A confirmation of an agreement about tithes

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God dowager/senior queen of Hungary, duchess of Macsó and of Bosnia, to all the faithful of Christ, present and future who will look at the present writing, greetings in the savior of all.  We wish to bring to the notice of all by the content of the presents:  that brother Conrad, a man devoted to God in the order of Hermits of St. Augustine, by the command and order of our most holy father, D. Philip, by divine mercy bishop of Fermo, legate of the apostolic See, coming to the district of Szepes, for the salvation of souls and reform of the status of our Saxons as well as Latins, mainly about the right of tithes, up to now never paid, in the district of Szepes, proposed many things laudably about our wealth.  And though it was long disputed among Saxons and Latins in our province whether they should pay their tithes otherwise than in the custom of Saxons, as they had been accustomed, leaving one-twelfth of heaps of whatever kind of fruit in the fields; on which they also alleged certain customs of their relatives; though weak, as the payment should be in the custom of the ancient Saxons.  Yet having deliberated among themselves in the presence of our serenity those Saxons and Latins voluntarily accepted and took an oath precisely that they would pay the tithes in that manner and with that integrity with their people and priests through the whole county/ispánate for the rest as Hungarians and Slavs living in Szepes are accustomed to pay those tithes, from of old; except those enjoined tithes which they refused to pay at all according to their freedom.  Therefore on all matters and separate observances of these matters in the future, as we have said, the said Saxons and Latins having touched the holy Gospels made their oath solemnly; asking from us no less all the Saxons and Latins with urgency that we deign by our protection to declare that vow or promise to pay the tithes, lest in the course of time by them or their heirs anything could be doubted or withdrawn from it.  And so we finding this request to be just, reasonable, and salutary, have granted the present letter on all the matters and agreements, strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  Dated by the hand of master Luke, provost of the church of Esztergom, our faithful chancellor of our court.  In the year of the Lord 1280.

Original letter:

Elisabeth, Dei gratia, maior Regina Hungariae, Ducissa de Machou, et de Bossna, Omnibus Christi fidelibus, tam praesentibus, quam futuris, praesens scriptum inspecturis, salutem in omnium Saluatore.  Ad vniuersorum notitiam tenore praesentium volumus peruenire:  quod frater Conradus, vir Deo deuotus, de ordine Eremitarum S. Augustini, ex mandato et praecepto sanctissimi Patris nostri D. Philippi, miseratione Diuina Firmani Episcopi, Apostolicae Sedis legati, ad partes Scepusienses veniens, pro salute animarum et reformatione status tam Saxonum nostrorum, quam Latinorum, maxime super iure Decimarum, hactenus nullatenus persolutarum, in partibus Scepusiensibus, nostrae ditionis, multa laudabiliter proposuit.  Et licet inter eosdem Saxones et Latinos in nostra prouincia diutius fuisset disceptatum, ne aliter persoluerent suas decimas, nisi more Saxonum, sicut consueuerunt duodecimam capeciarum de quocunque genere frugum in campis relinquendo; super quibus etiam quasdam consuetudines allegabant suorum parentum; licet debiles, vt solutio fieri deberet more Saxonum antiquorum. Tandem deliberatione habita inter se, coram nostrae serenitatis praesentia ipsi Saxones et Latini voluntarie assumserunt, ac praecise praestito sacramento, quod decimas persoluerent eo modo, et ea integritate suis Plebanis et Sacerdotibus per totum Comitatum de cetero sicut Hungari et Slaui in Scepusio existentes decimas ipsas persoluere sunt consueti, ab antiquo; saluis iniunctis decimis, quas minime persoluere denegarunt, iuxta ipsorum libertatem.  Super omnibus igitur praemissis, et singulis praemissorum obseruandis in futurum, vt praediximus, praefati Saxones et Latini tactis sanctis Euangeliis, praestiterunt solenniter iuramentum; petentes nihilominus id Saxones et Latini vniuersi a nobis cum instantia, vt hanc eorum sponsionem, seu promissionem de soluendis decimis factam, ne processu temporis per eos, vel eorum haeredes aliquid de iisdem possit dubitari, seu retractari, nostro patrocinio dignaremur declarare.  Nos itaque attendentes hanc petitionem esse iustam, rationabilem, atque salubrem, super omnibus praemissis et assumptis praesentes concessimus litteras, dupplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus Magistri Lucae, S. Ecclesiae Strigoniensis Praepositi, Aulae nostrae Cancellarii, fidelis nostri.  Anno Domini 1280.

Historical context:

The queen registers an agreement about the payment of tithes with the Germans/Saxons in Szepes.  Zsoldos, The Árpáds and Their Wives,  notes, 165, that both the local Germans/Saxons and the Slavs of Szepes were organized into separate ispánates, making the territory an unusual if not unique mosaic.  Zsoldos also says, 101, that king Ladislaus put the two provinces of Macsó and Bosnia under his mother’s control in 1279, hence her assumption of the title of Duchess of those areas; this change was probably a result of the dispute between the papal legate and the king over the treatment of Cumans, Zsoldos, 167.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér (Budae, Regiae Vniversitatis Vngariae, 1829—44),  5.3.41-42.

Date: