A confirmation of immunities

Translated letter:

In the name of the lord amen.  Since the days of men pass like a shadow and never remain in the same state, it is necesssary to impress with tenacious memory those things that are disposed by the pious deliberation of princes, lest with the progression of vanishing time they disappear from the memory of men.  Let it be known therefore to all who will look at this page in the present and future, that we Boleslaw, by the grace of god duke of Kraków and Sandomierz, together with our dearest mother lady Cremislava (sic), duchess of the same lands, with great favor, affection and devotion, endowed the church of the holy savior in the monastery of Zwierzyniec of the Premonstratensian order who follow it piously and sincerely, which our predecessor princes of Kraków for the remedy of their sins and their heirs founded and endowed.  We also, for our salvation and that of our parents, providing mercifully for that same monastery, we confirm all heredities, freedoms, donations and immunities, with every ducal right, form, and condition such that the provost with all men and inhabitants of the towns pertaining to the cloister of Zwierzyniec, are held to appear before no castellan, palatine, or any other judge nor to respond for any case.  But when they are summoned by a letter with our seal and by our official, then our judge coming down to the cloister will judge whatever cases with the provost and the provost will receive all judicial penalties on his men, with no other judge impeding.  Moreover we make all the inhabitants of the towns, whose names follow, free and immune in perpetuity from all charges, which are called in the vulgate Staan, stroza, pouoz, preuod, ouis, vacca, bobri.  Zwierzyniec with the taverns at Ostrigowea and Krecovek, Dambe with its meadows and all profits (utilitatibus).  The Negrbea inn with fields and meadows, Rudava with mills and taverns, Liski with its serfs [those bound to the soil], Bibice and Mescow with their serfs, Luboce and Domascow with wood, fields, meadows, lake and “ogetri” field, Pobednie with fields, wood, meadows, tavern, mill and ponds.  Spitaarj with its serfs, Chranstonia with fields, meadows, tavern, mill and woods, Klonow with fields, meadows, tavern and woods, Losceyow with fields, meadows, and inn, Sarbe with fields, meadows, inn, and mill, Kamencice with fields, meadows, tavern, and mill, Polistras with fields, meadows, wood and all profits, Facimech with its tavern, wood, fields, meadows, and both shores of the Vyale.  Kczanczin with fields, taverns, wood and meadows, Rokow with fields, tavern, wood, meadows and both shores of the river Scave.  Muchar with its tavern, fields, meadows,  and wood and both shores of the river Scave.  Grodiscze with fields, meadows, tavern, and wood.  Grodecz with fields, taverns, mills, wood, and meadows.  The Mount of St. Benedict and Plazow with tavern, meadows, wood, and ponds.  Pregoral with its serfs and with the Vistula [river].  Belani with its tavern, fields, meadows, wood and the Vistula.  Crathkowicze with its serfs.  At Sicina the pan [flat?] for cooking salt and the meadow there.  Skomsin, called Vetrna gora in the vulgate, in the province of Lublens (Lublin?), with other hereditary neighborhoods, with Woysin, Recicza, Crampa, and Javorecz with both shores of the Vistula and with enclosures for fishing, with beavers (castoribus), and with ponds.  Jacsici with its serfs, with fields, taverns, wood and market. 

So that this our donation and confirmation may have the force of perpetual stability in the future, we have had the present page strengthened by the protection of our seal for perpetual memory.  If anyone indeed of our successors should presume by bold daring to violate this page of our donation, or to oppose it in anything, in our omissions or commissions, for indulgence of which we have made it that he will be held guilty at the Last Judgment.  Enacted publicly at Korczyn in the thousand two hundred fifty sixth year of the incarnation of the lord.  With these witnesses present, count Adam castellan of Kraków, count Nicholas, palatine of Kraków, lord Fulco our chancellor, count Boguslaw castellan of Sandomierz, count Bogusa castellan of Wislica, count Woyslaw, castellan of Malogoscz, count Dobeslaw castellan of Zawichost, count Jacob castellan of Wojnicz and several others.  Given/dated by the hand of lord Fulco our abovementioned chancellor.

Original letter:

In nomine domini amen.  Quoniam dies hominum transeunt velut umbra, et nunquam statu permanent in eodem, unde necesse est ea tenaci memorie imprimere, que pia deliberacione principum disponuntur, ne processu temporis thabescentis a memoria hominum evanescant.  Notum sit igitur universis presentibus et futuris hanc paginam inspecturis, quod nos Boleslaus dei gracia dux Cracouie et Sandomirie, una cum nostra charissima matre domina Crimislaua (sic) ducissa terrarum earundem, magno fauore, affectu et devocione ecclesiam sancti saluatoris Monasterii de Sverincia ordinis premonstracensis pie et sinceriter prosequentes, quem (sic) nostri predecessores principes Cracovie fundauerunt pro suorum remedio peccatorum et hereditatibus dotauerunt.  Nos eciam pro nostra et nostrorum salute parentum, eidem Monasterio misericorditer providentes, confirmamus omnes hereditates, libertates, donaciones et immunitates, cum omni jure ducali, forma et condicione tali, quod prepositus cum omnibus hominibus ac incolis villarum ad claustrum de Sverincia pertinentibus, coram nullo castellano, palatino aut alio Judice aliquo comparere teneantur siue respondere pro qualicunque causa.  Sed quum per literam cum sigillo nostro et ministerialem nostrum fuerint citati, tunc judex noster ad claustrum descendens cum preposito causas qualescunque iudicabit et penas omnes judiciales prepositus, super homines suos recipiet, nullo alio judice ipsum impediente.  Facimus insuper omnes incolas villarum, quarum nomina subsequuntur, ab omnibus exactionibus, que wlgariter Staan, stroza, pouoz, preuod, ouis, vacca, bobri nuncupantur cum omni posteritate sua liberos perpetuo et immunes.  Sverincia cum tabernis apud Ostrigoweam et krecovek, Dambe cum pratis et omnibus utilitatibus.  Negrbea taberna cum agris et pratis, Rudaua cum molendino et tabernis, Liski cum hominibus ascripticijs, Olseuicia cum hominibus ascripticijs, Rogoznik cum hominibus ascripticijs, Modlnicia cum hominibus ascripticijs, Bibice et Mescow cum hominibus ascripticijs, Luboce et domascow cum silva, agris, pratis, lacu et campo ogetri (sic), pobednie cum agris, silua, pratis, taberna, molendino et stagnis.  Spitaarj cum hominibus ascripticijs, Chranstonia cum agris, pratis, taberna, molendino et silua, Klonow cum agris, pratis, taberna, et silua, Losceyow cum agris, pratis, et taberna, Sarbe cum agris, pratis, taberna, et molendino, Kamencice cum agris, pratis, taberna, et molendino, Polistras cum agris, pratis, silua et omnibus utilitatibus, Facimech cum taberna, silua, agris, pratis et utroque littore Vyale Kczanczin cum agris, tabernis, silua et pratis, Rokow cum agris, taberna, silua, pratis et utroque littore fluvij Scaue, Muchar cum taberna, agris, pratis, silua utroque littore Scaue.  Grodiscze cum agris, pratis, taberna, et silua.  Grodecz cum agris, tabernis, molendinis, silua, et pratis.  Mons sancti Benedicti et Plazow cum taberna, pratis, silua et stagnis.  Pregoral cum hominibus ascripticijs et cum Visla.  Belani cum taberna, agris, pratis, silua et Wisla.  Crathkowicze cum hominibus ascripticijs.  Aput (sic) Sicinam sarthago pro sale decoquendo et pratum ibidem.  Skomsin, Vetrna gora a wlgo dicta in Lublensi provincia cum alijs adjacentibus hereditatibus cum Woysin, Recicza, Crampa, et Javorecz (cum utroque) littore Visle et cum clausuris ad piscandum, cum castoribus et cum stagnis.  Jacsici cum hominibus ascripticijs, cum agris, tabernis, silua et foro.  Ut autem hec nostra donacio et confirmacio apud posteros robur obtineat perpetue firmitatis, presentem paginam ad perpetuam memoriam fecimus nostri sigilli munimine roborarj.  Si quis vero nostrorum successorum hanc nostre donacionis paginam ausu temerario presumpserit violare, aut ei in aliquo contraire, in nostris delictis et commissis, pro quorum indulgencia hec fecimus ante districtum judicem reus teneatur.  Actum publice in Corczin anno incarnacionis domini nostri millesimo ducentessimo quinquagesimo sexto.  Presentibus hijs testibus, comite Adam Castellano Cracoviensi, Comite Nicolao palatino cracoviensi, domino fulcone cancellario nostro, Comite Boguslao Castellano Sandomiriensi, Comite Bogusa castellano visliciensi, Comite Woyslao Castellano de Malogoscz, comite Dobeslao castellano de Zawichost, comite Jacobo castellano de Woijnijcz et alijs quam plurimis.  Datum per manum domini Fulconis cancellarij nostri supradicti.

Historical context:

Boleslaw and his mother confirm the immunities of the Premonstratensian abbey of the Holy Saviour in Zwierzyniec, with a detailed list of towns and their resources.  I have translated "homines ascripti." bound men as serfs.  I am grateful to Natalia Zajac for alerting me to this document.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Poloniae quo continentur privilegia Regum Poloniae, magnorum Ducum Lithvaniae, Bullae Pontificum … v.3, ed. Julian Bartoszewicz (Warsam, 1858), 69-72 #33.

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