A letter from Marie of Montpellier (1205, June 13)

Translated letter:

Addenda to the customs of Montpellier In the name of God. These are the customs of the town of Montpellier established and promulgated by those to whom the lord P[eter], king of Aragon and lady M[arie], his wife, daughter of late G[William], lord of Montpellier, gave and conceded full power of establishing the customs in the town of Montpellier. 1. When the bailiff or any courtiers seeks surety from someone for complaint made to the court about him, he must, if he seeks this, declare the person of the one complaining and the reason or deed about which complaint has been made. 2. If complaint should be made to the court about any current debt from a foreign man, and that foreign man hold any property in Montpellier, those properties will be interdicted by the court according to the quantity of debt about which complaint was made and according to the measure of justice belonging to the court for that complaint. And that interdiction should last until surety will be given to the court to the notice of the court for that complaint. If, however, it is not given, the interdicted properties should be detained until there is judgment or agreement concerning that complaint. If, however, that foreigner does not have property in Montpellier and does not give surety to the notice of the court, or if he have sworn by oath that he cannot give it, he should swear to remain by the court’s mandates. Concerning all complaints, civil or criminal, a foreigner in Montpellier is bound to answer, unless he is a man of the count from the county of Melgor, as was determined in another custom; or unless they are Genevans or Pisans, who are not forced to respond here concerning crimes committed among themselves in their regions, except for treason, for which and for other things they are obligated to respond here. 3. If concerning a man of Montpellier a complaint will be made to the court concerning a financial matter, either he should give surety to the notice of the court or he should pledge that he will abide by the court’s mandates, unless greatness of quantity or quality of the person should move the judge to exact oath. However, concerning injuries or other crimes, if it is enacted civilly concerning these things, either he should swear or give surety to the notice of the court, unless the atrocity or quality of the deed should persuade the judge to an oath rather than surety as caution. 4. If anyone will begin a trip and make preparation for it, and concerning his journey complaint will be made about him to the court, he should thenceforth give surety to the notice of the court, and conduct his trip without any impediment, unless presumed wickedness or evidence of a deed will move the judge to hear it soon. If it does not move [him to do this], once the trip has been made, he is bound to answer to that complaint before he begins another trip. 5. Any woman, girl or widow, may give all her possessions as dowry to both a first and a second husband, although she has children. 6. If anyone in Montpellier will make any trade and other men who are inhabitants in Montpellier and were present in the house or in the place where the trade was made then request to have a share there, the one who received the trade is bound to give them a share in that trade. However, those to whom shares were given in the trade are obligated to have the seller quitclaim the one who received the trade, by the judgment of a good man, prorated for the shares that were given to them in that trade. And subsequently, anyone who requests a share, the one who made the trade may force him to have a share in that trade. However in these things whoever buys something for his use or that of his household is not obligated to give a share to another. A man of Montpellier is not obligated to give a share of any trade to a foreign man; but a foreigner is obligated to give a share to an inhabitant of Montpellier and to another foreign man. 7. If thenceforth anyone having young children in his testament will make others executors, those executors are understood to be guardians of those young children, unless in the same testament he wishes another named person specifically to be guardian. 8. If others have immovable common property and they divide them, from that division permission does not belong to the lord of Montpellier or to his vassals unless one party returns another’s money, because permission belongs to the lord or his vassals only from those compensations. 9. It has been established that twelve upright and lawful men of Montpellier, chosen to counsel the community of Montpellier, must swear that in good faith they will counsel and usefully watch over the whole community of Montpellier and faithfully rule and govern it; and likewise in good faith they should consult with the lord and bailiff of the court, and with whomever the lord will establish in his place in this land, who is obligated to seek the counsel of the said twelve and to remain in their counsel concerning everything that pertains to the community of Montpellier and land of Montpellier. Concerning the aforesaid twelve only one should be selected from a household. The twelve should remain in that duty and administration for only one year. At the end of that year those twelve must choose another twelve for the same thing, with seven men joining them to carry out that choosing, namely one from each district; and in this way forever the selection of the twelve men must be done, nonetheless with oath taken by all those who select that they will choose good, lawful, and useful men in good faith, that they will not exclude anyone out of hate or enmity and not choose anyone for this office and administration out of love or kinship. Whoever is newly chosen must swear to all the above things; and by the advice and will expressed and admonition of those twelve men he who acts in the lord’s place in this land when the lord is not present in the land must choose the bailiff. And whoever acts as proxy for the lord in this land and the twelve men must swear that they will choose a good, lawful, and useful bailiff according to what will seem best to them. And those aforesaid twelve men should have full power of establishing, hindering, and correcting everything that seems to them to pertain to the utility of the community of Montpellier. And similarly the town of Montpellier should be walled and fortified with their knowledge and support, nonetheless while the jurisdiction of the lord king and lady queen and their court endures and remains. And each of those twelve should have and receive in the time of his duty two-hundred gold coins of the republic, if he will be found then in the republic; and no one who will be chosen for this duty may defend himself on any occasion unless it is legitimate, while he is in this office. 10. It is decreed that the twelve men who are advisors of the community of Montpellier should choose two upright and lawful men who should have power so that roads, crumbling walls, garillani , lanes, and ramparts may be prepared and improved according to their knowledge and judgment, and that excrement be removed within and outside of the town from places where they know it should be removed; and each of the two should have during the time of his duty one-hundred gold coins of the republic if he will be found then in the republic; the two men must swear to do this according to what will seem best and most just to them. 11. All notaries must write on public documents the year of the incarnation, date, and day for the ordering of the letters; and for the names of debtors and creditors they must add the name of the office or add another name; and having been summoned by the parties, they must complete documents in which they inscribe themselves as witnesses with judgments excepted because judgment is rendered unwillingly (i.e. against their will?); and when summoned by a witness, they may prepare testaments in which they are witnesses. 12. If anyone will give general rights to his goods or property and subsequently will sell or specifically obligate another thing from his goods, he to whom it was sold or specifically obligated is the owner, saving privileges granted by the law. 13. Whoever will confess or be condemned for having a male or female child who is illegitimate should be obligated to provide for the child half the provisions necessary to feed the child for three years according to his ability. Thenceforth he should not be obligated unless he wishes. 14. A dowry gift may not be alienated by any husband or by his wife, except by the counsel of the woman’s parents, or if they are lacking, of her kinsmen. And if the alienation will be with the counsel of the woman’s parents, or if they are lacking, her kinsmen, the alienation is valid. 15. Anyone who is amputated in any limb or blinded by the court in Montpellier, in the future may not stay or remain in Montpellier. 16. Oath of Jews should be made in the future as is contained in the ancient oath, and questioning and response should be done as is specified in it. 17. Whoever will be chosen as bailiff or for any public duty may not defend himself unless legitimately while he is in that office. Again, all courtiers must be chosen forever only from among the inhabitants of Montpellier. But the bailiff and any of the courtiers must not be of the twelve men who have been established to advise the community of Montpellier. They established each and all of the abovesaid things and declared them to be upheld and observed as true customs, with the expressed counsel of many upright men of Montpellier and legal advisors, and especially of those twelve who were established to advise the community of Montpellier, whom the lord king and lady queen have granted full power to produce this, namly P. of Bisanchius, Peter Lucian, J. of Lattes, R. Benedict, P. Lobet, and W. of Grabels chosen in place of B. Church, deceased. All these things were enacted and declared both publicly and solemnly in writing on the land of the herbarium where the twelve counselors of Montpellier and of the same community meet and discuss concerning the community in the year of the Lord’s incarnation 1205, ides of June, in the presence and audience and with the witness of Guido, provost of the church of Magalonens, Berenguir Lambert, advocate, R. of Cahorz, B. Cap of Mail, Otho Cairellus, Robolanus, W. of Villanova, Bertrand Rainald, Hugh of Porta, P. of Vairaco, W. Atbrand, Regord, S. of Candeianicis, Guido Bergonnon, W. TItland, Randulf Boneface, P. Baster, B. Ot, W. Durant, P. of Croso, W. Manuent, Hugh Pulverelli, J. Lucian, Bertrand of Orllaco, W. Bedocius. B. Gres. W of Conques, son of P. of Conques, Deodatus Bocados, Bertrand Medici, W. Peter, W. Bocados, W. Roselli, Austorgui of Aorllaco, Jacob Lombard, A. Gandalric, P. youth of Monbeliard, Guirald, etc. (Around twenty-five names follow) and many others and B. of Porta.1

Original letter:

Additamenta ad consuetudines Montispessulani In Dei nomine. Hec sunt consuetudines ville Montispessulani constitute et promulgate ab illis quibus dominus P. rex Aragonie et domina M. ejus uxor, filia quondam G. domini Montispessulani, dederunt et concesserunt plenam potestatem statuendi consuetudines in villa Montispessulani. 1. Cum bajulus vel aliquis curialium petit ab aliquo firmanciam pro clamore facto curie de eo, debet ille, si hoc petat, manifestare personam conquerentis et summam vel factum de quo clamor factus est. 2. Si clamor factus fuerit curie de aliquo debito de homine extraneo presente, et ille extraneus habeat res aliquas in Montepessulano, ille res interdicuntur a curia, secundum mensuram debiti de quo clamor factus est et secundum mensuram justicie competentis curie pro illo clamore. Et illa interdictio durat donec pro clamore illo fidejussor curie, ad noticiam curie, datus fuerit. — Si autem datus non fuerit, detinentur res interdicte donec de clamore illo judicatum vel compositum fuerit. — Si autem ille extraneus res in Montepessulano non habuerit, vel fide jussorem det ad noticiam curie, vel, si dixerit per sacramentum se dare non posse, juret se stare mandatis curie. De omnibus namque clamoribus, civilibus vel criminalibus, extraneus in Montepessulano respondere tenetur, nisi fuerit homo comitis de comitatu Melgorii, sicut in alia consuetudine determinatum est; vel nisi fuerint Januenses vel Pisani, qui de delictis commissis inter se, in partibus suis, hic respondere non coguntur nisi de proditione, de qua et de ceteris aliis hic respondere tenentur. 3. Si de homine Montispessulani clamor factus fuerit curie de re pecuniaria, vel fidejussorem det ad noticiam curie, vel pliviat se stare mandatis curie, nisi magnitudo quantitatis, vel personne qualitas, ad sacramentum exigendum moverit judicem. Verumptamen de injuriis, vel de aliis criminibus, si de hiis civiliter agatur, vel jurat vel fidejussorem ad noticiam curie donat, nisi facti atrocitas vel qualitas tam ad sacramentum quam ad fidejussoriam cautionem moverit judicem. 4. Si aliquis inceperit viaticum et preparationem inde fecerit, et super motu suo de eo clamor factus fuerit curie, dat inde fidejussorem ad noticiam curie, et agit sine alia impeditione suum viaticum; nisi ad illud mox audiendum presumpta malitia vel facti evidentia judicem moverit. Quod si non moverit, facto illo viatico, tenetur de illo clamore respondere, antequam aliud viaticum incipiat. 5. Omnis mulier, puella seu vidua, potest omnia sua dare in dotem tam primo quam secundo viro, licet infantes habuerit. 6. Si aliquis in Montepessulano aliquid mercatum fecerit, et alii homines habitatores [in] Montepessulano presentes fuerint in domo vel in loco ubi illud mercatum factum fuerit, si tunc dicant se velle habere ibi partem, ille qui mercatum receperit tenetur eis partem dare in illo mercato. Verumtamen illi quibus partes in illo mercato date fuerint, tenentur facere ut venditor clamet quittum illum qui mercatum receperit, arbitrio boni viri, pro ratione partium que date sunt eis in illo mercato. Et postquam aliquis pecierit partem, ille qui mercatum fecerit potest eum cogere ut habeat partem in illo mercato. In bis autem quem aliquis emit ad suum usum vel familie sue, non tenetur alicui dare partem. Nec homo Montispessulani tenetur dare partem homini extraneo de aliquo mercato; sed extraneus tenetur dare partem habitatori Montispessulani et alii homini extraneo. 7. Si deinceps aliquis, habens infantes inpuberes, in testamento suo gadiatores aliquos fecerit, illi gadiatores intelliguntur esse tutores illorum infantum impuberum, nisi in eodem testamento aliquem esse voluerit tutorem specialiter vel expressum. 8. Si aliqui habeant bona immobilia comunia et ea dividant, ex illa divisione non competit domino Montispessulani vel ejus feualibus laudimium, nisi una pars tornet alteri peccuniam ; quia ex illis tornis tantum competit domino vel ejus feualibus laudimium. 9. Statutum est ut xii. probi et legales viri Montispessulani, electi ad consulendam communitatem Montispessulani, jurare debent quod bona fide consulant et utiliter provideant toti communitati Montispessulani, et eam fideliter regant et gubernent; et quod similiter bona fide consulant domino et bajulo curie, et ei quem dominus loco suo statuerit in hac terra, qui tenetur requirere consilium dictorum XII, et eorum stare consiliis de omnibus que ad communitatem Montispessulani et terre Montispessulani spectant. In quibus XII. predictis non ponatur nisi unus solus de uno albergo. Qui xii. non stent in eo officio et amministracione nisi per annum. In fine cujus anni ipsimet XII. debent ad hoc idem alios XII. eligere, coadunatis sibi in ea electione facienda VII. viris, scilicet de unaquaque scala uno; et sic debet fieri in perpetuum electio XII. virorum, prestito tamen ab omnibus electoribus sacramento quod bonos et legates et utiles eos eligant bona fide, nec aliquem odio vel inimicitia excludant, nec amore vel parentella aliquem in hoc officio et amministracione eligant. Qui de novo electi per omnia jurare debent superiora; et istorum XII. virorum consilio et expressa voluntate et comonitione debet eligere bajulum ille qui vices domini in hac terra geret, quando dominus presens non fuerit in hac terra. Et ille qui vices domini in hac terra geret et ipsi XII. debent jurare quod bajulum bonum et legalem et utilem eligant, secundum quod eis melius visum fuerit. Et isti predicti XII. viri habeant plenam potestatem statuendi, distringendi et corrigendi omnia ea que eis visa fuerint pertinere ad utilitatem communitatis Montispessulani. — Et similiter quod villa Montispessulani muretur et muniatur per noticiam et stabilimentum eorumdem, durante tamen et manente jurisdictione domini regis et domine regine et eorum curie. Et unusquisque istorum XII. debent habere et percipere, tempore sui officii, cc. solidos de republica, si in republica tunc inveniantur; et nullus illorum qui in hoc officio electus erit potest se defendere aliqua occasione, nisi legitima, quin sit in hoc officio. 10. Decretum est ut XII. viri consiliatores communitatis Montispessulani eligant II. viros probos et legales, qui duo habeant potestatem ut carrerie, et ruinosi parietes, et garillani, et vie, et valla aptentur et meliorentur secundum eorum noticiam et arbitrium, et quod sterquilinia removeantur, infra villam et extra, a locis a quibus ipsi removenda esse cognoverint; et quod habeat quisque istorum duorum, tempore sui officii, c. solidos de republica, si in republica tunc inveniantur; qui duo viri hoc se facturos, secundum quod sibi melius et justius visum fuerit, jurare debent. 11. Omnes notarii in instrumentis publicis debent incarnationem et numeros et diem, per consequentiam litterarum, inscribere; et in nominibus debitorum ct creditorum nomen officii addere, vel aliud iuditium apponere; et instrumenta, in quibus sese scribunt testes, debent perficere rogati a partibus, exceptis sentenciis, quia judicium redditur in invitum; et testamenta in quibus sunt testes conficiant rogati a testatore. 12. Si quis dederit generalem ingressum super bona vel res suas, et postea aliquam rem ex bonis suis vendiderit vel specialiter obligaverit, ille cui est vendita vel specialiter obligata, pocior est, salvis privilegiis a lege indultis. 13. Si quis confessus vel condempnatus fuerit aliquem bastardum vel bastardam suum esse infantem, teneatur illi providere in dimidia sumptuum qui necessarii fuerint in eo alendo infra triennium, secundum posse suum. Deinceps non teneatur, nisi voluerit. 14. Fundus dotalis alienari non potest ab aliquo maritorum vel ab ejus uxore, nisi eum consilio parentum mulieris, vel, eis deficientibus, proximiorum. Et si alienatus fuerit cum consilio parentum mulieris, vel, eis deficientibus, proximiorem ejus, valet alienatio. 15. Ullus truncatus a curia in Montepessulano aliquo membro, vel orbatus occulis, de cetero non stet vel maneat in Montepessulano. 16. Sacramentale Judeorum fiat de cetero sicut in sacramentali antiquo continetur, et interrogatio et responsio fiat sicut in eo continetur. 17. Quicumque fuerit electus in bajulum vel in aliquo publico officio, non possit se defendere, nisi legitime, quin sit in eo officio. Rursus omnes curiales debent creari in perpetuum de habitatoribus tantum Montispessulani. Bajulus vero vel aliquis curialium non debet esse de numero XII. virorum qui sunt statuti ad consulendam communitatem Montispessulani. Hec omnia supradicta et singula statuerant et pro veris consuetudinibus tenenda esse et servanda perpetuo decreverunt, communicato consilio multorum proborum virorum Montispessulani et jurisconsultorum, et specialiter illorum XII. qui sunt statuti ad consulendam comunitatem Montispessulani, illi quibus hoc faciendi dominus rex et domina regina plenam concesserunt potestatem, videlicet P. de Bisanchiis, Petrus Luciani, J. de Latis, R. Benedicti, P. Lobeti et W. de Grabels subrogatus loco B. Ecclesie defuncti. Facta sunt hec omnia, et in scriptis solempniter et publice promulgata, in Solario herbarie, in quo xii. consiliatores Montispessulani et communitatis eiusdem conveniunt et tractant de communitate, anno ab incarnatione Domini M° cc° v°, scilicet ydus junii, in presentia et audiencia et sub testificatione Guidonis Magalonensis episcopi prepositi, Berenguierii Lamberti causidici, R. de Cahorz, B. Cap de Mail, Othonis Cairelli, Robolani, W. de Villanova, Bertrandi Rainaldi, Ugonis de Porta, P. de Vairaco, W. Atbrandi, Regordi, S. de Candeianicis, Guidonis Bergonnon, W. Titlandi, Randulfi Bonefacii, P. Basterii, B. Ot, W. Duranti, P. de Croso, W. Manentis, Ugonis Pulverelli, J. Luciani, Bertrandi de Orllaco, W. Bedocii, B. Gres, W. de Conchis, filii P. de Conchis, Deodati Bocados, Bertrandi Medici, W. Petri, W. Bocados, W. Rosselli, Austorgui de Aorllaco, Jacobi Lombardi, A. Gandalrici, P. de Monbeliardo juvenis, Guiraldi, etc., (Sequuntur viginiti quinque circiter nomina) et aliorum multorum et B. de Porta.

Historical context:

This charter adds 17 items to the customs and rights of the people of Montpellier already recognized and recorded by Peter of Aragon and his wife Marie of Montpellier in a document of August 15, 1204 (Layettes #721).

Scholarly notes:

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

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet (Paris: Henri Plon, 1863), 288-91, #760.

Date:

1205, June 13