An oath of fidelity

Translated letter:

We, Bernard of Pilis and Berengar Compan swear to you, our lords Alfonso, by the grace of God , king of Aragon, count of Barcelona and marquis of Provence, and the venerable Sancha, by that same grace queen of them, that from this hour forward we shall be faithful to you as men who committed themselves to you by their own hands.  And we agree to you that we will not deceive you in your bodies or the fiefs that you have or that you will acquire from now on, God willing, with our counsel; and we especially agree that we will not deceive you on the  castrum of Torlanda, which from ancient times was called  Segura, nor those boundaries or revenues that will come from it.  And we will always empower you or your people with that force that is now there or all the forces that will be there, giving you and yours power over them whenever we are asked for it by you or yours.  So God help us and these 4 holy gospels.  This was enacted on the ides of October in the 1178th year of the lord’s incarnation.  Si+gn of Bernard of Pilis.  Si+gn of Berengar Compan, we who swore and signed this and asked for it to be signed.  Si+gn of Ramon of Mulnellis.  Si+gn of Berengar of Villafranca.  Si+gn of Arnal of Mataron.  Si+gn of  Ramon of Aquilone.  Si+gn of William of Lavanza.  Si+gn of Bernard of Mecina.  I William of Bonastre, scribe of the lady queen, wrote this and made this sign.

Original letter:

Iuramus nos Bernardus de Pilis et Berengarius Compan vobis, dominis nostris Ildefonso, Dei gracia regi Aragonensium, comiti Barchinonensium et marchioni Provincie, et venerabili Sancie, eadem gracia eorumdem regine, quod de ista hora in antea simus fidelis vobis sicut homines qui sunt propriis manibus vobis comendati.  Et convenimus vobis quod non decipiamus vos de corporibus vestris nec de honoribus quos habetis vel in antea, Deo dante, cum consilio nostro adquisieritis; et specialiter convenimus vobis quod non decipiamus vos de castro de Turlanda, quod ab antiquis temporibus vocabatu[n]t Segura, nec de eius terminis nec de eius eximentis que inde exierint.  Et faciemus vos vel vestros semper potestativos de ipsa fortitudine que modo ibi est sive de omnibus aliis fortitudinibus que ibi fuerint, dantes de eis vobis potestatem et vestris quecienscumque a vobis vel a vestris requisiti fuerimus.  Si[c] Deus nos adiuvet et hec sancta IIII Evangelia.  Actum est hoc idus octobris anno Dominice incarnacionis MCLXXVIII.  Sig+num Bernardi de Pilis  Sig+num Berengarii Compan, qui hoc iuravimus et firmavimus et firmari rogavimus.  Sig+num Raimundi de Mulnellis.  Sig+num Berengarii de Villafranca.  Sig+num Arnalli de Mataron.  Sig+num Raimundi de Aquilone.  Sig+num Guilielmi de Lavanza.  Sig+num Bernardi de Mecina.  Ego Guilielmus de Bonastre, domine regine scriptor, qui hoc scripsi et hoc signum feci. 

Historical context:

The brothers swear an oath of fidelity for the fief of Torlanda which they had inherited, donated to the king and queen, and received back as a fief (cf. Epistola 26382.html and 26383.html).  A  castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at the center.

Printed source:

Liber Feudorum Maior (LFM), ed. Francisco Miquel Rosell, (Barcelona, 1945), 1.289 #264.

Date: