A letter from Erard of Chacenay

Translated letter:

We, Odo of Grancey, Erard of Villy, and Lambert Bochut, make known to all present as well as future who will look at the present letters that when lady B[lanche], palatine countess of Troyes, and lord Th[ibaut] her son, count palatine of Champagne and Brie, on one side, and lord Erard of Chacenay on the other, promised to abide by our arbitration, with oaths sworn to accept our decision, on the day assigned for us to announce our decision with both sides present, we announced and said that by our decision the said Erard of Chacenay would swear to the said countess and count that he would firmly observed in perpetuity the agreements inscribed below and would give them his patent letters in this form:

I Erard of Chacenay make known to all that I have sworn to my [dearest] liege lady, Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, and to my liege lord Thibaut, her son, count palatine of Champagne and Brie, that I shall help them against every [mortal] creature (who might live and die); and I swore also, especially, that I shall help them against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs, and against her husband, if she might perhaps marry someone, and against all creatures at the instance of that queen or her heirs or her husband, if perhaps she had a husband, or at the instance of a right which said queen says she has, or that her husband, if perhaps she had a husband, or the heirs of that queen say they have in the county of Champagne or Brie or its appurtenances, they wish to harm said countess B. and count Th., or the heirs of that count Thibaut, or their lands, by bringing suit or war or in any other way. – I also swore that neither to said queen or her husband, if perhaps she had a husband, nor her heirs, will I be an ally or counsellor, or give consent that that queen, or her husband, or any heirs of that queen or another at their instance, might bring through suit or war or in any other way, against said countess and count or the heirs of that count, to the right which said queen says she has in the county of Champagne and Brie and their appurtenances, or the right that her husband or heirs of that queen say they have over the premisses.  And all the above I promised as lilege man of the said countess and count, and I swore that I would firmly observe [them] in perpetuity to them and the heirs of said count.  In witness of which thing, I handed over the present letters, fortified by my seal.  Enacted at Isle-Aumont, in the 1221st year of the Lord, in the month of March, on the morrow of Palm Sunday.

Moreover we said in our decision that that Erard of Chacenay would acknowledge the agreed premisses before the lord king of France and would ask him in good faith that he hand over his testimonial letters on these agreements to said countess and count.  – And we said also that he would let the countess and count have the open letters of the the lord bishop of Langres and the lady duchess of Burgundy in which they would witness and confirm the said agreements, and that he would also ask that bishop of Langres and persuade him effectively according to his ability, that he would bring sentences of excommunication against that Erard and of interdict against his land on the condition that that Erard might act perhaps against the agreed premisses. – We said moreover that he would transmit the letters pending of lord Erard of Brienne, lord Symon of Clairmont, lord Philip of Plancy, and lord Odo of Grancey named above to the said countess and count, [letters] saying that if perhaps said Erard of Chacenay acted against said agreements, which they should express in their letters, they would help said countess and count against that Erard of Chacenary within their power.  – With our sentenced given, as noted, the said Erard of Chacenary swore on the holy relics that he would fulfill them in good faith and observe firmly in perpetuity.  – In witness of which, we have had the present letters made and strengthened by the protection of our seals. – Enacted at Isle-Aumont, in the 1221st year of the Lord, in the month of March, on the morrow of Palm Sunday.

Original letter:

Nos Odo de Grancy, Erardus de Villiaco et Lambertus Bochutus, notum facimus universis presentes litteras inspecturis quod, cum domina B., comitissa Trecensis palatina, et dominus Th., natus ejus, Campanie et Brie comes palatinus, ex una parte, et dominus Erardus de Chacenaio, ex alia, in nos compromisissent, juramentis interpositis de stando dicto nostro, nos, die assignata ad dictum nostrum pronuntiandum, et utraque parte presente, pronuntiavimus et diximus dicto nostro quod predictus Erardus de Chacenaio juraret supradictis comitisse et comiti se observaturum firmiter in perpetuum conventiones infrascriptas et inde eis litteras suas patentes traderet sub hac forma:

Ego Erardus de Chacenaio notum facio universis quod ego juravi [karissime] domine mee ligie Blanche, comi­tisse Trecensi palatine, et domino meo ligio Theobaldo, nato ejus, Campanie et Brie comiti palatino, quod ego juvabo eos contra omnem creaturam que possit vivere et mori [sicut homo ligius ipsorum]; et juravi etiam specialiter quod eos juvabo contra reginam Cypri et heredes ipsius, et contra maritum ejusdem, si forte ipsa nuberet alicui, et contra omnes creaturas que, occasione ejusdem regine, vel heredum suorum, vel mariti sui, si forte haberet maritum, vel occasione juris quod dicit se habere dicta regina, vel quod maritus suus, si forte haberet maritum, aut heredes ipsius regine, dicerent se habere in comitatu Cam­panie vel Brie seu pertinenciis, vellent supradictis B. comitisse et Th. comiti, vel heredibus ejusdem comitis Theobaldi, aut terre ipsorum nocere, movendo placitum sive guerram, vel alio quocumque modo. —Juravi etiam quod nec dicte regine nec marito suo, si forte haberet maritum, nec heredi­bus ejusdem, ero adjutor vel consiliator vel consentiens quod ipsa regina, vel maritus suus, vel aliquis heredum ejusdem regine, vel alius occasione ipsorum, possint venire per placitum vel per guer­ram, vel per alium quemcumque modum, contra predictos comitissam et comitem, vel heredes ejusdem comitis, ad jus quod dicta regina dicit se habere in comitatu Campanie et Brie et pertinentiis, vel ad jus quod maritus suus, seu heredes ejusdem regine, dicerent se habere super premissis. Et hec omnia supradicta creantavi sicut homo ligius predictorum comitisse et comitis, et juravi me in per­petuum firmiter observaturum eisdem et heredibus comitis sepedicti. In cujus rei testimonium, presentes litteras eis tradidi, sigillo meo munitas. — [Actum apud Insulas, anno Domini M CC XX primo, in crastino Pasche Floridi.]

Preterea diximus in dicto nostro quod idem Erardus de Chacenaio conventiones premissas recognosceret coram domino rege Francie, et ipsum bona fide rogaret ut super eisdem conventionibus litteras suas testimoniales traderet comitisse et comiti supradictis.—Et diximus etiam quod faceret habere comitisse et comiti litteras apertas domini Lingonensis episcopi et domine ducisse Burgundie per quas testificarentur et confirmarent conventiones predictas, et quod insuper rogaret eundem episcopum Lingonensem, et ipsum ad hoc efficaciter induceret pro posse suo, quod in ipsum Erardum excommunicacionis et in terram ipsius interdicti sentencias ferret sub conditione hac, si forte ipse Erardus contra conventiones premissas aliquando veniret. — Diximus preterea quod faceret habere comitisse et comiti supradictis litteras pendentes domini Erardi de Brena, domini Symonis de Claromonte, domini Philippi de Planciaco et domini Odonis de Grancy superius nominati, continentes quod, si forte dictus Erardus de Chacenaio contra predictas conventiones, que exprimi debent in litteris ipsorum, veniret, ipsi contra eundem Erar­dum de Chacenaio juvarent pro posse suo comitissam et comitem supradictos. — Prolato itaque, sicut premissum est, dicto nostro, sepedictus Erar­dus de Chacenaio super sacrosancta juravit quod illud bona fide adimpleret et in perpetuum firmiter observaret. — In cujus rei testimonium, presentes litteras fecimus fieri et sigillorum nostrorum munimine roborari.—Actum apud Insulas, anno Domini M° cc° vicesimo primo, mense martio , in crastino Pasche Floridi.

Historical context:

The document records the result of an arbitration of a dispute between the countess and her son on one side, and Erard of Chacenay on the other.  The letter in which Erard swears his allegiance is included in the Cartulary, presumably the copy he promised to provide for the countess, without the covering paragraphs of the arbitration (Cartulary, 297-98, #336).  In a separate document, dated March 7 of 1222, Erard records his return to fidelity to Blanche and Thibaut (Cartulary, 136-37, #124) and swears to do whatever the arbitrators decide.  Odo of Grancey is Erard’s brother-in-law, cf. Cartulary, 296-97, #335).

Printed source:

Layettes du Trésor des Chartes, 1.540-51, #1515.

Date: