A letter from William, son of Bonedomna

Translated letter:

I William, son of the late woman Bonedomna, swear to you, lady Almodis, countess, daughter of the woman Amelia, that from this hour forward, while I am alive, I shall be faithful to you, said countess, by direct faith, as a faithful man should be to his lord, without fraud and evil artifice and any deception.  I, said William, swear that I shall not deceive/deprive you, said Almodis, of your life or your members which are held in your body, or of your city that is called Girona, or of that town which they call Girondela, nor of those towers and walls which are in said city or will be, nor of that county which they call Girona, nor of those towns or castles, cliffs or hills, developed or barren, which are within said county, nor of that bishopric or abbacies that pertain to said county or to said bishopric, nor of all those that lord Raymond, count, has given you or will, God granting, give you in the future in whatever parts or places.  I said William shall not take from you, lady Almodis, countess,  all the aforesaid, nor shall I take from all the aforesaid, not I nor a man or men, woman or women, by my counsel or by my artifice.  And if there is a man or men, woman or women, who took all the aforesaid from you, said Almodis, or anything from all the aforesaid, and wished to do so, when you, said Almodis, should call on me, said William, or should wish to by yourself or by your messenger or messengers, I said William would not refuse to be called on for said help as many times as you call on me or might wish to by yourself or by your messenger or messengers, and I would give that help to you, said Almodis, faithfully and without deception.  And this messenger or messengers who spoke the summons or wished to, would not meet delay there.  And I said William shall not have peace or truce or association with him or those men or woman or women to their advantage nor to your harm, who might take all the aforesaid from you, said Almodis, or anything from all the aforesaid or might wish to, until you, said Almodis should have recovered, without deception, what they took from you.  And as many times as a man or men, woman or women, might take all the aforesaid from you or something from all the aforesaid, I said William will not have said association nor peace with them or with him, and shall faithfully keep that said help and oath to you, said Almodis.

And again, I said William swear to you, said Almodis that that town of Begur and all that building which is in it and will be in the future, and that town of Palaz and all the building which is in it and will be in the future, with or without wrongdoing [forfeit], I shall not refuse to you, said countess Almodis, nor shall a man or men, woman or women, refuse said towns with said buildings to you by my counsel or by my artifice.  And as often as you, said countess, request from me, said William, said towns with said buildings by yourself or by your messenger or messengers, I said William shall give you power over said towns with said buildings, withut deception, to yourself or those men about whom you command me.  And when you, said Almodis, request said towns from me, said William, by yourself or by your messenger or messengers, I said William will not refuse nor flee [desfugere], nor refuse to be seen by you, said Almodis nor or by your messenger or messengers; and this your messenger or messengers will not meet delay there.  And I said William will make such arrangment with those men who are in said towns or will be in the future, that when you, said countess, by yourself or by your messenger or messengers request power over said towns and said buildings, those said men, who will be in said towns, will give power over said towns to you or to those men you have sent, without deception.  I, said William, will hold and keep all the above-written faithfully to you, said Almodis, countess, by direct faith without deception, by God and these saints, except what you, said Almodis, release me, said William, from by willing spirit, without force.

Original letter:

Iuro ego Guilielmus, filius qui fui Bonedomne, femine, ad te, donme Almodis, comitisse; filia qui es Amelia, femina, quia de ista ora et deincebs, dum vivus fuero, fidelis ero tibi, predicte comitisse, per directam fidem, sicut fidelis homo debet esse suo seniori, sine fraude et malo ingenio et sine ulla decepcione. Ego iam dictus Guilielmus iuro quia no dezebre te, iam dicta Almodis, de tua vita neque de tuis membris que in corpore tuo se tenent, neque de ipsa civitate que dicunt Gerunda, neque de ipso castro que dicunt Gerundela, neque de ipsis turribus et muris qui in predicta civitate sunt aut erunt, neque de ipso comitatu quem dicunt Gerundensem, neque de ipsos castros aut castellos, rochas vel puios, condirectos vel eremos, qui infra predicto comitatu sunt, neque de ipso episcopatu vel abbacias que pertinent ad iam dictum comitatum vel ad predictum episcopatum, neque de his omnibus que domnus Remundus, comes, iam donavit tibi vel in venturo tempore, Deo dante, donaverit quibuscumque partibus vel locis. Ego predictus Guilielmus non tollam tibi, domne Almodis, comitissa, hec omnia supradicta, neque de his omnibus supradictis ne te n tolre nec ego, nec homo nec homines, femina nec feminas, per meum consilium nec per meum ingenium. Et si est homo aut homines, femina vel feminas, que a te, suprascripto Remundo, predicta omnia aut de predictis omnibus tulerit vel tulerint aut tollere voluerit vel voluerint, ego predictus Guilielmus tibi, predicte Almodis, adiutor ero suprascripta omnia a tenere et ad abere et defendere quantum hodie abes et in futuro tempore, Deo dante, adquisieris contra cunctos homines vel hominem, feminam vel feminas, qui tollant tibi, predicta Almodis, iam dicta omnia aut tulerint aliquid de predictis omnibus, aut tollere voluerint vel voluerit, et quando tu, predicte Almodis, comonueris me, predictum Guilielmum, aut comonere volueris per te ipsum aut per tuum nuncium vel nuncios per nomen aut in nomine de isto sacramento suprascripto, ego iam dictus Guilielmus de predicto adiutorio comunir no me n devedare per quantas vices me comonueris aut comonere volueris per ipsum aut per tuum nuncium vel nuncios, et ipsum adiutorium fideliter et sine engan lo fare tibi, predicte Almodis. Et iste nuncius aut nuncii qui hoc comonimentum dixerint aut dicere voluerint, reguardum ibi non abebunt. Et ego predictus Guilielmus finem nec treguam neque societatem non abebo cum illo vel cum illis hominibus aut cum femina vel feminis ad illorum prod neque ad tuum dampsum, que tollant tibi, prescripte Almodis, predicta omnia aut aliquid de predictis omnibus aut tollere voluerint vel voluerit, donec tu, predicta Almodis, recuperatum abeas, sine tuo engan, hoc quod tibi tulerint. Et per quantas vices homo vel homines, femina vel feminas, tollant tibi supradicta omnia aut aliquid de predictis omnibus aut tollere voluerint vel voluerit, ego predictus Guilielmus iam dictam societatem nec finem cum eis vel cum eo non abebo, et predictum adiutorum et sacramentum tibi, iam dicte Almodis, fideliter tenebo.

Et iterum, ego predictus Guilielmus iuro tibi, predicte Almodis, quia ipsum castrum de Begur et ipsum edificium totum, quod in eo est et fuerit in venturo tempore, et ipsum castrum de Palaz et ipsum edificium totum quod in eo est et fuerit in venturo tempore, ab forfeit nec sine forsfeit, no ls te devedare tibi, predicte Almodis comitissa, nec homo nec homines, femina nec feminas, predictos castros cum predictis edificiis no ls te devedaran per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium. Et per quantas vices tu, predicta comitissa, requisieris a me, predicto Guilielmo, iam dictos castros cum predictis edificiis per te ipsam aut per tuum nuncium aut nuncios, ego predictus Guilielmus de predictis castris cum iam dictis edificiis potestativum te n fare, sine tuo engan, te ipsam aut illos homines de quibus tu mihi mandaveris. Et quando tu, predicta Almodis, requisieris predictos castros a me, predicto Guilielmo, per te ipsam aut per tuos nuncios vel nuncium, ego predicto Guilielmo non desvadire ne non desfugere ne veder no me n devedare nec ad te, predicta Almodis, nec ad tuos missos vel missum; et iste tuus nuncius vel nuncii reguardum ibi non abebunt. Et ego predicto Guilielmo tale stabilimentum faciam cum illis hominibus qui in predictis castris sunt aut fuerint in venturo tempore, ut, quando tu, predicta comitissa, per te ipsa aut per tuum nuncium aut nuncios requisieris potestatem de predictis castris et de pre­dictis edificiis, illi predicti homines, qui in predictis castris fuerint, donent tibi potestatem de predictis castris aut illis hominibus quos tu miseris, sine tuo engan. Ego predictus Guilielmus hec omnia superius scripta si la tenre e la atendre fideliter tibi, predicte Almodi, comitisse, per directam fidem, sine tuo engan, per Deum et istos sanctos, excepto hoc quod tu, predicta Almodis, mihi, predicto Guilielmo, absolveris tuo grato animo, sine forcia.

Historical context:

William's oath of fidelity to Almodis, for Begur and Palaz.

Printed source:

LFM 1.506-08, #476

Date: