A letter of donation

Translated letter:

Elizabeth, by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all to whom the present letters will come, greetings in the bestower of salvation.  It is not alien from the function of reginal dignity to apply wished for remedies to the desires of petitioners since the consolation of those who are lower depends on princely favor.  Therefore we wish to bring to the notice of all by the contents of these:  that having considered loyalties and merits of the services of Cosmas, son of Bágyon master of our chamber, and his uterine brothers Luke and Benedict,  which they rendered agreeable and acceptable, serving continually  in the court of our highness, desiring to meet them with some payment of remuneration in compensation for the loyalty of their services, with the benevolence of our grace, we gave, donated and conferred a certain land of ours called Tamási, in the county of Fejer (Alba), near Lureu, on which formerly our servants appertaining to the great island resided, while now settlers are staying congregated in our name, with all the uses and appurtenances, namely the island in the Danube water, a fishing place in that Danube, and also outside the Danube in the swamps, hayfields and other conditions belonging to them, as our servants had previously obtained them, and afterwards the settlers residing in that land possessed them; exempting from judgment the jurisdiction of the count of the great island in place at that time, in those boundaries, borders and limits in which it is possessed by our people, [we gave, donated and conferred] on master Cosmas, Luke, and Benedict and through them on their heirs, and the successors of their heirs consequently, by perpetual right to be possessed perpetually and peacefully.  In memory and perpetual stability of which thing we 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 Vác, our faithful chancellor of our court and count of Pilis.  In the 1281st year of the Lord.

Original letter:

Elisabeth, Dei gracia, regina Hungarie, omnibus, ad quos presentes littere peruenerint, salutem in salutis largitore.  Ab officio reginalis Celsitudinis non est alienum, optata remedia petencium desideriis adhibere, cum a gracia principali inferiorum dependeat consolamen.  Proinde ad vniuersorum noticiam harum serie volumus peruenire:  quod consideratis fidelitatibus et seruiciorum meritis Cosme, filii Bagun, magistri Camere nostre, Lukach et Benedicti fratrum suorum vterinorum, quibus se in curia nostre celsitudinis continue famulantes, gratos reddiderunt et acceptos, in aliquali remunerationis stipendio in recompensationem fidelitatum et seruiciorum suorum eisdem occurrere cupientes, de benignitate gracie nostre, quamdam terram nostram Thamasy vocatam, in Comitatu Albensi, prope Lureu existentem, super qua quondam serui nostri pertinentes ad magnam insulam, residebant, nunc autem hospites nomine nostro congregati commorantur, cum omnibus vtilitatibus suis et pertinenciis vniuersis, insula videlicet aque Danubii, loco piscature, in ipso Danubio, et eciam extra Danubium in paludibus existentibus, fenilibus et aliis circumstanciis spectantibus ad eandem, prout serui nostri primitus obtinebant, et postmodum hospites super ipsa terra residentes, possident; exhimendo a iudicio, iurisdictione Comitis de magna insula, pro tempore constituti, in ipsis metis, terminis, et limitibus, in quibus per populos nostros est possessa, eisdem Magistro Cosme, Lukach, et Benedicto, et per eos suis heredibus, heredumque suorum successoribus consequenter, dedimus, donauimus et contulimus, iure perpetuo pacifice et irreuocabiliter possidendam.  In cuius rei memoriam et perpetuam firmitatem presentes concessimus litteras duplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus Venerabilis Patris, Thome, dei gracia, episcopi Vaciensis, aule nostre Cancellarii et Comitis de Plys, fidelis nostri.  Anno Domini MCC octauagesimo primo.

Historical context:

The queen bestows the land of Tamási in Fejér county on three brothers who have served loyally in her court.  The letter does not make clear which Elizabeth the sender is, but Zsoldos, The Arpads, 181, identifies the queen as Isabella.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér (Budae, Regiae Vniversitatis Vngariae, 1829—44), 5.3.96-97.  Also in Az Árpád-házi hercegek, hercegnök és a királnék okleveleinek kritikai jegyzéke, Regesta ducum, ducissarum stirpis Arpadianae necnon reginarum Hungariae critico-diplomatica, E. Szentpétery, A. Zsoldos (Budapest, 2008), 121-22, #189.

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