A letter of restoration

Translated letter:

We, Agnes, by the grace of god queen of Hungary, make known to all to whom it comes by the content of the presents, that when we had compelled and received for us by our officials at some time the tithes of the crops, of lambs, of goats and other things from the Great Island that were owed to the venerable father lord B[enedict], bishop of Veszprém, chancellor of our court, at the suggestion of certain laymen, persuading to evil, [who like innkeepers mix water with wine and provide the dragon’s poison in the golden chalice of Babylon, having the look of truth but altogether denying its virtue,] afterwards it was brought back to our conscience/knowledge, remembering that [word] of the apostle that we all stand before the tribunal of Christ to be received according to what we did in the body, rewards of merits, we and our conscience being informed by the venerable fathers lords J[ohn] archbishop of Kalocsa,  Anthony bishop of Csanád (?Chandiensi), and other religious men and especially brother Henry from the order of minor brothers of our confessor, [who was especially appointed from Germany (Alamania) by the lord Albert, king of the Romans our dearest father, and lady queen our mother,] having according to knowledge the zeal of god, that the tithes were tribute for needy souls, which the lord reserved to himself in a sign of the universal lord as by special title and because of this the power to take those tithes was forbidden to us.  So, wishing to avoid danger to our soul,  beneficially at the urging and request of that venerable father lord B[enedict]. bishop, by whose hand we were anointed as queen of Hungary and with god favorable we received the reginal diadem, also with the advice of said venerable fathers, and count Thomas, son of Andrew and count Ladislaus son of Luke (Lukach), our barons, we gave back and restored fully and freely and wholly  to the church of Veszprém of which we are a special patron, in which there is a/the Reginal seat, to be received in perpetuity and irrevocably and possessed peacefully, those tithes of crops, lambs, goats,  foals and other things which they ought to be paid by right from the Great Island to that lord bishop and his successor bishops of Veszprém, for time, as they had from our predecessors, and according to what other bishops of the kingdom of Hungary were accustomed to receive and have in their dioceses.  In witness and perpetual memory of which thing we have granted the present letters strengthened by the protection of our double seal.  RD ends:  Dated by the hand of the prudent man master Paul, provost of Kalocsa, our faithful vicechancellor of our court, in the 1300th year of the Lord, seventeenth kalends of September.

Original letter:

Agnes Dei gratia regina Hungarie universis presentes litteras inspecturis salutem in omnium salvatore. Ad universorum notitiam tenore presentium volumus pervenire, quod cum nos decimas frugum, agnorum, edorum et aliarum rerum de Magna Insula venerabili patri domino Benedicto episcopo Wesprimiensi aule nostre cancellario debitas ad suggestionem quorundam laicorum male suadentium pro nobis recipi et exigi per nostros officiales aliquo tempore fecissemus, postmodum ad conscientiam nostram reverse recordantes illud apostoli omnes stabimus ante tribunal Christi recepturi, prout in corpore gessimus premia meritorum, informantibus etiam nos et conscientiam nostram venerabilibus patribus dominis J. [= Johanne] archiepiscopo Colocensi, Anthonio episcopo Chanadiensi et aliis religiosis viris et specialiter fratre Henrico de ordine fratrum minorum confessoris nostri habentibus secundum scientiam zelum Dei, quod decime erant tributa egentium animarum, quas Dominus in signum universalis dominii sibi reservavit, quasi quodam titulo speciali et ob hoc nobis percipiendi ipsas decimas foret interdicta potestas, nos ecclesie Wesprimiensi, cuius specialis sumus patrona, in qua est sedes reginalis, dispendiis et anime nostre gravamini cupientes salubriter obviare, ad instantiam et petitionem eiusdem venerabilis domini B. [= Benedicti] episcopi, per cuius manus in reginam Hungarie inuncte fuimus et Deo propitio reginale suscepimus diadema, de consilio etiam predictorum venerabilium patrum, necnon comitis Thome filii Andree et comitis Ladizlai filii Lukachii baronum nostrorum, ipsas decimas frugum, agnorum, edorum, poledrorum ac aliarum rerum, de quibus decime solvi debent de iure de Magna Insula, ipsi domino episcopo et successoribus suis episcopis Wesprimiensibus pro tempore constitutis realiter reddidimus et restituimus plene ac integraliter perpetuo et irrevocabiliter percipiendas et pacifice possidendas, prout predecessores ipsius nobis constitit percepisse et secundum quod alii episcopi regni Hungarie in suis diocesibus consueverunt percipere et habere. In cuius rei testimonium et memoriam perpetuam presentes concessimus litteras duplicis sigilli nostri munimine roboratas. Datum per manus discreti viri magistri Pauli prepositi Colocensis, aule nostre vicecancellarii fidelis nostri anno Domini Mo trecentesimo, decimo septimo Kalendas Septembris.

Historical context:

The queen restores the tithes of various kinds, grains and animals, which she had had taken from the bishopric of Veszprém on the bad advice of some laymen.  The Great Island is now Csepel Island, part of Budapest.  The letter also appears in Hazai okmányar, misdated as 1290, years before Agnes was queen.  However, it includes two interesting passages that are not in the edition I used, which I have included in the translation in brackets.

Printed source:

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), 173-74, #279.  Also in Hazai okmányar.  Codex diplomaticus patrius, eds. I Nagy, I. Paur, K. Ráth, D. Véghely (Gyor-Budapest, 1865-91), 6.352-53, #257.

Date: