A letter from Bernard Arnal of Alon

Translated letter:

I Bernard Arnal, son of the late woman, Guizenel, swear that from this hour forward I shall be faithful to you (s) Raymond Berenguer, son of the late woman Matilda, and to Dulcia, countess, and your (pl) sons and daughters, that from this hour forth I shall not deprive you, said count, of your life or your members which are held in your bodies, not your castros or castles, cliffs, hillls, developed or barren, earth and honor, alods or fiefs, counties or county seats (comitatos vel comitatum), and that castle which I hold from you (pl) the aforenamed, that castrum of Alon and the fortresses which are in it or them or will be in the future, and all that you have today or will acquire in whatever way in the future.  I shall not take nor take from, nor refuse you, nor deceive you nor deprive you, not I said Bernard, nor any 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 Bernard 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 said castle and all the 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 swear to you, said counts (count and countess), and to all those whom or to whom you would order all the said, 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 you 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 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, to you, counts, so I shall hold it to your son or daughter 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 (pl), the aforesaid, and to your said son or to those, as was said, completely without deception of you or them, except as much as the count or your (pl) said successors, shall release me, with their willing spirit, without any force or deception.  By God and these holy [relics].

Original letter:

Iuro ego Bernardus Arnali, filius qui fuit Guizenel, femina, quod de ista hora in antea fidelis ero ad te, Raimundo Berengarii, filius Maaltis, femine, condam, atque Dulcie, comitisse, et filiis et filiabus vestris, quod de ista hora in antea no decebre te, prephatum comitem, de tua vita neque de tuis membris que in corporibus vestris se tenent, neque de tuos castros aut castellos, rochas, puios, condirectos vel heremos, terram honoremque, alodios vel fevos, comitatos vel comitatum, et de ipso castello, quem teneo de vos prenominatos, autem, ipso castro de Alon et fortedis que in eo sunt aut in antea erunt, et de omnibus quas hodie habetis vel in antea adquisieritis quoquo modo. No tolre, ni te n tolre, ni t o vedare, ni te n enganare, ni te n dezebre, neque ego Bernardus iam dictus, nec homo nec homines, femiua nec femine, qui vobis tollat vel tollant, vetet aut vetent predicta omnia aut aliquid de predictis omnibus. Ego predictus Bernardus de illa hora in antea finem nec societatem no aure ni tenre cum illo vel cum illis vel illas vel cum illa, donec vos, prephati comes, recuperatum habeas hoc quod perdideris de iam dictis omnibus, sine vestro engan. Et predicto castello et omnes fortedas, quas per vos teneo vel tenere debeo et tenuero, non vedare, ni devedar no ls vos fare, et deliberabo lo us iurare ad vos, prephati comitis, et omnes illos, vel quibus predicta omnia mihi iusseris, poderos vos fare, sine vestro engan, per quantes vegades me n recherreds o me n comonreds per vos vel per vestros missos vel missum, sine vestra forsfactura vel forsfactura. Et adiutor vos sere a tener et aver et a defendere contra omnes homines vel feminas, sine vestro engan, per quantes vegades me n recherreds o me n comonreds per vos 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 recherreds o me n comonreds per vos vel per vestros missos vel missum; et insuper, potencialiter vobis adiutor ero vos contra omnes homines vel feminas, sine vestro engan. Societatem non aure ne tenre cum vestris inimicis ad inimicos, inimicas vel inimica, infidelibus vel infideles, ad ullum vestrum dampnum, me sciente. Iusticiam neque di­rectum no vedare ne contendre per ullum ingenium. Seniorem nec seniores no fare, ni tenre, ni affidare et, si feit le, no l tenre sine vestro solvimento et consilio. Vestrum consilium aut consilia non desc(r)ub[r]ire ad ullum dampnum vestrum, me sciente. Sicut superius scriptum est de vos, comitis, o tenre et atendre ad vestrum filium vel filiam, sive ad illum vel ad illam cui vel quibus dictis vel testamento dimiseris ves­trum honorem; et per suam vel eorum manu o prendre, et manibus ad illum vel ad illam vel illos comandare, et tale sacramentum le n iurare, quod hodie iuro ad vos; et hoc faciat infra primos lx dies, quibus mortuus fuero et ego hoc sciero, sine mala contencione et sine alio lucro. Sicut superius scriptum est, si o tenre et o atendre ad vos, prephati, et ad predictum filium vestrum vel ad predictos, sicut predictum est, totum, sine vestro vel eorum engan, exceptus quantum vel de quanto comes, vel predicti successores post vos, vel de quantum me n absolveran vel eorum gradiente animo sine forcia vel eorum engan. Per Deum et hec sancta.

Historical context:

Oath which Bernard Arnal made to the count and countess for the castrum of Alon.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Scholarly notes:

• The text gives fuero, first person, but that must be an error.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior 2.57-58, #542. 

Date: