A letter of donation

Translated letter:

Elizabeth by the grace of God queen of Hungary to all the faithful who will look at the present letters, greetings in the bestower of salvation.  It is suitable that we weigh the merits of those devoted to the royal crown and to us with on the scale of generosity, by which we may enflame their souls with the munificence of teeming grace more effectively to the service of ready loyalty.  Therefore we wish to bring to the notice of all by the content of the presents:  that coming into our presence, Cosmas, son of Bágyon, master of our chamber, count Peter, son of Matthew, and Gregory son of Nicholas, our young faithful, asked that they be given by us a certain land of our heralds/criers called Büssü in the territory of Somogy and Tolna county. Truly since the truth about the quality and quantity of that land is not fully known to us, we gave letters with commands to our faithful, the chapter of Fejér (Alba), that they send one of theirs as witness in the presence of our tavarnok Paul going to said land who would walk it with those who shared boundaries and neighbors present, and establish for them, master Cosmas, count Peter, and Gregory, our youths, if it is not opposed, calling the objecters to our court; and afterward they would report back the quality and quantity of that land to us in their letters.  Who afterward wrote back to us in these words:  [see 26275.html]
. . .
So we, pressed by the office of the direction undertaken to measure and weigh the merits of each and to respond to each according to the need of their merits,the commendable fidelity and pleasing services of those master Cosmas and count Peter and Gregory which they showed us with highest loyalty, they could show in future, expecting with customary benevolence and wishing to respond to their so many acceptable services and offices with the benefit of remuneration, we gave, donated and conferred the perviously named land Büssü of our heralds/criers, to be possessed perpetually and peacefully, with all its uses, expansions and appurtenances, within the boundaries and ancient distinctions of limits, to said master Cosmas, count Peter, and Gregory, and their heirs and successors of their heirs, is some recompense for their services, though they deserve much more.  So that this donation of ours may obtain the force of perpetual stability, and can not be withdrawn at any time, we granted the present letters from the plenitude of our grace, strengthened by the protection of our double seal.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 1284th year of the Lord.

Original letter:

Elisabeth, Dei gracia, regina Vngarie, omnibus Christi fidelibus, presentes litteras inspecturis, salutem in salutis largitore.  Merita nobis et corone regie deuotorum lance nos conuenit appendere largitatis, quo eorum animos munificentia gracie pullulante, ad propense fidelitatis obsequia efficacius accendamus.  Proinde ad vniuersorum noticiam tenore presencium volumus peruenire:  Quod accedentes ad nostram presenciam Cosmas, filius Bagyun, magister Camere nostre, Comes Petrus, fiius Mathye, et Gregorius filius Nicolay, fideles iuvenes nostri, petiuerunt a nobis sibi dari quamdam terram populorum Preconum nostrorum, Busu vocatam in limitacione Comitatus Symigiensis et Tolnensis existentem.  Verum quia nobis de qualitate et quantitate ipsius terre ad plenum veritas non constabat, fidelibus nostris, Capitulo Albensi, nostris dedimus litteris in mandatis, quod mitterent vnuum ex ipsis pro testimonio, coram quo Paulus Tauarnicus noster accedendo super faciem dicte terre, reambularet eandem presentibus commetaneis omnibus et vicinis, ac statueret eisdem Magistro Cosme, Comiti Petro, et Gregorio iuuenibus nostris, si non foret contradictum, contradictores vero ad nostram curiam euocando; et postmodum qualitatem et quantitatem ipsius terre nobis in suis litteris remandarent.  Qui postmodum nobis rescripserunt in hec verba:  
. . .
Nos itaque, quibus ex officio suscepti regiminis nostri incumbit metiri, et pensare merita singulorum, ac vnicuique iuxta suorum meritorum exigenciam respondere, commendabilem fidelitatem, et grata obsequia eorumdem magistri Cosme, et Comitis Petri, et Gregory, quae nobis cum summa fidelitate impenderunt, exhibere poterunt in futurum, benignitate solita attendentes, volentesque pro tantis ipsorum gratuitis obsequiis et famulatibus remuneracionis beneficio respondere, prenotatam terram Busu, preconum nostrorum, cum omnibus suis vtilitatibus, attinenciis et pertinencys vniuersis, sub metis, et antiquis distinctionibus terminorum, iam dictis magistro Cosme, Comiti Petro, ac Gregorio, et ipsorum heredibus, heredumque suorum successoribus, in aliqualem recompensacionem seruiciorum suorum, quamquam pociora mereantur, dedimus, donauimus et contulimus perpetuo, pacifice possidendam.  Vt igitur hec nostra donacio, robur perpetue firmitatis obtineat, nec vllo vnquam tempore valeat retractari, presentes de plenitudine nostre gracie, concessimus litteras, dupplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas.  Datum per manus Venerabilis Patris, Thome, Dei gracia, Episcopi Waciensis, aule nostre Cancellary, et Comitis de Plys, fidelis nostri.  Anno Domini M.CC. octuagesimo quarto.

Historical context:

At the request of three of her young retainers, in recognition of their service, the queen bestows a piece of land on them, after an investigation by the chapter of the church of Fejér/Alba.  Their response is included in her charter (see Epistolae 26275.html).  Zsoldos, The Árpáds and Their Wives, 121, identifies Cosmas as leader of the queen’s wagon-drivers.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus Hungariae ecclesiasticus ac civilis, ed. G. Fejér (Budae, Regiae Vniversitatis Vngariae, 1829—44),  5.3.216-19.  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), 137-38, #214.

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