A letter from Isabella

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all present and future that I, Aimeric, by the grace of God ninth king of Jerusalem and king of Cyprus, with the will and consent of lady Isabel, my wife, illustrious queen and daughter of former illustrious king Amalric, give and grant in perpetuity to the lord God and St. Mary and the hospital of the Teutons and to the brothers of that hospital present and future the tower which is over the gate at Acre which gate is called the gate of St. Nicholas, in such a way that those brothers have nothing in the gate which is below the tower by which one enters and leaves the city nor can they erect anything new in the surroundings of the tower, nor will they be able to give or sell or mortgage that tower to anyone; and if perhaps their religion is changed to another religion, they must resign said tower to me or my successor lords of the kingdom.   Moreover if through war from enemies or any other accidental happening said tower should be necessary to me or my successor lords of the kingdom, if we wished it, they must give the tower back to us, with no objection; we, indeed, after our business with the tower is carried out,  must give the tower back to said brothers, and we shall not be able to give or grant or sell or mortgage it to any others than to them.  That this our gift to the aforenamed hospital and the brothers may remain in force and unchanged, we have had the present charter protected by our seal and the subscription of witnesses.  Witnesses of this thing are:  Reynald of Sidon; Ralph of Tiberias, seneschal of the kingdom; John, constable of the kingdom; John, marshal of the kingdom, Rohard, lord of Caifa; Terricus of Orca; Terricus of Terremondo; Raymond of Gibelet (Jebail).  Enacted at Acre in the 1198th year from the incarnation of the lord in the month of August.  Given by the hand of lord Joscius, archbishop of Tyre and chancellor of the kingdom.

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus presentibus et futuris, quod ego Aymericus dei gracia rex Ierusalem nonus et rex Cipri voluntate et assensu domine Ysabellis, uxoris mee, illustris regine et illustris quondam regis Amalrici filie, dono et in per­petuum concedo, domino deo et sancte Marie et hospitali Alamannorum fratribusque eiusdem hospitalis presentibus et futuris turrem, que est super por­tam Acconis, que porta appellator porta sancti Nicholay, tali modo, quod ipsi fratres nichil habeant in porta, que est sub turre, per quam intratur et exitur de villa, nec in circumstanciis turris aliquid de novo possint erigere, ipsamque turrem nec dare poterunt alicui nee vendere nee invadiare; et si forte religio eorum ad aliam transmutaretur religionem, predictam turrem mihi sive meis successoribus dominis regni resignarent. Preterea si pro guerra inimicorum vel pro aliquo casu accidente dicta turris mihi meisque successoribus dominis regni fuerit necessaria, si voluerimus, turrem nobis debent reddere, nulla obstante occasione; nos vero post nostrum de turre peractum negocium predictis fratribus turrem debemus reddere, et ipsam nullis aliis quam ipsis vel dare vel concedere aut vendere poterimus vel invadiare. Ut autem hec nostra donatio prenominato hospitali et fratribus rata permaneat et immutata, presentem cartam sigillo nostro et subscriptione testium fecimus communiri. Huius rei testes sunt: Rainaldus Sydonis; Radulfus Tyberiadis, senescalcus regni; Iohannes, constabularius regiri; Iohannes, marescalcus regni; Rohardus, dominus Cayphe; Terricus de Orca; Terricus de Terrimonde; Raimundus de Gibelet. Actum Accon anno ab incarnatione domini m° c° xc° viii° mense augusto. Datum per manum domini Ioscii Tyrensis archiepiscopi regnique cancellarii.

Historical context:

With the consent of his wife, Amalric gives St. Mary and the hospital of the Teutons the tower over the gate of St. Nicholas at Acre.

Printed source:

Tabulae Ordinis Theutonici:  Ex tabularii Regii Berolinensis Codice Potissimum, ed. Ernestus Strehlke (Berlin:  Weidman, 1869), 28-29, #35.

Date: