A letter from Marie to Bernard of Comminges

Translated letter:

Because the marriage of man and woman proceeds from natural law and divine command, and because of this gifts are accustomed to come from the woman or on behalf of the woman to carry out the marriage and to lighten the burdens of marriage, therefore in God’s name I, William, by God’s grace lord of Montpellier, son of the late Matilda, duchess, giving my daughter, Marie, in marriage to you, Bernard, count of Comminges, give to you with her two-hundred marks of fine silver and nuptial ornaments. 
For which reason, in Christ’s name I, Bernard, count of Comminges, receiving you, Marie, as lawful wife and giving myself to you as lawful husband, give and concede to you, as gift of marriage the whole castrum of Murel with men and women and all its jurisdiction and dominion and all its appurtenances and adjoining lands and whatever can or should pertain, specifically so that, if you will survive me, you may have and hold that castrum for all your life and you may make all the profits and revenues coming from there your own and receive them for carrying out all your wishes fully. And in addition to that castrum , I give and concede to you, Marie, the abovesaid two-hundred marks of fine silver, which I received with you, so that the profits and revenues deriving from this in no way will be counted as a share or payment. In those two-hundred marks I expressly renounce exception of the non-enumerated dowry, and also with certain knowledge I renounce all rights of jurisdiction in which they consist, so that the dowry and donation may proceed with equal steps, and although the donation may exceed the dowry, nonetheless I wish it to be valid, and regarding what exceeds, I utterly renounce all right. But if I will have a son from you, Marie, I give and concede to him irrevocably and without any withholding all my land and dominion, whatever it may be in perpetuity. And when that son will be born, I will have all my land sworn to him by my men. But if I will have a daughter from you, without a free male, I give and concede to that daughter all my land, whatever it may be, except Comminges, and in the same way when she will be born, I likewise will have it sworn to that daughter by my men. Nonetheless from this donation I except and retain for myself Mt. Desert and Favares and Ceran and Gillatum, castra which we can give to my son B., whom I have from Condor, daughter of Arnold William of Barta, so that he may be content and can ask nothing more of my land. Moreover, as a stipulation I promise to you, Marie, that I have not said or done anything nor will I say or do anything less than that in all the time of my life; I will have and hold you, Marie, honorably as wife, not another taken in addition, but for all the time of my life I will have and hold you and your children in great honor, and I will make them my heirs, as said above. 
And I, Marie, aforesaid daughter of lord William of Montpellier, give and concede to you, Bernard, count of Comminges, as dowry with me, all right and action that I have or can or should have against the property and heirs of Barral, my late husband, in the name or occasion of dowry or abandoned property, which Barral owed to me or left to me, in the quantity of three-hundred marks of silver. And with this charter I declare in truth that my father lord William of Montpellier has given to you, said count, my husband, the abovesaid two-hundred marks as dowry with me. These were paid from the fund of those five hundred marks that Barral left to me in his will. Concerning the two hundred marks I, Marie, declare that they include the one hundred marks that my father, lord William of Montpellier once gave to Barral as dowry with me. 
And I, Bernard, count of Comminges, give, approve, and concede these abovesaid five hundred marks to you, Marie, my wife and for your profits not to be counted as a share, concerning said castrum of Murel with all its appurtenances and whatever should pertain. All this I will keep and observe without any deceit, so help me God and these four holy gospels of God. Concerning the abovesaid things as a whole and individually, on behalf of the count of Comminges, through bodily oath sworn, Raymond, count of Toulouse, duke of Narbonne and marquis of Provence is surety and debtor to said Marie and her father, William, lord of Montpellier and the children that the count of Comminges will have from said Marie. Likewise are surety and debtors concerning all these things Vitalis of Monteacuto, Ademar of Genzac, Walter of Noguer, B of Miramon, Tignosus of Castillon, all with bodily oath sworn by the command of the count of Comminges. Moreover, Bernard, archbishop of Elsaß, Raymond bishop of Comminges, Fulcran bishop of Toulouse, by the command and requests of said count of Comminges, promised and obliged themselves thenceforth that unless the count of Comminges attends completely to this, as was said, or if he violates anything, they would excommunicate him by name and place all his land under interdict until satisfaction and correction are fully and completely made concerning everything according to the will and knowledge of said Marie and her father lord William of Montpellier. Moreover, by the command of the count of Comminges and also the count of Toulouse, each one and collectively are surety and debtors concerning all the abovesaid: G of Balcio and Hugh of Baucio, his brother, with bodily oath taken, and also the count of Toulouse under the same oath promised and obliged himself to the said Marie and her father, William, lord of Montpellier, that if the count of Comminges were not to carry out all these things or infringe or alter anything from them, he himself will be a faithful supporter to them in war and in court with all his land and his men. 
This charter was made and approved in Montpellier in a chamber of lord William of Montpellier in the year of our lord’s incarnation 1197, in the month of December. Witnesses are of all those named above: Raymond, bishop of Agatha, G. provost of Mauelone, Helias his brother, Ramoard of Mamolena, Rostag of Montarbezon, B. Lambert, R. Atrabrand, R. Lambert his nephew/grandson (nepos), master Guido, P. Lutian, G. of Rabastens, P. of Conques, Berengar his nephew/grandson, G. Peter, P. of Montbeliard, Guirald Atbrand, Jacob Lumbard, G. of Conques, G. of Salzeto, Randulf Bonifatius, Ermengaud of Azillano, Hugh Pulverell, B. Ecclesia, P. of Bisancas, G. Capion, Peter Deodatus, Berengar of Mt. Arnald, G. of Albaterra, G. of Mesoa, Robolan, P. Galuan, G. of Montarbezon, P. of Porta, Bertrand Rainald, R. of Arlens, G. Rigald, Jordan of Conques, Bertrand canon of Vezian, Bertrand the priest, P. of Cercio, B. Austern and William, notary of Raymond who wrote this. In addition, concerning all these things to be fulfilled, lord B. of Anduze is surety and debtor on behalf of the count of Comminges, with bodily oath taken. Witnesses are Hugh Pulverell, P. Gerald, Bernard Fresnell, Bernard Ecclesia, Bernard Gandalric, Farsire, P. Lucian and William of Raymond who wrote this.1 

Original letter:

Cum masculi et femine coniunctio a iure naturali et ex divino precepto descendat et ob hanc rem donationes a muliere vel ex parte mulieris intervenire soleant ad matrimonium observandum et propter honera matrimonii levius sustinenda: ideo in Dei nomine ego Guillelmus dominus Dei gratia Montispessulani, Alius quondam Mathildis ducisse, collocans filiam meam Mariam in matrimonium tibi Bernardo comiti Convenarum, dono tibi cum ea CC marchas argenti fini et hornamenta nuptialia. Qua de causa in Christi nomine ego Bernardus comes Convenarum accipiens te Mariam in legittimam uxorem et me tibi tradens in virum legittimum dono et concedo tibi in donationem propter nuptias totum castrum de Murell cum hominibus et feminis et cum tota iurisdictione sua et potestativo et suis omnibus pertinentiis et adiacentiis et qui pertinere possunt vel debent, ita scilicet quod, si michi supervixeris, habeas et teneas istud castrum in tota vita tua, et omnes fructus et redditus inde exeuntes tuos proprios facias et percipias ad omnes voluntates tuas plenarie faciendas. Et super istud castrum dono et concedo tibi ipsi Marie supradictas CC marchas argenti fini, quas tecum accepi, ita quod fructus vel redditus inde exeuntes in sortem vel pagam nullatenus computentur. In quibus CC marchis expressim renuntio exceptioni non numerate dotis et etiam ex certa scientia renuntio omnibus iuris auctoritatibus, quibus continentur, ut dos et donatio equis passibus ambulent et quamvis donatio dotem excedat, nichilominus volo, ut valeat, et in eo, quod excedit, omni iuri abrenuntio. Si vero filium ex te, Maria, habuero, totam terram meam et dominationem, qualiscumque sit, absque ulla retentione irrevocabiliter dono ei et concedo imperpetuum. Et cum filius ille natus fuerit, totam terram meam ei iurari faciam ab hominibus meis. Si vero de te filiam habuero sine libero masculo totam terram meam, qualiscumque sit, excepto Comenge, illi filie dono et concedo in perpetuum, et eodem modo ab hominibus meis similiter illi filie iurari faciam, cum nata fuerit. Ab hac tamen donatione excipio et michi retineo Montem desertum et Fauares et Ceran et Gillatum, que castra possimus donare filio meo B., quem habui ex Condor filia Arnaldi Guillelmi de Barta, ut his sit contentus et nichil amplius in terram meam petere possit. Item per stipulationem tibi Marie promitto, quod nichil dixi nec feci nec dicam nec faciam quominus toto tempore vite mee te Mariam in uxorem honorifice habeam et teneam nec aliam superinductam, set omni tempore vite mee te et liberos tuos in magna honorificencia habebo et tenebo et heredes michi faciam, ut supra dictum est. Et ego Maria supradicta filia domini Guillelmi Montispessulani dono et concedo tibi Bernardo comiti Convenarum mecum in dotem omne ius et actionem, que habeo vel habere possum vel debeo contra res vel heredes Barralis quondam mariti mei, nomine vel occasione dotis vel relicti, que michi Barralis debebat vel que michi reliquerat usque ad quantitatem CCC marcarum argenti. Et cum hac carta in veritate profiteor, quod pater meus dominus Guillelmus Montispessulani tibi dicto comiti marito meo dedit supradictas CC marchas mecum in dotem. Que fuerunt solute nomine illarum D marcharum, quas Barralis michi in testamento suo reliquerat. In quibus CC marchis profiteor ego Maria, quod continentur ille C marche, quas pater meus dominus Guillelmus Montispessulani olim dedit Barrali mecum in dotem. Et ego Bernardus comes Convenarum has D marchas supradictas dono, laudo et concedo tibi Marie uxori mee et tuis, fructibus in sortem non computandis, super dictum castrum de Murel cum suis omnibus pertinentiis et qui pertinere debent. Totum hoc ita tenebo et observabo sine omni dolo, sic Deus me adiuvet et hec sancta IIII Dei evangelia. De his omnibus et singulis supradictis ex parte comitis Convenarum est firmancia et debitor per sacramentum corporaliter prestitum Raimundus comes Tholose dux Narbone et marchio Provincie dicte Marie et patri suo Guillelmo domino Montispessulani et infantibus quos comes Convenarum ex dicta Maria habuerit. Item sunt firmancie et debitores de his omnibus Vitalis de Monteacuto, Ademarus de Genzac, Galterius de Nogueriis, B. de Miramon, Tignosus de Castillone; omnes per sacramentum corporaliter prestitum mandato comitis Convenarum. Insuper Bernardus Auxensis archiepiscopus, Raimundus Convenarum episcopus, Fulcrandus Tholosanus episcopus mandato et precibus dicti comitis Convenarum promiserunt et se inde obligaverunt, quod, nisi ita totum,ut. supra dictum est, comes Convenarum attenderet, vel aliquid infringeret, ipsum excomunicent nominatim et totam terram eius interdicto subiciant, donec ad plenum sit super omnibus satisfactum et integre emendatum ad voluntatem et noticiam dicte Marie et patris sui domini Guillelmi Montispessulani. Item mandato comitis Convenarum et etiam comitis Tolosani sunt de omnibus supradictis firmancie et debitores quisque in solidum: G. de Balcio et Ugo de Baucio frater eius per sacramentum corporaliter prestitum, et etiam comes Tolosanus sub eodem sacramento promisit et se inde obligavit dicte Marie et patri suo Guillelmo domino Montispessulani, quod, si comes Convenarum omnia ista non adimpleret vel aliquid infringeret vel ex his mutaret: ipse erit eis fidelis adiutor in guerra et placito cum tota terra sua et hominibus suis. Facta est carta ista et laudata apud Montempessulanum in camera domini Guillelmi Montispessulani anno dominice incarnationis MCLXXXXVII, mense Decembri. Horum omnium supradictorum sunt testes: Raimundus Agathensis episcopus, G. Magalonensis prepositus, Helias frater eius, Ramoardus de Mamolena, Rostagnus de Montarbezon, B. Lamberti, R. Atbrandi, R. Lamberti nepos eius, magister Guido, P. Lutianus, G. de Rabastenes, P. de Concas, Berengarius nepos eius, G. Petri, P. de Montebeliardo, Guiraldus Atbrandi, Jacobus Lumbardus, G. de Conchis, G. de Salzeto, Randulfus Bonifatius, Ermengaudus de Azillano, Ugo Puluerellus, B. Ecclesia, P. de Bisancas, G. Capion, Petrus Deodatus, Berengarius de Monte Arnaldo, G. de Albaterra, G. de Mesoa, Robolanus, P. Galuan, G. de Montearbezon, P. de Porta, Bertrandus Rainaldus, R. de Arlens, G. Rigaldus, Jordanus de Concas, Bertrandus Veziani canonicus, Bertrandus sacerdos, P. de Cercio, B. Austernus et Guillelmus Raimundi notarius qui hoc scripsit. Item de his omnibus complendis ex parte comitis Convenarum est firmantia et debitor dominus B. de Andusia per sacramentum corporaliter prestitum. Testes sunt: Ugo Puluerellus, P. Geraldus, Bernardus Fresnellus, Bernardus Ecclesia, Bernardus Gandalricus, Farsire, P. Luciani et Guillelmus Raimundi qui hoc scripsit. 

Historical context:

This document gives the details of the marriage contract between Marie and her second husband, Bernard of Comminges. After a brief statement of Marie's financial dowry made by her father to Bernard, it focuses on the dower and dowry exchanges between Bernard and Marie, including her dower from her first husband, Barral of Marseilles.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at its center.

Translation notes:

Johannes Vincke, “Der Eheprocess Peters II von Aragon (1206-1213),” Gesammelte Aufsatze zur Kulturgeschichte Spaniens (Munster in Westfalen, 1935), 175-76.

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