A letter from Isabella

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all present and future, that I Aymeric, by the grace of God, ninth king of Jerusalem and king of Cyprus, with the consent and will of lady Isabella my wife, daughter of the illustrious king Amalric,1 give and grant in perpetuity to blessed St. Mary of the house of the Teutons’ hospital one village with its peasants and uncultivated lands, which is called Aguille, in the territory of Acre for three thousand Sarracen besants, which I received in my hands, and I also give this to said village from another village of mine, which is called Fiergio (Umm el Ferj?), one wheel of sugar from whatever is worked on whatever day in a land-tenant holding (masario) for the use of the sick of the house of the hospital of Teutons of blessed St. Mary.  And from my whole land in the village Umberto and other  villages of mine in those parts, I grant you will have one measure (clicham) of grain from whatever carruca 2 is being worked and one of barley annually on the part of the peasants.  And from every hundred goats, which they have in my land, you will have 5 quarters (carrublas) from the peasantry.  And from every ten goats, from which I should have ten quarters, you will have 2 from the peasantry.   And from each carruca which ought to give me 2 besants, you will have 3 quarters from the peasantry.  And I also give these:  alms and the old free-man holding through the entire kingdom of Cyprus, as king Almaric gave in your privilege.  That this my gift may be stable and in force in perpetuity, I have had the present charter protected by the lead seal and the subscription of witnesses.  These are the witnesses of this thing:  Reynald of Sidon; Ralph of Tiberias, seneschal of the kingdom; John of Ibelin, constable of the kingdom; Terricus of Orca; John, marshal of the kingdom; Terricus of Terremonde; Rohard of Caifa; Raymond of Gibelet/Jebail; Baldwin of Bethany; Nicholas of Nazareth.  Enacted at Acre in the 1197th year from the incarnation of the lord.  Given by the hand of Joscius, archbishop and chancellor of the kingdom of Jerusalem, sixth ides of February. 

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Aymericus per dei graciam rex Ierusalem nonus et rex Cipri assensu et voluntate domine Ysabellis uxoris mee, illustris quondam regis Amalrici filie, dono et concedo in perpetuum beate Marie sancte domus hospitalis Theutonicorum unum casale cum suis villanis et gastinis, quod vocatur Aguille, in partibus Accon pro tribus milibus bisanciis sarracenatis, quos ego recepi in manibus meis, et dono insupra hoc casali supradicto de alio casali meo, quod vocatur Fiergio, de quolibet laborando in masario rotulam unam zucari quolibet die ad opus infirmorum beate Marie sancte domus hospitalis Theutonicorum. Et de tota terra mea de casali Umberto et de aliis casalibus meis in partibus illis concedo de unaquaque carruca laborante unam clicham frumenti, et unam ordei habebitis annuatim de parte rustici. Et de singulis centum capris, que hyemabunt in terra mea, habebitis ve carrublas de rustico. Et de singulis decem capris, de quibus debeo habere decem carrublas, habebitis annuatim de rustico ii/as car­rublas. Et de unaquaque carruca, que debet dare mihi ii bisancios, habebitis iii karrublas de rustico. Et dono insupra ista: elemosinam et veterem francisiam per totum regnum Cipri, quomodo rex Almaricus dedit in privilegio vestro. Ut autem hoc meum donum in perpetuum stabile sit et ratum, presentem cartam sigillo meo plumbeo et subscriptione testium feci communiri. Huius rei testes sunt: Rainaldus Sydonis; Radulfus Tiberyadensis, senescalcus regni; Iohannes de Ybelino, conestabilis regni; Terricus de Orca; Iohannes, marescalcus regni; Terricus de Terremonde; Rohardus de Cayphas; Raimundus de Gibeleto; Balduinus de Bethan; Nicholaus de Nazareth. Actum Acchon anno ab incarnatione domini m° c° xc° vii°. Datum per manum Iocii archi episcopi regnique Ierusalem cancellarii vi° idus februarii.

Historical context:

With the consent of his wife, Amalric sells  the village Aguille, in the territory of Acre to the house of  St. Mary of the hospital of Teutons, gives certain rents from other villages, and confirms freedoms granted in the kingdom of Cyprus. The text contains a number of unusual terms.

Scholarly notes:

1 The adjective illustris may refer to father or daughter, but more likely to the father.
2  Carruca is a wheeled plow, carrucata as much as can be ploughed with a one-wheeled plow in a season.

Authenticity:

The editor thinks this document may be spurious because it is dated a year before Amalric became king of Jerusalem.  But could an error not have been made in the copying of the date?

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici:  Ex tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidman, 1869), 27-28,  #34.

Date: