A letter from Margaret of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders (1256, October 13)

Translated letter:

We, Margaret countess of Flanders and of Hainaut, make known to everyone both present and future who will view and hear the present letter that, since serious disagreement had arisen between us on one side and on the other the lord of illustrious memory William king of the Romans and the nobleman lord Floris defender of the county of Holland, his brother, finally after the death of the said king, with our renowned lord Louis, king of the Franks, and other good men mediating between us and our dearest sons Guido count of Flanders and John lord of Dampierre and our men on one side and on the other the said lord Floris and his nephew Floris, son of the aforesaid king and their men, amicable agreement has come with both our and their consenting agreement, namely: That the said lord Floris will accept as wife the daughter eldest by birth of our aforesaid son Guido count of Flanders, and we, on behalf both of us and of our said son Guido count of Flanders, give in fealty to the same lord Floris and his heirs all the land of Zeeland, which was the domain of us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, with all rights of said land and all things which on the said land belonged or were said to belong to us and to our ancestors; and thus we declare directly and publicly that all the land of Zeeland situated between Hesdin and Schelde with all jurisdictions, rights, revenues, proceeds, incomes and without reserve with all rights that we and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, held or were said to hold in the said land and which the said lord William formerly king of the Romans and his founders or ancestors, the counts of Holland, held or were said to hold in the said land, will remain perpetually quit and free to the aforesaid lord Floris and Floris his nephew, son of the aforesaid lord king, and their heirs, to be possessed peacefully and quietly by those themselves, as fief to be held from us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders. Since the said lord Floris will pay homage to us concerning all the aforesaid land of Zeeland situated between Hesdin and Schelde – namely concerning that part which was the domain of us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, (Floris will act) as feudal tenant and vassal, but concerning that (part) which was the domain of the aforesaid king William and his ancestors, the counts of Holland, (he will act) as defender, (and) Floris, son of the aforesaid king, and his heirs, the counts of Holland are to receive as fief (that part) from us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, except only for the aforesaid lord Floris in the said part, if anything of the due portion can belong to him by hereditary right, concerning this, if anything will have belonged to him thus, he will likewise pay homage to us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders; and thus we both on behalf of us and on behalf of our aforenamed son Guido count of Flanders and also on behalf of all our heirs, born and to be born, for the aforesaid homages alone, namely of the aforesaid lord Floris and his nephew Floris and their heirs, and for the services due for the homages, as stated, to us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, retained on the said land --- we renounce and give up for the use of the said lord Floris defender of Holland and of Floris his nephew, aforesaid son of the king and their heirs, all profitable dominion, all jurisdictions, rights, revenues, proceeds, incomes, servitudes and services and all other homages from the aforesaid and entirely all rights of the said land of Zeeland situated between Hesdin and Schelde which we and our founders and ancestors, the counts of Flanders, held or were said to hold in the said land situated between Hesdin and Schelde, or which belonged or were said to belong to us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, on the said land or for rights of said land, or for those things which men of the said land were or were said to be generally or specifically obligated to us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, by right or customary right, except the aforesaid homages and services themselves owed to us; and henceforth we have restored all charters and all bulls and documents granted to us and our founders and ancestors from the aforesaid king William and the said lord Floris his brother and their ancestors, the counts of Holland,by the lord pope or anyone else concerning rights of said land or concerning agreements, contracts, customary rights, promises, debts and obligations and anything else of the said king and lord Floris his brother and their ancestors or men of the said land; and likewise, in the sense of the present (letter) we declare fully and wish on behalf of us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, determining frankly that all those documents, if by chance any pertaining to this matter will have been found afterward not to have been rendered, they should hold no force and should lack the strength of certainty with respect to us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders. But if it should happen that the said lord Floris dies without an heir produced by the daughter of the said count of Flanders, our son, or she dies, Floris his nephew, aforenamed son of the king, will take as wife one of the daughters of our said son, the count of Flanders, and he will receive and hold in fealty from us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, all the aforesaid land of Zeeland situated between Hesdin and Schelde; but if it should happen that he dies without an heir produced by the daughter of the said count, Matilda daughter of the aforesaid king, must be joined in marriage to one of the sons of the count of Flanders and (must) hold all the mentioned land of Zeeland in fealty from the counts of Flanders, (land) which was the domain of us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders; and similarly if it should happen that she dies, all the aforesaid land with all rights pertaining to it and jurisdictions will be transferred to the heir of the count of Holland, whoever it will be according to circumstances, who will receive and hold it in fealty from us or our successors, the counts of Flanders, and thus the said land of Zeeland which was the domain of us and our ancestors, the counts of Flanders, will always belong to lord Floris and his heirs, as stated, or to Floris his nephew or to Matilda his sister and their heirs produced from the said marriages, or, if no offspring will issue from these marriages, to him who according to circumstances will be the heir of the court of Holland, and from this he will pay homage as vassal to us and our successors, the counts of Flanders, and thus straightforwardly in any contingent case all the aforesaid land situated between Hesdin and Schelde in no way will be transferred to any other than one or another of the aforesaid three or their heirs, as stated, or to the heir of the county of Holland, whoever according to circumstances will be heir of the county of Holland, nevertheless such that that heir, whoever (it is) after those three who were expressed by name, will not have been produced from the said marriages, will be bound to pay to us or to our said successors, the counts of Flanders, for the said land ten thousand marks of silver in the mark of Flanders, namely ten shillings of good and legal silver to be calculated for any mark; if by chance it should happen that the said land of Zeeland, which was the domain of us and our ancestors, be divided among many co-heirs or sharers descending from the said lord Floris or his nephew Floris or Matilda his sister or any heir of the county of Holland, anyone sharing in the division of said property is to pay homage to us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, concerning that portion which can belong to him. Since it rests with the renowned man lord Henry, duke of Brabant to set tolls decreed in places in Holland or Zeeland by Flemish merchants crossing with their merchandise and any things for sale both from our side and from the side of said lord Floris, for the paying of said tolls, we wish all to know that concerning this we, both on behalf of us and on behalf of our heirs, the counts of Flanders, promise to observe in all things and in all respects the command of the duke, insofar as the same command will have pertained to us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, accordingly as the duke himself will have caused his command concerning this to be published either by oral statement or document strengthened by his own seal, or both ways, and thus in all things and in all respects the aforesaid lord Floris, on behalf of himself, his nephew Floris and their heirs, has promised to do and observe. However, customs will be observed by our merchants of Flanders in Holland and Zeeland, namely these: That if any merchant of Flanders, passing through the land of the county of Holland, namely through Holland or Zeeland, will have been impeded by anyone over a debt, if he will have denied that debt and having denied it, remains, so that he not suffer delay in his ship, he will be able to clear himself by swearing an oath concerning this with single hand to the one impeding; but if the one detaining will have refused to accept it, he should follow that merchant into the villa or town where he resides and there the case between them must be decided by the judgment of the aldermen of that town or villa; and if by chance contrary to this a merchant of Flanders passing through will have been impeded and on account of this will have incurred loss, the count of Holland or the lord of the land will repay to the merchant the entire loss. Also if any of our merchants from Flanders will have been robbed in Holland, namely, or Zeeland, the lord of the land itself in which the plundering of this sort was done, will compel the inhabitants of the land itself where the robber will have remained to compensate the booty, otherwise he himself (i.e. the robber) will pay. We, however, both on behalf of ourselves and our heirs and even our people forgive with pure heart and sincere mind all wrongs inflicted on us and our people and all losses and all offenses effected against us and our people by the lord Floris and all his people, relatives, abettors and friends, promising never at any time to recall to mind these things, and thus all rancor of the mind will rest in the beauty of peace. We, both on behalf of ourselves and on behalf of our heirs born and to be born and even on behalf of our people, promise to the said lord Floris and his nephew Floris and their heirs and their people, to observe perpetually, firmly, and inviolably this peace and each and every article of this peace, as expressed more fully above, and to cause it to be observed in all things and in all respects firmly and inviolably, renouncing in all these things both on behalf of us and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, every right to aid both canonical and civil, every privilege and every document, given or to be given, obtained or to be obtained, which henceforth belongs or in the future could belong to us and our heirs, against the aforesaid or anything of the aforesaid. Through our own oath we solemnly oblige ourselves to observe all these things faithfully and inviolably. And because we desire that the said peace and each and every article of said peace be most firmly observed, we consent and request from the lord pope, submitting ourselves and our heirs, the counts of Flanders, to his jurisdiction and to the power of the venerable fathers of Tournai and of the bishop elect of Liège and their successors, to whom we request that this be entrusted to the lord pope, so that if we or our heirs, the counts of Flanders, were to go against the said peace or any article of peace, and (if) sued over this, we were to refuse to correct it within forty days after admonition, that the said prelates, or one of them if the other were not present or were detained by legitimate impediment, could bring against our person and that of our heirs a judgment of excommunication and submit our land to ecclesiastical interdict. In preservation and protection of each and every thing of the aforesaid we have caused our seal to be affixed to the present letters. Granted at Brussels in the year of the Lord 1256, Friday after the feast of blessed/saint Denis.(1)

Original letter:

Nos Margareta Flandrie et Haynoie comitissa notum facimus tam presentibus quam futuris universis et singulis presens scriptum inspecturis et audituris quod, cum inter nos ex una parte et clare me[mori]e dominum Willelmum Romanorum; regem ac nobilem virum dominum Florentium tutorem comitatus Hollandie, fratrem eius, ex altera gravis dissensio esset orta, tandem post obitum dicti regis mediantibus illustri domino nostra Ludouico Francorum [r]ege et aliis bonis viris inter nos et karissimos filios nostras Guidonem comitem Flandrie et Iohannem dominum de Dampetra ac nostras ex una parte et dictum dominum Florentium et Florentium nepotem ipsius, prefati regis filium, ac suos ex altera amicabilis tam de nostra quam de suo concordi consensu compositio intervenit, videlicet: Quod dictus dominus Florentius maiorem natu filiam prefati filii nostri Guidonis comitis Flandrie accepiet in uxorem, et nos tam pro nobis quam pro dicto filio nostro Guidone comite Flandrie damus in feodum eidem domino Florentio et eius heredibus totam terram Zelandie, que de nostra et antecessorum nostrorum, comitum Flandrie, fuit demanio, cum omnibus iuribus dicte terre et quibus dicta terra ad nos et ad antecessores nostras spectabat vel dicebatur spectare; et sic simpliciter et publice protestamur quod tota terra Zelandie inter Hedynezie et Scaldam sita cum omnibus iurisdictionibus, iusticiis, redditibus, proventibus, obventionibus [et] simpliciter cum omnibus iuribus quas, quos et que nos et antecessores nostri, comites Flandrie, habebamus in dicta terra vel dicebamur habere et quas, quos et que nos et antecessores nostri, comites Flandrie, habebamus in dicta terra vel dicebamur habere et quas, quos et que dictus dominus Willelmus olim Romanorum rex et sui progenitores vel antecessore[s, comi]tes Hollandie, in dicta terra habebant vel dicebantur habere, predicto domino Florentio et Florentio nepoti suo, predicti domini regis filio, et eorum heredibus tanquam feodum a nobis et nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, tenendum, quita et l[ibera ab] ipsis quiete et pacifice possidenda, perpetuo remanebit. Quia de tota terra predicta Zelandie inter Hedynezie et Scaldam sita nobis dictus dominus Florentius prestabit homagium, — ita videlicet quod de illa parte que de nostra et antecessorum nostrorum, comitum Flandrie, fuit demanio tanquam feodatarius et vasallus, de illa vera que de predicti regis Willelmi et antecessorum suorum, comitum Hollandie fuit demanio tanquam tutor, quam a nobis [e]t nostris heredibus, co[mitibus F]landrie, Florentius sepedicti regis filius, et eius heredes, comites Hollandie sunt in feodum recepturi, salva tamen predicto domino Florentio in dicta parte, si qua eum iure hereditario potest contingere [d]eb[ita] portione. de qu[a] n[obis e]t nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, si qua eum sic contigerit similiter homagium est facturus; et sic nos tam nos pro nobis quam pro prenominato filio nostro Guidone comite Flandrie quam etiam pro omnibus heredibus nostris, natis et nascituris. solis predictis homagiis, videlicet predicti domini Florentii et Florentii nepotis ipsius ac heredum suorum et serviciis debitis pro homagiis, ut premissum est, nobis et nostris heredibus. comitibus Flandrie, in dicta terra retentis, — renunciamus et cedimus ad opus dictorum domini Florentii tutoris Hollandie et Florentii nepotis ipsius. sepedicti regis filii, et heredum ipsorum omni utili dominio, omnibus iurisdictionibus, iusticiis, redditibus, proventibus, obventionibus, servitutibus et servitiis et omnibus aliis homagiis a predictis et simpliciter omnibus iuribus dicte terre Zelandie inter Hedynezie et Scaldam site quos, quas et que nos et nostri progenitores vel antecessores, comites Flandrie, habebamus in dicta terr[a] inter Hedynezie et Scaldam sita vel dicebamur habere vel que nobis et antecessoribus nostris, comitibus Flandrie, in dicta terra seu in iuribus dicte terre competebant vel competere dicebantur vel in quibus homines dicte terre fuerfunt vel] dicebantur esse nobis et antecessoribus nostris, comitibus Flandrie, ex iure vel consuetudine, generaliter seu specialiter obligati, salvis nobis predictis homagiis et serviciis ipsis debitis; et exnunc restituimus omnes cartas et omnia p[rivilegia] et instrumenta nobis et nostris progenitoribus seu antecessoribus a predicto rege Willelmo et dicto domino Florentio fratre ipsius et eorum antecessoribus, comitibus Hollandie, a domino papa seu quocunque alio super iuribus dicte terre seu super conventionibus, pactionibus, consuetudinibus, promissionibus, debitis et obligationibus quibuscunque dictorum regis et domini Florentii fratris eius ac antecessorum ipsorum seu hominum dicte terre concessa; et similiter tenore presentium simpliciter protestamur et vo[lu]mus pro nobis et nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, simpliciter decernentes quod omnia illa instrumenta, si qua forte non reddita postmodum inventa fuerint de ista materia facientia mentionem, quoa[d nos et heredes] nostras, [comites] II Flandrie, vires non habeant et robore careant firmitatis. Si vero dictum dominum Florentium sine herede a dicti comitis Flandrie, filii nostri, filia generato vel eam mori contigerit, Florentius nepos eius, prenominati regi[s] filius, [ducet i]n uxorem unam ex dicti filii nostri, comitis Flandrie, filiabus, et totam terram predictam Zelandie inter Hedynezie et Scaldam sitam a nobis et nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, in feodum recipiet et tenebit; si vero eum sine is herede de dicti comitis filia generato mori contingat, Machtildis, filia regis prefati, debet uni filiorum comitis Flandrie matrimonialiter copulari et tenere a comitibus Flandrie in feodum totam terram Zelandie memoratam, que de nostro et antecessorum nostrorum, comitum Flandrie, fuit demanio; et si eam similiter mori contigerit, tota terra predicta cum omnibus iuribus ad eam pertinentibus et iusticiis ad heredem comitatus Hollandie, quicunque pro tempore fuerit, devolvetur, qui eam a nobis vel nostris successoribus, comitibus Flandrie, feodaliter recipiet et tenebit, et sic semper dicta terra Zelandie que de nostro et antecessorum nostrorum, comitum Flandrie, fuit demanio, ad dominum Florentium et eius [he]redes, sicut dictum est, aut ad Florentium nepotem eius aut ad Machtildim sororem ipsius et eorum heredes de dictis matrimoniis procreatos aut, si non ex hiis matrimoniis proles exiret, ad illum qui pro tempore erit heres [comi]tatus Hollandie, pertinebit, et de ea nobis et nostris successoribus, comitibus Flandrie, faciet homagium ut vassallus, et sic simpliciter quocunque casu contingente tota terra predicta inter Hedynezie et Scaldam sita nullo modo [ad ali]um quam ad aliquem aut aliquos predictorum trium vel heredes eorum, ut dictum est, vel ad heredem comitatus Hollandie, quicunque pro tempore fuerit heres comitatus Hollandie, devolvetur, ita tamen quod ille heres, quicunque post istos tres qui nominaliter sunt expressi, non fuerit ex dictis matrimoniis procreatus, tenebitur nobis aut dictis successoribus nostris, comitibus Flandrie, pro dicta terra refundere decem milia marcharum sterlingorum ad marcham Flandrensem, decem solidos videlicet bonorum et legalium sterlingorum pro marcha qualibet computandis; si forte dictam terram Zelandie, que de nostro et nostrorum antecessorum fuit demanio, inter plures coheredes aut comparticipes de dicto domino Florentio sive Florentio nepote suo aut Machtilde sorore eius sive a quocunque herede comitatus Hollandie descendentes contingat dividi, quilibet in dictorum bonorum divisione comparticipans homagium nobis et nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, est facturus de illa que eum poterit contingere portione. Cum autem super theloneis statutis locis in Hollandia sive Zelandia a mercatoribus Flandrensibus cum suis mercibus et quibuscunque rebus venalibus dicta thelonea transeuntibus persolvendis tam ex parte nostra quam ex parte dicti domini Florentii sit in illustrem virum dominum Henricum, ducem Brabantie, compromissum, nosse volumus universos quod nos tam pro nobis quam pro nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, super hoc servare promittimus in omnibus et per omnia dictum ducis, quantum ad nos et heredes nostros, comites Flandrie, spectaverit idem dictum, prout ipse dux dictum suum super hoc vel viva voce vel scripto suo proprio sigillo munito vel utroque modo duxerit publicandum, et sic in omnibus et per omnia sepedictus dominus Florentius pro se et Florentio nepote suo ac eorum heredibus promisit facere et servare. Iste autem consuetudines in Hollandia et Zelandia mercatoribus nostris de Flandria servabuntur, iste videlicet: Quod si quis mercatorum Flandrensium per terram comitatus Hollandie, per Hollandiam videlicet sive Zelandiam, transitum faciens ab aliquo super d[e]bito fuerit impetitus, si debitum illud negaverit et inficiatus extiterit, in navi sua, ne moram faciat, iuramentum super hoc impetenti prestando sola manu poterit se purgare; quod si impetens acceptare renuerit, illum me[rca]torem in villam vel oppidum ubi manet sequetur et ibi debet causa inter eos scabinorum illius oppidi vel ville iudicio terminari; et si forte contra hoc mercator Flandrensis transiens fuerit impeditus et propter hoc dampnum incurrerit, comes Hollandie vel dominus terre totum dampnum illud mercatori refundet. Item si quis mercatorum nostrorum de Flandria in Hollandia videlicet sive Zelandia fuerit spoliatus, dominus terre illius in qua depredatio huiusmodi facta est, habitatores illius terre unde spoliator extiterit, ad solvendam predam compellet, alioquin ipse solvet. Nos autem tam pro nobis quam pro nostris heredibus quam etiam pro nostris hominibus remittimus de puro corde et sincere animo domino Florentio et omnibus suis hominibus, consanguineis, fautoribus et amicis omnes iniurias nobis et nostris illatas et omnia dampna et omnes offensas contra nos et nostras patratas, promittentes eas nullo unquam tempore ad animum revocare, et sic omnes rancores animorum in pacis pulcritudine conquiescent. Istam pacem et omnes ac singulos istius pacis articulo[s], prout su[perius] plenius sunt expressi, nos tam pro nobis quam pro nostris heredibus natis et nascituris quam etiam pro nostris imperpetuum firmiter et inviolabiliter servare promittimus dictis domino Florentio et Florentio nepoti eius ac eorum heredibus et suis, et facere in omnibus et per omnia firmiter et inviolabiliter observari, renunciantes in hiis omnibus tam pro nobis quam pro nostris heredibus, comitibus Flandrie, omnis iuris auxilio tam canonici quam civilis, omni privilegio et omni simpliciter instrumento, dato vel dando, impetrato vel impetrando, quod nobis et nostris heredibus exnunc competit vel in futurum posset competere contra predicta vel aliquod predictorum. Ad ista omnia fideliter et inviolabiliter observanda nos per nostrum sacramentum proprium sollempniter obligamus. Et quia dictam pacem et omnes ac singulos dicte pacis articulos firmissime cupimus observari, volumus, consentimus et a domino papa petimus, supponentes nos et heredes nostras, comites Flandrie, sue iurisdictioni et potestati ac venerabilium patrum . . Tornacensis episcopi et . . Leodensis electi et successorum ipsorum, quibus hoc a domino papa committi petimus, ut, si no[s] vel heredes nostri, comites Flandrie:, contra dictam pacem vel aliquem pacis articulum veniremus et requisite super hoc nollemus infra quadraginta dies post monitionem emendare, quod dicti prelati, vel alter [eorum si] alter non superesset vel esset legitimo impedimento detentus, possent in nostram et heredum nostrorum personam excommunicationis ferre sententiam et terram nostram supponere ecclesiastico interdicto. In quorum omnium [et singulorum] predictorum memoriam et munimen presentibus litteris sigillum nostrum duximus apponendum. Datum Bruxelle anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo quinquagesimo sexto, die Veneris post festum beati D[yonisii].

Historical context:

The countess declares the details of the peace between her and the deceased William, king of the Romans, and his brother Floris, count of Holland, including marriage arrangements, inheritances, and treatments of merchants. Floris made a similar declaration, ep.1108.

Scholarly notes:

1 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), 3.31-41, ep.1107.

Date:

1256, October 13