A letter from Raymond, count of Razes (1059)

Translated letter:

From this hour forward, I count Raymond son of Beliard, shall not harm countess Rangard, daughter of Amelia in her life, her members which she carries in her body and that hold themselves in her body, not by a crime or without one. Nor shall I, the above-inscribed Raymond, not my men, woman or women by my counsel or by trickery; and if there is a man or men, woman or women who might do this, I Raymond will not have peace nor fellowship, nor friendship or keep it or have it with him or them or her or them (f), who wished to take or did take from you, the above-inscribed Rangard, your life or your member. And if there is a man or woman who wished to do this, I above-inscribed Raymond would make it known to you if I knew it without deceiving you, before harm came to you. Above-inscribed Raymond will not take from above-inscribed Rangard that city of Beziers, nor the one they call Agde, nor the city of Carcassone, nor those walls or towers or fortifications which are in those above-inscribed cities and will be made there in future, I shall not take them, nor take them from you, or treat you badly or harm you over them, nor those castles which are in above-inscribed cities, nor those bishoprics which are in above-inscribed cities, nor those above-inscribed towers, walls or fortifications, I shall not take them or take them from you, I above-inscribed Raymond will not harm you countess Rengard, nor treat you badly, not I above-inscribed Raymond nor any man or woman by my counsel or trickery; I shall not have, hold or make peace nor fellowship nor any friendship with those men or women who do this and I shall be an aid to you above-inscribed Rangard without deception and I shall not deceive you about this aid in any way, until you above-inscribed Rangard have recovered those above-inscribed cities and those bishoprics and those above-inscribed castles and those towers and those above-inscribed fortifications, and I shall keep this oath from now on. And if I said Raymond am able to recover those cities and bishoprics and castles and towers and said foritifications, I shall hand them over into the power of Rangard without deception and without payment. And I Raymond will not harm Rangard in that castle of Peyrissas, nor in the castle of St. Tyberius, nor the castle of St. Pons of Maiorciac, nor in the castle of Meios, or the castle of Pojetto-Ingeleno, nor the castle of Paullo, nor the castle of Marezes , nor the castle of Moderais, nor the castle of Nizianis, nor the castle of Poyano, nor the castle of Mercoirel, nor the castle of Cariis, nor the castle of Vilzano, nor the castle of Rocabrun, nor the castle of Abelino, nor the fortifications which are in said castles or will be made there in the future, I shall not take nor take from you nor permit no man or woman, men or women by my counsel or my trickery [to take them]. And if there is a man, or men, woman or women, who would take or permit that those castles or anything in them [be taken] from you said Rangard, I said Raymond will not have peace or fellowship with them until those castles are recovered and I shall be an aid to you in faith without deception or payment. As is written above, so I Raymond will hold and observe to you Rangard, with and without crime, if I did not see you confirmed in my life or members, or those cities or castles which you wished to take from me or had taken or restored in battle. As is written above, I Raymond will hold this and observe it to you Rangard, except as you shall absolve me at your pleasure without force and in full knowledge.

Original letter:

De ista hora in antea, non decebre Raymundus comes filius Beliard Rangard comitissam filiam Ameliae de vita sua, ne de sua membra quae in corpus suum portat & in corpus suum se tenent, ne ab forfactum, neque sine forfacto. Nec ego Raymundus superscriptus, nec homines, faemina nec faeminas per meum consilium, nec per meum ingenium; & si homo est aut homines, faemina aut faeminas qui hoc fecisset, ego Raymundus finem nec societatem , nec amicitiam, non aurai, ni tenrai, ni prendrai ab illum, aut ab illos, ab illam aut ab illas, qui ad te Rangardam suprascriptam tua vita aut de tuis membris tollere voluissent aut tulissent. Et si homo est aut faemina qui hoc facere voluissent, ego Raymundus suprascriptus, saber t’o farai si o sai senes ton engan, antea que dams t’en venga. Non tolra Raymundus suprascriptus ad Rengardam suprascriptam ipsam civitatem Biterris, neque ipsam quam vocant Agathen, neque ipsam civitatem de Carcassona. neque ipsos muros, neque ipsas turres, neque ipsas fortitias quae in ipsas civitates suprascriptas sunt & in antea ibi erunt factas, no las te tolrai, ni t’en tolrai, ne malement non t’en menrai, ni no t’en decebrai, ne ipsos castellos quae in ipsas civitates suprascriptas sunt, neque ipsos episcopatos quae in ipsas civitates suprascriptas sunt, neque ipsas turre, neque ipsos muros, neque ipsas fortitias suprascriptas, no las te tolrei, ni t’en tolrei ego Raymundus suprascriptus ad Rengardam comitissam, ni non t’en decebrai, ni mal no t’en menarei, nec ego Raymundus suprascriptus, nec ullus homo aut faemina per meum consilium vel ingenium: finem, nec societatem neque ullam amicitiam non aurei, ni no tenerei, ni no prendrei ab illos aut ab illas qui hoc facient, & adjutor te Rengardem suprascriptam sine tua deceptione, & de ipso adjutorio non t’enganerai per nulla guisa, usquedum Rengardis suprascripta recuperatas habeas ipsas civitates suprascriptas, & ipsos episcopatos, & ipsos castellos suprascriptos, & ipsas turres & ipsas fortitias suprascriptas, & in antea istud sacramentum tenrai. Et si ego Raymundus praedictus recuperare potuero ipsas civitates, & episcopatos, & castellos, & turres & fortitias predictas in potestate Rengardae las reddrai sine sua deceptione & sine lucro. Et ego Raymundus non decebrei Rangardam de ipso castello de Pedrestis, nec de castello de sancto Tyberio, nec de castello de sancto Poncio de Malorciaci, nec de castello de Meios, nec de castello de Pojetto-Ingeleno, nec de castello de Paullo, nec de castello de Marezes, nec de castello de Moderais, nec de castello de Nizianis, nec de castello de Poyano, nec de castello de Mercoirel, nec de castello de Cariis, nec de castello de Vilzano, nec de castello deRocabrun, nec de castello de Abelino, neque de fortitiis quae sunt in praedictis castellis, et in antea ibi erunt factas, ne o tolrai, ni l’en tolrai, ni lo li o vedarai, ni hom ni femna, homes ni femnas per meum consilium, vel per meum ingenium. Et si homo est aut homines, faemina aut faeminas qui tollent aut vetent ipsos castellos aut de ipsis aliquid ad Rengardam praedictam, ego Raymundus praedictus finem vel societatem cum illos non aurai, donec recuperatos habeat ipsos castellos, & adjutor t’en serai per fidem sine inganno & sine lucro. Sicut superius scriptum est, sic ego Raymundus tenrai & atendrai tibiRengardi ab forfactum & sine forfacto, si comprobatum non te videbam de mea vita, aut de mea membra, aut de ipsas civitates, aut de ipsos castellos, que tollere me voluisses, aut tollisses, aut recreditum per batalla. Sicut superius scriptum est, si o tenrei & o attendrei ego Raymundus ad te Rengard, fors quantum tu m’en absolveras tuo gradiente animo, sine forcia, tuo sciente.

Historical context:

Raymond promises the countess he will do her no harm and will defend her from anyone who tries to harm her or take her possessions. The letter includes Provencal/Occitan phrases and words.

Printed source:

Devic and Vaissette, Histoire Générale de Languedoc (Toulouse: Privat, 1875) 5.494-96, #250, CCX.

Date:

1059