A letter from Guido of Montreal and his brother (1219, July)

Translated letter:

We, Guido of Montreal and Andreas his brother make known to all, present and future, that we have become men of our dearest lady Blanche, countess of Troyes, and her son, our dearest lord count Thibaut, excepting the allegiance to our brothers, the duke of Burgundy, count William, and the lord of Sauze. – Because of this said countess gave us three hundred Provins pounds and three hundred pounds in fief, assigned in the market-days of Bar. -- We gave our faith and indeed we swore that we will help them and their heirs in good faith with our people and our fortresses against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs, against their supporters, and against the supporters of Erard of Brienne and his wife Philippa and their heirs, yet so that neither we nor our people will go to do harm to Erard of Brienne, whose men we are, in his own land. – And if the lady countess or the count orders us, we will make war against Milo of Noyer, and we will hand over our fortresses to them to make war against said Milo, which they will be held to restore to us in that situation in which we shall have given them over. -- Enacted in the 1219th year of the Lord, in the month of July.

Original letter:

Nos, Guido de Monte-regali et Andreas frater ejus notum facimus universis, tam presentibus quam futuris, quod nos devenimus homines karissime domine nostre Blanche, comitisse Trecensis, et karissimi domini nostri Theobaldi comitis, nati ejus, salva ligeitate fratrum nostrorum, ducis Burgundie, comitis Willelmi et domini de Sauz. —Propter hoc autem dedit nobis dicta comitissa trecentas libras Pruviniensium et triginta libras in feodum, in nundinis Barri assignatas. — Fiduciavimus si quidem et juravimus quod ipsos et ipsorum heredes bona fide juvabimus de nobis et de nostris gentibus et de fortereciis nostris contra reginam Cypri et heredes ejus, contra adjutores eorum, et contra adjutores Erardi de Brena et Philippe uxoris ejus et heredum suorum, ita tamen quod nec nos nec gentes nostre iremus ad faciendum malum Erardo de Brena, cujus homines sumus, in terra sua propria. — Et si domina comitissa vel comes nobis preceperit, nos guerriabimus Milonem de Noeriis, et trademus eis fortericias nostras ad dictum Milonem guerriandum, quas nobis restituere tenebuntur in eo puncto in quo eis illas tradiderimus. — Actum anno Domini M° cc° nonodecimo, mense julio.

Historical context:

This charter records the agreement by which Guido and his brother became Blanche's men, while still holding from Erard of Brienne in Brienne.

Printed source:

Layettes du Tresor des Chartes, ed. A. Teulet (Paris, Plon, 1863), 1..486, #1355

Date:

1219, July