A letter of restoration

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful of Christ present and future, eternal greetings in the Lord.  It is just and proper to equity that the rights/properties of subjects which were occupied by a mass of violence or the malice of [false] accusations, when the truth is known should grant that everything be restored to the former truth of right/property.  Therefore we wish to bring to the notice of all by these contents that Master Alexander, son of Theodore of Bábony of the county of Somogy coming into our presence begged us humbly that we would have restored to him, by owed benevolence and kindness, half of his hereditary land of Bábony, to three ploughings, which lady queen Maria, former consort of the illustrious king Béla of bright memory, took violently from his father Theodore, and had assigned to the reginal staff/servants, namely her wine-suppliers for their use.  So we, not wishing to oppress the rights of others or justice by the duty of our office, since we are held to preserve each one in his justice from the endeavors of the received regime lest injury arise from the [wrongful] occupation of anyone’s property; whence we ought by legitimate ways restrain the boldness of usurpation, having consulted our faithful barons, at the request also of our lord the illustrious king, our dearest consort, about the restoration and reformation of the half of that land of Bábony to our loyal chapter of Alba and also the nobles of county Somogy and Tolna, who shared the county and the province of that land, in owed loyalty and faith to the crown we gave orders that they investigate everything in this business and write back the truth they have learned. 
Which chapter of Alba wrote back their letters in these words:  to their most excellent lady Elizabeth, by the grace of God illustrious queen of Hungary; [letter not cited]
This is what the nobles from the county of Somogy and Tolna wrote back fully of their owed faith and loyalty to the royal crown.  And though we gave our granting charter at the first request of that Master Alexander to restore his right/property the first time; so that when the initiated truth might more timely shine in light, knowing that from the repeated investigation of the truth of that business, we were more fully informed more certainly, that the said half of the land of Bábony to the extent of three ploughings was the right/property of that Master Alexander and his father, who always possessed the other half in peace; desiring that what had been disturbed by malevolent instigation, should be restored to the pristine right:  since that Master Alexander gave devoted service to our lord king and his father and grandfather, illustrious kings, as well as to us in the commands or affairs of our serenity; the half of said land of Bábony to three ploughings, with all its plenitude and conditions and appurtenances, we have restored to that Master Alexander and through him to his heirs and their successors to be possessed in perpetuity; imposing perpetual silence on the wine-suppliers over this.  So that no dispute or matter for argument may arise in the future, we have granted the present letters in perpetual stability of that thing strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of the venerable father Thomas, bishop of Vachyensis chancellor of our court in the thousand two hundred eightieth (1280th) year of the lord.

Original letter:

Elyzabeth Dei gracia Regina Hungarie vniuersis Christi fidelibus tam presentibus quam futuris salutem in Domino sempiternam.  Justum est et consentaneum equitati, ut iura subiectorum, que fuerant mole potencie uel suggerencium malicia occupata, ueritate cognita cedant omnia veritati iuris pristino restaurato.  Proinde ad vniuersorum noticiam harum serie volumus peruenire, quod accedens ad nostram presenciam Magister Alexander filius Teodori de Babun de Comitatu Symigiensi,  nobis humiliter suplicauit, ut medietatem terre sue Babun hereditarie ad tria aratra, quam domina Maria Regina, quondam consors incliti Regis Bele clare memorie, potencialiter abtulerat a Teodoro patre suo, et condicionalibus Reginalibus, vini scilicet datoribus ad usum eorundem fecerat assignari, sibi restitui benignitate et mansuetudine debita faceremus.  Nos itaque nolentes ex officii nostri debito aliquorum iura vel iusticiam pergrauare, cum teneamur singulos ex fastigio suscepti regiminis in sua iusticia conseruare, ne iura quorumlibet indebite occupando inde nasceretur iniuria; vnde debuit per legitimos tramites presumpcionis audacia cohiberi, deliberato consilio fidelium Baronum nostrorum, ad instanciam eciam domini nostri Regis illustris, consortis nostri karissimi, circa reformacionem et restitucionem medietatis ipsius terre Babun fidelibus nostris Capitulo Albensi, nec non Nobilibus de Comitatu Symigiensi et Tolnensi, commentaneis et comprouincialibus eiusdem terre, sub fidelitate et fide Corone debita dedimus in mandatis, ut omnem de ipso negocio perscrutabiliter inquisitam et scitam nobis transscriberent veritatem.  Qui quidem Capitulum Albense nobis in suis litteris rescripserunt in hec uerba:  Excellentissime Domine sue Elyzabeth D. Gr. Illustri Regine Hungrie:  [letter not cited]
Hoc  idem eciam Nobiles de Comitatu Symigiensi et Tolnensi ad fidem suam et fidelitatem Corone Regie debitam plenarie rescripserunt.  Et quanquam ad primam peticionem eiusdem Magistri Alexandri in restitucione sui iuris prima vice nostrum duxerimus priuilegium concedendum; ut cum  veritas sepius exagitata magis splendescat in lucem, ex inquisicione iterata de ipsius negocij veritate plenius informate certo cercius connoscentes, dictam medietatem terre Babun ad quantitatem trium aratrorum iuris fuisse eiusdem Magistri Alexandri et patris ipsius, cuius alteram medietatem semper possedit in pace; cupientes, ut quod suggestione maliuola fuerat perturbatum, in ius pristinum restauretur:  cum idem Magister Alexander domino nostro Regi, ac patri et auo ipsius, Regibus illustribus, nec non et Nobis circa Nostre Serenitatis mandata seu negocia semper deuotum impenderit famulatum; medietatem dicte terre Babun ad tria aratra, cum  omni plenitudine, et circumstancijs ac pertinencijs suis restituimus eidem Magistro Alexandro, et per eum suis heredibus heredumque suorum successoribus perpetuo possidendam; eisdem vinidatoribus super hoc perpetuum silencium inponentes.  Vt autem super hoc imposterum nulla ualeat contencio uel litis materia suboriri, (in) eiusdem rei perpetuam firmitatem presentes litteras concessimus dupplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus venerabilis patris Thome Episcopi Vachyensis Aule nostre Cansellarij anno Domini MoCCo octuagesimo.

Historical context:

A large number of landowners complained that queen Maria had taken land from them in the 1270's.   Isabella’s mother-in-law, Elizabeth, had similarly restored to the palatine Mojs the villages of Kazsok, Béc, Csap, Farnas and Ráksi in the counties of Tolna and Somogy, which he claimed were unlawfully taken from him by queen Maria (Zsoldos, The Árpáds and Their Wives, 42).   The queen requested an investigation into the complaint by the chapter at Alba.  Their response seems to quote the queen's charter at length.

Printed source:

Árpádkori új okmánytár:  Codex diplomaticus Arpadianus continuatus, vols. I-XII, G. Wenzel ed. (Pest-Budapest: 1860-74), 12.299-300, #248.

Date: