A letter from Ermengard

Translated letter:

At Nîmes, city of Gotha, count Raymond and viscountess Ermengard and several other noble men in agreement asked the bishop of that city, by name Peter-Ermengald and his clerics, to grant the church of St. Bausile, martyr, formerly most noble and rich, now small, to the abbot Seguin of Chaise-Dieu and his successors to hold in perpetuity.  Indeed the bishop and his clerics, seeing that the place could be returned to the service of of God, which they sought, did so most willingly, and handed over the church with everything and all that was in its jurisdiction to said abbot Séguin and his monks, so that they and their successors might have and order the church and everything that it has or will have in peace and without challenge.  Count Raymond and viscountess Ermengard made and signed this donation after the bishop and clerics, wishing and approving that it be written.  This was done on 5 kalends of January, on the sabbath, moon 27, in the reign of king Philip of the Franks.  Bernard Atto, son of said viscountess because he was not there that day, made and signed this gift some time afterwards.  The names of the clerics by whose will and consent the bishop made this donation are these:  decan Guigo, archdeacon Raymond, sacristan Pons-Baro, Peter-Guigo, Pons-Stephen, Peter-William, and several others.  The names of noble laymen hearing this and witness to it are:  Tritmond-Elisiar, Peter-Rostaing, his brother Rostaing, Peter-Raymond of Altpol, William of Poitiers his brother.

Original letter:

Apud Nemausum Gothiae urbem, Raymundus comes & Ermengardis vicecomitissa & alii quamplurimi nobiles viri convenientes rogaverunt ejusdem urbis episcopum nomine Petrum-Hermengaudi clericosque ejus, ut ecclesiam Beati Baudilii martyris a nobilissima quondam & ditissima modicam factam abbati Seguino Casae Dei & successoribus-ejus in perpetuum habere concederent.  Episcopus vero & ejus clerici locum propter hoc Dei servitio posse reddi videntes, quae petebantur libentissime fecerunt, & ecclesiam cum omnibus quae illius juris erant praedicto abbati Seguino & monachis ejus omnia tradiderunt, ita ut ipsi & successores eorum ecclesiam & omnia quae illius sunt vel erunt in pace & absque calumpnia omni habeant atque disponant.  Hanc autem donationem post episcopum & clericos Raymundus comes & Hermengardis vicecomitissa fecerunt atque firmaverunt, volentes atque laudantes ut scriberetur.  Facta sunt autem haec V kalendas januarii, die sabbati, luna XXVII, regnante Philippo Francorum rege.  Bernardus vero Atto filius jamdictae vicecomitissae non ea die, quia aberat, fecit & firmavit hoc donum, sed aliquando tempore post.  Nomina autem clericorum quorum voluntate & consensu episcopus fecit hanc donationem sunt haec:  Guigo decanus, Raymundus archidiaconus, Poncius-Baro sacrista, Petrus-Guigonis, Poncius-Stephani, Petrus-Willelmi, & alii plures.  Nomina nobilium laicorum haec audientium ac testium hujus rei:  Tritmundus-Helisiars, Petrus-Rostagni, Rostagnus frater ejus, Petrus-Raymundi de Alto-pullo, Willelmus Pictavinus frater ejus.

Historical context:

In a successful attempt to save the monastery of St. Bausile, the viscountess met on Dec. 28, 1084, with count Raymond of Saint Gilles and others to persuade bishop Peter Ermengald to give the old and declining abbey to Séguin, the abbot of Chaise-Dieu and his successors so services might again be held there (HGL 3. 444).

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc 5.691-92, #362, CCXCIV.  

Date: