A letter from Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne (1221, before November)

Translated letter:

I Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, and my son Thibaut, greetings to all who see the present letters. We make known that, since there was war between us on one side, and Erard of Brienne and his wife Philippa on the other, recently truces were made between us in this manner. Just truces have been granted by us in good faith, for us and our allies, to last from the quinzaine (fifteen days) of St. John the Baptist just past for four full years, etc.

We shall labor in good faith with the lord Pope without our taking action [ponendo] beyond the expenses of the messengers that, if the lord Pope should see that no harm or injury would come to us or our land from it, that said Erard and Philippa, with their allies, should be absolved at the end of said truces, etc.

And that we as well as they will be in that same state in all things and for all things in which we were one day before the granted truces, etc.

It is also established that the castles and fortresses which were destroyed by this war will not be rebuilt nor reenforced within the period of the truces, etc.

We have sworn in good faith that we will preserve and carry out all the abovesaid things which are contained, etc.

Original letter:

Ego Blanchens [sic], comitissa Trecensis palatina, ac Theobaldus filius meus, universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem. Notum facimus quod, cum inter nos, ex una parte, et Erardum de Brena et Philippam uxorem ejus, ex altera, guerra esset, tandem treuge date sunt in hunc modum. Recte treuge date sunt a nobis bona fide, pro nobis et coadjutoribus nostris, durature a quindena B. Johannis Baptiste nuper preteriti ad quatuor annos completos, etc.

Nos autem laborabimus bona fide erga dominum Papam, sine nostro ponendo, preter nuntiorum expensas, ut, si dominus Papa videat quod nullum dampnum vel gravamen nobis vel terre nostre inde debeat provenire, quod dicti Erardus et Philippa, cum adjutoribus suis, usque ad predictum terminum treugarum absolvantur, etc.

Et quod, tam nos quam ipsi, erimus in eodem statu in omnibus et per omnia in quo eramus una die ante treugas datas, etc.

Statutum est etiam quod castra et fortericie, que dirute sunt per guerram istam, non reficientur neque firmabuntur infra terminum treugarum , etc.

Hec autem omnia supradicta juravimus nos bona fide servaturos et daturos operam quod serventur, etc.

Historical context:

The “principle articles” of the countess’s charter are cited within another document that recounts stages of the dispute between Erard and Blanche from Erard’s point of view. It mentions Erard’s petition to the king for justice, which the king postponed until Blanche’s son Thibaut reached age of twenty-one, Blanche’s request to the pope to declare Philippa an illegitimate heir, Erard’s claim not to have seen the pope’s summons and his excommunication for failing to answer it. The countess sent the articles of the truces by messenger to the pope with the messengers of Erard. The pope absolved Erard from excommunication, but put the implementation of the absolution into the hands of Cistercian, Clairvaux, and St.Quentin abbots, but they wanted Erard to make good the damages he had caused the countess first and gave him a hard time. In another document, dated November 2, Erard of Brienne declares his desire to serve the countess and her son and their heirs and his and his wife’s renunciation of any rights they have or had or claimed in the counties of Champagne and Bray-sur-Seine in favor of the countess and Thibaut, promises not to make war against them, states that he has not transferred his rights to anyone else, and would guarantee those promises against any accusations to the contrary. He also promises not to assert or accept any rights of his wife’s sister, except with the assent of the countess and Thibaut.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet, 1.526-28, #1474.

Date:

1221, before November