A Letter from Guy of Lusignan and Sibylla

Translated letter:

Be it known to all present and future that I, Guy, by the grace of God eighth king of the Latins in the holy city of Jerusalem, with the consent and will of lady Sibylla my wife, venerable queen of that kingdom, give, grant and confirm to you count Joscelin, my seneschal and to your heirs in perpetuity, Toron and Chateau-neuf with all their appurtenances, with peasants,wastelands, lands cultivated and uncultivated, mountains, plains and waters, and Belinas with its universal right when the lord in his christian mercy will have given it back, doing such service to me and my heirs as lord Henfred constable was held to do to my predecessors while he possessed that land.  I grant also to you and your heirs and confirm Maron in perpetuity with all its appurtenances, Quabriquembelide, Cades, Lahare, Mees, two Megeras, with their peasants, wastelands, lands cultivated and uncultivated, plains and mountains and waters for the service of four knights to me and my heirs after me.  I give, grant, and confirm to you and your heirs all the aforesaid on the condition that, if you lose Toron and Chateau-neuf by the judgment of my court or the pacts which were made between lord Baldwin sixth king of the Latins of Jerusalem and the young lord Henfred should be dissolved, you and your heirs will have and possess in eternity Maron with all its forenamed appurtenances and that exchange which young lord Henfred holds and possesses for Toron and Chateau-neuf.  He indeed who will have Toron and Chateau-neuf, will be held to give back to you the outlays which you or your heirs will have effected in building those fortifications by the testimony of upright men. I also give you and your heirs a certain house at Tyre, which belonged to lady Vive, by hereditary right to have and possess in perpetuity.  And so that this my gift, grant, and confirmation may remain in force and indissoluble in eternity to you and your heirs, I have had the present page protected by the subscribed witnesses and my seal.  Witnesses of this thing are lord Heraclius, venerable patriarch of Jerusalem; lord Joscius, archbishop of Tyre; lord Monacus, archbishop of Caesarea; lord Letard archbishop of Nazareth; lord Bernard, bishop of Lidda; lord Ralph, bishop of Bethlehem; lord Odo bishop of Beirut; lord Gerard, master of the militia of the house of the Temple; lord Roger master of the house of the hospital of Jerusalem; lord prince Reynald; Americus, constable of the lord king; Milo, butler of the king; Peter of Creseca; Goscelin Hyrcus; Anselinus Babini; Galfred Tortus; William of Molembec.  This was done in this 1186th year from the incarnation of the lord, 4th indiction.  Given at Acre by the hand of Peter, chancellor of the lord king, and archdeacon of Lidda, 12th kalends of november.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus presentibus atque futuris, quod ego Guido per dei graciam in sancta civitate Ierusalem Latinorum rex octavus assensu et voluntate domine Sibille uxoris mee, eiusdem regni venerabilis regine, dono, concedo et confirmo tibi comiti Ioscelino, senescalco meo, et heredibus tuis in perpetuum Toronum et Castrum Novum cum omnibus eorum pertinenciis, cum villanis, gastinis, terris quo que cultis et incultis, montanis, planis et aquis, et Belinas cum universo iure suo, cum dominus sua miseratione christianitati reddiderit, sub tali tamen servitio mihi et meis heredibus faciendo, quale do­minus Henfredus constabularius meis predecessoribus, dum eandem terram possideret, facere tenebatur. Concedo eciam tibi et confirmo et heredibus tuis in perpetuum Marum cum omnibus pertinentiis suis, Quabriquembelide, Cades, Lahare, Mees, duo Megeras, cum villanis, gastinis, terris quoque cultis et in­cultis, planis et montanis et aquis sub servitio quatuor militum mihi et meis heredibus post me faciendo. Tali quidem condicione omnia predicta tibi et heredibus tuis dono, concedo et confirmo, quod, si Toronum et Castrum Novum iudicio mee curie te amittere aut pactiones, que inter dominum Baldoinum regem Ierusalem Latinorum sextum et dominum Henfredum iuvenem facte fuerunt, solvi contigerit, Maronum cum omnibus pertinenciis suis prenominatis et illud concambium, quod dominus Henfredus iuvenis pro Torono et Castro Novo tenet et possidet, tu et heredes tui habebitis et possidebitis in eternum. Ille vero, qui Toronum et Castrum Novum habuerit, missiones, quas tu vel heredes in eorum castrorum hedificatione testimonio proborum hominum ipsorum castrorum effeceritis, vobis reddere tenebitur. Dono eciam tibi et he­redibus tuis quandam domum apud Tyrum, que fuit domine Vive, iure hereditario habendam et possidendam in perpetuum. Et ut hec donatio, concessio et confirmatio mea tibi et heredibus tuis rata permaneat in eternum et indissoluta, presentem paginam testibus subscriptis et sigillo meo muniri feci. Huius rei testes sunt dominus Eraclius, Ierusalem venerabilis patriarcha; dominus Ioscius, Tyrensis archiepiscopus; dominus Monacus, Cesariensis archiepiscopus; dominus Letardus, de Nazareth archiepiscopus; dominus Bernardus, Liddensis episcopus; dominus Radulfus, Bethleemita episcopus; dominus Odo Beritensis episcopus, dominus Girardus, milicie domus Templi magister; dominus Rogerius, domus hospitalis Ierusalem magister; dominus princeps Rainaldus; Haymericus, constabu­larius domini regis; Milo, regis pincerna; Petrus de Creseca; Goscelinus Hyrcus; Anselinus Babini; Gaufridus Tortus; Willelmus de Molembec. Factum est hoc anno ab incarnatione domini m° c° lxxx0 vi° indictione iiii°. Datum Accon per manum Petri domini regis cancellarii Lyddensisque archidiaconi xii kal. nov.

Historical context:

Guy and Sibylla  give seneschal Joscelin  Toron and Chateau-neuf and Belinas on certain conditions if they are legally theirs to give, and confirm Joscelin's possession of Maron.

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici ex Tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidmann, 1869), 19, #21.  RRH #653.

Date: