A letter from Raymond of Pallars and Valencia

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord.  I Raymond, by the favor of God count of Pallars, and my spouse Valencia, by the grace of God countess, are mortgagers/pledgers to you, Arnau Minor of Tost, and your spouse Arsenda.  By this document of our pledge we mortgage/pledge to you the castrum Montaniana with the castrum Muro, and the castrum Limignana, with all their boundaries and appurtenances, as we and our relatives have them and ought to have them by whatevermeans.  On this agreement, namely, we confer these pledges on you that, if we or any man or woman by our counsel should take that castrum of Arenio from you or cause it to be diminished from what you now hold or ought to hold and have in that castrum or in that town or in its boundaries and all appurtenances, then you or your men for you within 30 days that you complained to us and admonished us, if we did not make/do right without deception for said castrum of Arenio or its boundaries and all appurtenances, said castros of Montaniana and Mur and Limingana with their its boundaries and all appurtenances would be forfeit to your power without deception as your entire own allod most fully.  In a similar way, we confer on you said pledges so that from those castellans who now hold said castrum or will have held it before through us, we would not take anything from that castrum which those castellans now hold through you in that castrum or in that town or in its its boundaries and all appurtenances.  And if there were anyone who took that castrum from you or caused any diminution to you of that town or its its boundaries and all appurtenances, we would help you against them without deception.  And if we refused to be warned or to give help or [illegible word] for all the above, those said castros of Montaniana and Muro and Limingana with their its boundaries and all appurtenances would be forfeit to your power without deception as your entire own allod most fully; and thus we would hand it from our right into your domain and power, and that is manifest.  Which if we the pledgers, or any man or woman wished to breach this document of pledge or did breach it, he could not prevail, but must pay you double; and henceforth this pledge will remain firm for all time.  This was enacted in the 4th year of king Philip, 17th kalends of August.  Sign+ of Raymond, count, by the favor of God.  Sign+ of Valencia, countess by the grace of God, we who asked this pledge to be written and signed it and had witnesses sign.  Sign+ of Bertran Ato.  Sign+ of Guitard William of Midiano.  Sign+ of Bernard Trasvar.  Sign+ of Roger Umbert.  Raymond, cleric, wrote it as asked and with letters placed above in line 6 where it says aut tenere, on the day and year as stated above. 

Original letter:

In nomine Domini. Ego Reimundus, nutu Dei comes Paliarensis, et coniux mea Valencia, Dei gracia comitissa, impignoratores sumus tibi, Arnallum Minorem de Tost, et coniugem tuam Arsindam. Per hanc nostre scripture impignoracionis impignoramus vobis kastrum Montaniana cum kastrum Murum et kastrum Limignana, cum eorum terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, sicut nos et consanguinei nostri eos abemus et abere debemus per que[m]cumque modum. Sub tali, videlicet, conventu mittimus vobis ista pignora quod, si nos aut aliquis omo vel femina per nostrum consilium tulerimus aut tulerint vobis chastrum Arenio aut minuere vobis fecerimus de hoc quod nunc tenetis aut tenere et abere debetis in ipso chastro sive in ipsa villa vel in suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, tam vos ipsi quam vestri homines per vos, et infra xxx dies quod nobis hec querellaveritis atque comonueritis <nobis>, non fecerimus directum sine vestro enganno de prefato castro Arenio vel de suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, incurrant supradictos castros Montaniana et Mur et Limingana, cum eorum terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, in vestra potestate sine vestro enganno ad vestrum plenissimum proprium alaudem ab intecrum. Simili modo mittimus vobis suprascripta pignora ut ad ipsos castellanos qui nunc tenent supradicto castro, aut in antea tenuerint per nos, nec eis tollamus ipso castro nec rem de quod nunc tenent ipsos castellanos per vos in ipso castro sive in ipsa villa vel in suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus. Et si aliquis fuerit qui vobis tulerit ipso castro, aut minime vobis fecerit de ipsa villa vel suis terminis et pertinenciis omnibus, quod nos adiuvemus vobis de eos sine vestrum enganno. Et si nos vetaverimus comonire neque de istum adiutorium neque de [palabra ilegible] ad facere de supradicta omnia, incurrant supradictos castros Montaniana et Muro et Limingana cum eorum terminis et pertinenciis omnibus in vestra potestate sine vestro enganno ad vestrum plenissimum proprium alaudem ab intecrum; et sic de nostro iure in vestro tradimus dominio et potestate, et est manifestum. Quod si nos impignoratores, aut ullus homo vel femina quis contra hanc scripture impignoracionis disrumpere voluerit aut disrumperit, non hoc valeat vindicare, set in duplo vobis componat; et in antea hanc pignora firma permaneat omnique tempore. Que est (h)acta anno IIII regis Philipi, XVII kal. augusti. Sig+num Reimundus, nutu Dei comes. Sig+num Valencia, Dei gracia comitissa, qui hanc pignora scribere rogavimus et firmavimus et testes firmare fecimus. Sig+num Bertranni Atonis. Sig+num Guitardi Guilielmi de Midiano. Sig+num Bernardi Trasvarii. Sig+num Rodger Umbert. Reimundus, clericus, rogatus scripsit et cum litteris superpositis in verso VI ubi dicitur aut tenere, die et anno que prefixo.

Historical context:

This charter records the pledge made by Raymond, count of Pallars and his wife Valencia, of the castrum of Montaniana, of Muro and of Limingana to her parents, against anything being removed within the castrum of Arenio.  A castrum is an administrative district including a fortification/castle.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior, 128-29, #127.  

Date: