A letter from Alix of Vergy (1218, September)

Translated letter:

A[lice] duchess of Burgundy to all her friends and faithful, barons, knights, townsmen, servants, to whom the present letters will come, greetings and love. You should know that I have sworn on the sacred objects to my dearest lord Philip, by the grace of God illustrious king of France, that I would do good and faithful service to him against all men and women who might live and die, and that I would contract matrimony with noone except with his consent and will. Therefore I command you and require by the faith you owe me that to that lord king or to the bearer of the presents at his command, you swear on sacred relics that if I should renege from the said agreements, that you will support the lord king against me with all your lands and fiefs which you hold or should hold from us, with all your power, until that has been fully emended to that king at his pleasure. Enacted at Dijon, in the year of the Lord, 1218, in the month of September.

Original letter:

A. ducissa Burgundie universis amicis et fidelibus suis, baronibus, militibus, burgensibus, servientibus, ad quos littere presentes pervenerint, salutem et dilectionem. — Noveritis quod ego super sacrosancta juravi karissimo domino meo Philippo, Dei gratia illustri Francie regi, quod ei faciam bonum et fidele servicium contra omnes homines et feminas qui possunt vivere et mori, et quod cum nullo contraham matrimonium nisi de assensu et voluntate ejus. — Proinde vobis mando et per fidem quam mihi debetis vos requiro quatinus eidem domino regi, vel ejus mandato latori presentium, super sacrosancta juretis quod, si ego a predictis conventionibus resilirem, cum universis terris et feodis vestris, que de nobis tenetis vel tenere debetis, cum toto posse vestro, vos teneretis cum domino rege contra me, donec eidem domino regi id esset plenius emendatum ad gratum suum. — Actum Dyvioni, anno Domini M° CC° xviii, mense septembri.

Historical context:

The duchess requires the same promise of all her people to support the king against her should she renege on her promise to him that her pledges had made when they witnessed her oath to the king.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet (Paris: Henri Plon, 1863), 1.172, #1314.

Date:

1218, September