A letter from Innocent IV, pope (1250, July 14)

Translated letter:

Innocent, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to the daughter beloved in Christ, noblewoman Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut, greeting and apostolic benediction. Those matters which are determined by judgment or agreement, must endure as sure and undiminished, and so that they do not return to the difficulty of recurrent strife, it is necessary that they be secured by apostolic protection. Therefore since recently a matter of dispute had arisen between you on one side and on the other our son William dearest in Christ, renowned king of the Romans, and the nobleman Floris, his brother, on account of the land of Zeeland over jurisdictions, customary rights, incomes and certain rights as well as a certain sum of money and other articles, finally with our venerable father P. mediating, bishop of Alban, legate of the apostolic see, amicable agreement has come between you and the king and his brother themselves, with the aforesaid king nonetheless subjecting himself and his heirs and his land of Zeeland and Holland to the jurisdiction of the aforenamed legate and of our venerable brothers, bishops of Tournai and Cambrai, if they should challenge the peace made or any article of it concerning this, as is contained more fully in the letters prepared thenceforth, which (peace) confirmed you have requested to be strengthened by apostolic protection by the same legate. We, therefore, inclined to your entreaties and of the said king, considering as acceptable and valid the agreement itself made prudently, as it has been received voluntarily by each party, confirm it by apostolic authority and secure it by patronage of the present document, causing the sense of the letters themselves and of the confirmation of the said legate to be inserted into the present document word for word as follows:(1). Therefore may it be permitted to no one at all to violate this document of our confirmation or to contradict it with audacious attempt; if, however, anyone will have presumed to attempt this, may he know that he will incur the indignation of omnipotent God and of His blessed apostles, Peter and Paul. Granted at Leyden, 2nd ides of July, in the eighth year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Innocentius episcopus, servus servorum Dei, dilecte in Christo filie, nobili mulieri Margarite comitisse Flandrie ac Haynonie salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Ea que iudicio vel concordia terminantur, firma debent et illibata persistere, et ne in recidive contentionis scrupulum relabantur, apostolico convenit presidio communiri. Cum igitur dudum inter te ex parte una et carissimum in Christo filium nostrum W. regem Romanorum illustrem et nobilem Virum Florentium, fratrem eius, ex altera, occasione terre Zelandie super iurisdictionibus, consuetudinibus, proventibus et quibusdam iuribus necnon et quadam summa pecunie ac aliis articulis orta fuisset materia questionis, tandem mediante venerabili patre nostro P. Albanensi episcopo, apostolice sedis legato, amicabilis inter te ac ipsos regem et fratrem eius compositio intervenit, prefato rege iurisdictioni prenominati legati et venerabilium fratrum nostrorum Tornacensis et Cameracensis episcoporum se ac heredes eius et terram suam Zelandie et Hollandie, si contra pacem super hoc factam vel aliquem eius articulum venirent nichilominus supponente, prout in litteris inde confectis plenius continetur, quam confirmatam per eundem legatum apostolico petiisti munimine roborari. Nos itaque tuis et dicti regis supplicationibus inclinati compositionem ipsam provide factam, sicut est ab utraque parte sponte recepta, gratam et ratam habentes eam auctoritate apostolica confirmamus et presentis scripti patrocinio communimus, tenorem litterarum ipsarum et confirmationis dicti legati presentibus de verbo ad verbum inseri facientes qui talis est: (nr. 854). Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostre confirmationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire; si quis autem hoc attemptare presumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei et beatorum Petri et Pauli, apostolorum Eius, se noverit incursurum. Datum Lugduni II id. iulii, pontificatus nostri anno octavo.

Historical context:

The pope affirms and assumes protection of the agreement mediated by his legate between William and the countess. He wrote to the bishops of Tournai and Cambrai describing the agreement and their role within it: Innocent, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to the venerable brothers, bishops of Tournai and Cambrai, greeting and apostolic benediction. Since a matter of dispute had arisen between the daughter beloved in Christ, noblewoman Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut on one side and on the other our son William dearest in Christ, renowned king of the Romans, and the nobleman Floris, his brother, on account of the land of Zeeland over jurisdictions, customary rights, incomes and certain rights as well as a certain sum of money and other articles, with our venerable brother P. mediating, bishop of Alban, legate of the apostolic see, amicable agreement has come between them, with the aforesaid king nonetheless subjecting himself and his heirs and his land of Zeeland and Holland to the jurisdiction of the aforenamed legate and of you, if they should challenge the peace made or any article of it concerning this, as is contained more fully in the letters prepared thenceforth. We, therefore, inclined to the entreaties of these same ones, the countess and the king, considering as acceptable the agreement itself made prudently, as it has been received voluntarily by each party, and confirming it as valid by the apostolic authority of your fraternity, command through apostolic deeds that you ensure that the same agreement be observed firmly and that you not permit the said countess to be troubled unduly by anyone about these things, against the tenor of our confirmation, (and that you do this) by restraining challengers and troublers, if they were to exist, through ecclesiastical censure by means of the appellation placed below, notwithstanding if it is granted to anyone by the apostolic see that they cannot be interdicted, suspended and excommunicated through apostolic letters not making full mention regarding permission of this sort. Granted at Leyden, 2nd ides of July, in the eighth year of our pontificate.

Scholarly notes:

1 The pope cited ep.854 here. 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), 2.533-34, ep.863.

Date:

1250, July 14