A letter from Guy and André of Montreal

Translated letter:

We, Guy of Montréal and his brother André make known to present as well as future that we have become the men of our dearest lady Blanche, countess of Troyes, and our dearest lord count Thibaut, her son, saving the fidelity to our brothers, the duke of Burgundy, count William and the lord of Saulz. – Because of this said countess gave us three hundred Provins pounds and thirty pounds in fief, assigned in the fairs of Bar-sur-Aube. – We have given faith indeed and sworn that we will help them and their heirs in good faith in our persons and our people and our fortifications against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs, against their allies, and against the allies of Erard of Brienne and Phillipa his wife and their heirs, except only that neither we nor our people shall go to do harm to Erard of Brienne, whose man we are, in his own land.  – And if the lady countess or the count ordered us, we would make war against Milo of Noyers, and hand over our fortifications to them to make war on said Milo, which they will be held to restore to us at that point at which we shall have given them to them.  – Enacted in the 1219th  year of the Lord, in the month of July.

Original letter:

Nos Guido de Monte-regali et Andreas frater ejus notum facimus universis, tam presentibus quam futuris, quod nos devenimus homines karissime domine nostre Blanche, comitisse Trecensis, et karissimi domini nostri Theobaldi comitis, nati ejus, salva ligeitate fratrum nostrorum, ducis Burgundie, comitis Willelmi et domini de Sauz. —Propter hoc autem dedit nobis dicta comitissa trecentas libras Pruviniensium et triginta libras in feodum, in nundinis Barri assignatas. — Fiduciavimus si quidem et juravimus quod ipsos et ipsorum heredes bona fide juvabimus de nobis et de nostris gentibus et de fortericiis nostris contra reginam Cypri et heredes ejus, contra adjutores eorum, et contra adjutores Erardi de Brena et Philippe uxoris ejus et heredum suorum, ita tamen quod nec nos nec gentes nostre iremus ad faciendum malum Erardo de Brena, cujus homines sumus, in terra sua propria. — Et si domina comitissa vel comes nobis preceperit, nos guerriabimus Milonem de Noeriis, et trademus eis fortericias nostras ad dictum Milonem guerriandum, quas nobis restituere tenebuntur in eo puncto in quo eis illas tradiderimus. — Actum anno Domini m° cc° nonodecimo, mense julio.

Historical context:

Two brothers acknowledge the sum they received from their liege lords, the countess and her son at the fairs of Bar-sur-Aube, and promise their aid in fighting their enemies, except where there is a conflict of allegiance.  Other documents in the Cartulary record payments made to others at those fairs, see #238-243.

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 1.486, #1355; also in Evergates, Cartulary, 221-22, #237. 

Date: