A letter from Eleazar of Sauve (c.1159)

Translated letter:

From this hour forward, I Eleazar of Sauve, son of Stephana, to you viscountess Guillelma who were the wife of Bernard Ato, as long as you will hold the seigneury of the castle of Arenes and to that heir you will have from lord Bernart Ato, by whom you are pregnant, I shall not take the castle of Bernis from you, nor shall I take those fortifications that are there today or will be made there in the name of the castle; and, if any man or woman should take that abovementioned castle from you or from him, I would not have peace or fellowship with those who took it, him or her, or them (male or female), except in order to recover the castle; and if I could recover the castle by any clever means, I would render it to you, viscountess, or to the heir you will have from lord Bernart Ato, without payment and without deception, by that agreement, by faith and without deceit. By these holy Gospels. This was done in the presence of Ugo of Brodito, Peter Guirard, Pons of Vezenobre, Raymond of Brodito, William Raymond, Stephen Signer, Peter Aldebert, Pons Raymond, Bernard Raymund, William of St. John, William of Chaumes, Bernard Malian, Bertrand of Anglata, William of Fulco, greater and lesser, Bernard of Clarenciac, Peter Arnald. This was done in the castle of Arenes.

Original letter:

De ista hora in antea, ego Ylisiarius de Salve, filius de Stephana, a te Guillelma vicecomitissa que fuisti moller de Bernardo-Aton,tant quant tenras la sennoria del castel de la Arena, & ad aquel eres que auras d'en Bernart-Aton, de qual tu es preinz lo castel de Berniz non vos tolrai ne vos en tolrai ipsas fortedias [fortedas] que hodie ibi sunt ni adenant factas erunt per nomen de castel; et si om vel femina aquest castel suprascripti vos tollia seu [o s’en]tollia, ab aquel o ab aquella o ab aquels o ab aquellas finem ne societatem cum illo vel cum illis non auria, fors quant per lo castel a recobrar, & si recobrar eu lo potuero per nullum ingenium, a te vicecomitissa 0 al eres que auras d'en Bernat d'Aton lo redrai sine lucro & sine decepcione per ipsa conveniencia per fidem & sine inganno per hec sancta Evangelia. Hoc est factum in presentia Ugonis de Brodito, Petri Guirardi, Pontii de Vedenobrio, Raimundi de Brodito, Guillelmi Raimundi, Stephani Siguerii [Signerii], Petri Aldeberti, Pontii Raimundi, Bernardi Raimundi, Guillelmi Sancti Johannis, Guillelmi de Calmis, Bernardi Maliani, Bertrandi de Anglata, Guillelmi Fulconis majoris & minoris, Bernardi de Clarenciaco, Petri Arnaldi. Hoc fuit factum in castro de Arenis.

Historical context:

Bernard Aton V, viscount of Nimes, died c. 1159, leaving his wife pregnant. The charter, record of an oath of fidelity to the viscountess and her unborn son. In a mixture of Latin and Provençal, the oath falls between the death of Bernard Ato V and the birth of his son Bernard Ato VI. The texts in Teulet and Devic/Vaissette are the same except for the spelling variants given in brackets.

Printed source:

Devic and Vaissette, Histoire Générale de Languedoc (Toulouse: Privat, 1875) 5.1230-31, #632 and Teulet, Layettes, 1.82, #161..

Date:

c.1159