A letter to Géza II

Translated letter:

To her most glorious lord and brother, the most victorious king of the Hungarians, [Géza], [Sophia] formerly his sister now the handmaid of Christ and of him, [sends] the owed obedience of prayer and service.  Since you piously and mercifully remembered my name, dearest brother, I humbly give grateful thanks to your royal magnanimity.  Though the riches seem to me inestimable for him who made himself a pauper for us, I rejoice that I am a pauper because of the gifts of your generosity, since I seek in them more your salvation than the benefit of my utility.  It also brought not a little joy to me that by that sweetest mission and generosity of royal gifts you deigned to honor my person specially.  Who chose me as special daughter to himself, showing me the faith and grace of paternal kindness, and loved and venerated you no less as a father a son or servant a lord and and does not fail to pray to the lord king of kings with devoted prayers.

Original letter:

Gloriosissimo domino et fratri suo N. regi Hunorum victoriosissimo, N. quondam germana nunc Christi et ipsius ancilla deb(itum) orationis et servitutis obsequium. Quoniam pie et misericorditer recordatus es nominis mei, frater dulcissime, grates et gratias humiliter refero regali magnificentie tue. Licet enim inestimabiles mihi videantur divicie pro ipso qui pro nobis pauper factus est, me pauperem esse de muneribus tamen regie liberalitatis hac de causa gaudeo, quia magis in his tue salutis quam mee utilitatis commodum quero. Ad hec etiam non modicum mihi intulit gaudium, quod dulcissima legatione et regii muneris largitate specialiter honorare dignatus es specialem p(ersonam) m(eam). Qui me specialem elegit sibi filiam et paterne suavitatis mihi exhibens fidem et gratiam, et te nichilominus ut pater filium ut servus dominum veneratur et diligit et pro salute nominis t(ui) regi regum domino assiduis supplicare precibus non desin(et). 

Historical context:

Though he had wanted her to return to Hungary and enter a new marriage agreement, Géza has acquiesced to her desire to enter the convent of Admont and apparently given the necessary entrance gift.  The archbishop of Salzburg, the paternal figure of the last sentence, had supported her request as well as the queen, as Sophia implied in a letter to her mother (26046.html).

Printed source:

August von Jaksch, “Zur Lebensgeschichte Sophias, der Tochter König Belas II von Ungarn,” Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung II (1888), 372. 

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