Mandate of Gustavus Adolphus for the Protection of Travelers and Farmers

...and the evidence original: "Augenschein," literally 'the appearance to the eye' shows more than clearly that many fine fields have remained largely uncultivated and barren. Consequently, both people and livestock have suffered from a ruinous lack and shortage of the indispensable means of food and sustenance. Many places have experienced continuous inflation original: "Theurung," referring to a period of high prices caused by scarcity or famine and, as a result, have been forced to suffer miserably.

Since this disorder original: "Vnwesen" would lead to nothing other than the complete ruin of the lands and their inhabitants—and consequently original: "consequenter," a Latin term commonly used in legal writing also to the utter destruction, harm, and reduction of the indispensable supplies for all Our armies stationed here and there within the Circles The Imperial Circles (Reichskreise) were the administrative districts of the Holy Roman Empire where the Swedish troops were operating.—if We were not to stop such insolence and excesses original: "insolentien vnd Excessen" in time through proper, serious oversight and sharp military discipline.

Therefore, out of Our duty of care, We have deemed it a matter of highest necessity to remedy original: "remediren" and prevent such misfortune with the utmost diligence—both for the upcoming Frankfurt Lenten Fair original: "Fastenmeß" and the fast-approaching spring original: "Lentzen" and planting season—and to restore and promote free, safe transport, trade, and commerce, as well as the noble, though ruined, cultivation of the fields.

We therefore command all Our aforementioned high and low officers and soldiers, both on horse and on foot, most earnestly and under threat of unremitting punishment to life and limb A standard 17th-century legal phrase for capital punishment., that each and every—