A letter from Wilherm of Minerve

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Wilherm of Minerve made a gift to and agreement with you Bernard-Ato, viscount and your wife Cecilia viscountess and your sons Roger and Raymond Trencavel for my whole honor, namely of Minerve and Azilan and all my other castles which I have or ought to have and men and women have and hold from me and every other honor of mine, namely towns, townspeople, men and women, with their payments and rents and lands and vineyards etc., and every other honor of mine which I have today and shall be able to have in the future, however  I have and possess [it] and men and women hold and have through me and ought to hold or have from me in any and all other things that I acquire or ought in any way to acquire or come by.  Which if I, said Wilherm, should die without a legitimate child of mine from [my] wife, my whole honor as written above would remain with you without any opposition and would be yours, except as much as I would wish to give for my soul, except those castles in fief to my knights, and that gift I might make for your opposition or your harm and so the said knights might have and hold that fief through you without any opposition.  I however make this gift and agreement with you in love and affection and for the resolution and agreement you made with me on Laurano and Olargues to my will.  I would not have licence to sell or alienate that said honor and anything from it without your counsel, as this charter may remain firm and stable for all time.  Which was done on 8 Ides of March, in the year 1126, in the reign of king Louis.  Sign of Wilherm of Minerve who ordered this charter to be written thus and signed it.  Sign of Bernard of Canet.  Sign of Bernard Amato.  Sign of Bernard of Tresmals.  Sign of Arnald of Pelapol.  Wilherm wrote it at the order and request of inscribed Wilherm of Minerve, on the day and year noted above.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini.  Ego Guilhermus de Minerba facio donum & convenientiam vobis Bernardo-Atoni vicecomiti & uxori vestrae Caeciliae vicecomitissae & filiis vestris Rogerio & Raymundo Trencavel de toto honore meo, videlicet de Minerba & de Azillano & de omnibus aliis meis castellis quae habeo vel habere debeo & homines & foeminae habent & tenent de me & de toto alio meo honore, videlicet de villis, de villanis, de hominibus & foeminis, cum usaticis & censibus illorum & de terris & vineis, &c., & de toto alio meo honore, quem hodie habeo & in antea habere potero, qualicumque modo habeo & possideo & homines & foeminae tenent & habent per me & tenere vel habere debent de me in ullo sive de aliis causis omnibus quae mihi accessurae sunt vel aliquo modo accedere vel advenire debent.  Quod si ego praedictus Wilhermus obiero sine infante meo legitimo de uxore, totus suprascriptus honor meus ad vos remaneat sine omni contradictione & vester sit, praeter quantum voluero dare pro anima mea, exceptis istis castellis ad fevum militibus meis, & ut illud donum faciam pro vestra contrarietate vel pro vestro malo & ut milites praedicti habeant & teneant ipsum fevum per vos sine omni contradictu.  Hoc autem donum & convenientiam facio vobis propter amorem & propter dilectionem nostram & propter placitum & convenientiam quam fecistis mihi de Laurano & de Olarge ad meam voluntatem.  Ipsum vero praedictum honorem vel aliquid de eo non habeam licentiam vendendi aut alienandi sine vestro concilio, & sic ista carta firma & stabilis permaneat omni tempore.  Quae facta est VIII idus martii, anno MCXXVI, regnante Lodovico rege.  S. Wilhermi de Minerba qui sic istam cartam scribi jussit atque firmavit. S. Bernardi de Canneto. S. Bernardi Amati. S. Bernardi de Tresmals.  S. Arnaldi de Pelapol. Wilhermus scripsit jussione & rogatu praescripti Guilhermi de Minerba, die & anno superius notato.

Historical context:

Wilherm agrees to hold Minerve and all his other honors from Bernard-Ato and Cecilia, which will revert  to them if he dies without a legitimate heir.

Printed source:

Histoire générale de Languedoc, 5.943-44,94.2, CCCCIV.

Date: