A letter of confirmation

Translated letter:

Elizabeth, by the grace of God queen of Hungary, to all the faithful of Christ, present as well as future, who will have notice of the presents, greetings in the saviour of all.  It is for a good and religious prince to restore oppressed and broken churches, to build new ones, and to honor and protect the priests of God.  Thence we wish to bring to the notice of all of your community by the contents of these:  that when the control (dominium) of the land Szepes devolved on us from the good will and favor of our dearest son, king Ladislaus and all the barons of the kingdom of Hungary, after diverse and various destructions and alienations of many lands by the unfaithful of the kingdom, and we at the request of that same dearest son decreed that we would judge, revoke and amend all the undue alienation and occupation of the lands, with the mediation of our faithful barons, namely Dominic master of our tavarnoks and master Gregory, provost of Kow/Kew (Keve?) our chancellor; among other things the venerable man master Muthmerius, provost of Szepes, showed us a charter of our dearest father-in-law Béla of pious memory in which it is contained that that king Béla of glorious memory had conferred the lands of two villages, namely Lethon and Heymuth, on the church of St. Martin of Szepes, to be possessed perpetually, for the remedy of the soul of the king’s dearest brother Coloman who while he lived possessed the land of Szepes for his life with full right.  He showed us also the charter of our dearest son, king Ladislaus, on the confirmation of said lands.  And though we ought to have seen no ambiguity or suspicion in the words of the charter, having investigated and known the truth for greater certitude and caution from all the Germans/Teutons, Hungarians, and Slavs living in the land of Szepes, we found that the church of St. Martin was in  the possession of said villages from the time the donation was made, peacefully and quietly, and was not interrupted by any possession of them.  Whence since it is not our intention nor that of our dearest son to revoke things dedicated and consecrated to God and conferred so piously, properly, and justly by illustrious kings and mainly by king Béla, especially so those serving God in said church would be enflamed to greater devotion, and should pray more diligently for the souls of said kings every day with passion, for the salvation of our dearest son, king Ladislaus, we gave, donated, and conferred said towns, namely Lethon and Heymuth, on the church of St. Martin with all their uses and appurtenances; indeed we have left them, peacefully conferred for a long time, to be possessed in perpetuity.  In memory and perpetual stability of which thing, we have granted the present letters to that provost Muthmerius and to said church of St. Martin, strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of said master of Kow, our faithful chancellor of our court.  In the thousand twohundred seventy ninth year of the Lord.

Original letter:

Elisabetha, Dei gratia, regina Hungariae, Omnibus Christi fidelibus, tam praesentibus quam futuris, praesentium notitiam habituris, salutem in omnium Saluatore.  Boni Principis est et religiosi, Ecclesias contritas atque concisas restaurare, nouasque aedificare, et Dei sacerdotes honorare et tueri.  Proinde ad vniuersitatis vestrae notitiam harum serie volumus peruenire:  quod cum Dominium terrae Scepus de beneplacito et fauore Charissimi filii nostri, Regis Ladislai, et omnium Baronum regni Hungariae, post diuersas et varias destructiones et terrarum multarum alienationes per infideles regni factas, ad nos fuisset deuolutum, et nos ad petitionem eiusdem charissimi filii nostri omnes terras indebite alienatas et occupatas, fidelibus Baronibus nostris, Dominico videlicet, Magistro Thauarnicorum nostrorum, et Magistro Gregorio, Praeposito de Kow (Kew) Cancellario nostro, mediantibus, iudicare, reuocare, et emendare decreuissemus; inter cetera ven. Vir Magister Muthmerius, Praepositus de Scepus, exhibuit nobi priuilegium charissimi soceri nostri Belae, piae memoriae, in quo continetur, quod terras duarum villarum, videlicet Lethon et Heymuth, Ecclesiae Beati Martini de Scepus, pro remedio animae charissimi fratris sui Colomanni Regis, inclitae recordationis, qui, dum viueret, terram Scepus possederat vsque ad vitam suam, pleno iure, idem Rex Bela contulisset perpetuo possidendas.  Exhibuit etiam nobis Priuilegium charissimi filii nostri, Regis Ladislai, super confirmatione terrarum praedictarum.  Et quamuis nos visis dictis Priuilegiis nullam ambiguitatem, et suspicionem exinde habere debuissemus, ad maiorem tamen certitudinem et cautelam, inquisita et scita veritate, ab omnibus Theutonicis, Hungaris, et Sclauis, in eadem terra Scepus degentibus, comperimus Ecclesiam B. Martini in possessione dictarum villarum fuisse, a tempore donacionis factae, pacifice et quiete, nec per aliquem interrupisse possessionem earumdem.  Vnde cum intentionis nostrae et charissimi filii nostri non sit, res Deo dicatas et consecratas, et tam pie, rite, et iuste per illustres reges, et maxime per Belam Regem collatas reuocare, praesertim vt in dicta Ecclesia Deo famulantes ad maiorem deuotionem accendantur, et pro salute charissimi filii nostri, Regis Ladislai, ac pro animabus praedictorum Regum diligentiori orare debeant omni die cum affectu, praedictas villas eorum, Lethon, scilicet et Heymuth, eidem Ecclesiae Sancti Martini cum suis vtilitatibus et pertinentiis vniuersis dedimus, donauimus et contulimus;  imo iam dudum collatas pacifice reliquimus, perpetuo possidendas.  In cuius rei memoriam, firmitatemque perpetuam praesentes ipsi Muthmerito Praeposito et dictae Ecclesiae S. Martini concessimus litteras, dupplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus dicti magistri de Kow, aulae nostrae Cancellarii, fidelis nostri.  Anno Domini Millesimo ducentesimo septuagesimo nono. 

Historical context:

The queen confirms the donation of a church to two villages made by king Béla, her father-in-law as part of her project to restore churches damaged by hostile destructions,  Zsoldos, The Árpáds and Their Wives, 158, suggests that the destructions probably refer to the rebellion led by Roland, son of Mark, which ravaged the northern regions of the kingdom in 1277-78.  Tavarnoks were originally treasurers, then judges.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér (Budae, Regiae Vniversitatis Vngariae, 1829—44), 5.2.581-83.

Date: