A letter of reward

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful of Christ present and future who will look at the present writing, greetings in the bestower of salvation.  Prudent reginal benevolence ought to weigh the loyalties and services of individuals not unjustly and respond, if not fully still to some extent, to those serving faithfully with worthy rewards of remuneration, so that others aroused by the example may be invited more easily to deeds of loyalty.  Hence we wish to bring to the attention of all present and future by the contents of these, that we, considering the loyalties and merits of the services of the noble man Dominic, count/ispán, son of Peter of the Csák family, judge of our court, which he gave us tirelessly from the ardor of pure fidelity, in the exchange of his possessions of Muhi and Narag in the county/ispánate of Vyuar, also those called Zeuleus, Stara and Prische in the county of Zemplén, which we handed over to others, with him giving it up at the pleasure of our will; also for the shedding of his blood for us when certain traitors inhabitants of our kingdom at Alba rising up with armed hands before the time of the coronation of our dearest son king Ladislas against our excellence.   Ripping the sword from the hand of a certain armed man who had rushed into the home of our majesty with reckless boldness, he might have risked death, if the hands of other armed criminals had not been hindered; he received a lethal wound and being left there half alive barely recovered health with the lord granting.  We gave the possession called Hagamas beside the Danube, where the Drava river falls into the Danube, in the county of Valkó, with all its appendages, circumstances, uses, appurtenances, namely woods, vineyards, meadows, hayfields, fishponds, tribute established both in the river Drava and in the Danube, and in all those appurtainng to the village Hagmas by whatever name they are assessed; we gave, conferred, granted, handed over, and donated [these] to that count Dominic, our faithful, with the agreement, consent and will of our dearest son the king and all our barons, though small as compensation for his possessions, which we took from him, and the shedding of his blood for us, and of his services and loyalties, [we gave] to him and his heirs, and successors of his heirs to be possessed by perpetual right peacefully and irrevocably.  That the content of this donation of ours may remain always secure and unimpaired, and cannot be withdrawn in the course of time by anyone as invalid, we have granted the present letters strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of the venerable father Philip, by the grace of God bishop of Vaciens, chancellor of our court, our faithful, in the thousand two hundred seventy third year from the incarnation of the lord.

Original letter:

Elisabet dei gracia regina Hungarie universis Christi fidelibus tam presentibus quam futuris presens scriptum inspecturis salutem in salutis largitore.  Circumspecta reginalis benignitas debet non immerito pensare fidelitates et servicia singulorum et si non plene tamen aliqualiter sibi fideliter servientibus dignis remuneracionum premiis respondere; ut alii exemplo accensi ad fidelitatis opera facilius invitentur.  Proinde ad universorum presencium futurorumque noticiam harum serie volumus pervenire, quod nos considerantes fidelitates et servitiorum merita nobilis viri Dominici comitis filii Petri de genere Chak, iudicis curie nostre, que nobis ex fervore mere fidelitatis exhibuit indefesse(?) tum pro concambio possessionum suarum Muhi et Narag in comitatu de Vyuar existencium, item Zeuleus, Stara et Prische vocatarum in comitatu de Zemlen constitutarum, que nos ab eodem auferendo aliis tradidimus pro nostro libito voluntatis; tum pro effusione pro nobis sui cruoris cum quidam infideles incole regni nostri apud Albam ante tempus coronacionis carissimi filii nostri regis Ladislai contra nostram excellentiam manu armata insurgentes, idem gladium cuiusdam armati, qui prius in nostre maiestatis domum ausu temerario irruerat de manu eiusdem arripiens, mortis poterat subdere periculo, nisi aliorum sceleratorum et armatorum manus obstitissent; letale vulnus accepit et ibidem semivivus relictus domino largiente vix corporis recepit sanitatem; possessionem Hagamas vocatam sita iuxta Danubium, ubi aqua Drawe in ipsum Danubium descendit, in comitatu de Wolko constitutam, cum omnibus appendiciis suis, circumstantiis, utilitatibus pertinentiis, sylvis videlicet vineis, pratis, feneto, piscinis, tributo tam in fluvio Drawe, quam Danubii constituto, ac universis ad ipsam villam Hagmas attinentibus, quoquo nomine censeantur, eidem comiti Dominico fideli nostro, de connivencia consensu et voluntate carissimi filii nostri regis et omnium baronum nostrorum, licet modica respectu possessionum suarum que ab ipso abstulimus et effusione pro nobis sui sanguinis, nec non servitiorum et fidelitatum suorum videatur dedimus, contulimus, concessimus, tradidimus et donavimus sibi et suis heredibus, heredumve successoribus iure perpetuo pacifice et irrevocabiliter possidendam.  Ut igitur hec nostre donacionis series salva semper et illibata permaneat, nec processu temporum valeat per quempiam in irritum retractari, presentes concessimus litteras dupplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus venerabilis patris Philippi dei gracia episcopi Vaciensis, aule nostre cancellarii, fidelis nostri, anno ab incarnatione domini MCC, septuagesimo tertio.

Historical context:

The queen awards possessions to one of her men who risked his life for her during the rebellion after her husband died, and served her in other ways, including giving up some of his land for her use. His father Peter had fallen out of favor through court intrigues, see Zsoldos, The Arpads, 112.

Printed source:

Codex diplomaticus regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, ed. T. Smiciklas (Zagreb, 1904-34), 6.51-52, #47.  

Date: