A letter of donation from Adela

Translated letter:

How useful it might be, and how effective for all the faithful to relieve the necessities of the servants of God, and to prepare those patrons and friends against the evil of Mammon, by those who will be received in the eternal tabernacle, noone who conforms a narrow understanding to reason should ignore.  For the Lord who commands nothing except what is good for us, orders this, and the life of the good which is a living lesson manifests this with a clear light by its examples.  Which if it is encouraged for all by beatific and salutary action, how much more effective is this for the rich and powerful of this world, who because of the excessive abundance of delights/luxuries give less care to the things of God, and who on the other hand, occupied with the tumults of cases and affairs, sin very often and very seriously in several [ways].  These, I say, should most redeem their sins by alms, so that they may share not undeservedly in spiritual things whose carnal things are disseminated among the servants of God. 

I Countess Adela, admonished on this often by Maurice, abbot of the monastery of Blois, where the body of St. Lomer is visited with appropriate honor, found it worthy to enlarge and increase with things of my holdings the benefaction for the brothers of said place and their monastery.  I therefore give and grant to St. Lomer and the brothers of the monastery of Blois for the soul of my dearest spouse, count Stephen, and for the soul of my father and my mother, and also for my salvation, and the succession of my children, a certain part of my forest which is called Long Forest from the place which is called great Oucques to the land of William son of Fredo in length.  In width, from a certain street which is called the street of Fest as it runs from great Oucques and falls into the valley of St. Victor as far as the forest goes up to the plain on the side that looks to Montfollet, and Beauce (?Belsia) Blois, and so I give freely what I have held to now by gift of my dearest spouse; thus I grant to said saint and the monks who profess there, and the guests whom they can keep there that they are free from every custom altogether and will suffer no  persecution from any of my successors or my officials.  Also with similar benefit I grant to St. Lomer and the brothers of said place the banlieu, and if I had any other custom in the borough/bourg of St. Nicholas up to now, as much as the land holds which Praxede and her son Astho Borel gave to that saint, and let it be altogether free like the tax on St. Lomer.  The road which runs between the bourg  and the vineyards is next to the boundaries of said land.  I similarly give and grant to the brothers of said place entirely free from all payment of custom to do whatever they may wish with it or in it.  From the revenue of my stores, I bestow no less three measures of salt every year from now on, and entreating I command that all who succeed me, heirs or officials, are not to inflict harm on them by any cause or delay or whatever trick over this benefice of mine. 

Therefore granting all these to St. Lomer according to the wording of this description, I have signed the present charter with my subscription, and had it strengthened by my children granting the same and subscribing.  The monks promised me as reciprocal benefit they would sing one mass each week in the convent for my salvation and would feed one pauper daily in alms.  When God however wishes to remove me from my body they will offer daily for one year the mystery for my peaceful salvation and they will diligently carry out other things which are done for the dead.  After that they will celebrate my anniversary as they do the anniversary of Abbot Bernard and of other abbots.

Present at the gift of this benefice on my part were:  Hugh Candid, Raoul of Brenne, Nivelo, marshal Hildegar, Gamel brother of Gilduin, Andrew Barba, Gilduin of La Madeleine(?), Daniel and Borel, sons, Gobillon, Peter of Rolleiz (Roileicio), Guarin brother of Gradulph, Caveler Curiat. On the part of the monks:  Bartholomew Durand, Aculeus, abbot Raoul, marshal Walter, Garnald, marshal Bernard, Odo major, Rainald son of Armenard..

Sign of William.  Sign of Thibaud.  Sign of countess Adela.  Witnesses of this writing are seneschal Hugh, Guarnald, brother of Raymond, Peter of Rolleiz (?Rollere), Andrew Barba, provost Gradulph, Hugh of Orfineo, Matthew of Riliac, Walgrin, cleric, Adam of Bouillancy, Robert of Bordier, Roger and Wilbert, chaplains.  

Original letter:

Quam utile sit, quantum fidelibus omnibus expediat servorum Dei necessitatibus occurrere, eosque sibi Patronos & amicos, a quibus in aeterna tabernacula recipiantur de iniquo mammonae praeparare, nullus qui rationi, vel tenuem intellectum accomodat ignorat.  Hoc enim & Dominus qui nihil jubet nisi quod nobis proficiat, imperat, hoc & vita bonorum quae viva lectio est exemplis suis luce clarius manifestat. Quod si omnibus huic beatifico salubrique commercio insistendum est, quanto magis divitibus & potentibus hujus mundi hoc expedit, qui ubique pro nimia deliciarum abundantia in rebus Dei minus vigilant, & ex alia parte causarum negotiorumque tumultibus occupati in nonnullis saepissime atque gravissime peccant.  Isti, inquam, maxime debent eleemosynis peccata sua redimere ut in servos Dei qui carnalia sua seminantur spiritualibus compossint non immerito communicare.  Ego Adela Comitissa, & a Mauritio Blesensis Monasterii Abbate, ubi corpus beati Launomari debito frequentatur honore saepius super hoc ammonita, praedicti loci fratribus benefacere eorumque Monasterium de rebus mei juris ampliare & augmentare dignum duxi.  Dono igitur & concedo B. Launomaro & fratribus coenobii Blesensis pro anima charissimi sponsi mei Comitis Stephani, & pro anima patris & matris meae, pro salute quoque mea, meorum successu liberorum, partem quandam Boscheti mei quae silva longa dicitur a loco qui vocatur Olchia grandis usque ad terram Guillelmi filii Fredonis in longum.  Ex transverso autem a quadam calle quae vocatur via Festi, sicut ipse porrectus est ab Olchia grandi, & cadit in vallem sancti Victoris quantum silva durat usque ad planum de parte quae montem Foleti respicit, & Blesensem Belsiam, & sicut ego libere dono charissimi sponsi mei hoc usque modo tenui; ita praedicto sancto concedo & Monachis qui ibi conversaturi sunt, & hospitales quos ibidem retinere potuerint ab omni penitus consuetudine sint immunes nullamque ab aliquo successorum, sive Officialium meorum patiantur infestationem.  Simili quoque Beneficio concedo Beato Launomaro & praedicti loci fratribus Bannum leugae, & si quid alius consuetudinis in Burgo sancti Nicolai hactenus habui, quantum tenet terra quam dedit eidem Sancto, Praxedis & filius ejus Ascho Borellus, sitque penitus liberum sicut fiscus sancti Launomari.  Viam autem quae inter Burgum illus & vineas porrecta est juxta supradictae terrae metas.  Do similiter & concedo dicti loci fratribus, ab omni exactione consuetudinis extoto liberam ad faciendum quid quid de illa vel in illa facere voluerint.  De reditu vero patris[portus] mei tribuo nihilominus Monachis tres modios salis omni deinceps tempore, per singulos annos, deprecansque contestor omnes qui mihi successuri sunt, tam haeredes quam officiales, ne aliqua occasione seu dilatione seu quolibet ingenio ullam eis super hoc beneficio meo praesumant molestiam inferre.  Haec igitur omnia secundum descriptionis hujusce tenorem B. Launomaro concedens praesentem cartulam mea subscriptione firmavi, liberisque meis idipsum concedere & subscribendo roborare feci.  Monachi vero reciprocato beneficio promiserunt mihi per singulas amodo hebdomadas unam Missam in Conventu pro salute mea sese decantaturos & pauperem unum in eleemosyna sua quotidie refecturos.  Cum autem me Deus a corpore migrare voluerit uno anno quotidie pro requie mea salutare mysterium offerrent, & caetera quae pro mortuis agenda sunt diligenter exequentur.  Deinceps vero anniversarium meum facient sicut anniversarium Bernardi Abbatis, vel aliorum quorumlibet Abbatum suorum.  Hujus Beneficii dono ex parte mea interfuerunt hi Hugo Candidus, Radulphus de Brenna, Nivello. Hildegarius Mareschallus, Gamelius frater Gildiu. Andreas Barba, Gelduinus de Magduno, Daniel & Borellus filii, Gobillon, Petrus de Roileicio, Guarinus Gaudulphi frater, Cavelerus Curiat.  Ex parte Monachorum Bartholomeus Durandus, Aculeus, Radulphus Abbas, Gauterius Marescallus, Garnaldus, Bernardus Marescallus.  Odo Major, Rainaldus filius Armenardi. Signum Guillemi.  Signum Tetbaldi.  Signum Adelae Comitissae.  Testes hujus scriptionis sunt hi Hugo Sinescalcus. Guarnaldus frater Raimundi. Petrus de Rollere.  Andreas Barba.  Gradulphus praepositus. Hugo de Orfineo. Mathaeus de Riliaco Vvalgrinus Clericus. Adam de Bollenciaco. Robertus de Bordier, Rogerius & Guilbertus Capellani.

Historical context:

The countess makes various donations from her own holdings to the monastery of St. Lomer for the souls of her husband and parents, her own and her children, and grants a yearly gift of salt from her stores.  She expects in return the feeding of one pauper daily and a weekly mass during her lifetime with a daily one in the year of her death and one yearly on the anniversary in subsequent years.  Laporte, Adela of Blois,  476-77, #65, cites parts of the text and comments on it; she notes the difficulty of dating it, but favors 1106-07.  

Printed source:

Jean Bernier, Histoire de Blois (Paris:  François Muguet, 1682), Preuves, v-vi.  

Date: