A letter from Ermengald, count of Urgel

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  This is the agreement which was made between lord Raymond of Barcelona and lady Almodis, countess, and lord Ermengald, count of Urgell.  It [was] agreed by Ermengald, said count, with the aforesaid count Raymond and countess Almodis that from this hour forward he would not make peace or truce or any association which resembled peace or a truce with Alhabid (sic), not he nor any man for him, nor would he direct [anything] to him through any messenger without the counsel and release of said count Raymond and said countess Almodis.  And again, it was agreed by said count Ermengald that he would without deception help said count Raymond and said countess Almodis with them and without them in that war that they now have with Alhagib, the duke of Saragossa, and in that help said count Ermengald would send troops and cavalries made from the men of their lands for said count Raymond and said countess Almodis a third part against Alhagib and his lands, and this excepting a gift of goods and a gift of engineers, and distribution of arrows; and he would do this for said count without deceiving said count and said countess.  And if from this time forward God gave to said count Ermengald or his men towns or lands from Alhagib of Saragossa, two parts in them would go to said count Raymond and said countess Almodis and the third part to count Ermengald.  And count Ermengald would contribute for those towns the third part of the works and lodging and guarding that will be necessary in them.  And if count Ermengald wished to build that stronghold before the town of Puirog said count and countess would build half of it at the same time and move into it all the men from the towns of Puirog and Pilzano, and count Raymond and countess Almodis would have half of the boundaries and appurtenances of said towns, and said count Ermengald the other half with half the boundaries and appurtenances of said towns.  And of the castellans of that town which they would build there and agree together, without deception, count Raymond and countess Almodis would send castellans in their half and count Ermengald in his half of the town.  And if they did not build that stronghold, count Raymond and countess Almodis would have two parts in the two of Puirog with two parts of their boundaries and appurtenances, and count Ermengald would have Pilzano with its boundaries and appurtenances, and have the third part of Puirog with its boundaries and appurtenances.  And when said count and countess made peace with Alhagib, count Raymond and countess Almodis would have two parts of the moveables that came out of  the peace with Alhagib, without their parias, and Ermengald would have the third part.  And if the parias* of Alhagib increased, as they increased for count Raymond and countess Almodis, according to what parias they are accustomed to receive, they would act so that that paria from Alhagib would increase.  Said count Raymond and countess Almodis agreed with said count Ermengald that from this hour forward they would not have peace nor truce with Alhagib nor any association that resembled peace or truce, not they nor their men through them, nor any messenger would direct [anything] to him without counsel and release from said count Ermengald.  And again, said count Raymond and countess Almodis agreed that they would without deception help said count Ermengald with him and without him in that war that he now has with Alhagib, duke of Saragossa, and in that help said count Raymond and countess Almodis agreed would send troops and cavalries against Alhagib, two parts of their men, and this excepting the gift of goods and engineers, and distribution of arrows; and said count Raymond and countess Almodis would do this without deceiving said count Ermengald.  And if God gave said count Raymond and countess Almodis or their men from this hour forth towns or lands from Alhagib of Saragossa, said count Raymond and countess Almodis would have two parts in them and said count Raymond and countess Almodis would send to those town two parts of the works and lodging and guarding that would be necessary in them and count Ermengald the third part.  Said count Raymond and countess Almodis agreed with said count that on both sides they would hold these said agreements until they made peace with Alhagib, the duke of Saragossa and they would do this also without deception, except as much as one releases another of them on both sides in good will without force.  This was enacted on the nones of September in the 28th year of king Henry.  Count Raymond. Countess Almodis.  Sign+ of Ermengald, count, [we] who made this agreement and signed it and asked witnesses to sign.  Guiselbert, bishop by the grace of God.  William, bishop of the church of  Vic by the grace of God.  Sign+ of Arnall Miro of Tost.  Sign + of Amato Eldric.  Sign + of Bernard Amati.  Sign+ of Richard Altemiro.  Sign+ of Brocard William.  Sign+ of Gerbert Miro.  Sign+ of Peter Miro.  William, bishop of Urgell by the grace of God.  +Vitalis, priest, who wrote this agreement as asked, with letters erased beneath line 46 and entered in line 67 where it said “on both sides, in good will,” and on said day and year.

Original letter:

