A letter from William, bishop of Osona

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I, William, bishop of Osona, am the pledger to you, lady Ermessenda, countess.  It is very true and known by many that you advanced me a thousand Barcelona mancusos* both silver and gold and of such weight that ten mancusi make one ounce.  On that account I pledge to you my alod which I have in the township of Radulfi in the parrish of St. Peter, which was my father’s, and in Veltregano in the parrish of St. Cecilia.  I pledge to you my alod that was bishop Gaudall’s, which I bought from his wife and his executors, and in Loriana I pledge to you my alod that was my mother’s and is in the parrish of St. Felix and St. Vincent, and beyond all this, I pledge seven silver goblets to you.  The site of all this alod [property] is in the county of Osona in said places and parrishes.  And all these came to me through purchase and inheritance from my parents.  And I pledge to you that said alod with the homes and all the buildings and the vineyards and trees and meadow and pastures and all its appurtenances and boundaries and abutments.   As much as I have and ought to have by said authority in all the above places with the aforementioned silver goblets, all this I pledge to you by such agreement that if I should give you back the said thousand mancusos that are ten to the ounce, before the next Easter, this document would be invalid and have no force afterwards, but would be given back to me or destroyed.  If, however, I do not give you back all the said debt within the term set, that will be in the holy days, all the above-mentioned things are forfeit into your power to do what you wish, and so from my right I hand over to your domain and power.  And who might wish to obstruct this to you can in no way do it, but for the presumption alone must pay you double; and afterwards this document of pledge will remain firm.  Which was made on the 14th kalends of September in the 27th year of king Henry.  William, by the grace of God bishop of the church of Osona.  Sign+ of Ermemir.  William Argemir.  Ermemir, priest and canon under [sign]. +Raymond, deacon and canon.  +Peter Bernard. William, subdeacond.  Peter, priest.  Benedict, deacon, who wrote this and under [sign] in said day and year.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini.  Ego Guilelmus, episcopus Ausonensis, pignorator sum tibi, domne Ermessinde comitisse.  Verum est satis et cognitum a multis quod prestasti mihi mille manchusos Barchinonenses inter argentum et aurum et sunt ad tale pensum quod decem manchusi faciunt unam unciam. Propterea, mitto tibi in pignore ipsum meum alodium quod habeo in villa Radulphi intra parrochiam Sancti Petri, quod fuit patris mei, et in Veltregano intra parrochiam Sancte Cecilie. Mitto tibi in pignore ipsum meum alodium quod fuit Gaudalli, episcopi, quod ego emi ab uxore sua et a manumissoribus suis, et in Loriana mitto tibi in pignore ipsum meum alodium quod fuit matris mee et est intra par­rochiam Sancti Felicis et Sancti Vincentii, et extra hoc totum, mitto tibi in pignore septem sciphos argenteos. Situs, autem, tocius huius alodii est in Ausone comitatu in supradictis locis et parrochiis. Et advenerunt mihi hec omnia et per empcionem et per parentorum meorum succes­sionem. Et mitto tibi in pignore ipsum alodium supradictum cum dominibus et (h)edificiis omnibus et cum vineis et arboribus et pratis et pascuariis et omnibus suis pertinenciis et cum terminis et affrontacionibus. Quantum habeo et habere debeo per supradictas voces in omnibus supra­dictis locis cum prelibatis sciphis argenteis, totum tibi mitto in pignore sub tali conveniencia ut, si reddidero tibi supradictos mille manchusos, qui decem faciant unciam, usque in Pascha quod erit prima, ista scriptura sit invalida et nullum postea habeat valorem, sed mihi reddatur aut destruatur. Si, autem, omne prefatum debitum tibi non reddidero ad terminum supradictum, quod erit in diebus Azimorum, omnes supradicte res incurrant in tua potestate ad quod volueritis faciendum, et sic de meo iure trado in tuum dominium et potestatem. Et qui hoc tibi voluerit disrumpere, nullo modo possit facere, sed pro sola presumcione in duplo tibi componat; et postea hec pignoracionis scriptura firma permaneat. Que est facta xiiii kalendas septembris anno xxvii regis Henrici. Wilielmus, gracia Dei episcopus Ausonensis ecclesie. Sig+num Ermemiri. Guilielmus Argemiri. Ermemirus, sacerdos et cannonicus sub [signo]. +Reimundus, levita qui et channonicus. +Petrus Bernardi. Guilielmus, ypodiaconus. Petrus, sacerdos. Benedictus, diaconus, qui hoc scripsit et sub [signo] in prefato die vel anno.  

Historical context:

Charter in which William, bishop of Osona, pledged to countess Ermessenda the alod he had in Radulfi and in Voltregano.

Scholarly notes:

• Arabic gold dinars, see Jonathan Jarrett, ” Currency Change in Pre-millennial Catalonia: Coinage, Counts and Economics,” Numismatic Chronicle 169 (2010 for 2009), pp. 217-243, 225.

Printed source:

LFM 1.449-50, #430. 

Date: