A letter from Beatrice, Bernard Pelet, and William of Montpellier

Translated letter:

Let it be known, etc., that Bernard Pelet, count of Melgueil, and countess Beatrice, his wife, and William, lord count of Montpellier, came together at Sorèze and acknowledged between them that in love and in truce each remained with the other, but [when] one had a complaint about another, saying that on the other side a truce would be made, therefore in good will they promised Raymond of Monteferrier that what was breached in the truce would be restored with his acknowledgment and then each for himself and his/her men and their whole land would show such caution towards the other as Raymond of Monteferrier would acknowledge.  And they promised moreover to restore past and future crimes and breaches as acknowledged by each side, and they promised to hand over on each side five thousand solidos into his power at his admonition.  All this count Bernard and countess Beatrice and William lord of Montpellier swore on the four holy gospels of God.  – And Raymond of Montferrier made this mandate over these, that  neither Bernard of Pignan nor his brothers William and Raymond, nor their allies who are now with Melgueil would come to Melgueil, nor be soldiers of Melgueil, and others of Melgueil who wish to be in this truce, but those who wish to help Bernard of Pignan and his brothers should not do harm to William of Montpellier nor to another on his account for eight days after he left Melgueil.  If indeed after eight days, they did any harm to William of Montpellier or another on his account, they should not enter Melgueil for eight days after that harm was done.  The count or countess or their men who were in this truce should not prohibit the allies of Bernard of Pignan and his brothers nor their honors nor their things outside the castrum of Melgueil, but if William Arnaud and William Pons wish to be in this truce, they should satisfy William of Montpellier with the knowledge of that count.  The count and countess should not receive any malefactors with or without loot in their authority, who might do harm to William of Montpellier or his [things/people].   Similarly neither William of Montpellier nor others should do harm to the count or countess or the men of Melgueil who were in this truce for eight days after that harm was done.  William of Montpellier should not receive any malefactors with or without loot in his authority, who might do harm to the count or countess or the men of Melgueil who were in this truce.  And if anything out of all this as written in this letter were breached by the other side, the whole should be restored with the acknowledgement of Raymond of Montferrier.  – Also I Raymond of Montferrier order that on each side they should hold this truce in good faith and without any deception from this Shrove Tuesday [caramentran] for five years and from then on as long as each of them has renounced and afterwards the truce would remain firm for 40 days following.  – I countess Beatrice and I count Bernard, her husband, we approve and grant all this and give the truce for five years running.  And I William of Montpellier approve and grant all this.  This was done in the year of the lord’s Incarnation 1161, in the month of October.

Original letter:

NOTUM sit, &c., quod Bernardus Peleti comes Melgorii & Beatrix comitissa ejus uxor & Guillelmus dominus Montispessulani comes insimul prope Soregium venerunt & cognoverunt inter se quod in amore & in treva quisque cum altero manebat, sed unusquisque ab alio quaerimoniam faciebat, dicens quod ex altera parte treva erat sibi factura, ideoque bona voluntate compromiserunt in Raimundo de Monteferrario, quod infractum erat ex trevia esset restitutum cognitione sua & deinde quisque per se & per homines & per totam terram suam exhibeat talem cautelam adversus alium, qualem Raimundus de Monteferrario cognosceret. Et promiserunt insuper restituere praeterita & futura delicta & infractiones ex utraque parte ejus cog­nitione, & promiserunt tradere ex utraque parte quinque millia solidorum in sua potestate admonitione sua. Hoc totum juraverunt supra sancta quatuor Dei Evangelia Bernardus comes & Beatrix comitissa & Guillelmus dominus Montispessulani. — Et Raimundus de Monteferrario fecit tale mandatum super his, quod neque Bernar­dus de Piniano neque fratres ejus Guillelmus & Raimundus neque etiam coadjutores eorum qui nunc sunt de Melgorio veniant apud Melgorium nec stent milites Melgorii & alii de Melgorio qui vellent esse in hac treva, sed illi qui volent adjuvare Bernardo de Piniano & fratribus suis non debent malum facere Guillelmo de Montepessulo nec alio pro eo per octo dies postquam exierit de Melgorio. Si vero post octo dies malum aliquod facerent Guillelmo de Montepessulano vel alteri pro eo, non debent infra Melgorium intrare per octo dies postquam illud malum esset factum. Comes vel comitissa vel homines eorum qui in hac treva fuerunt non debent deffendere auxiliatores Bernardi de Piniano & fratrum suorum nec etiam honores eorum neque res eorum extra castrum Melgorii, sed si Guillelmus Arnaudi & Guillelmus Pontii vellent esse in hac treva, debent satisfacere Guillelmo de Montpellier cognitione ipsius comitis. Co­mes & comitissa non debeut accipere aliquos malefactores cum praeda vel sine praeda in sua potestate, qui malum faciant Guillelmo de Montepessulo vel suis. Similiter Guillelmus de Montepessulano nec alii debent malum facere comiti vel comitissae nec hominibus de Melgorio qui in hac treva fuerunt per octo dies postquam illud malum esset factum. Guillelmus de Montepessulano non debet aliquos male­factores cum praeda vel sine praeda in sua potestate recipere, qui malum faciant co­miti vel comitissae vel hominibus de Mel­gorio qui in hac treva fuerunt. Et si aliquid e toto hoc sicut in hac carta scriptum est ex alia parte esset infractum, totum illud cognitione Raimundi de Monteferrario debet esse restitutum. — Item ego Raimundus de Monteferrario praecipio quod ex utraque parte hanc trevam bona fide & sine omni dolo teneant ab hoc caramentran usque ad v annos & deinceps tamdiu donec aliquis eorum alterum diffidatum habeat, & postea treva firma per XL dies sequentes maneat. — Ego Beatrix comitissa & ego Bernardus comes maritus ejus laudamus & concedimus totum hoc & damus trevam pro his V annis continuis. Et ego Guillel­mus de Montepessulano laudo & concedo totum hoc. Factum est anno dominicae Incarnationis mclxi, mense octobris.

Historical context:

The details of a truce between the count and countess of Melgueil on one side, and William VII of Montpellier on the other, through the mediation of Raymond of Montferrier, in which Beatrice and Melgueil renounce their allegiance with  the Pignan brothers.  A castrum is a fortified place with an administrative center.

Printed source:

Histoire Générale de Languedoc, 5.1245-46, #641, DXXVII.

Date: