A letter from Baldwin and (1146-47, February 1)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity, father and son and holy spirit, amen. Since the brief and unstable life of men is discerned, and what is good often approved and confirmed by witnesses, as the perversity of the wicked strives to be destroyed, the discretion of past wise men has taken care to commend things accomplished with the process of memory. Therefore I Baldwin, by the grace of God fifth king of the Latins of Jerusalem and the holy city, and my wife(1), queen Melisende, assessed and granted to note by charter the pact or agreements which the brothers of the Hospital had with Robert of Sinjl (St. Giles) and his wife Odula with the consent of viscount Rohard and his wife Gilla, also with the consent and confirmation of lord William patriarch, as it was discussed and enacted in the presence of my father king Fulk of Jerusalem and Nablus, as will be determined in the following. Said Robert with his wife gave to the Hospital church of St. John 200 besants, and to Raymond, master of that house and the other brothers of the same Hospital present and future, the land of Emaus with its villages and all its appurtenances, as he had it or ought to have it from the fief of Rohard and his wife; by this agreement that the aforementioned brothers of the Hospital or their heirs would give annually a payment of 250 besants on Easter or within 40 days of Easter and on the feast of All Saints as much by the same agreement, if they could not fix another time with their good will. And if the said brothers of the Hospital did not give said besants in the said arranged time, Robert would have licence, without opposition or challenge of the brothers , to take and hold the whole said land until he had the full amount of the said besants. For the land and what is in it is in the power of the Hospital as by perpetual right unless the brothers of the Hospital fail to fulfill the agreement. And if Robert or his successors wished to give or sell or exchange for the prescribed besants in alms up to a hundred to the brothers of the Hospital, Rohard and his wife, for the remission of their sins or for the souls of all their relatives and their own souls granted [it] as above; and they granted that if Robert and his heirs failed to fulfill [the agreement] and those besants were returned to the power of their heirs, one hundred of them were to go in alms to the Hospital for the redemption of their souls, and four hundred would be given back to those in the predefined lands, as was said above. The charter of this settlement and agreement was approved by us and fortified by our leaden seal and confirmed under the legal witnesses of three orders, done in the royal house of Nablus by consent and confirmation and authority of the patriarch lord William, in the presence of my father, and could not be annulled or in any way defrauded. Witnesses of this matter, whose names follow, are: Robert, archbishop of Nazareth, Roger, bishop of St. George, Galfred, abbot of the Lord’s Temple. From the barons: William of Burr, Rohard, viscount; also Robert of the village of Sinjl/St. Giles, Rainier of Ramle, Robert of Frandolio, Constantine of Cau, Milo cleric, Galfred of Acu (Acre?), Raynald of Mount Laudun. Several other witnesses from the brothers of the Hospital: Raymond of the palace, Stephen of the chapel, Peter treasurer, Raymond, Gerard, and many others.

The writing of this charter was done in the 1147th year from the incarnation of our lord Jesus Christ, happily in the reign of the above mentioned king Baldwin and his mother queen Melisende. Given at Jaffa, by the hand of Ralph, chancellor of the king, kalends of February.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis, patris et filii et spiritus sancti, amen. Quoniam vita hominum brevis labilisque descernitur, et quia quod a bonis sepenumero laudatur et sub testibus confirmatur aliquotiens iniquorum perversitas adnichilari nititur, precedentium sapientium discretio res gestas stilo memorie cartis commendare curavit. Igitur ego quidem Baldeuinus, Dei gratia Jerosolimitanorum et sancte civitatis Latinorum quintus rex, et uxor mea Milsendis regina, pactum seu conveientias quoniam (SIC) fratres Hospitalis cum Roberto Sancti Egidii et uxore ejus Odula per concensum Rohardi vicecomitis, uxorisque ejus Gille necnon per assensum et confirmationem domini Willelmi patriarche habuerunt, sicut disceptatum est et actum in presencia patris mei regis Fulconis Jerosolimis et Neapolis, ita cartis notare censui et concessi, sicut in sequentibus determinabitur: prefatus quidem Robertus una cum uxore sua donavit Hospitali ecclesie sancti Johannis bisantios cc, et Raimundo, ejusdem domus magistro, aliisque omnibus fratribus ejusdem Hospitalis presentibus et futuris terram de Emaus cum suis casalibus et pertinentiis omnibus, sicuti ipse habebat vel eam habere debebat ex feudo Rohardi et uxoris ejus; tali videlicet pacto ut pretaxati Hospitalis fratres eis vel eorum heredibus annuatim censum reddant in Pascha CCL bisantios, vel infra XL dies transacto Pascha et in festivitate Omnium Sanctorum totidem eodem pacto, si alium terminum cum eorum bona voluntate habere nequiverint. Et si fratres dicti Hospitalis in prelibatis terminis et dispositis sepedictos bisantios non redderent, Robertus haberet licentiam, sine fratrum vel alicujus contradictione aut calumpnia, capiendi et tenendi totam terram predictam donec predictorum bisantiorum numerus (SIC) plenarie haberet. Terra enim et ea que in ea sunt in potestate Hospitalis sic jure perpetuo nisi a prelibato pacto Hospitalis fratres penitus deficerent. Et si Robertus vel ejus successores vellent in elemosinam dare vel vendere vel commutare de prescriptis bisantiis usque ad centum fratribus Hospitalis, Rohardus et uxor ejus, pro suorum remissione peccatorum seu animabus omnium parentum et amicorum suorum, concesserunt insuper; et concesserunt quod si Robertus et ejus heredes deficerent et ipsi bisantii in eorum heredum redigerentur potestatem, centum ex hiis pro eorum animarurn redemptione essent in elemosina Hospitali, et quadringenti redderentur eis in prefinitis terris, sicut superius dictum est.

Hujus autem institutionis et pactionis privilegium a nobis laudatum et nostro plumbeo sigillo corroboratum et sub legitimis trium ordinum testibus confirmatum, Neapoli regia domo factum fuit per consensum et confirmationem et auctoritatem domini Willelmi patriarche, in presentia patris mei, et ne posset adnichilari vel in aliquo defraudari. Hujus rei testes sunt, quorum nomina subsequuntur: Robertus scilicet archiepiscopus Nazaret; Rogerius, episcopus Sancti Georgii; Gaufridus , abbas Templi domini. De baronibus: Gilelmus de Burri; Rohardus, vicecomes; item Robertus casalis Sancti Egidii; Ranerius Rametensis; Robertus de Frandolio; Costantinus de Gau ; Milo Clericus; Gaufridus de Acu; Rainaldus de Monte Lauduno. Testms (sic) alii quam plures de fratribus Hospitalis: Raimundus Palacii, Stephanus Capelle, Petrus, thesaurarius, Raimundus, Gerardus, aliique multi. Facta est autem hujus carte descriptio anno ab incarnacione domini nostri Jhesu Christi M C XL VII, regnante feliciter supradicto rege Balduino et atre sua regina Milisenda. Datum Joppe, per manum Radulfi, regii cancellarii, kal. februarii.

Historical context:

Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem, with the consent of his mother Melisende, confirms the agreement that the Hospitallers made about the land of Emaus, with Robert of Sinjl/St. Giles and his wife Odula, with viscount Rohard and his wife Gilla.

Scholarly notes:

1 This is an obvious error, presumably caused by copying the formula from the charter of Baldwin’s father, king Fulk, and his wife, Melisende, Baldwin’s mother, on which this is based; the correct relation is given at the end of the document.

Printed source:

Delaville, Le Roulx, J., Les Archives, La Bibliothèque et le Trésor de l’Ordre de Saint Jean de Jerusalem à Malte (Paris: Thorin, 1883), Bibliotheque des Ecoles Francaises d’Athenes et de Rome, v.32.15 #201, RRH #244.

Date:

1146-47, February 1