A letter from Melisende, queen of Jerusalem (1151)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, amen. Let it be known to all, present and future, that I, Melisende, by the grace of God queen of Jerusalem, grant, advise and approve that exchange that was made in the time of my lord and husband, Fulk, illustrious king of Jerusalem, between patriarch John and the canons of the Lord’s Sepulchre of two of his villages, namely Megina and Mezera, with all their appurtenances for two other villages of the Holy Sepulchre, Cafermelich and Anquina, similarly with their appurtenances. Which exchange Babinus, from whom that same John held his fief, granted and approved in our presence; Petros also, his kinsman, granted that same exchange; Bruna also, wife of John, and his sons and heirs, Thomas and Eustache, assented to the exchange before us and our men; on this condition that, if any charge should arise in the future over the aforesaid exchange of whichever villages, that John, the agent of the exchange, and his heirs and those to whom the heredity would pass after him, will be held perpetually obligated to the church of the Holy Sepulchre so that whatever harm should occur because of the charge moved by those canons in the estimation of good men would be restored to the church and convent by that John and his heirs in its entirety. Indeed since, in the time of lord Fulk, the king, because of certain controversies emerging on the part of John, the previously agreed exchange could not reach a proper and peaceful conclusion as it pleased the aforesaid church of the Lord’s Sepulchre, I who now observe the thing/matter and the business brought to a peaceful conclusion on all sides, I who was present also as the exchange was made, and afterwards I heard from those about whom I spoke before, who granted and approved the exchange, I hold it firm and fixed and strongly affirm [it], and for the soul of my above named husband and my sons, who saw and granted the exchange, lest at some time by the temerity of anyone this exchange and granting might be weakened, I strengthened the present page now containing the exchange and grant with the placing of my seal, so that from our care the aforenamed church of the Lord’s Sepulchre may have the wherewithal so that it may pray justly for us who granted the gift before almighty God in the holy places. Present at this our granting in truthful witness, whose names are subscribed below, namely: Gerald, bishop of Bethlehem, Arnulf, his canon, Galfred, abbot of the Temple, Roger, his canon, Amalric, count of Jaffa, Manasses, constable, Philip of Nablus, Rohard, Ralph Strabo, Orricus, viscount of Nablus, Baldwin, his son, Baldwin Bubalus, Walter Malduit, John Vacher. Bourghers, Tosetus, Humbert of Bar, Peter of Perregort, Simon Rufus, Albert Lombard. In the year 1151 from the incarnation of the Lord, indiction XIV.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, amen. Notum sit omnibus, tam futuris quam presentibus, quod ego Milisendis, Dei gratia Iherosolimorum regina, concedo, laudo et approbo commutationem illam, que facta fuit temporibus domini ac mariti mei, illustris regis Iherosolimorum Fulconis, inter Ihoannem Patricium et canonicos Dominici Sepulcri de duobus casalibus suis, scilicet Megina et Mezera, cum omnibus pertinentiis suis pro duobus aliis Sancti Sepulcri casalibus, Cafermelich et Anquina, similiter cum pertinentiis suis. Quam commutationem Babinus, a quo idem Iohannes feodum tenebat suum, concessit et in nostra approbavit presentia; Petrosus quoque, cognatus eiusdem, ipsam concessit factam commutationem; Brunaquoque, uxor Iohannis, ac filii eius, Thomas et Eustachius, heredesque sui coram nobis et hominibus nostris facte assensere commutationi; tali videlicet conditione ut, si qua in posterum super prefata casalium commutatione quorumlibet oriretur calumpnia, ipse Iohannes, commutationis actor, et heredes eius ac illi, ad quos hereditas ipsius transierit post ipsum, ecclesie Sancti Sepulcri obligati perpetuo tenerentur ut, quidquid dampni propter motam calumpniam eisdem canonicis contigerit, sub estimatione bonorum virorum ecclesie et conventui ab ipso Iohanne et heredibus suis in integrum restauretur. Verum quoniam in tempore domni Fulconis regis propter quasdam emergentes ex parte Iohannis controversias commutatio pretaxata, prout predicte Dominici Sepulcri ecclesie placuit, debitum ac pacificum finem sortiri non potuit, ego, que modo rem et negocium ex omni parte positum in pace conspicio, que etiam commutationi facte interfui, et postmodum ab illis, de quibus supradixi, commutationem concessam et conlaudatam audivi, eam firmam et ratam teneo et vivaciter affirmo, ac pro anima supranominati mariti mei ac mea filiorumque meorum salute, qui commutationem viderunt et concesserunt, ne aliquando temeritate alicuius commutatio et concessio hec infirmari possit, presentem paginam commutationis et concessionis modum continentem sigilli mei appositione roboravi, quatinus ex nostra cura prenominata Sepulcri Dominici ecclesia habeat unde pro nobis, qui donum concessimus, coram sanctis locis Deum onmipotentem iuste orare debeat. Interfuerunt siquidem huic concessioni nostre in veridico testimonio, quorum nomina subscribuntur, videlicet: Giraudus, Bethlemita episcopus. Arnulfus, eiusdem canonicus. Gaufridus, abbas Templi. Rogerius, eius canonicus. Amalricus, comes Iope. Manasses, constabularius. Philippus Neapolitanus. Rohardus. Radulfus Strabo. Orricus, Neapolis vicecomes. Balduinus, filius eius. Balduinus Bubalus. Gauterius Malduit. Iohannes Vacher. Burgenses: Tosetus. Umbertus de Bar. Petrus de Perregort. Symon Rufus. Albertus Lombardus. Ab incarnatione Domini anno MCLI, indictione XIV.

Historical context:

Melisende, queen of Jerusalem, confirms an exchange of two pairs of villages made earlier but held up by disagreement.

Printed source:

Roziere, Eugène de, Cartulaire de l’Eglise du St. Sepulchre (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1849), 90-92, #49, RRH #268.

Date:

1151