A Letter from Melisende

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity, father, son, and holy spirit.  Since the disposition of anything, because of the variations and negligence of the world, is often reduced to nothing with the blame falling to oblivion, it is necessary to supply what things are worthy to be preserved in memory not so much to the sight of present [people] but so that they may remain firm and undisturbed to be set forth in writing in the manner of right for evidence to  those in the future.  So with the advice of knowledgeable men and having diligently questioned those advising us most correctly, I Melisende, by the providence of God queen of Jerusalem,  fortified by the comfort of incorruptible charity, with the equal consent of my sons, king Baldwin and Almaric, to pursue the constancy of peace in the order established, or what is perceived as more devout, for the souls of our predecessors and those succeeding us in the kingdom, I give and grant to the Hospital church of St. John the Baptist the village of Beroeth, and the farmers with their other appurtenances, yielded with that same wholeness of freedom which existed in the days of the siege of Antioch, so that under my rule with my son king Baldwin, the maintenance of the poor can be increased, with diligence and a strenuous feeling of devotion.  I also confirm this by royal authority of letters and also of our seal, which is greater.1  Thence for the benefits mercifully bestowed on that church, since it was determined from our agreement in the presence of many, it is arranged that each year, on the most glorious day of the resurrection, to restore the memory of these alms, as long as I am alive, maintenance will be provided splendidly to the blessed poor and their ministers.  But on the day of my death, the office of masses [is to be] celebrated with assiduous devotion, which is afterwards [to be] altered by custom, arranged by the zeal of charity, to be done in Easter time, for the salvation and remedy of my soul in perpetuity.  If anyone, irrationally exceeding an honorable mode, should detract from the charitable generosity in a schismatic way, he will be judged to be classed among the infidels and the most criminal, and to incur injury from our eminence  and that of our coheirs.  Of this gift, indeed … the witnesses are:  B[aldwin], archbishop of Caesarea, R[obert], archbishop of Nazarus, G[alfred], abbot of the Lord’s Temple, Barisanus and his son Hugo, Manasses, constable;  Rohard of Jerusalem; Manfred of Turon; Walter Maledoctus; Guido Gallicus [Frank]; Robert of Franlos; A., viscount of Nablus and his son.  In the year 1150 from the incarnation of the lord, twelfth indiction, this page is given by the hand of Frederick, chancellor, to the brothers of the Hospital, in the fourth year of the reign of Baldwin, king of the Latins, Fulcher patriarch, ruling of right.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis, patris et filii et spiritus sancti.  Quoniam cujuslibet rei dispositio pro mundi varietatibus aut negligentie culpa multociens ad nichilum oblivioni data redigitur, que digna sunt sub memoria conservari, necesse est eadem non tantum presentium perspicacitati subgerere, sed ut rata et inconvulsa permaneant in modum rectitudinis futurorum evidentie scripto determinari.  Consilio itaque discretorum et maxime rectiora nobis consultentium studiosissime percunctato, ego Milesendis, Dei providencia Jerosolimorum regina, caritatis utinam incorruptibili premunita solamine, Balduini regis et Almarici, filiorum nostrorum, assensu compari, ad consequendam in commisso regimine pacis perseverenciam, sive, quod devocius esse percipitur, pro predecessorum nostrorum animabus et in regno succedentium, ecclesie sancti Johannis Baptiste Hospitali casale de Beroeth, et agricolas cum ceteris ejusdem pertinenciis, eadem libertatis integritate permissa, qua diebus Antiochene obsessionis extiterat, ut me regnante cum filio meo rege Balduino refectio pauperum augmentetur, cum diligencia et strenue devocionis affectu dono et concedo;  literarum etiam et sigilli nostri, quod majus est, auctoritate regia confirmo.  Deinde pro beneficiis eidem ecclesie misericorditer illatis, quia coram pluribus ex pacto nostro terminatum est, expedit ut singulis annis, ad commemorationem hujus elemosine reformandam, in die gloriosissime resurrectionis, beatis pauperibus et eorum ministris, me vivente, splendide detur procuratio.  In die autem obitus mei, cum assidua devocione celebrato missarum officio, quod zelo caritatis in termine pasche fieri dispositum est, alterata postmodum consuetudine ad salutem et remedium anime mee fiat in perpetuum.  Si quis autem honestatis modum irrationabiliter excedens, caritative largicioni scismatico more detraxerit, inter infideles et sceleratissimos deputatus, nostre sublimitatis una choeredum [sic] [coheredum] nostrorum offensam incurrere judicetur.    Doni hujus siquidem … testes sunt:  B[alduinus], Cesarensis archiepiscopus; R[obertus], Nazarenus archiepiscopus; G[aufridus], abbas Dominici Templi; Barisanus, et ejusdem filius Hugo, Manasses, constabularius; Rohardus de Jerusalem; Manfredus de Turone; Galterus Maledoctus; Guido Gallicus; Robertus de Franlos; A., vicecomes de Neapoli, et filius ejus.   Anno ab incarnatione Domini MCL, indictione duodeca, data est hec pagina, per manum Friderici cancellarii, fratribus Hospitalis regnante quarto rege Latinorum Balduino, Fulchero patriarcha quod sui juris est regente.

Historical context:

The queen, calling herself queen of the people of Jerusalem,  gives the village of Beroeth and its people to the Hospitallers, in return for which masses will be said for her soul.  She acts with the consent of her sons Baldwin III and Amalric and speaks of reigning with her son.

Scholarly notes:

1. Does the seal have greater authority than the writing, is it the larger, more formal of her seals, or does her seal  have more authority than her son’s here?

Printed source:

Delaville Le Roulx, J., Cartulaire Général de l’Ordre des Hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jérusalem 1100-1310 (Paris:  Leroux, 1894).  1.148-49, #191, 1150.

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