. In nomine Domini. Hec est conveniencia que est facta inter domnum Raimundum Barchinonemsem et domna Almodis comitissa et domnum Ermengaudum, comitem Urgellensem. Convenit Ermengaudo, comite predicto, ad suprascriptum comitem Raimundum et Adalmodem comitissam ut de ista hora in antea non habeat cum Alhabid nec pacem nec trevam nec ullam societatem qui pacem similet nec treuvam nec ille nec homo per eum, nec per ullum nuncium non dirigat ei sine consilio et absolvimento de supradicto comite Raimundo et de supradicta Almodi comitissa. Et iterum, convenit comite Ermengaudo iam dicto quod adiuvet sine engan ad supradicto comite Raimundo et ad prefacta Adalmodi comitissa cum ipsis et sine ipsis de ipsa guerra quod modo habent cum Alhagib, duce Cesarauguste, et in illud adiutorium mittat prefatus comes Ermengaudus in hostes et cavalcadas quas supradicto comite Raimundo et prefata comitissa Adalmodis fecerunt de homines de eorum terras super Alhagib et super suas terras terciam partem, et hoc exceptus donum de avere et donum de ingeniatores et dispensa de sagittas; et hoc faciat iam dicto comite sine engan de predicto comite et de supradicta comitissa. Et si ad supradicto comite Ermengaudo aut ad suos homines dederit Deus de ista hora in antea de Alhagib de Saragoza castros aut terras, habeant in eos et eas iam dicto comite Raimundo et prescripta Almodis comitissa duas partes et comite Ermengaudo suam terciam partem. Et ipsos castros mittat Ermengaudus comes terciam partem de opera et de loger et de guarda que in eis erit necesse. Et si comite Ermengaudo voluerit (h)edificare ipsa rocha que est ante castro Podio Rubeo edificent eam insimul prefati comites et iam dicta comitissa per medietatem et mutent in ea cunctos homines de castro Podio Rubeo et de castro Pilzano, et habeant ibi comite Raimundo et comitissa Adalmodis, sive in terminis et pertinenciis de iam dictos castros, ipsam medietatem, et altera medietas sit de predicto comite Ermengaudo cum medietate de terminis et pertinenciis supradictis castris. Et de castellanos de ipso castro quod ibi edificaverint, aut concordent de eos insimul, sine engan, aut comite Raimundo aut comitissa Adalmodis mittant castellanos in eorum medietatem et comite Ermengaudo in suam medietatem de ipso castro. Et si ipsa rocha non edificaverint, habeant comite Raimundo et comitissa Adalmodis duas partes in castro Podio Rubeo cum duas partes de suis terminis et pertinenciis, et comite Ermengaudo habeat castrum Pilzano cum suis terminis et pertinenciis, et habeat in castrum Podio Rubeo terciam partem cum suis terminis et pertinenciis. Et quando fecerint pacem supradictos comites et iam dicta comitissa cum Alhagib, de illud avere mobile qui exierit eis per pacem cum Alhagib, sine eorum parias, habeant duas partes comite Raimundo et comitissa Adal­modis et terciam partem Ermengaudo comite. Et, si adcrescerint eis parias, de Alhagib, quomodo adcrescerint ad comitem Raimundo et ad comitissa Adalmodis, secundum quod de eo solent accipere parias, ita faciant quod eo modo adcrescat paria de Alhagib. Conveniunt eciam Raimundo co­mite supradicto, et Almodis, comitissa predicta, ad supradicto comite Ermengaudo ut de ista hora in antea non habeant cum Alhagib nec pa­cem, nec treuvam, nec ullam societatem qui pacem nec treuvam similet, nec illos nec homo per eos, nec ullum nuncium non dirigant ei sine consilio et absolvimento de supradicto comite Ermengaudo. Et iterum, convenit predicto comite Raimundo et comitissa Adalmodis prescripta quod adiuvent sine engan ad supradicto comite Ermengaudo cum ipso et sine ipso de ipsa guerra quod modo habet cum Alhagib, ducem Cesaraugusta, et in illut adiutorium mittant predicto comite Raimundo et supradicta comitissa Adalmodis in hostes et cavalcadas, quas fecerint super Alhagib, duas partes de eorum homines, et hoc exceptus donum de avere et donum de ingeniatores et dispensa de sagittas; et hoc faciant iam dicto comite Raimundo et predicta comitissa Adalmodis sine engan de suprascripto comite Ermengaudo. Et si ad supradicto comite Raimundo aut ad prefata Adalmodis comitissa aut ad eorum homines dederit Deus de ista hora in antea de Alhagib de Saragoza castros aut terras, habeat in eos et eas iam dicto comite Raimundo et comitissa Adalmodis duas partes et in ipsos castros mittant comite Raimundo et comitissa Adalmodis duas partes de ipsa opera et da loger et de guarda que in eis fuerit necesse et terciam partem Ermengaudo comite. Conveniunt iam dicto comite Raimundo et prescripta Adalmodis comitissa et Ermengaudo, comite supradicto, ut ex utrasque partes teneant ista conveniencia suprascripta usque dum cum Alhagib, ducem Cesaraugusta, faciant pacem, et hoc eciam faciant sibi engan, exceptus quantum unus ad alium de illis ex utrasque partes sibi absolverint per gratum sine forcia. Actum est hoc nonis septembris anno xxviii, regis Henrici. Reimundus comes. Almodis, comitissa. Sig+num Ermengaudo, comite, qui hanc convenienciam fecimus et firmavimus et testibus firmare rogavimus. Guislibertus, gracia Dei episcopus. Guillelmus, gracia Dei Ausonensis Ecclesie episcopus. Sig+num Arnallo Mironis de Tost. Sig+num Amati Eldrici. Sig+num Bernardi Amati. Sig+num Richardi Altemiri. Sig+num Brocardi Guillelmi. Sig+num Gerberti Mironi. Sig+num Petrus Mironi. Guillermus, gracia Dei Urgellensis episcopus.  + Vitalis, sacerdos, qui hanc convenienciam rogatus scripsit cum litteris rasis subtus versu xxxxvi et intromissis in versu lxvii ubi dicit ex utrasque partes, per gratum et in supradicto die et anno.

Historical context:

Agreement between the count and countess and Ermengald, count of Urgel, that he would aid them in their war with Alhagib, duke of Saragossa.

Scholarly notes:

• Paria is tribute between lords.

Printed source:

LFM 1.144-46, #148.  

Date: