A letter from Peter, bishop of Albano (1250, May 19)

Translated letter:

Peter by God’s grace bishop of Alban, legate of the apostolic see, to all present and future, in the Originator of salvation, greeting. May all know that since disagreement had arisen between the renowned lord William by God’s grace king of the Romans and Floris his brother on one side, and on the other the noble woman Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut, on account of the land of Zeeland for rights and other things concerning which they disagreed with each other, finally with us mediating peace and harmony have come to pass between them, as is contained more fully in the letters of the said king, the sense of which is as follows: (1) We, at the request of the said lord king and of the lady countess, confirm by the authority of the legation with which weare charged, that with us mediating, the peace itself has been made, negotiated and diligently considered, and we strengthen it by the protection of our seal. Therefore may it be permitted to absolutely no one of the people existing within the terms of our legation to violate this document of our confirmation or to contradict it with audacious attempt; if anyone will have presumed to attempt this, may he know that he will incur the indignation of omnipotent God and of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. Pronounced at Brussels in the year of the Lord 1250, 14 kalends of June, in the seventh year of the pontificate of the lord Pope Innocent IV.(2)

Original letter:

Petrus Dei gratia Albanensis episcopus, apostolice sedis legatus, universis presentibus et futuris in salutis Auctore salutem. Noverint universi quod, cum inter illustrem dominum W. Dei gratia regem Romanorum et Florentium eius fratrem ex una parte, et nobilem mulierem Margaretam Flandrie et Haynonie comitissam ex altera mota esset discordia occasione terre Zelandie pro iuribus et aliis super quibus adinvicem contendebant, tandem nobis mediantibus inter eos pax et concordia intercessit, prout in litteris dicti regis plenius continetur, quarum tenor est talis: (ep. 850). Nos autem ad petitionem dictorum domini regis et domine comitisse pacem ipsam nobis mediantibus factam, tractatam et diligenter examinatam auctoritate legationis qua fungimur confirmamus et nostri sigilli munimine roboramus. Nulli ergo omnino hominum infra terminos nostre legationis existentium liceat hanc nostre confirmationis paginam infringere vel ei ausu temerario contaire; si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei et beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli se noverit incursurum. Actum Bruxelle anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quinquagesimo, XIIII° kl. iunii, pontificatus domini Innocentii pape IIII anno septimo.

Historical context:

The papal legate announces the agreement he has mediated between William and his brother Floris on the one hand, and the countess on the other in the dispute over Zeeland.

Scholarly notes:

1 At this point, Peter cites William’s official statement of the agreement, ep.850, the counterpart to Margaret’s, ep.849 (1086.html). 2 The translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch (Gravenhage: Martinus Nijhoo, 1970), 2.519, ep.854.

Date:

1250, May 19