Translation / modern text
Żółkiew, 28 July 1696.
No one can be more certain than I am, Sir, of your favourable feelings towards me and the friendship you hold in your heart. Your Excellency thereby does justice to yourself and to me, who esteem and love your person—as I have always done; this friendship has increased through our closeness. I thank you for the signs you give me through your interest in my affairs. I can tell Your Excellency that for a long time [...] [the syntax of the sentence about pleasure experienced and gratitude retained has not been fully resolved]. I retain feelings of gratitude; should an opportunity arise to convince you of this truth, if such an opportunity presents itself in my present situation, you will find that you have no more sincere friend [?] or servant than
Cardinal d’Arquian.
[Marginal addition:] Please assure His Excellency the grand hetman of my readiness to serve. He will certainly be convinced when he sees that it is his son who conveys this assurance to him [...] [the concluding construction is uncertain]. Please embrace my daughter for me.
[Address:] To His Excellency the voivode of Volhynia, in Warsaw.
Original wording — transcription
A Joulkef ce 28 juillet 1696.
L’on ne peut estre plus assuré que je le suis, Monsieur, des sentimens avantageux que vous avés pour moy, et de l’amitié que vous y avés dans le cœur. C’est une justice que vostre excellence se rend et à moy vous estimant et aymant (comme j’ay toujours faict) vostre personne, dont l’amitié s’est augmentée par nostre proximité. Je vous rends graces des marques que vous m’en donnés assez, par l’interest qu’elle prend à ce qui me regarde. Tout ce que je puis luy dire à vostre excellence est que je suis en possession il y a longte[mps] du plaisir que l’on doit avoir de m’en faire par les sentimens de recognoissance que j’en conserve, et s’il se presentoit occasion de vous persuader de cette verité, si dans mon estat present il s’en rencontre, elle cognoistra n’avoir point d’amis [?] ni de serviteur plus sincere que l’est
Le cardinal D’Arquian.
[Margines:] Assurés bien Son excellence Monsieur le grand general de mes services, il le sera assurément lors qu’il verra que c’est son fils qui luy donne cette mesme [odczyt niepewny] qui luy confirme; embrassés ma fille pour moy.
[Adres s. 3:] A son excellence Monsieur le Palatin de Volinie. A Varsavie.
Reading notes
All five pages were viewed: two separate letters with addresses, without a copy or enclosure. No earlier translation was found apart from metadata. The original reads “28 juillet 1696”, whereas the cover begins the range on 18 August 1696. “Joulkef” is rendered as Żółkiew. The address on p. 3 specifies the voivode of Volhynia and Warsaw; Jan Jabłonowski comes from the cover, not a named address. The signature of Cardinal d’Arquian is retained without expanding given names. “Proximité” means closeness; neither geographical nor family significance has been determined. The addition contains “son fils” and “ma fille”, but their names and the full genealogical relationship have not been established. The sentence about pleasure and gratitude and a small part of the addition have uncertain syntax; the translation is partial in these places. Some spelling and punctuation have been normalized; this is not a diplomatic transcription.