A letter from Roger, Count of Foix

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Roger count of Foix by my own spontaneous will, with no power compelling nor artifice persuading, with the approval and counsel of good men, I made a resolution and peace and agreement with Ermengard viscountess and with her son Bernard-Ato, over all the complaints and suits I had against them, justly or unjustly.  Therefore I, said Roger, leave and deliver to you Ermengard and your son Bernard that city of Carcassonne, with the whole county pertaining to that city, with its integrity, men and women, lands, vineyards, castles, towns, rustic and urban places, cultivated and uncultivated, woods, barren lands, pastures, waters, acqueducts and drains, named and to be named, monasteries, abbeys, churches, and everything in everything;  except those mortgages that you have through me in the district of Carcassonne, that is Arzens with its territory, and that town of Alaric with its territory, and that town of Preixan with its territory, and that town of Foncian with its boundary, and except William-Stephen and Sebron the Jew with their wives and children.  These four named towns, Arsens, Alaric, Preixan and Foncian, and William Stephen and Sabron you have through me, Roger, in mortgage for five thousand Toulousan solidos of “moneta dezena” (tenth coinage), and eight hundred Rouergue solidos of “moneta octena” (eighth), old and current.  Also I, Roger, leave and deliver to you Ermengard and your son Bernard, Razès with its whole county of the Razès, castles, towns, monasteries, churches, men and women, lands, vineyards, waters, pastures, roads, acqueducts and drains, rustic and urban places, and everything in everything with complete integrity without anything retained.  Also indeed I leave and deliver to you that castle which is called Chercorb with all its castellanies and all the honors of Chercorb, towns, castles, lands, vineyards, men and women, churches with their honors.  Also I leave and deliver to you that castle which is called Queille with the honors of Queille, towns, churches, lands, vineyards, woods, barren lands, men and women, and everything in everything with complete integrity.  As is written above, so I Roger leave and deliver to you (vobis) Ermengard and to you (tibi) Bernard Ato those said honors with full integrity, without any retention, with all authority of our opposition.  Indeed if any man or woman or any person should come against this document and determination, surrender, delivery, and agreement, by contradicting or breaking, he could not obtain what he sought, but only must restore as much again to you, and so may this charter remain firm and stable for all time.  Which was made 11 kalends of May, in the year 1095 of the lord’s incarnation, in the reign of king Philip.  Sign of count Roger, I who ordered this charter to be written and signed it.  Sign of Bernard-Ameli of Ravad.  Sign of Peter-Raymond of Ravad.  Sign of William-Pons of Carcassonne.  Sign of Raymond-Sicfred of Alaric.  Osmond wrote this on said day and year.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Rogerius comes Fuxensis propria & spontanea voluntate, nullius cogente imperio nec suadente ingenio, cum laudamento & consilio bonorum hominum, feci finem & pacem & placitum cum Ermengarda vicecomitissa & cum Bernardo-Atonis filio ejus, de omni­bus ipsis clamoribus & quaerimoniis quas habebam adversus eos juste sive injuste. Ego igitur praedictus Rogerius derelinquo & absolvo tibi Ermengardi & filio tuo Bernardo ipsam urbem Carcassonae, cum omni comitatu ad ipsam urbem pertinente, cum omni integritate, homines & foeminas,  terras, vineas, castella, villas, loca rustica & urbana, culta & inculta, sylvas, garricias, pascua, aquas, aquarum ductus & reductus, dictum & dicendum, monasteria,  abbatias, ecclesias, & omnia in omnibus;  exceptis ipsis pignoribus quae vos habetis  per me in pago Carcassonnae, id est Arsens  cum ipsis suis terminis, & ipsa villa de  Alairaco cum suis terminis, & ipsa villa de  Preixano cum suis terminis, & ipsa villa de Fonciano cum suis terminis, & exceptis Guillelmo-Stephano & Sebron Hebraeo  cum uxoribus & infantibus eorum. Istas  quatuor villas suprascriptas Arzencs & Alairaco, Preixano & Fonciano, & Willelmum Stephani & Sabron habetis per me Rogerium in pignore per quinque mille solidos Tolosanos de moneta dezena & propter octingentos solidos Hugonencos de moneta octena, exhibiles & percurribiles. Iterum  ego Rogerius derelinquo & absolvo tibi  Ermengardi & filio tuo Bernardo Redas  cum omni comitatu suo Redense, castella,  villas, monasteria, ecclesias, homines & foeminas, terras, vineas, aquas, pascua, vias, aquarum ductus & viarum & reductus, loca rustica & urbana, & omnia in omnibus cum omni integritate absque ulla retinentia. Item vero derelinquo & ab­solvo vobis ipsum castellum quod dicitur Keircorb cum omnibus suas castellanias & cum totis honoribus de Keircorbes, villas, castella, terras, vineas, homines & foemi­nas, ecclesias cum suis honoribus. Item absolvo & derelinquo vobis ipsum castel­lum, quod appellant Colio cum suis ho­noribus de Colies, villas, ecclesias, terras, vineas, sylvas, garricias, homines & foe­minas, & omnia in omnibus cum omni in­tegritate. Sicut superius scriptum est, sic ego Rogerius derelinquo & absolvo vobis Ermengardi & tibi Bernardo-Atonis ipsos honores suprascriptos cum omni integri­tate, sine ulla retinentia, cum omni voce oppositionis nostrae. Si quis vero homo aut foemina aut aliqua persona contra istam scripturam & diffinitionem, desamparationem, absolutionem quoque atque placitum, contradicendo aut irrumpendo advenerit, quod petierit obtinere non possit, sed tantum & aliud tantum vobis componendo restituat, & sic ista carta firma & stabilis omni tempore permaneat. Quae facta XI kalendas maii, anno MXCV Incarnationis dominicae, regnante rege Philippo. S. Rogerii comitis qui sic istam cartam scribi mandavi atque firmavi. S. Bernardi-Amelii de Ravad. S. Petri-Raimundi de Ravad. S. Willelmi-Poncii de Carcassona. S. Raimundi-Sicfredi de Alarico. Osmundus scripsit die annoque jamdicto.

Historical context:

Roger II, count of Foix, reaches an agreement with Ermengard on the rights he had over the counties of Carcassonne and Razès, as he, childless, plans to go to the Holy Land (HGL 3. 477-78); it includes mortaged towns and oaths for several castles.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc 5.734-36, #388.1, CCCX.  

Date: