A letter from Ramon and Ermessend of Pallars

Translated letter:

In the name of Christ.  I Raymond, by the grace of God count of Pallars, and my wife Ermessend, by the grace of God countess, are the pledgers to you Arnau Mir de Tost and your wife Arsenda, we are pledgers to you for that castrum of St. Lawrence with that Espluga de Miralles with its boundaries.  And this abovenamed castrum abuts with the named Espluga in the east in that major road that goes from Ager to Pallars, in the south on that ridge which is between St. Lawrence and Abella Ciega that they call Clarmont, in the west in the river Noguera, in the north on the peak of Montsech.  As much as these abutments enclose and these boundaries contain, so we pledge to you that half of those said castros with their boundaries which you, said Arnau hold through our fief.  We pledge to you all the above for five ounces of gold up to the coming feast of St John.  And if we have not paid you those five ounces by the named term, those said castros will be forfeit to you with their boundaries as your own allod to do whatever you wish.  And it is manifest that, if we pledgers and any man should attack this charter of pledge to break it, he could not prevail, but must pay you all the above double with every improvement, and henceforth this charter of pledge will remain firm and stable now and for all time.

This charter of pledge was made on the 6th nones of March in the 14th year of the reign of king Henry.  Sign+ of Raymond, by the grace of God, count.  Sign+ of Ermessend, by the grace of God countess, we who asked this charter of pledge to be written and witnesses to sign it.  Sign+ of Mir Mir.  Sign+ of Gitard Isarn.  Sign+ of Bertran Ato. Sign+ of Bernard Trasur.  Sign+ of Gitard Arnald.  Sign+ of Berenger Borrel.  Bonefilius, priest, wrote it as asked on the day + and year above.

Original letter:

In Cristi nomine. Ego Raimundus, gratia Dei chomes Paliarense, et coniuge sua Ermesindis, gratia Dei comitissa, pingnoratores sumus tibi Arnald Mir de Tost et uxor tua Arsindis, pingnoratores sumus vobis ipso kastro de Sancti Laurencii cum ipsa Espelluncha de Miralles cum illorum terminos. Et abent afrontaciones ipso kastro suprascripto et cum ipsa Espelluncha suprascripta a parte orientis in ipsa estrata maiore qui pergit de Ager a Pallares, et de meridie in ipsa serra qui est inter Sancti Laurencii et Abella Zega que dicunt Clarmonte, et de occiduo in flumen Nogerola, de parte vero circi in sumitate de Monte Sicho. Quantum infra istas afrontaciones includunt et isti termi continent, sic pignoramus vo­bis ipsa medietatem de ipsos chastros suprascriptos cum illorum terminos que tu Arnaldus suprascriptus tenes per nostrum feum. Pingnoramus vobis hec omnia suprascripta per unties quinque de auro que accepimus de vos que reddeamus vobis ipsas quinque uncias usque de auro usque ad festivitate Sancti Iohannis prima veniente. Et, si non abemus vobis persoltum ipsas quinque uncias usque ad istum terminum iamdictum, incurrant vobis istos kastros iamdictos cum illorum terminos ad vestrum proprium alaudem ad facere quodcumque volueritis. Et est manifestum, quod, si nos pingnoratores aut nullusque omo qui contra hanc karta pignoracionis venerit ad inrumpendum, non hoc valeat vindicare, set componat vobis hec omnia suprascripta in duplo cum omnia sua inmelioracione, et in antea ista kasta (sic) pignoracionis firma et stabilis permaneat modo vel omnique tempore.

Facta karta pignoracionis VI nonas marcii anno XIIII regni Aenrici regis. Sig+num Raimundus, gracia Dei chomes. Sig+num Ermessindis, gratia Dei comitissa, qui ista karta pignoracionis rogavimus scribere et testes firmare. Sig+num Mir Mir. Sig+num Gitardus Isarnus. Sig+num Bertrannus Ato. Sig+num Bernard Trasur. Sig+num Gitardus Arnaldus. Sig+num Berenger Borrel. Bonefilius, sacer, rogatus, scripsit et su + die et anno quod supra. 

Historical context:

The count and countess of Pallars, Ramon III and Ermessend, pledge half of St. Lawrence and Espluga de Miralles to the viscount and viscountess for five ounces of gold.  These are castros that Arnau already holds in fief and which he will take over as allods if payment is not made by a certain date.  Castrum is an administrative unit including a fortified castle.  

Printed source:

Pedro Sanahuja, Historia de la Villa de Ager (Barcelona:  Editorial Seráfica, 1961), 323, #11.

Date: