A letter from Cecilia

Translated letter:

This is the charter of resolution and agreement which Bernard-Ato, viscount, and his wife Cecilia and their sons Roger and Raymond made with Loup of Béziers and with his brother Bernard, and Bernard and Loup, both brothers made with them and this with good harmony and good will.  I Bernard Ato viscount and my wife Cecilia and our sons Roger and Raymond render and give to you said brothers Loup and Bernard and your children and your posterity a third part of all the pleas of Christian abjurers and thieves who will have been captured from Saint Julian to the cross of Saint Aphrodisius which is outside the town and up to the leprosaria of Béziers which are on the road of Saint Tiberius and up to Bagnola and up to the Franciscan ford, and within these boundaries; and a third part of all the complaints and suits which the men of Béziers will have with the men and women outside Béziers, and the men and women outside Béziers with them; and a third part of all the travellers and the suits of those who will make claims in Béziers and we retain two parts in our control. And we give you and your children and your posterity all the claims and distraints from the whole market of Béziers of which you would have the third part and we [the other] two, except the suits/fees from  the Jews which is in your jurisdiction, said brothers Loup and Bernard, and except those homicides and unthinkable acts* [adultery, rape of virgins or widows] which I and my wife and our children retain in our jurisdiction.  And because of said suits/fees in which we share with you said brothers in a third part, you brothers Loup and Bernard share with our posterity in your comital towns, what you would have the third part from those suits/fees and we two, except those purchases, and pledges and assesed payments.  And in all the said suits/fees in which you brothers Loup and Bernard have a third part and we two, you or your men should receive the surety [fiduciam] with one of our bailiffs for you and for us and if you or your men can not be there, our bailiff will accept that surety for you and for us and  settle that plea with that bailiff for you and for us and if you or your men could not be there, our bailiff would accept that surety for you and for us and settle that plea with us or our men; and our men and yours will distrain the abjurers and thieves and keep them in a building of vicars prescribed by you, Loup and Bernard.  This charter was made on the fourth nones of June in the year of the lord 1114, in the reign of king Louis.  Sign of Raymond Idalard and Bernard Amati.  Sign of Berengar of Béziers and Peter Sigar Mancipo.  Sign of Guitard Mancipo and Guitard Alboino.  Sign of Raymond of Maureliano and Raymond Peter of Montadino.  Sign of Peter of Podio and Salomia. Asked by the viscount, Stephen Sicfred wrote this.

Original letter:

Hec est charta de placito & definimento quod fecerunt Bernardus-Atonis vicecomes & uxor ejus Cecilia & filii illorum Rodgerius & Raimundus cum Lupeto de Biterris & cum fratre suo Bernardo, & Bernardus & Lupetus ambo fratres cum illis, & hoc cum bona concordia & cum bona voluntate. Ego Bernardus-Atonis vicecomes & uxor mea Cecilia & filii nostri Rodgerius & Raimundus reddimus & donamus vobis prescriptis fratribus Lupeto & Bernardo & infantibus vestris & posteritati vestre terciam partem de totis placitis de christianis falsatoribus & latronibus qui fuerint capti de Sancto Juliano usque ad crucem Sancti Affrodisii que est foras villam &c usque ad mesellarias de Biterris que sunt in camino Sancti Tiberii & usque ad Bagnolas & usque ad Guadum-Franciscum, & infra istos commeianos; & terciam partem de totis querelis & placitis que habebunt homines de Biterris cum hominibus & feminis de foras Biterris & homines & femine de foras Bi­terris cum illis; & terciam partem de totis viatoribus & de placitis illorum qui se clamabunt in Biterris, & nos retinemus in nostrum opus duas partes. Et donamus vo­bis & infantibus vestris & posteritati vestrae totos clamos & districtos de mercato toto de Biterris, quod habeatis inde ter­ciam partem & nos duas, exceptus placitum de Judeis quod est dominium de vobis prescriptis fratribus Lupeto & Bernardo, & exceptis ipsos homicidios & excogociamentos, quos ego & uxor mea & infantes nostri retinemus in nostro dominio. Et propter supradictos placitos in quibus colligimus vos prescriptos fratres per terciam partem, vos fratres Lupetus & Bernardus colligitis & posteritatem nostram in vestris burgis comitalibus, quod vos habeatis de ipsis placitis terciam partem, & nos duas, exceptus ipsas compras & impignoraturas & oblias. Et de totis supradictis placitis in quibus vos fratres Lupe­tus & Bernardus habetis terciam partem & nos duas, debetis vos aut vestri homines accipere fiduciam cum uno de nostris bajulis & placitare ipsum placitum cum illo bajulo per vos & per nos, & si vos aut vestri homines non potueritis ibi esse, accipiat noster bajulus ipsam fiduciam per vos & per nos & placitet ipsum placitum nobicum aut cum nostris hominibus; & falsatores & latrones distringant & custodiant nostri homines & vestri in mansione de vobis prescriptis vicariis, Lupeto & Ber­nardo. Facta fuit hec carta IIII nonas junii, anno dominico MCXIIII, regnante rege Lodoyco. Sig + num Raimundi Idalardi & Bernardi Amati. Sig + num Berengarii de Biterris & Petri Sigarii Mancipi. Sig + num Guitardi Mancipi & Guitardi Alboini. Sig +  num Raimundi de Maureliano & Rai­mundi Petri de Montadino. Sig + num Pe­tri de Podio & Salomie. Rogatus a vicecomite Stefanus Sicfredi scripsit. 

Historical context:

Bernard Ato and Cecilia and their sons give to two brothers Loup and Bernard of Béziers, a third of the judicial jurisdiction  of that city and environs over abjurers, thieves, suits involving non-residents and travellers, market fees and fees from Jews;  Bernard and Cecilia retain the other two-thirds and all of homicides and adulteries.

Scholarly notes:

* Excogociamentos, unthinkable acts, according to the DuCange Glossarium, includes "adulterium, vel raptus virginum aut viduarum."

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc, 5.840-41, #449, CCCLXIV,

Date: