A letter from Alix

Translated letter:

Alix, duchess of Burgundy.  To all to whom these present letters should come, greetings.  We make known that the noble man our friend and faithful Erard of Chacenay swore on the holy [relics] to our dearest and most faithful the noble lady Blanche, illustrious countess palatine of Troyes and the noble man, her son Thibaut, count palatine of Champagne and Brie that he will help them against any creature that might live and die, and also swore especially that he will help the countess and count against the queen of Cyprus and her heirs, and against her husband, if she should perhaps marry someone, and against all creatures who, in a dispute of that queen or her heirs or her husband, if perhaps she had a husband, or in a dispute over the right which said queen says she has or her husband, if perhaps she had a husband, or the heirs of that queen say they have in the county of Champagne and Brie or its appurtenances, might wish to harm said countess Blanche and count Thibaut or the heirs of that count Thibaut or their land by bringing suit or war or in any other way.

That Erard swore also that he will not be an aid or counsellor or accomplice to said queen nor to her husband if perhaps she had a husband, nor to the heirs of that queen, that that queen or her husband or any heir of that queen or other [person] in a dispute with them might oppose said countess and count or the heirs of that count through a suit or war or any other mode, for the right which said queen says she had in the county of Champagne and Brie and its appurtenances, or the right which her husband or heirs of that queen say they have over the premises.  And all these mentioned above that Erard promised as liege man of said countess and count, and swore that he would firmly observe these in perpetuity to them and the heirs of the oftmentioned count.  That all these written above be firmly observed by said Erard and commended to perpetual memory strengthened by our seal, we have had the present page written at the request of said Erard and strengthened with the protection of our seal.  Enacted in the year of grace 1222, on the octave of Easter.

Original letter:

Alaidis ducissa Burgundie. Universis ad quos littere presentes pervenerint, salutem. Notum facimus quod vir nobilis amicus et fidelis noster Erardus de Chacenaio super sacrosancta juravit karissimis et fidelibus nostris nobili domine B(lanche) illustri comitisse Trecensis palatine, et nobili viro nato ejus Th(eobaldo) Campanie et Brie comiti palatini quod ipse juvabit eos contra omnem creaturam que posit vivere et mori, et juravit etiam specialiter, quod eosdem comitissam et comitem jurabit* [sic] contra reginam Cypri et heredes ipsius, et contra maritum ipsius si forte ipsa nuberet alicui, et contra omnes creaturas que occasione ejusdem regina 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 et Brie seu pertinentiis, vellent supradictis B(lanche) comitisse et Th(eobaldo) comiti vel heredibus ejusdem comitis Theob(aldi) aut terre ipsorum nocere movendo placitum sive guerram vel alio quocumque modo.

Juravit etiam idem Erardus quod nec dicte regine nec marito suo si forte haberet maritum, nec heredibus ejusdem regine erit auxiliator 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 se dicit 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 creantavit idem Erardus sicut homo ligius predictorum comitisse et comitis, ac juravit se imperpetuum firmiter observaturum eisdem, et heredibus comitis sepedicti. Ut autem hec suprascripta a dicto Er(ardo) firmiter observerentur, et sigillo nostro roborata perpetue memorie commendentur, ad peticionem dicti Erardi presentem paginam conscribi fecimus, et sigilli nostri munimine roborari. Actum anno gratie M CC XX secundo, in octavis Pasche. 

Historical context:

The duchess attests that her friend and faithful Erard of Chacenay swore to help her faithful countess Blanche of Troyes, and Blanche’s son, count Thibaut, especially against the queen of Cyprus. 

Scholarly notes:

• This must be a typo for juvabit.

Printed source:

The Cartulary of Countess Blanche of Champagne, edited by Theodore Evergates, © The Medieval Academy of America 2010 (University of Toronto Press, 2009), 299-300, #338.  Reprinted with permission of the press.

Date: