asks Lwów to disseminate the ordinance and take preventive measures.

Gdańsk responds to the Lwów complaint of May 10 regarding the detention of the tailor Jan Koch after the expiration of his one-year contract. It cites a different account from Princess Jabłonowska, the Bracław Voivodeship Governor's wife: Koch is to be at liberty and able to return to Lwów at the beginning of September. The city does not decide the case, which is pending in royal courts.

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.

After the reduction of the coin's value, the Podolian Voivodeship established a commission to set prices for goods and equipment. Merchants asked for a postponement of the submission of registers and closed their shops. The commission ordered sales at half the previous price. The magistrates of Kamieniec ask Lwów for information about a similar tariff; further resolution remains open.

In response to Lwów's complaint regarding the exclusion of the magistrate from setting prices, Kraków describes its own practice: two meetings per year with the participation of the voivodeship office, the castle office, and the city council. It explains the order of votes, the maintenance of the price book, the preparation of copies, and the public announcement of the tariff. In a postscript, it speaks about punishing violations, the weight of bread, and testing beer.

Kraków thanks the magistrate of Lwów for the letter of August 8, conveying news about contagious diseases in Podolia, Ukraine, Kamieniec Podolski, and Żółkiew, as well as the precautionary measures taken. It requests further news and declares the reimbursement of transport costs for the letters.

The magistrate of Kraków sends its citizen for detailed news about contagious diseases spreading in Ruthenia, Ukraine, and Podolia. It asks Lwów to inform the envoy, detain travelers and merchants from the affected areas, check passports, and verify certificates of healthy origin for travelers and goods. It demands the authentication of the documents' good origin with an official signature and the city seal before allowing further passage.

Kraków learned that Lwów sent two surgeons to the vicinity of Tarnopol to check reports of contagious diseases. It asks for their report in order to take precautionary measures in time. The sender expresses hope that the rumor will not be confirmed.

Leżajsk confirms receipt from the Lwów authorities of the royal universal regarding the donative of one hundred thousand zlotys, passed at the last Sejm, with reference to the Ruthenian Voivodeship. In the clause concerning the town's share, 60 zlotys are mentioned. The letter certifies the delivery of the universal, not the completion of the payment.

Responding to Lwów's inquiry, Lublin provides the fees: one zloty per barrel of wine for the voivode and three groschen for the deputy voivode. It does not indicate a similar burden for other goods. It mentions the levy on food brought from the countryside and contributions from merchants and guilds when setting prices twice a year. It asks that the response remain confidential.

Lwów seeks the voivode's support before the royal court in a dispute with Stanisław Szembek. According to the councilors, the city bought the land for several thousand zlotys from the Crown cupbearer, while Szembek claims rights to it through his wife's predecessor (as defined in the letter). This is the argumentation of one of the parties, not a court verdict.

The councilors thank the marshal for his care of the Lwów envoys and ask him for support before the king in the dispute with Stanisław Szembek over land purchased by the city. They mention the previous rights of Szembek's wife's parents and the payment of several thousand zlotys. This is a parallel submission to letter 190 addressed to the voivode.

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 maintain their readiness to provide the king with one hundred thousand zlotys in connection with the contract regarding the lease of the Lwów excise and Ruthenian customs. They explain that the departure of the Wąchock abbot and the enemy's actions delayed the negotiations. They ask the treasury administrator to allocate provisions for the Lwów garrison from this sum, as its lack threatens the city's security.