A letter from Floris of Holland (1248, August 11)

Translated letter:

I Floris, brother of the renowned man William chosen by God’s grace as king of the Romans, count of Holland, make known to all who will view the present letters that I owe to the renowned lady Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut, seven thousand pounds and two hundred pounds, that is six thousand pounds in the money of Flanders for his arrears regarding the land of Zeeland and one thousand two hundred pounds in this same money for damages of Peter of Sebourc and Egidius of Koudekerke and their friends, all of which I have promised and sworn to pay in the terms written below to the aforesaid lady countess, namely half by the next feast of the apostles Peter and Paul and the other half soon after by the subsequent feast of those same apostles, unless by chance it should happen that anything is subtracted from the aforesaid sum of six thousand pounds, through sound reckoning within the terms mentioned; and as much as may be subtracted from the aforesaid sum of money through sound reckoning, by so much I and my pledges will be freed from the mentioned debt of six thousand pounds against the said lady countess and her successors; however concerning the one thousand two-hundred pounds for Peter of Sebourc and Egidius of Koudekerke and their other friends I must stand to the inquest and advice of the said lady countess, as is contained more fully in my letters concerning the plan of peace initiated between the aforesaid countess and me. And if it should happen, God forbid, that the aforesaid sum of money were not paid fully to the aforesaid lady countess in the terms written above, I at the direct word of the countess herself will render to her all expenses and her damages fully with the mentioned sum itself of money. I have promised certainly to protect and fulfill all these things written above, by faith pledged and by bodily oath of sacrament, obliging myself and my property and all of mine to these things that must be held, obliging even to these things in place of and in the name of the aforesaid lord my brother all his property and that of his (people), and placing all his property and that of his (people) and mine and that of my (people) in surrender to the aforesaid lady countess and to her successors, to the counts of Flanders, so that they may seize them and cause them to be seized without opposition and without any wrongdoing and offense, wherever they will have been able to find them. Granted in the year of the Lord 1248, on the morrow of the blessed Lawrence.(1)

Original letter:

Ego Florentius, frater illustris viri Willelmi Dei gratia Romanorum in regem electi, comitis Hollandie, notum facio universis presentes litteras inspecturis quod ego debeo illustri domine Margarete, Flandrie et Haynonie comitisse, septem milia librarum et ducentas libras, videlicet sex milia librarum Flandrensis monete pro arrieragiis suis de terra Zelandie et mille et ducentas libras eiusdem monete pro dampnis Petri de Sebourc et Egidii de Koudekerke et amicorum ipsorum, que omnia promisi et iuravi solvere terminis infrascriptis predicte domine comitisse, medietatem videlicet in festo apostolorum Petri et Pauli proximo futuro, et aliam medietatem in festo eorundem apostolorum postea proximo subsequenti, nisi de predicta summa sex milium librarum aliquid forte contingat diminui per bonam computationem infra terminos memoratos; et in quantum de predicta summa pecunie per bonam computationem diminuetur, in tantum ego et plegii mei liberati erimus erga predictam dominam comitissam et eius successores de debito memorato sex milium librarum, de mille autem et ducentis libris pro Petro de Sebourc et Egidio de Koudekerke et aliis amicis eorum debeo stare inquisitioni et consilio predicte predicte domine comitisse, sicut in litteris meis de forma pacis inter predictam comitissam et me initem plenius continetur. Et predicte domine comitisse, sicut in litteris meis de forma pacis inter predictam comitissam et me inite plenius continetur. Et si contingeret, quod absit, quod predicta summa pecunie non solveretur ad plenum predicte domine comitisse terminis suprascriptis, ego ad simplex verbum ipsius comitisse omnes sumptus et dampna sua ei redderem plenarie cum ipsa summa pecunie memorata. Hec autem o[mnia] suprascripta me firmiter servaturum et impleturum promisi fide interposita et corporali prestito sacramento, obligans ad hec omnia tenen[da] me et bona mea et meorum universa, obligans etiam ad hec vice et nomine predicti domini fratris mei omnia bona ipsius et suorum, et ponens omnia bona sua et suorum et mea et meorum in abandonium predicte domine comitisse et successoris ipsius, comitis Flandrie, ut capiant ea et capi faciant sine contradictione et sine aliquo forefacto et offensa, ubicumque ea poterunt invenire. Datum anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quadragesimo octavo, in crastino beati Laurentii.

Historical context:

Floris acknowledges the terms of payment owed to the countess from Zeeland according to their peace treaty.

Scholarly notes:

1 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), 2.420-21, ep.769.

Date:

1248, August 11