A letter of confirmation

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful of Christ who will look at the present page, eternal salvation (greetings) in the lord.  Since the truth of things done may at any time be obscured through the course of time, from which conflicts and disputes frequently arise, therefore, desiring to restrain this rather than allow it, the prudent wisdom of men devised that the things which were done or written may be strengthened by the protection of letters. Thus we wish it to be made manifest by the content of these to the notice of all present and future, that count Junk and his son John of the Isaan family, coming into our presence humbly set forth, entreating, that since lady Maria, our dearest grandmother of happy memory unduly took away certain of their hereditary lands, called Wrbouch and Ebres, in the Transdravan territory, and had them turned over to the use of her pork herders of Lónya, and now lord Ladislaus illustrious king of Hungary, our dearest consort, after the truth was investigated and more fully known, had said lands, in the name of the right of their heirs, restored to them with all their uses, conferred by his charter; seeking from us with urgency that we deign to ratify by our charter the restitution of said lands made by that lord our king, to have it accepted as stable, agreeable and accepted.  Since we are held from the duty of our office to conserve for each person what is his, and should not fail anyone in his right, we have given up and permitted said lands called Wrbouch and Ebres with all their uses and appurtenances, to those count Junk and his son John and their subsequent heirs, with accustomed benevolence by that right and plenitude by which they were known to have obtained [them] from our said lord king according to the form of his charter.  In memory and perptual stability of which thing, we have granted the present letters strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of the venerable father Thomas, by the grace of God bishop of Waciensis, chancellor of our court and our faithful count/ispán of Pilis.  In the thousand two hundred eighty first year of the lord.

Original letter:

Elysabeth dei gracia regina Hungarie omnibus Christi fidelibus presentem paginam inspecturis salutem in domino sempiternam.  Quia per decursus temporum nonunquam rerum gestarum veritas obscuratur, et per hoc lites ac iurgia frequenter suscitantur, ideo hoc restringere cupiens pocius quam laxare provida hominum discrecio adinvenit, ut ea que aguntur vel tractantur, litterarum patrocinio roborentur.  Proinde universorum presencium, futurorumque noticie harum serie volumus fieri manifestum, quod comes Junk et Johannes filius eiusdem de genere Isaan ad nostram accedentes presenciam exposuerunt humiliter supplicando, quod cum domina Maria, felicis recordacionis avia nostra karissima, quasdam terras eorum hereditarias, Wrbouch et Ebres vocatas, in partibus transdrawanis constitutas, ab eis indebite abstulisset, et usui pastorum porcorum suorum de Lona fecisset applicari, nunc dominus Ladizlaus illustris rex Hungarie, consors noster karissimus, inquisita et cognita veritate pleniori, predictas terras, nomine iuris eorum hereditarii, ipsis cum omnibus utilitatibus earum restitui fecisset pleno iure possidendas, suum exinde privilegium conferendo; petentes a nobis cum instancia, ut restitucionem predictarum terrarum per ipsum dominum nostrum regem factam, ratam, gratam et acceptam habere, ac nostro privilegio ratificare dignaremur.  Cum itaque ex officii nostri debito unicuique quod suum est conservare teneamur, nec alicui in suo iure deesse debeamus, predictas terras Wrbouch et Ebres vocatas, cum omnibus utilitatibus et pertinenciis suis, ipsis comiti Junk et Johanni filio eiusdem ac ipsorum heredibus consequenter, de solita benignitate reliquimus et permisimus eo iure, eaque plenitudine, quibus a domino nostro rege predicto, secundum formam privilegii eiusdem exinde confecti, obtinuisse dinoscuntur.  In cuius rei memoriam et perpetuam firmitatem, presentes concessimus litteras duplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus venerabilis patris Thome dei gracia episcopi Waciensis, aule nostre cancellarii et comitis de Plys fidelis nostri.  Anno domini millesimo ducentesimo octuagesimo primo.

Historical context:

The queen ratifies the king’s restitution of lands in Slavonia to their hereditary owners who had been deprived of them by her husband’s grandmother, queen Maria, who was known to have taken lands illegally (see Zsoldos, The Arpads, 42. 168).  The current queen’s charter is requested because the lands involve reginal rights.  The following year, John would ask the dowager queen, Elizabeth of the Cumans, to give a similar confirmation.

Printed source:

Codex diplomaticus regni Croatiae, Dalmatiae et Slavoniae, ed. T. Smiciklas (Zagreb, 1904-34), 6.400, #339.

Date: