A letter of confirmation

Translated letter:

Elizabeth, by the grace of God senior/dowager queen of Hungary.  To all the faithful of Christ, present and future who will look at the present letters, greetings in the author of salvation.  We wish to bring to the notice of all, present and future, by the content of these:  That when the control/rule of the land of Szepes came into our hands by the grace and favor of lord king Ladislaus, our dearest son and the consent of all his barons, because of the various tribulations and destructions to the kingdom brought by unfaithful barons, at the request of that lord king, we decreed that the unduly alienated lands in said province Szepes, be walked through, restored and amended, with Dominic, master of our tavarniks, and master Gregory, provost of Kow our chancellor, mediating.  Among other things count Eliaz, son of Jordan, Saxon judge of Szepes, showed us the charter of said Ladislaus, our son, on the granting of the village of Gurgeu in Szepes, asking with urgency that we deign to hold that grant fixed and confirm it by our charter.  Of which charter this is the substance:  (See Ladislaus in the year 1278). We giving attention to the meritorious services and merits of loyalties of that count Elias, gave, donated and conferred said village of Gurgeu from our authority and the castrum of Szepes by free grant of that lord king altogether exempt, with all its uses and appurtenances, to that count and through him to his heirs and successors of those heirs; indeed although he did not have the effective documents on that grant, out of the fullness of reginal agreement we have left it to be possessed perpetually and peacefully.  Holding the charter of granting fixed and firm, inserted word for word in the presents, we confirm it by the authority and testimony of the presents.  Dated in the thousand twohundred seventy ninth year of the Lord.

Original letter:

Elisabeth, Dei gratia, maior regina Hungariae.  Vniuersis Christi fidelibus, praesentibus pariter et futuris, praesentes litteras inspecturis, salutem in salutis auctore.  Ad vniuersorum noticiam, tam praesencium quam futurorum, harum serie volumus peruenire:  Quod cum dominium terre de Scepus, de gracia et fauore Domini Ladislai Regis, karissimi filii nostri, et omnium Baronum suorum consensu, propter varias tribulationes et destructiones regni, per infideles Barones factas, ad nostras manus fuisset deuolutum, ad petitionem eiusdem Domini regis, terras in dicta prouincia Scypus indebite alienatas, Dominico Magistro Tauarnicorum nostrorum, et Magistro Gregorio, Praeposito de Sou (Kow) Cancellario nostro mediantibus reambulari, restaurare et emendare decreuissemus; inter cetera Comes Elias, filius Iordani, Iudex Saxonum de Scypus, exhibuit nobis priuilegium dicti Ladizlai, filii nostri, super collatione ville Gurgeu, in Scepus existentis, petens cum instantia, vt ipsam collationem ratam habere et nostro dignaremur priuilegio confirmare.  Cuius quidem priuilegii tenor talis est:  Ladizlaus (vide ad an.1278).  Nos itaque meritoria obsequia, et fidelitatum merita, ipsius Comitis Elie attendentes, dictam villam Gurgeu, a nostra et castri Scepuiensis potestate per liberam collacionem eiusdem Domini regis penitus exemptam, cum suis vtilitatibus et pertinenciis vniuersis, eidem Comiti, et per eum suis haeredibus, heredumque suorum successoribus, dedimus, donauimus, et contulimus; ymo eciamsi instrumenta eficacia super ipsa collacione non haberet, ex plenitudine reginalis conueniencie, perpetuo et pacifice relinquimus possidendam.  Priuilegium eciam collacionis ratum et firmum habendo, de verbo ad verbum praesentibus insertum, auctoritate et testimonio presencium confirmamus.  Datum per manus prenotati Magistri Gregorii, Praepositi de Sou (Kou) aule nostre Cancellarii, fidelis nostri.  Anno Domini Millesimo, ducentesimo, septuagesimo nono.

Historical context:

The queen confirms a donation by her son to count Elias for his services.  Zsoldos, The Árpáds and Their Wives, 64, says the queen had a large-scale survey of landed estates done when she took over the county of Szepes, at the request of her son king Ladislaus; Zsoldos, 158, also 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.  Tavarniks were originally treasurers, then judges.  A castrum is an administrative unit with a castle at the center.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér (Budae, Regiae Vniversitatis Vngariae, 1829—44), 5.2.585-86.

Date: