A letter from Alix

Translated letter:

I Alix, duchess of Burgundy, make known to all who will look at the present letters, that since I made my beloved and faithful Thibaut, count of Champagne and Brie a pledge for me of five hundred silver marks to Cortabraca Jordan, Guido Jacob, Ospinello Cavalque, Bonancontre Roger, Palmer Bienasme, Guolino Gentili, Boncompagno Incontri and their fellow Sienese citizens and merchants.  I swore to that count in good faith that that I would redeem and discharge him altogether from the said five hundred silver marks towards the aforenamed Sienese merchants and the harms and injuries and costs and expenses incurred from them, on his word alone, without any other proof/approval needed.  If indeed I did not do this, let it not be, he could hold from me and my things wherever they were without crime, until I had discharged and redeemed him altogether, not only from the said five hundred marks but also from the harms and injuries and costs and expenses therby occurred.  And in witness of this thing I have strengthened the present letters with the protection of my seal.  Enacted in the year of the Lord 1222, in the month of April.

Original letter:

Ego Alaydis ducissa Burgundie. Notum facio universis presentes litteras inspecturis, quod cum ego dilectum et fidelem meum Theobaldum comitem Campanie et Brie constituerem pro me plegium de quingentis marchis argenti erga Cortabraca Jordanis, Guidonem Jacobi, Ospinellum Cavalque, Bonancontre Rogeri, Palmerium Bienasme, Uguelinum Gentili, Bonconpaigne Incontri, et socios eorum cives et mercatores Senensis. Ego eidem comiti creantavi bona fide quod ipsum de predictis quingentis marchis argenti erga prenominatos mercatores Senensis et de dampnis et gravaminibus et costamentis et expensis exinde factis et habitis, deliberarem penitus et quitarem et ei redderem simplici verbo suo, sine probatione aliqua facienda. Si vero istud non facerem quod absit, ad me et ad res meas, ubicumque fuerint, se teneret sine se mesfacere, donec ipsum penitus quitavissem et deliberavissem, tam de predictis quingen­tis marchis quam de dampnis et gravaminibus et costamentis et expensis proinde factis. Et in hujus rei testimonium presentes litteras sigilli mei munimine roboravi. Actum anno Domini M CC XXII, mense aprilis.

Historical context:

The duchess records her debt of five hundred silver marks to Siennese merchants for which she named Thibaut, count of Champagne, as pledge, with her promise to make good or let him seize reparations.

Printed source:

The Cartulary of Countess Blanche of Champagne, edited by Theodore Evergates, © The Medieval Academy of America 2010 (University of Toronto Press, 2009), 107, #86.  Reprinted with permission of the press.

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