A letter from Raymond IV, count of Pallars

Translated letter:

Since by the laws of the world it is decreed that a pledge that is set down for any business as a precaution so it will be binding, that it may obtain fullest strength, therefore, I Raymond, count of Pallars, am the pledger to you, Arnau Mir and to Arsinde your wife. I wish it to be know by all, present and future, how I take your daughter Valencia, in marriage.  And I agree, manifestly, with you that I shall always hold her with honor as a man should hold his legal wife, and never dismiss her as long as I live, unless for adultery (cucuciam) which she commits against me and that adultery must be proved to me legally and  manifestly convicted, and not committed with my consent nor by my counsel or my arrangement.  Moreover, I agree to you, as is written in another agreement which we made in Llimingana over that castrum, that I would commend all my better men to her and have them do fidelity to her and declare by oath  so that if God should give her a child from me, and she remained alive after my death, they [the men] would hold to her and her children with all the honors that they now hold and then held through me and I would do all this without deception.  And I shall never take from her castros nor the land which and in the manner I agree now to give her and shall give her in the future.  And over all this, that is said above I shall hold and do and fulfill, I make over to you and your daughter said Valencia in pledge that castrum of Areng and the castrum of Montagana and the castrum of Mur and the castrum of Llimingana with all their boundaries and appurtenances, under that law, namely, that if I should not fulfill and observe all the said agreement, all the previous will be forfeit to your power without any contradiction to do whatever you wish; and thus of my right I hand over all this according to the manner expressed above into your rule and your power.  And whoever might wish to break this could in no way do it, but must pay you the whole doubly, and afterwards this document would be fixed.  Which is enacted on the 4th nones of September in the 25th year of king Henry.  Sign+ of Raymond, count, who ordered this document to be written and pressed the  usual sign on it with my own hands, and afterwards asked for it to be signed by other witnesses.  Sign+ of Mir of Mur.  Sign+ of Bertrand Ato of Montangana.  Sign+ of Raymond Mir of Orcau.  Sign+ of Raymond Eriman. Sign+ of Roger Hubert. Sign+ of Folc William. Sign+ of Bernard Trasvar. Sign+ of Arnau Company. Sign+ of Bertrand Borrell. Sign+ of Mir Isarn. Sign+ of Sanlan Imble. William, priest and judge.  Vitalis, priest, wrote this as asked on the said day and year.  

Original letter:

Quia legibus seculi est decretum ut pignus quod pro aliquo negocio deponitur, si per caucionem fuerit obligatum, robur obtineat plenissimum, idcirco, ego Raimundus, comes Paliarensis, pignorator sum tibi, Arnallo Mironis et Arsindi, tue uxoris. Volo satis ut sciatur a cunctis, tam presentibus quam eciam futuris, qualiter Valenciam, filiam vestram, in coniugio accipio. Et vobis manifeste convenio ut eam semper cum honore teneam sicut homo debet tenere suam legitimam uxorem, et nunquam eam dimittam dum vixero, nisi propter cucuciam quam ipsa mihi faciat et ipsa cucucia mihi sit probata a me legaliter et manifeste convincta et non sit facta per meum assensum nec per meum consilium nec per meum stabilimentum. Insuper, convenio vobis, sicut scriptum est in alia conveniencia quam in Limingana iuxta ipsum castrum inter nos fecimus, ut faciam ei commendare omnes meos meliores homines, et fa­ciam eis fidelitatem ei facere et per sacramentum affidare ut, si Deus ei dederit infantem ex me, post meum obitum si illa viva remanserit, tendant ad eam et ad infantes eius cum omni honore quod nunc tenent et tunc tenuerint per me, et hoc totum faciam sine suo enganno. Et ego numquam tollam ei castros nec ipsam terram quas et quam modo ei dare convenio et in antea ei dabo. Et super hoc ut totum, sicut superius est dictum, teneam et faciam et adimpleam, mitto vobis et filie vestre Valencie iam dicte in pignore ipsum castrum de Arengs et castrum de Montagana et castrum de Muro et castrum de Limingana cum omnibus eorum terminis et pertinenciis cunctis, sub ea scilicet lege, ut, si predictam omnem convenienciam non adimplevero et non observavero, prefacta omnia incurrant in vestra potestate sine aliqua contradiccione ad faciendum quodcumque volueritis facere; et sic de meo iure trado hoc totum secundum modum superius comprehensum in vestrum dominium et in vestram potestatem. Et qui hoc voluerit vobis disrumpere, nullo modo possit facere, sed in duplo vobis hoc totum componat, et postea hec scriptura firmitatem obtineat. Que est acta IIII nonis septembris xxv anno regis Enrici. Sig+num Reimundi, comitis, qui hanc scripturam scribere iussi et manibus propriis solitum signum ibi impressi et postea ab aliis testibus firmari rogavi. Sig+num Mironis de Muro. Sig+num Bertrandi Atonis de Montangana. Sig+num Remundi Mironis de Orcallo. Sig+num Remundi Erimanni. Sig+num Rodegarii Hugberti. Sig+num Fulconis Guilielmi. Sig+num Bernardi Trasvarii. Sig+num Arnalli Compagni. Sig+num Bertrandi Borrelli. Sig+num Mironis Isarni. Sig+num Sanlani Imble. Guilielmus, sacerdos et iudex. Vitalis, sacerdos, rogatus scripsit predicto die et anno.

Historical context:

The marriage contract the count of Pallars made with Valencia’s parents, Arnau Mir and his wife Arsinde, for their daughter.  Although the document is not directly addressed to Valencia, it does involve her directly, so I have included it here.   A castrum is an administrative district including a castle, a fortification. 

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior  1.127-28, #126.  

Date: