A letter from the Count of Mâcon and Vienne

Translated letter:

To his excellent lady Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes and his dearest friend Thibaut, count of Champagne, her son, William count of Mâcon and Vienne, [sends] greetings and prompt will to service.  Your distinction should know that my dearest wife countess Scolastica with my consent and will and that of my sons, chose to be buried in the abbey of Miroir, and with my and my children’s will and consent, assigned to that abbey the revenue which she has from your fairs, namely a hundred fifty pounds as long as she lives.  From that revenue, she conferred on said church 20 pounds of annual and perpetual revenue, with our will and approval, in perpetual alms.  After her death, however, that revenue will revert to me or my heirs without opposition, except for the said twenty pounds that will remain to said church in perpetuity.  Moreover we grant that said church will receive said revenue in its entirety in the first two years for the remedy of her soul and her ancestors, whatever happens to the countess. And so that this remain firm in perpetuity, we ask you that you have this sent in writing, fortified with your seal, to the lord abbot of Miroir and invest him with it on our part.  Enacted in the 1218th year of the Lord, on the 17th kalends of January.

Original letter:

Excellenti domine sue B(lanche) comitisse Trecensis palatine et amico suo karissimo Theob(aldo) comiti Campanie nato ejus, W(illelmus) comes Masticonensis et Vihennis salutem, et promptam ad obsequia voluntatem. Noverit vestra discretio, quod karissima uxor mea Scol(astica) comitissa de assensu et voluntate mea et filiorum meorum in abbatia Miratori sibi sepulturam elegit, et eidem abbatie tam de mea quam liberorum meorum voluntate et assensu, redditus quos habet in nundinis vestris, videlicet centum quinquaginta libras quamdiu vixerit assignavit. De illis autem redditibus, XX libras annui et perpetui redditus, nobis volentibus et laudantibus in perpetuum elemosinam contulit ecclesie supradicte. Post decessum autem ipsius prefati redditus ad me vel ad heredes meos sine contradictione revertentur, exceptis predicti viginti libris que predicte ecclesie in perpetuum remanebunt. Preterea concessimus quod ecclesia predicta in primis duobus annis pro remedio anime sue et antecessorum ejus prefatos redditus percipiat in integrum quicquid contigerit de comtissa. Et ut in perpetuum ratum habeatur, rogamus nos ut hoc ipsum mandari scripto faciatis et sigillo vestro munitum dominum abbatem de Miratorio ex parte nostra investiatis. Actum anno Domini M CC octavodecimo, septimodecimo kalendas januarii.

Historical context:

The Count of Mâcon and Vienne announces his wife’s wish to assign some of her revenue from the countess’s fairs to the abbey where she wishes to be buried, and asks the countess to approve and confirm that gift.  Scolastica is a sister of Blanche’s late husband, Thibaut; for her letter to the countess, see #389 (Epistolae 25870.html)

Printed source:

The Cartulary of Countess Blanche of Champagne, edited by Theodore Evergates, © The Medieval Academy of America 2010 (University of Toronto Press, 2009), 343, #388.  Reprinted with permission of the press.

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