A letter from Aleid

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual Trinity of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.  Since among uncertainties and doubts there is nothing more uncertain than the hour of death, and the life of the human species knows or expects nothing as natural and undoubted as to die, he passes through the course of life with happy security who protects himself with such internal and prudent disposition that he may await the final day of death secure.

Therefore I, Aleid, sister of lord William king of the Romans of happy memory and wife of the late lord John of Avesnes, considering this life safer with the clear sharpness of reason, invoking Jesus Christ as defender and guardian by whose grace I, up to now rejoiced with full and happy enjoyment of mind and body, have made my testament as follows with the counsel of worthy men:  First, I give, bestow and assign to the nuns of Leusden fifteen Holland pounds with which they may buy the revenue for the allowance of wine to be administered annually to the convent on the day of my death; to Rijnsburg ten pounds; to Egmond five pounds, to the Stripati  in Harlem five pounds; to the Beguines there five pounds; to the nuns in Nortke five pounds; to the brothers of the Teutonic house in Leiden five pounds; to the nuns of Campus Regis (King’s Field?) ten pounds; to the Beguines in Delft five pounds; to the hospital there five pounds; to the Beguines in Rivo fifteen pounds; to the Holy Spirit there fifteen pounds; to the preachers/Dominicans in Maastricht ten pounds; to the brothers minor/Franciscans there ten pounds; to the Sack Friars there five pounds; to the nuns of Saint Servatius five pounds; to the hospital of St. Catherine there five pounds; to the White Ladies/Cistercians there five pounds; to the nuns at Valle there five pounds; to the brothers minor in Dordrecht ten pounds; to the brothers minor in Zierik ten pounds; to the Beguines there ten pounds; to the Holy Spirit there ten pounds; to the hospital there five pounds; to the nuns in Bethlehem in Schouwen ten pounds; to the Beguines of Lieliendal ten pounds; to the nuns in Nordike ten pounds; to the nuns in Biesling five pounds; to the monks in Middelburg ten pounds; to the Holy Spirit there ten pounds; to the brothers minor there ten pounds; to the Beguines there ten pounds; to the Sack Friars there five pounds; to the chaplaincy of the Beghards five pounds; to the nuns in Hondiggehn five pounds; to the nuns in Werendijc five pounds; to the hospital in Vlissingen five pounds; to the hospital in Domburg five pounds; to the hospital in Emelesse five pounds; to the Beguines in Arena Comitis at the infirmary ten pounds; to the Holy Spirit there twenty pounds; to the Beguines in Dordrecht five pounds; to the church of New Schiedam ten pounds; to the Holy Spirit in Delft fifty solidos; to the Holy Spirit in Monster fifty solidos, willing and arranging that the executors of this my testament, whose names are noted below, collect after the day of my death fourhundred and eighty pounds assigned to me in the tribute of Niementsurient by my most beloved relative the count of Holland, until my debts or the less justly acquired anywhere within the bishopric of Maastricht or the county of Holland will be shown to be legitimate, and then this my testament will be fully paid by those executors.  I also expressly prohibit my heirs or my sons or any others except the executors of my testament from raising an obstacle or claim over the collection of said money assigned to me for my inheritance until my debts or unjust acquisitions and my present testament, as was said, should be completely paid by those executors. I also order and dispose as the executors of my present testament prudent men, the prior of Dominicans in Maastricht, the guardian of Franciscans in Zierik, the provost of Campus Regis near Delft, my son Buchard, the provost of St. Mary of Maastricht, and lord Betto deacon of Soignies, my chaplain, so that if all cannot or do not wish to undertake the execution of my present will at the same time, we wish it to be certain and firm that by three of them or at least two the execution will be carried out or arranged.  I ask moreover and humbly beg the lord bishop of Maastracht, Florens the lord count of Holland, my most beloved relative, my sons and all my heirs, spiritual and secular judges and all the faithful of Christ that they give pious favor and aid to these my executors, so that the execution of this my testament may be discharged by them to its effect, which I commit to their loyalty with the humble urgency of prayers.  Moreover I wish and order that those to whom it is permitted to have annual revenue with my said alms left to them may buy annual revenues and distribute them on the day of my anniversary as common allowance, if it is of the conventus; for other pious places and for those who cannot have annual revenues, they may apply [it] in buildings and perpetual memory; for those indeed which are conferred on the poor, revenues may similarly be purchased and to them each year as was said, they may be apportioned so that the individuals receiving the legacies may observe my anniversay, that of my parents and brothers, of lord William king of the Romans of bright memory, and lord Florens and lord John of Avesnes my late husband, each year with a celebrations of vigils and masses, and leave it to their successors to be observed.

 I, Florens, count of Holland, promise in good faith that as the higher lord I shall defend and peacefully maintain said executors in their collection of said money or alms faithfully bestowed by my beloved aunt Aleid until the present testament shall have been discharged fully with the execution effected.

I indeed Aleid, so that this my testament have the power of greater stability and so that there may be no attack of claim against it, strengthened and protected this with my own seal, with the seal of said Florens, count of Holland, my most beloved relative, with the seals of Florens my son and the aforesaid executors who voluntarily assumed the burden of said execution to be faithfully executed for God and my prayers.

Dated in the 1271st year of the Lord on the day of St. Luke the evangelist.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue Trinitatis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti. Amen. Cum inter incerta et dubia nichil sit hora mortis incertius et humani generis vita nichil adeo naturale et indubitatum sicut mori habeat vel expectet, felici securitate cursum vite peragit qui interna et provida tali se dispositione premunit quod securus expectare possit peremptorium diem vite.

Hinc est quod ego Aleidis, germana felicis recordationis domini Willelmi Romanorum regis et uxor quondam domini Iohannis de Auennis, hanc viam intuens claro rationis acumine tutiorem, Ihesum Christum defensorem invocans  et tutorem cuius gratia adhuc plena iocundaque mentis et corporis fruitione gavisa, tale sicut sequitur de proborum consilio meum condidi testamentum: In primis do, lego sive assigno sanctimonialibus in Loesdunen quindecim libras Hollandensium cum quibus ement redditus ad pitantiam vini annuatim in die obitus mei conventui ministrandam; in Rinsburgh decem libras; in Egmonde quinque libras, stripatis in Harlem quinque libras; begghinis ibidem quinque libras; sanctimonialibus in Nortke quinque libras; fratribus Teuthonice domus in Leydem quinque libras; monialibus Campi Regis decem libras; begghinis in Delf quinque libras; hospitali ibidem quinque libras; begghinis in Riuo quindecim libras; Sancto Spiritui ibidem quindecim libras; predicatoribus in Traiecto decem libras; fratribus minoribus ibidem decem libras; saccatis ibidem quinque libras; monialibus Sancti Seruatii ibidem quinque libras; hospitali Sancte Katerine ibidem quinque libras; albis dominabus ibidem quinque libras; monialibus ad Vallem ibidem quinque libras; fratribus minoribus in Dordregt decem libras; fratribus minoribus in Zirixe decem libras; begghinis ibidem decem libras; Sancto Spiritui ibidem decem libras; hospitali ibidem quinque libras; monialibus in Betlehem in Scaldia decem libras; begghinis in Lieliendale decem libras; monialibus in Nordike decem libras; monialibus in Bieslinga quinque libras; monachis in Middelburg decem libras; Sancto Spiritui ibidem decem libras; fratribus minoribus ibidem decem libras; begghinis ibidem decem libras; saccatis ibidem quinque libras; ad capellaniam beggardorum quinque libras; monialibus in Hondigghen quinque libras; monialibus in Werendijc quinque libras; hospitali in Vlissigghen quinque libras; hospitali in Domburgh quinque libras; hospitali in Emelesse quinque libras; begghinis in Arena Comitis ad firmariam decem libras; Sancto Spiritui ibidem viginti libras; begghinis in Durdregt quinque libras; ecclesie de Novo Sciedammo decem libras; Sancto Spiritui in Delf quinquaginta solidos; Sancto Spiritui in Monstere quinquaginta solidos, volens et ordinans quod executores presentis testamenti mei, quorum nomina inferius annotantur, percipiant post diem obitus mei quadringentas et octuaginta libras mihi in theloneo Niementsurient per dilectissimum consanguineum meum, comitem Hollandi, assignatas donec primo debita mea aut minus iuste aquisita, ubicumque infra episcopatum Traiectensem seu comitatum Hollandie legitime ostensa fuerint, et deinde presens testamentum meum per ipsos executores plenarie fuerint persoluta. Prohibeo etiam expresse heredibus meis sive filiis meis seu quibuscumque aliis ne ipsis executoribus testamenti mei super perceptione pecunie predicte pro hereditate mea mihi assignate pretendant obstaculum vel gravamen donec debita mea vel iniuste aquisita et testamentum meum presens, ut dictum est, per ipsos executores integraliter fuerint persoluta. Constituo etiam et ordino executores testamenti mei presentis viros discretos priorem fratrum predicatorum in Traiecto, gardianum fratrum minorum in Zirixe, prepositum Campi Regis iuxta Delf, Buchardum filium meum,  prepositum Beate Marie Traiectensis, et dominum Bettonem decanum Senogiensem, capellanum meum, ita videlicet quod, si omnes simul non possent vel non vellent intendere executionem testamenti mei presentis, ratum esse volumus et firmum quod a tribus eorum vel saltim duobus factum de ipsa executione vel in ipsa fuerit aut etiam ordinatum.  Rogo preterea et humiliter deprecor dominum Traiectensem episcopum, dominum comitem Hollandie Florentium, amantissimum consanguineum meum, filios meos et heredes universos, iudices spirituales et seculares ac omnes Christi fideles ut ipsis executoribus meis pium favorem et iuvamen exhibeant ut hoc testamentum meum per ipsos cum effectu executioni valeat demandari, quod cum humili precum instantia eorum fidelitati committo. Preterea volo et ordino quod hii quibus annuos redditus habere permissum est,  cum predicta elemosina mea sibi legata annuos redditus emant et eos in die anniversarii  mei, si conventus sit, in petantiam communem distribuant; de ceteris piis locis et de hiis qui redditus annuos habere non possunt, in edificationes et perpetuam memoriam eam applicent; de hiis vero que pauperibus conferuntur, similiter redditus comparentur et eis annis singulis, ut dictum est, parciantur ita quod singuli predicti legata percipientes anniversarium meum, parentum meorum et fratrum, clare memorie domini Willelmi Romanorum regis et domini Florentii ac domini Iohannis de Auennis, quondam mariti mei, annis faciant singulis cum vigiliarum et  missarum celebratione, et suis relinquant posteris faciendum.

Ego vero Florentius comes Hollandie promitto bona fide quod tamquam superior dominus predictos executores in perceptione prefate pecunie seu elemosine ab ipsa dilecta amita mea Aleide legate fideliter  defendam et pacifice conservabo donec totum testamentum presens cum effectu integraliter executioni fuerit demandatum.

Ego vero Aleidis, ut hoc presens testamentum meum vim maioris optineat firmitatis et ut nulli contra ipsum pateat additus reclamandi, eum sigillo proprio, sigillo predicti Florentii comitis Hollandie, amantissimi consanguinei mei,  Florentii filii mei et sigillis executorum predictorum qui onus dicte executionis voluntarie propter Deum et preces meas assumpserunt fideliter exequendum, feci corroborarari et etiam communiri.

Datum anno Domini M°CC° septuagesimo primo in die beati Luce ewangeliste.

Historical context:

The countess makes a will, specifying gifts to various religious groups and orders.  Her nephew promises to honor her wishes.

Printed source:

Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299, ed. A.C.F.Koch, 3.654-56, #1580.

Date: