A letter from the abbot of Moustier-Ramey

Translated letter:

I abbot Roland and the whole convent of the church of the church of Reims, make known to the present as well as the future, since the town of Pargues was ours, without any participation, hoping and having faith that, if the count of Champagne had some part in that town, in this situation much could be emended and more improved, we have granted that town to be free and in the subscribed portions of that town, we have benignly and amicably associated Blanche, the most excellent palatine countess of Troyes and her successors the counts of Champagne. –It has therefore been established  between us and that countess that in customs of money and oats, which are paid annually on the feast of St. Remy by the men of Pargues, in all justices of that town, payments and sales, in tollage, in grain rent (minagio) and in mens’ dues (roua), if ever made, she will have half and we the other half; nor can she or the counts of Champagne have anything in any way from men or women of Pargues unless we have and receive half.  – Nor in all these will she have power or dominion more than us, nor we more than her. – But all the land-taxes/rents of that town and of all the territory, the church and tithes, large as well as small, and all the ovens, outside her part, we shall have and possess wholly. – Noone will be able to make castles in that town except for us.   The tithes and land-taxes will be paid to us in this manner:  all those from Pargues or from other towns who cultivate the lands of Pargues, will bring all their sheafs of corn (jarbas) to the town of Pargues, and they will not unload them from their vehicles before our servants who are present there take two sheafs from every twelve, one for the land-tax, the other for the tithe. – It is confirmed moreover and granted that she and her successor counts of Champagne and we will place our provosts in the town of Pargues; and our provost of Pargues, however often he is established and changed, with an oath taken, he will give fidelity to the provost of the countess and her successor counts of Champagne; and similarly that provost will give fidelity to our provost.  And if it should happen that our provost cannot be present to decide the business of the town, the one he puts in his place will show fidelity to the provost of the countess or her successor counts of Champagne, or the one who will hold his place, and he will do similarly to our provost who will remain in the place of their provost. – Neither of the provosts of Pargues will be able to hold or decide a plea without the other, or lift a fine, nor may one take precedence over the other in giving summons and justices, but both with common counsel at the same time will hand over lands and justices and decide fines and receive money for fines, nor will one of them be able to do that without the other except by the consent and will of the other.  – And if the two provosts should not agree on doing these things, we and she, or the lord of Champagne, by our counsel will place whomever we wish.  – When however the herald of Pargues makes a proclamation, he will make it and announce the edict  on the part of the lord of Champagne and of the abbot of Reims and the provost of Pargues. – The prior of Pargues, indeed, will freely possess a home and grange, with the courts and properties, outside the part of the countess and lord of Champagne; and if anyone of the prior’s household who lives in the home or the grange or in the property of the home or its grange, should commit a crime within said property, he will be sentenced by noone but us; and those properties will be free from all justice and violence of the provosts of Pargues or any others; and within the enclosures of said properties noone will be able to do violence or to receive or extract anything unless at our complaint or that of the prior of Pargues, she or the lord of Champagne should according to their ability have it emended to us.  – Who indeed might commit a crime outside the property of the prior and escape into the property, will be sentenced by the provosts of Pargues like other men of that town. – If indeed our animals and sheep and those of the prior of Pargues should be found in any crime and the crime be proved, without  compensation, in the estimation of upright men it will be restored to the one to whom the harm was done.  – That little forest which is called Garanna will remain free to us and the prior of Pargues outside the part of the countess and lord of Champagne.  – Moreover, though it was said that the countess have a half of the justice in Pargues by our bestowing, yet since it is established that the grange of Barresel is within the confines of Pargues, which is properly ours, that grange with its whole property and all its possessions will remain free to us; and that grange with its appurtenances and possessions, she and the lord of Champagne will be held to protect faithfully like their own things, and defend and free it from evildoers.  – Also in making fortifications and other things which will be necessary for the town, to protect and defend the men and other things of the town, she or the lord of Champagne will be held to administer from their own expenses, and we will administer nothing at all or have administered for that part which we conferred on them in that town.  They will, however, be able to build those fortifications with the help of the men of Pargues. – Clearly it is firmly established and granted that neither she nor the counts of Champagne can send the town of Pargues in any way outside her hand or remove it from her hand, nor confer on any person or church that part or anything from that part which we conferred on them in said town.  But if, let it not be, they presumed to do it, that part or whatever from that part had left their hand, would immediately revert to us without any opposition, and we would possess it under the protection of the count of Champagne. – Nor can any religious men have a home or a grange or any dwelling in that town or the confines of that town except for us.  – Clearly the men of Pargues will have their usage in all the woods in which the men of Chaource have usage. – Indeed that lady countess conceded and granted to us that all agreements and pacts inserted and noted in the present charter, she will hold faithfully and observe inviolably as long as she lives.  – If indeed she or any of the counts of Champagne should not hold these agreements and pacts, that town will revert to us as our land freely, under the protection of the count of Champagne.  And if, after her death, the count of Champagne wished to have and possess that part which the countess has in the town of Pargues, before he can have and possess it, he will be held to seal the whole tenor of this charter by his seal and without any difficulty or dispute hand over to us the sealed charter.  – But if by any rashness or bad counsel the count of Champagne should refuse to do that, the recorded part would revert to us wholly and freely, under the protection of that count, and the count of Champagne from then on will have nothing but that protection in that part and in the town of Pargues. – If indeed it should happen, let it not be so, that the town is destroyed or harmed in any way, the whole land of that town and the confine of Pargues will remain wholly ours. – It should be known moreover that none of their men or any men whom their lords hold in chief from her in fief, with no other mediating, nor our men will be received in that town to do what remains.  Also it is established that if any of the men, knights, of the jurisdictions of Troyes, Lille (?Insulae), Erivac, St. Florent, Capae, and Ville-Mauri, or the domain of Juliac, or anyone from the fief of the counts of Champagne in chief, with no other mediating, should come into that town who is a man of head and body of any noble man or of the church or of anyone else, and the lord of that man with seventh hand, namely his own hand and the hand of three knights and three upright men, should prove, on oath, that he is his man in head and body, and that he will pay tallage at his will as his man in head and body, that man, having proved this, will not be able to remain in that town, and she or the lord of Champagne will offer him safe conduct for fifteen days.  So also that whoever dwells in that town for a year and a day, unless his lord reclaimed him within the year and day before the provosts of Pargues, if he had the ability to reclaim him, will remain in that town as any townsman without opposition. – The provosts of Pargues also will not be able to retain any outsider for payment unless he makes his dwelling in that town.  – It is to be known, moreover, that a scribe in that town, on the counsel of the countess or lord of Champagne and ours, will be established who will give fidelity to the lord of Champagne and to us as often as he is changed.  – A market in that town is established by the countess on Monday and she and the lord of Champagne will offer [safe]conduct to those coming to the market.  That this may be stable and firm, we have had the present charter written out and strengthened with our seal.  This was enacted in the 1209th year of the incarnation of the Lord in the month of March.

Original letter:

Ego Rolandus abbas totusque Arremarensis ecclesie conventus, notum facimus tam presentibus quam futuris quod, cum villa de Parguis nostra esset, absque participatione alicujus, sperantes et fiduciam habentes quod, si comes Campanie aliquam partem haberet in eadem villa, hac occasione posset plurimum emendari et magis solito meliorari, villam francam ibidem fieri concessimus, et in portionibus ejusdem ville, que subscribuntur, Blancham excellentissimam comitissam Trecensem palatinam et successores suos comites Campanie benigne et amicabiliter associavimus. — Statutum est igitur inter nos et ipsam comitissam quod in costumis nummorum et avene, que in festo sancti Remigii solventur annuatim ab hominibus de Parguis, in omnibus justiciis ejusdem ville, laudationibus et venditionibus, in theloneo, in minagio et in roua hominum, si aliquando facta fuerit, habebit ipsa medietatem et nos alteram medietatem; nec ipsa vel commites Campanie ullo modo aliquid habere poterunt de hominibus vel feminabus de Parguis quin habeamus medietatem et recipiamus. — Nec in hiis omnibus habebit ipsa potestatem vel dominium plus quam nos, nec nos plus quam ipsa. — Omnia vero terragia ejusdem ville et totius finagii, ecelesiam et decimas, tam grossas quam minutas, et omnes furnos, extra partem suam integre habebimus et possidebimus. — Castellos etiam in eadem villa nullus facere poterit nisi per nos. — Decime et terragia nobis in hunc modum solventur: omnes de Parguis vel de aliis villis qui terras de Parguis coluerint, omnes jarbas suas ad villam de Parguis adducent, nec eas de vehiculis suis deponent, priusquam servientes nostri presentes fuerint qui, de duodecim jarbis, duas jarbas accipient, unam pro terragio et alteram pro decima. — Firmatum est preterea et concessum quod ipsa et successores sui comites Campanie et nos ponemus prepositos nostros in villa de Parguis; et prepositus noster de Parguis, quocienscumque statuetur et mutabitur, prestito sacramento, fidelitatem faciet preposito comitisse ct successorum suorum comitum Campanie; et similiter prepositus coram preposito nostro faciet fidelitatem. Et si contigerit quod prepositus noster non possit interesse ad negocia ville diffinienda, ille quem in loco suo constituet, fidelitatem faciet preposito comitisse vel successorum suorum comitum Campanie, vel illi qui locum suum tenebit, et similiter faciet ille preposito nostro qui in loco prepositi eorum remanebit. — Nullus etiam prepositorum de Parguis poterit sine altero placitum tenere vel diffinire, vel emendam levare, nec precedet alter alterum in submonitionibus et in justiciis faciendis, sed communi consilio ambo simul terras tradent et justicias, et emendationes diffinient, et recipient pecuniam pro emendis, nec alter eorum sine altero id facere poterit nisi de consensu alterius et voluntate. — Et si illi duo prepositi ad hec facienda convenientes non fuerint, nos et ipsa, vel dominus Campanie, de consilio nostro quoscumque voluerimus ponemus. — Quando autem preco de Parguis bannum clamabit, ex parte domini Campanie et ex parte abbatis Arremarensis et prepositorum de Parguis clamabit et edictum nunciabit. — Prior vero de Parguis domum suam et grangiam, cum curia et cum porprisiis, tam ad domum quam ad grangiam pertinentibus, extra partem comitisse et domini Campanie libere possidebit; et si aliquis de familia prioris qui maneat in domo vel in grangia, vel in porprisio domus vel grangie sue, infra porprisia predicta fecerit aliquid forefactum, per nullum se justiciabit nisi per nos; et eadem porprisia libera erunt ab omni justicia et violentia prepositorum de Parguis seu quorumlibet aliorum; et infra clausuras predictorum porprisiorum non poterit aliquis violentiam inferre vel aliquid accipere vel extrahere quin, ad clamorem nostrum vel prioris de Parguis, ipsa vel dominus Campanie pro posse suo faciat nobis emendari. — Qui vero extra porprisia prioris fecerit aliquod forefactum et intra eadem porprisia confugerit, per prepositos de Parguis, sicut ceteri homines ejusdem ville, se justiciabit. — Si vero animalia et pecora nostra et prioris de Parguis in aliquo forefacto inventa fuerint, et forefactum probatum fuerit, sine emenda, ad estimationem proborum virorum restituetur ei cui dampnum illatum fuerit. — Forestella illa, que Garanna vocatur, nobis et priori de Parguis extra partem comitisse et domini Campanie libera remanebit. — Preterea, licet supradictum sit quod comitissa in justicia de Parguis medietatem habeat ex collatione nostra, tamen cum constet grangiam de Barresel esse in finagio de Parguis, que proprie nostra est, ipsa grangia, cum toto porprisio et cum omnibus possessionibus suis, nobis libera remanebit; et grangiam illam, cum appendiciis suis et possessionibus, ipsa et dominus Campanie, tanquam res suas proprias tenebuntur fideliter custodire, et a malefactoribus defendere et liberare. — In fortericiis quoque de Parguis faciendis et in aliis que necessaria erunt pro villa, pro hominibus et aliis rebus ejusdem ville custodiendis et defendendis, ipsa vel dominus Campanie de suis propriis expensis tenebitur ministrare, et nos nichil omnino ministrabimus vel ministrari faciemus occasione illius partis quam ipsis in eadem villa contulimus. Tamen fortericia illa poterunt fieri auxilio hominum de Parguis. — Sane statutum est firmiter et concessum quod nec ipsa nec comites Campanie villam de Parguis ullo modo poterunt extra manum suam mittere vel a manu sua removere, nec partem illam vel aliquid de parte illa, quam eis in predicta villa contulimus, alicui persone vel ecclesie conferre. Sed si, quod absit, id facere presumerent, partem illam vel quod de parte illa de manu eorum exiret, statim ad nos reverteretur sine contradictione aliqua, et illa possideremus sub custodia comitis Campanie. — Nec etiam aliqui viri religiosi in eadem villa vel in finagio ejusdem ville habere poterunt domum vel grangiam vel aliquam mansionem nisi nos. — Sane homines de Parguis usuarium suum habebunt in omnibus nemoribus in quibus homines de Chaorsa usuarium habent. — Concessit siquidem nobis domina comitissa et creantavit quod omnes conventiones et pactiones presenti carte insertas et notatas, quamdiu vixerit, fideliter tenebit et inviolabiliter observabit. —Si vero ipsa vel aliquis comitum Campanie has conven­tiones et pactiones non tenuerit, tam villa quam fundus ad nos libere revertetur sub custodia co­mitis Campanie. Et si comes Campanie partem illam, quam ipsa comitissa habet in villa de Parguis, post decessum suum habere voluerit et possidere, antequam eam habeat et possideat, totum tenorem hujus carte sigillo suo tenebitur sigillare, et sine aliqua difficultate et occasione nobis cartam tradere sigillatam. — Si enim aliqua temeritate vel aliquo pravo consilio comes Campanie id facere recusaverit, pars illa memorata integre et libere ad nos reverteretur, sub ipsius comitis custodia, et comes Campanie in parte illa et in villa de Parguis nichil deinceps habebit nisi custodiam. — Si vero contigerit, quod absit, ut villa destruatur, vel aliquo modo deficiat, totus fundus ejusdem ville et finagii de Parguis nobis integre remanebit. — Sciendum est preterea quod nullus hominum suorum vel aliqui homines, quos domini eorum de ipsa tenent in capite in feodo, nullo alio mediante, nec etiam homines nostri recipientur in eadem villa pro remanantia facienda. — Item statutum est quod, si quis de hominibus militum de castellariis Trecarum, Insularum, Erivaci, Sancti Florentini, Caparum et Ville-Mauri, vel de dominio Juliaci, vel aliquis qui sit de feodo comitum Campanie in capite, nullo alio mediante, venerit in eandem villam qui sit homo de capite et de corpore alicujus nobilis viri vel ecclesie vel alterius cujuslibet persone, et dominus hominis illius septima manu, scilicet propria manu et manu trium militum et trium proborum hominum, probaverit, interposito sacramento, quod ille sit homo suus de capite et de corpore, et quod ipse ad voluntatem suam talliabat eum sicut hominem suum de capite et de corpore, homo ille, hoc probato, in eadem villa non poterit remanere, et ipsa vel dominus Campanie per quindecim dies ei salvum prebebit conductum. Ita etiam quod quicumque in eadem villa per annum et diem permanserit, nisi dominus suus infra annum et diem coram prepositis de Parguis reclamaverit, si facultatem habuerit reclamandi, in eadem villa, sicut alius quilibet burgensis, sine contradictione remanebit. -—- Prepositi etiam de Parguis aliquem forensem in commendisia retinere non poterunt, nisi in eadem villa fecerit mansionem. — Sciendum est preterea quod scriba in eadem villa, de consilio comitisse vel domini Cam­panie et nostro, constituetur qui domino Campanie et nobis faciet fidelitatem, quotienscumque etiam mutabitur. — Mercatum vero in eadem villa ab ipsa comitissa in die lune statutum est, et ipsa, ad mercatum venientibus, et dominus Campanie, eundo et redeundo, prebebunt mercati conductum.  Ut ergo hoc ratum sit et firmum, presentem cartam notari fecimus et sigillo nostro roborari. Actum est hoc anno ab incarnatione Domini millesimo ducentesimo nono, mense martio.

Historical context:

The abbot records his agreement with the countess on sharing governance and revenues in the town of Pargues, in some detail.

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 1.346-48, #915. 

Date: