A letter from Gaucerand

Translated letter:

I Gauceran(d) son of the woman Adelaide, swear to you (s), lord Raymond Berenguer, count, and to Dulcia, countess, and your (pl) sons and daughters that I shall be faithful  to you by right faith, without deception, for all your (pl) life and members.  And from this hour forward I shall not deprive you the aforesaid of your life nor your members that are held in your bodies, not your castros or castles, cliffs or hillls, developed or barren, earth and honor, alods or fiefs, counties or county seats (comitatos vel comitatum), and those castles which I hold from you and for you, namely, Pinos and Espaden et Gosal and Salices and Cher Foradad and Valle Magna and the fortresses which are in it or them or will be in the future, and all that you have today or ought to have and will acquire in whatever way in the future.  I shall not take nor take from, nor refuse you, refuse it to you, nor deceive you nor deprive you nor oppose them or nor oppose it,  not I, said Gaucerand, nor any man or men, woman or women, by my counsel or by my artifice.  And if a man or men, woman or women, who might take from you or might oppose all the aforesaid or any of all the aforesaid, I said Gaucerand from that hour forth will not have or hold peace or association with him or her or them, until you the aforesaid shall have recovered all that you lost of all the said, without deception.  And I shall not refuse all said castles and fortresses which I hold through you and ought to hold and shall hold, nor cause them to be refused to you, and I shall deliver them to you and to all those whom or to whom you would order all the aforesaid, I would give power without deception as often as you sought it or summoned me through yourselves or your messengers or messenger legal or illegal.  And I shall be an aid to you to hold and have and defend against all men or women, without deception, as often as your seek it, or summon me, by yourselves or your messengers or messenger.  And in this aid I shall not deceive you nor refuse to be summoned with any trickery however many times you seek me or summon me by yourselves or your messengers or messenger; and moreover, I shall be your aid with power against men or women without deception.  I shall not to my knowledge have or hold association with your enemies or enemy, male or female, infidels or faithful, to your harm in any way.  I shall not refuse you justice nor right nor contest it by any artifice. I shall not have or hold or give my faith to a[nother] lord or lords and if I do, I shall not hold it without your permission and counsel.  I shall not to my knowledge reveal your counsel or counsels to your harm in any way.  As is written above, so I shall hold it to your son or daughter if you have them, or to him or her to whom you leave your honor by words or will; and I shall take it by his or their hands and commend myself to him or her or them by hands and swear such an oath as I swear today; and I shall do this within the first 60 days, in which you have died and I have learned it, without evil contesting and without other reward.  As is written above, I shall so hold and keep to you, said count, and to your said son or to those, as was said, completely without deception of you or them, except as much as the count and countess, or said successors after you, shall give me leave, with your or their willing spirit, without any force or deception of you or them.  By God and these holy [relics].

Original letter:

Iuro ego Gauceran, qui fui Adalaidis, femine, tibi, domno Rai­mundo Berengarii, comiti, atque Dulcie, comitisse, et filiis et filiabus vestris, quod fidelis ero vobis per fidem rectam, sine enganno, de omni vita vestra et de membris vestris. Et de ista hora in antea no dezebre vos prephatos de vestra vita nec de vestris membris que in corporibus vestris se tenent, neque de vestros castros aut castellos, rochas vel puios, condirectos vel eremos, terram et honorem, alaudes vel fevos, comitatos vel comitatum, et de ipsis castellis quos teneo de vobis et per vos, scilicet, Pinos et Espaden et Gosal et Salices et Cher Foradad et Valle Magna et de fortedis, que in eo vel in eis sunt aut in antea erunt, et de omnibus que hodie habetis vel habere debetis et in antea adquisieritis quocumque modo. No tolre, ne no tolre, ne t o vedare, ne te n vedare, ne te n engannare, ne te n dezebre, ne no ls contendre, ne non contendre, nec ego, iam dictus Gauzerandus, nec homo nec homines, femina nec femine, per meum consilium neque per meum ingenium. Et si homo est aut homines, femina nec femine, qui tibi tollat vel tollant, vetet vel vetent predicta omnia aut aliquid de predictis omnibus, ego predictus Gaucerandus de illa hora in antea finem nec societatem non aure ne tenre cum illo vel cum illis, cum illa nec cum illis, donec vos prephatos recuperatum habeatis hoc totum quod perdideritis de iam dictis omnibus, sine vestro engan. Et predictos castellos et fortedas omnes, quas per vos teneo vel tenere debeo et tenuero, no t vedare ne devedar no l vos fare ne les vos fare e us en fare, et deliure los vos liurare e le vos liurare et vobis et ad omnes illos, quos vel quibus predicta omnia mihi iusseritis, poderos ne fare sine vestro engan per chantas vices me n recheratis, o me n comonratis per vos ipsos vel per vestros missos vel missum, sine vestra forfactura et cum forfactura. Et adiuto[r] vos sere a tener et ad aver et ad defendre contra omnes homines vel feminas, sine vestro engan, per quantes vegades me n recherras, o me n comonras, per vos ipsos vel per vestros missos vel missum. Et de ipso adiutorio no vos enganare ne comonir no me n vedare ullo ingenio per quantes vegades me n recherez o me n comonrez per vos ipsos vel per vestros missos vel missum; et insuper, potentialiter vobis adiutor ero contra omnes homines vel feminas sine vestro engan. Societatem non aure ne tenre cum tuis inimicis aut inimico, inimicas vel inimica, infidelibus vel infidele, ad ullum tuum dampnum, me sciente. Iusticiam neque direc­tum no us vedare nec contendre per ullum ingenium. Seniorem nec seniores no fare, ne tenre, ne afidare, et, si feit le, no l tenre sine vestro solvimento et consilio. Vestrum consilium aut consilia no desc(r)ub[r]ire ad ullum tuum dampnum, me sciente. Sicut superius scriptum est si o tenre ad tuum filium vel filiam, si habueritis, sive ad illum vel ad illam, cui vel quibus dictis vel testamento dimiseris tuum honorem; et per suam vel eorum manum o prendre, et manibus ad illum vel ad illam vel illos me n comanare, et tale sacramentum le n iurare, quale hodie iuro; et hoc faciam infra primos lx dies, quibus mortuus fueris et ego hoc sciero, sine mala contencione et sine alio lucro. Sicut superius scriptum est, si o tenre et o atendre ad te, prefatum comitem, et ad predictum filium tuum vel ad predictos, sicut predictum est, totum, sine tuo vel eorum engan, exceptus quantum vel de quantum comes et comitissa, vel predicti sucessores post vos, me n absolvereds, tuo vel eorum gradiente animo, sine ulla forcia sine tuo vel eorum engan. Per Deum et hec sancta.

Historical context:

Oath of Gaucerand to the count and countess for Pinos Espada, Gosal, Salices, Cher Foradad and Valle Magna. A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior  2.56-57, #541. 

Date: