A letter from John of Ghent (1248, August 11)

Translated letter:

I John of Ghent, knight, make known to all who will view the present letters that I have pledged surety for the nobleman Floris brother of the renowned man William by God’s grace chosen as king of the Romans, count of Holland, against Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut concerning seven thousand and two hundred pounds of Flemish money which the aforesaid Floris must pay to the aforesaid countess or by her command either to an agent or to her successor the count of Flanders in the terms written below, 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; and if it should happen, God forbid, that the aforesaid money were not paid in the aforesaid terms in full to the aforesaid lady countess, I would place myself at the summons and command of the countess herself in her prison, wherever she wishes in Flanders, and within forty days I would redeem myself in good faith, making satisfaction to the aforesaid countess concerning the aforesaid sum of money and at her direct word concerning the damages and expenses that she might incur from delinquency of said payment. I have promised that I will protect all the abovesaid things by faith pledged and by bodily oath of sacrament; for all the aforesaid that must be observed I oblige myself and all my movable and immovable property and my successors in posterity, and I place those things in surrender to the aforesaid countess and to her successor, the count of Flanders, so that they may seize them and cause them to be seized without opposition and wrongdoing, wherever they will have been able to find them. And if it were to happen by chance that the aforesaid countess should die before the aforesaid terms or before the payment of the aforesaid money, I will remain totally obligated in the aforesaid way to her successor, the count of Flanders, unless it were to happen that the aforesaid countess commands otherwise about this; even then I would remain totally obligated to her agent and command. In testimony of the aforesaid I have caused the present document to be strengthened by the protection of my seal. Granted at Bruges in the year of the Lord 1248, on the morrow of the blessed Lawrence.(1)

Original letter:

Ego Iohannes de Gandauo, miles, notum facio omnibus presentes liitteras inspecturis quod ego fideiussi pro viro nobili Florencio fratre illustris viri Wilgelmi Dei gratia Romanorum in regem electi, comitis Hollandie, erga Margaretam Flandrie et Haynonie comitissam de septem milibus et ducentis libris Flandrencium quas predictus Florencius debet solvere predicte comitisse vel eius mandato et ordinationi seu successori suo comiti Flandrie terminis infrascriptis, medietatem silicet in festo apostolorum Petri et Pauli proximo futuro et aliam medietatem in festo eorumdem apostolorum postea proximo subsequenti; et si contingeret, quod absit, quod predictis terminis predicta pecunia non solveretur ad plenum predicte domine comitisse, ego ponerem me ad submonitionem et mandatum ipsius comitisse in prisione sua, ubicumque vellet in Flandria, et infra quadraginta dies me redimerem bona fide satisfaciens predicte comitisse de predicta summa pecunie et de dampnis et sumptibus ad simplex dictum suum que incurreret ex defectu solutionis predicte. Hec omnia supradicta promisi me servaturum fide interposita et corporali prestito sacramento; ad predicta autem omnia observanda me et mea omnia mobilia et immobilia obligo et meos in posterum successores, et pono ea in abandonium predicte comitisse et eius successori, comiti Flandrie, ut capiant ea et capi faciant sine contradictione et forefacto, ubicumque ea poterunt invenire. Et si ante predictos terminos predictam comitissimam mori forte contingat sive ante predicte pecunie solutionem, predicto modo remanebo totaliter obligatus successori eius, comiti Flandrie, nisi aliter contingeret predictam comitissam super hoc ordinare; tunc enim eius mandato et ordinationi remanerem totaliter obligatus. In predictorum autem testimonium presens scriptum feci sigilli mei munimine roborari. Datum Brugis anno Domini M° CC° quadragesimo octavo, in crastino beati Laurencii.

Historical context:

John of Ghent pledges himself and his successors as surety for the debt Floris of Holland owes to the countess.

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), 2.425, ep.773.

Date:

1248, August 11