An agreement of alliance

Translated letter:

Ermengol, count of Urgell, gives into the power of Ramon, count of Barcelona and Elizabeth, countess, hostages for ten thousand solidos which are worth two hundred ounces of good gold, they are viscount Mir, son of William, and Dalmacio Isarno, by this agreement, namely that within fifteen days that either count Ramon or countess Elizabeth asked said count Ermengol themselves or through their messengers up to this coming Easter, that said count Ermengol renounce Ramon, count of Cerdanya, to William, bishop of Urgell, for homage by oath and word without deception.  And similarly said count Ermengol make war on said Ramon, count of Cerdanya, to Arnall Mir and Richard Altemir and viscount Miro of William and Isarn of Caboez and Galsbert of William of Lavanza and other counts of Urgel who are men of said Ramon, count of Cerdanya, without deception.  And that count Ermengol has mortgaged/pledged in his power and the power of countess Adalez his wife,  said Arnall Mir for a hundred ounces of good gold and the others mentioned, that is, Richard Altemir and viscount Mir of William and Isarn of Caboez and Galsbert of William of Lavanza, each for sixty ounces of good gold, that they would make war on said Ramon, count of Cerdanya, with that said count Ermengol and without him what they might do better without deception, and not have peace or association or a truce to any benefit of Ramon, said count of Cerdanya, nor to the harm of said count Ermengol or of the men who were seized in that war with count Ermengol, nor make any agreement with that Ramon, count of Cerdanya or with any man or any woman for him.  I, William, bishop of Urgell, and Bernard, count of Bergatano, brother of William, and their brother Berengard, similarly pledge said count Ermengol of Urgell that they would make war with the named count Ramon of Cerdanya, the best they could without deception.  And each of them pledges this for one hundred ounces of good gold to Ermengol, said count, and that they will not make peace or asssociation or truce for any advantage to Ramon, said count of Cerdanya, nor to the harm of said count Ermengol, or of those men who were reliable for him in that war without advice of count Ermengol or of countess Adalez his wife, nor that they would make any agreement with that Ramon, count of Cerdanya or with any man or any woman for /through him.  And said bishop William, and count Bernard and their brother Berengar, give their word and their faith that they will do all these things without deception.

And that Ermengol, count of Urgell, similarly pledges to William, bishop of Urgell and to Bernard, count of Bergatan and to their brother Berengar, to each for a hundred ounces of good gold, which are three hundred ounces, that they will make war with said count Ramon of Cerdanya as best they can without deception and not make peace or asssociation or truce for any advantage to Ramon, said count of Cerdanya, nor to the harm of said bishop William and his brother Bernard or their brother, nor of those men who were strong for them in that war, and said count Ermengol would not make any peace with said count Ramon of Cerdanya or any man or woman for/through him without the advice of bishop William or of Berengar their brother;  and they would do all these without deception.  And moreover said count Ermengol gives his word and his faith that he will do all these without deception and make his men do it without deception.

Original letter:

Donat Ermengaudus, comes de Urgello, in potestate Raimundi, comitis de Barchinona, et Elizabeth, comitisse, obsides per decem mille solidos, qui valent ducentas uncias de bono auro, id est, Mironem, vicecomitem, filium Guillelmi, et Dalmacium Isarni in tali videlicet conventu, quod infra quindecim dies quod aut Raimundus comes aut Elizabeth comitissa requisierint Ermengaudum, comitem supradictum, per se ipsos sive per illorum nuncios usque ad ista Pascha prima veniente, quod Ermengaudus supradictus comes faciat diffidare Raimundum, comitem de Cerdania, ad Guillelmum, episcopum de Urgello, de hominiatico et de sacramento et de dicto sine engan.   Et similiter faciat diffidare supradictus Ermengaudus comes supranominatum Raimundum, comitem de Cerdania, ad Arnallum Mironem et ad Richardum Altemir et ad Mironem Guillelmi vicecomitem et ad Isarnum de Caboez et ad Gauzbertum Guillelmi de Lavanza et ad alios comtores de Urgello qui sunt homines de supradicto Raimundo, comite de Cerdania, sine engan.  Et ipse Ermengaudus comes faciat impignorare in sua potestate et in potestate Adalez comitisse, uxoris sue, supradictum Arnallum Mironem per centum uncias de bono auro et supradictos alios, id est, Ricardum Altemir et Mironem Guillelmi vicecomitem et Isarnum de Caboez et Gauzbertum Guillelmi de Lavanza, unumquemque per sexaginta uncias de bono auro, quod ipsi faciant guerram ad supradictum Raimundum, comitem de Cerdania, cum ipso comite Ermengaudo supradicto et sine ipso, qualem meliorem potuerint facere sine engan, et non habeant finem nec societatem nec treguam ad ullum bonum de Raimundo, comite supradicto de Cerdania, qui se apprehenderint cum Ermengaudo comite de ipsa guerra, nec faciant ullum concordamentum cum ipso Raimundo, comite de Cerdania, nec ad damnum de Ermengaudo, comite predicto, vel de ipsis hominibus qui se apprehenderint cum Ermengaudo comite de ipsa guerra, nec faciant ullum concordamentum cum ipso Raimundo, comite de Cerdania, vel cum aliquo homine vel cum aliqua femina per ipsum.  Ego, Guillelmus, episcopus de Urgello, et Bernardus, comes de Bergatano, frater Guillelmi, et Berengarius, frater eorum, similiter impignorant ad Ermengaudum, comitem iam dictum de Urgello, ut ipsi faciant guerram ad supranominatum comitem Raimundum de Cerdania, qualem meliorem potuerint facere sine engan.   Et unusquisque de ipsis impignorat hoc per centum uncias de bono auro ad Ermengaudum, supradictum comitem, et ut ipsi non habeant finem nec societatem nec trevam ad ullum suum bonum de Raimundo, comite predicto de Cerdania, nec ad ullum damnum de Ermengaudo, comite supradicto, vel de ipsis hominibus que ei valuerint de ipsa guerra sine consilio de Ermengaudo comite vel de Adalez comitiss, uxore sua, nec faciant ullum concordamentum cum ipso Raimundo, comite de Cerdania, vel cum aliquo homine vel cum aliqua femina per ipsum.  Et Guillelmus, episcopus supradictus, et Bernardus, comes, et Berengarius, frater eorum, dicant suum dictum et suam fidem ut ipsi hec omnia faciant sine engan.

Et ipse Ermengaudus, comes de Urgello impignorat similiter ad Guillelmum, episcopum de Urgello, et ad Bernardum, comitem de Bergatano, et ad Berengarium, fratrem illorum, ad unumquemque per centum uncias de bono auro, que sunt trecente uncie, ut ipsi faciant guerram ad supradictum comitem Raimundum de Cerdania qualem meliorem potuerint facere sine engan et non habeant finem nec societatem nec trevam ad ullum bonum de Raimundo, comite de Cerdania, nec ad ullum damnum de supradicto episcopo Guillelmo et de fratre eius Bernardo vel de fratre illorum, nec de ipsis hominibus qui eis valuerint de ipsa guerra, et non faciant ullum concordamentum predictus comes Ermengaudus cum supradicto comite Raimundo de Cerdania vel cum aliquo homine vel cum aliqua femina per ipsum sine consilio de Guillelmo, episcopo, vel de Berengario, fratre illorum;  et hec omnia sint facta sine engan.  Et super hec omnia Ermengaudus, supradictus comes, dicat suum dictum et suam fidem ut ipse hec omnia faciat sine engan, et faciat facere hoc ad suos homines sine engan.

Historical context:

The count of Urgell offers hostages to assure his agreement with the count and countess of Barcelona against the count of Cerdanya.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior (LFM), ed. Francisco Miquel Rosell, (Barcelona, 1945), 1.142-44, #147.

Date: