Marek Matczyński to the Lviv Magistrate regarding roads and carters

[P. 8] fasc. 241 in Żółkiew, May 8, 1694 Most Noble and Well-Born Gentlemen, Worthy Friends! I am not accustomed to demanding anything from Your Graces that would be burdensome and contrary to custom and established practice – let Your Graces decide that for yourselves – but I am always accustomed to insisting on what concerns the benefit and honor of this metropolis of the entire voivodeship, and the hereditary seat of Your Graces. It is true that I wrote regarding the repair of the roads, seeing in this the benefit and honor of Your Graces themselves. For the benefit comes from the fact that the more trade is drawn to Lviv; and how can it be drawn if there is no access due to a difficult and bad road? The honor comes from the fact that nothing is more becoming to noble men than perfect order. That Your Graces wish to contribute to this, as your letter testifies, is a praiseworthy thing. But since the law stands in the way, entailing the impossibility of acting due to the wretched livestock of Your Graces' subjects – which is easy to understand [...], for leaving aside the winter work of the subjects, the spring cultivation of the land alone, without which a subject cannot live, must have exhausted the livestock – therefore nothing is more just than to give the animals some respite, and having waited, then set about the aforementioned work for your own sake. And as for Captain Truszkiewicz [P. 9] of His Majesty's court banner, according to the letter of Your Graces, he acts with respect and faithfully in the matters entrusted to him, which easily refutes this unworthy accusation, in which – as I admonish him – he will show from the copy. I ask Your Graces at the same time to kindly accept my request, which will be brought by Mr. Pastwiszki, my judge of the Lviv synagogue, in which request there will be nothing else at all, only that Your Graces would wish to exert influence on those carters who live in the villages of Your Graces, whom I ordered to be paid and offered [...], if only they would bring stones from Blana to a certain estate of mine [...] to serve for carts until now. Not wishing to overwhelm with reading, I briefly commit myself to good friendship, remaining Postscript: This is a common plague for all cities of His Majesty; I fear that their proper court might have to be obedient to Mr. Truszkiewicz. Your Graces' well-wishing friend and ready servant, Marek Matczyński, Voivode of Ruthenia [P. 10, address:] To the Most Noble and Well-Born Gentlemen: The Burgomaster, Councilors, and the entire Magistrate of the Royal City of Lviv, My Worthy Friends. [Note:] 1694

[S. 8] fasc. 241 # w Żołkwi 8 Maij A[nn]o 1694 Praenobiles ac Generosi Domini Amici Observandi Niezwykłem nic takowego potrzebowac po WM Panach coby miało bydz gravaminosum et extra usum et praxim solitam, to się WMM sadźcie w domu, ale zawsze zwykłem instawac o to quod concernit utile et honestum hanc Metropolim całego Woiewodztwa, a WMM Panow haereditariam Residentiam, to prawda żem pisał ratione melioracyi Drog upatruiąc w tym utile et honestum samychze WMM Panow, utile bowiem ztąd pochodzi nim naywięcy comertiorum sciąga się do Lwowa, sciągac zaś iakze się może gdy non dat accessus dłuzten y niecnotliwey Drogi, honestum zas że virs viros honestos nil magis decet quam optimus Ordo doczego że się WMM Panowie applicowac chcecie iako testat litera Vestra rzecz godna pochwały, ale że obstat Legalitas a taka ktora imposibilitatem pociąga dla wynędznionych dobytkow Poddaństwa WMM Panow co snadno rozumiec może byter pominąwszy zimowe operationes Poddaństwa sama agricultura vernalis bez ktorey zyc niemozę poddany musiała sciągnąc dobytek a dla tegoż nil iustus podawać wytłknąc iaki czas dobytkowi a wytknąwszy przeciesz accingere se memorato operi dla samychze siebie; a że Rotmistrz Truszkiewic [S. 9] Chorągwi Nadworney JKrMli według pisania WMM Panów in commissis sibi ma się respective wiernie snadno temu sprawuie to niecnotliwe praelatum, w czym iako go upominam patebit ex Copia. Proszę przymm WMM Panow abyscie łaskawie desiderium moie przyieli ktore w niesię Pan Pastwiszki Sędzia moy Synagogi Lwowskiey in quo desid[erium] cholerice innego niebędzie tylko abyscie WMM Panowie chcieli interponere potesta[tem] wam iuż do tych furmanow ktorzy mieszkaią we wsiach WMM Panow w ktorym ja kazałem płacic et oblatum cisaby tylko sprowadzili kamienie z Blany do pewney Maietności moiey in vim Tatonki do fur dotąd słuzyc. Wkrótce obruere legendo zwięzłe oddawam się dobrey przyiazni Zostaiąc P.S. Commune to iest flagellum na wszystkie Miasta JKrMscimich forum iurisdictionis se aby mieli obedire P. Truszkiewiczowi obawiam się. WMM Panow życzliwy Przyiaciel y sługa gotowy M Matczynsky WR[uski] [S. 10, adres:] Praenobilibus ac Generosis D[ni]s Proconsuli Consulibus totique Magistratui Regiae Civitatis Leopoldiensis et Mi[ci]s Observandis. [Dopisek:] 1694