A letter from and Peter of Aragon (1204, June)

Translated letter:

In the name of our lord Jesus. In the year of the incarnation of the same lord 1204, in the month of June. I, Peter, by God’s grace king of Aragon, count of Barcelona, and lord of Montpellier, and I, Marie, daughter of the late William of Montpellier, by the same grace queen of Aragon, countess of Barcelona, and lady of Montpellier, his wife, for us and all our successors, in good faith and without deceit we approve and confirm to validate for you upright men of Montpellier and the whole society of Montpellier the oath of the swearers that they swore to observe from last Easter for five years [except the promise and faith that in the same oath they made to Stephen of Cerviano, from which promise and oath Stephen himself and G. of Montpellier in the presence of me Peter, king of Aragon, absolved all swearers]. And we confirm and approve all good customs and good practices to you upright men of Montpellier and to the whole society, and we promise to observe them. And whatever regarding the customs and practices of Montpellier the seven upright men chosen for this, namely P. Lucian, P. of Bizanchis, John of Lattes, Lucas Pulverel, P. Lobet, B. Ecclesia, and R. Benedict will judge within the year should be added, or removed, or improved or established anew for the benefit of the town, we approve it all immediately, and when they will be established commonly by them we again promise to approve and confirm (them) with an oath, and we will confirm at the very least by our seal; and we wish and command that the men of Montpellier should swear to the aforesaid customs and practices. Moreover, we also promise that we will never allow Bernard Lambert and his son, Raymond Lambert, son of the late Pontius Lambert, Marcus of Tornamira, master Guido, Berangar Lambert, William Lambert his brother, Bruno of Toulousse and Bernard of Castriis to return to Montpellier or in all the land of the late William of Montpellier, late father of me, Marie; rather we make all of them exiles from Montpellier and from all the aforesaid land forever, and we retain all of their property and rights for ourselves, except the right of those things in which they are bound or obligated to anyone. We will uphold and observe each and all of the abovesaid things fully, and at no time will we go against them, nor will we revoke any of them, so help us God and these four holy Gospels of God. Further, I the aforesaid Peter, by God’s grace king of Aragon, for me and for all my successors, give and concede forever to all present and future (ones) of Montpellier immunity and freedom in all my land and through all my land, in all my power and through all my power, both on sea and on land, concerning tolls, tributes and custom duties, and all this I promise to you by swearing of surety named below. Concerning each and all of the abovesaid things, which thus by the lord king and lady queen his wife should be fulfilled and observed and should be violated by neither of them in anything, have obligated themselves count Santius in good faith, Ildefonse, count of Provence, brother of the lord king, William of Balcio, Hugh of Balcio, his brother, Roncelin viscount and lord Massiliens, Guido of Cabilione, Peter Amicus and Peter of Alban, all with bodily oath taken on the holy Gospels of God. All these things were enacted in the house of the Temple Knights located near Montpellier, in the cemetery, in the year as above, seventeenth kalends of July. Witnesses of all these things are lord Guido provost of Maguelone, William of Rabasten, Bertrand Radulf, Peter Lucian, Stephan John, John of Lattes, advocate, Peter of Bisenchis, bailiff, Peter Lombard, deacon, Pontius of Vallauches, Bertrand of Vallauches his son, Peter of Stagno, soldier, Peter of Conques, William of Conques, his son, Berengar of Conques, Raymond Atbrand, Peter Lobet, Berengar Amicus, Lucas Pulverel, John Lucian, William his brother, Stephan of Limoges, R. Helias, Peter Tropassen, John of Montebeliard, Pontius Vitalis, Bertrand Egidius, Firmin Burgens, Peter Vitalis, Bernard of Adillano, G. of Adillano, Peter of Adillano his brother, Stephan of Adillano, Simon of Camponovo, G. Berengar, Peter of Tripoli, Bartholomew Bigorra, G. Borrelli, P. of St. Desiderio, Peter of Salviano, Hugh of Monterotund, Ber. Tascazol, Pontius Aldeguerius, William his son, G. of Conques, chandler, Ostorg of Orllac, Bernard of Redorta, Peter Adenar, Bernard of Ortols, William Raymond, notary, Jacob Laurence, notary, Bernard of Porta, notary and many others, and Hugh Laurence notary who wrote this. G. Raymond sealed this document by command of J. Lucian, bailiff.1

Original letter:

In nomine Domini nostri Jesu. Anno ejusdem Incarnationis MCCIIII, mense junii. Ego Petrus, Dei gratia rex Aragonum, comes Barchinone, et dominus Montispessulani, et ego Maria, filia quondam Guillelmi Montispessulani, eadem gratia regina Aragonum, comitissa Barchinone, et domina Montispessulani, ejus uxor, per nos et per omnes successores nostros, bona fide et sine dolo laudamus et valere confirmamus vobis probis hominibus Montispessulani et toti universitati Montispessulani juramemtum juratorum quod juraverunt se observaturos a preterito Pascha usque ad quinque annos, [excepta promissione et fidelitate quam in eodem juramemto {sic}fecerunt Stephano de Cerviano a qua promissione et fidelitate ipse Stephanus et G. Montispessulani in presencia mei Petri regis Aragonum omnes juratos absolverunt.] Et omnes bonas consuetudines et bonos mores vobis probis hominibus Montispessulani et toti universitati laudamus et confirmamus, et nos observaturos promittimus. Et quicquid in consuetudinibus et moribus Montispessulani septem probi homines ad hoc electi, scilicet P. Luciani, P. de Bizanchis, Johannes de Latis, Luchas Pulverelli, P. Lobeti, B. Ecclesia et R. Benedicti, infra annum addendum, vel detrahendum, vel corrigendum, vel de novo statuendum, ad utilitatem ville existimaverint, illud totum laudamus presentialiter, et cum communiter ab ipsis statuta fuerint nos iterum laudaturos et confirmaturos cum juramento promittimus, et sigilli nostri minimine confirmabimus; et volumus et mandamus quod homines Montispessulani jurent consuetudines et mores predictos. Adhuc etiam promittimus quod nunquam patiemur quod Bernardus Lamberti et ejus filii, Raymondus Lamberti, filius quondam Pontii Lamberti, Marchus de Tornamira, magister Guido, Berangerius Lamberti, Guillelmus Lamberti frater ejus, Bruno de Tholosa et Bernadus de Castriis in Montepessulano vel in tota terra quondam Guillelmi Montispessulani, patris quondam mei Marie, redeant; imo eos omnes exules a Montepessulano et a tota predicta terra in perpetuum facimus, et omnia eorum bona et jura nobis retinemus, salvo jure illorum quibus in aliquo sunt obstricti vel obligati. Omnia predicta et singula plenarie tenebimus et observabimus, et nullo tempore contra veniemus, nec aliquid in his revocabimus, Sic Deus nos adjuvet et hec sancta quatuor Dei Evangelia. Adhuc ego predictus Petrus, Dei gratia rex Aragonum, per me et per omnes successors meos, dono et concedo in perpetuum omnibus Montispessulani presentibus et futuris immunitatem et franchezam in tota terra mea et per totam terram meam, in toto posse meo et per totum posse meum, tam in mari quam in terra, de pedaticis, lesdis et costumis, et totum hoc sub dicto jurejurando vobis promitto. De hiis omnibus supradictis et singulis, quod ita a domino rege et domina regina uxore ejus plenarie compleantur et observentur, et quod a neutro illorum violentur in aliquo, obligaverunt se comes Sancius in bona fide, Ildefonsus comes Provincie, frater domini regis, Guillelmus de Balcio, Ugo de Balcio, frater ejus, Roncelinus vicecomes et dominus Massiliensis, Guido de Cabilione, Petrus Amici et Petrus de Albanes, omnes per sacramentum corporaliter super sancta Dei Evangelina prestitum. Acta sunt hec omnia in domo Militie Templi site juxta Montempessulanum, in cimiterio, anno quo supra, XVII kalendas julii. Horum omnium testes sunt dominus Guido Magalonensis prepositus, Guillelmus de Rabastenes, Bertrandus Radulfi, Petrus Luciani, Stephanus Johanni, Johannes de Latis causidici, Petrus de Bisenchis baiulus, Petrus Lombardi diaconus, Pontius de Vallauches, Bertrandus de Vallauches ejus filius, Petrus de Stagno milites, Petrus de Conchis, Guillelmus de Conchis ejus filius, Berengarius de Conchis, Raimundus Atbrandi, Petrus Lobeti, Berengarius Amici, Luchas Pulverelli, Johannes Luciani, Guillelmus frater ejus, Stephanus de Limogis, R. Helias, Petrus Tropassen, Johannes de Montebeliardo, Pontius Vitalis, Bertrandus Egidius, Firminus Burgensis, Petrus Vitalis, Bernardus de Adillano, G. de Adillano, Petrus de Adillano frater ejus, Stephanus de Adillano, Symon de Camponovo, G. Berengarius, Petrus de Tripoli, Bartholomeus Bigorra, G. Borrelli, P. de Sanco Desiderio, Petrus de Salviano, Hugo de Monterotundo, Ber. Tascazol, Pontius Aldeguerius, Guillelmus filius ejus, G. de Conchis cererius, Ostorgus de Orllaco, Bernardus de Redorta, Petrus Adenari, Bernardus de Ortols, Guillelmus Raimundi notarius, Jacobus Laurentii notarius, Bernardus de Porta notarius et alii quamplurimi et Hugo Laurentii notarius qui haec scripsit. Hanc cartam bullavit G. Raimundi mandato J. Luciani baiuli.

Historical context:

Peter and Mary reconfirm their recognition of the practices and customs of the city and their elected officials, and they promise not to allow their exiled inhabitants to return.

Scholarly notes:

1. The text and translation were provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

"L’Aragon e la revolution Montpellieraine de 1204," in Actes du XII Congres d'Histoire de la Couronne d'Aragon, Montpellier 26-29 septembre 1985 (Montpellier, 1987), 59-60.

Date:

1204, June