A letter from Ingeborg of Denmark, queen of France (1223)
Sender
Ingeborg of Denmark, queen of FranceReceiver
all present and futureTranslated letter:
In the name of the holy and individual Trinity, Amen. Ingeborg, by the grace of God queen of France. Let all present and equally future know that by the will of our dearest king of France, Louis and ours, it is arranged in this manner about Orleans, Checiac, Chateauneuf, and Neuilly [?Novilla], which we hold in the name of the dower which our dearest husband of good memory, Philip, once king of France, made over to us: that said Louis, king of France, for the sake of peace, handed over to us the grain /wheat and wine of the city of Orleans which are owed on account to the prefecture of Orleans, and which are contained in the prefecture of Orleans and in the towns of that prefecture, and the tax of bread and wine of Orleans, as it used to be collected there in the time of our dearest husband Philip, once king of France; and the homage pertaining to Orange as well as to the other aforementioned towns, saving the allegiance, saving the army and cavalry service of aforementioned Louis, king of France, which he retained to himself over the soldiers and other men of said places who will do homage to us. We, indeed, will not make up the army or cavalry for said Louis, king of France.
2. That same Louis king of France also granted us to confer the diaconate of St. Anian of Orleans when and whenever it shall be vacant, as long as we shall hold said dower, and for that the dean will do homage to us.
3. That same Louis king of France granted us on the other hand that in the forest of Lagio we might take for allowance of those serving him timber to rebuild and repair our houses in Orange and Chateauneuf, as much as might be properly necessary ; and we may take for burning as much in that forest as might be suitable to us.
4. About the Jews, truly it is arranged that we shall have the redemption/ransom of the Jews of Orange, of Checiac and of Chateauneuf for the present [ad praesens].
5. Moreover that same Louis king of France granted us a hundred pounds revenue, to be assessed outside the cities, forests, and castra, in the province of Reims or in the province of Sens or, if we prefer, to be taken in Amiens so that we shall hold those hundred pounds of rent in our hands as long as it should please us and at our will we shall be able to give them to another of the said archbishoprics in perpetual alms for the salvation of the soul of our dearest husband of happy memory Philip once king of France and of our soul and those of our ancestors, and for the salvation of the soul of lord Louis king of France and his ancestors.
6. We have moreover released to that same Louis king of France and his heirs in perpetuity all the moveable and immoveable goods and all the acquisitions and other things which we might have asked from lord king Louis or which we owed by any account, and we have signed this release to lord king Louis by the insertion of our faith in the hand of our venerable father and friend, G[uarini], bishop of Senlis, chancellor of France, before the venerable fathers archbishop [Simon] of Berry, bishops [Walter] of Chartres and [Philip] of Orleans, and before the noble men, Philip count of Boulogne, R[obert] count of Dreux, R[obert] of Courtenay, butler of France, Bartholomew of Rueil, chamberlain of France, Stephen of Sancerre, and many others, barons, knights, clerics, and lay. That all of this may have the force of stability, we have had the present page fortified by the authority of our seal. Enacted at Lorris [?Lauriac], in the year of the incarnation of the Word 1223, in the month of August.
Original letter:
IN nomine sancte etindividuae Trinitatis, Amen. ING. Dei gratia Franciae Regina. Noverint universi praesentes pariter et futuri, quod de Aurelianis, de Checiaco, de Castro-novo et de Novilla, quae nos tenemus nomine dotalitii quod nobis fecit bonae memoriae Philippus carissimus maritus noster, quondam Rex Franciae, de voluntate carissimi nostri Ludovici Regis Franciae et nostra ordinatum est in hunc modum: quod dictus Ludovicus Rex Franciae, pro bono pacis, nobis dimisit blada et vina civitatis Aurelianensis quae debentur ratione praepositurae Aurelianensis, et quae continentur in praepositura Aurelianensi et in villis ejusdem praepositurae, et talliam panis et vini Aurelianensis, sicut tempore carissimi mariti nostri Philippi quondam Regis Franciae solebat ibidem colligi; et hominagia pertinentia tam ad Aurelianensem quam ad alias villas praedictas, salva ligeitate, salvo exercitu et equitatione supradicti Ludovici Regis Franciae, quae sibi retinuit super milites et alios homines locorum praedictorum qui facient nobis hominagia. Nos vero exercitum vel equitationem Ludovico Regi Franciae non faciemus memorato. 2. Concessit etiam nobis idem Ludovicus Franciae Rex decanatum Sancti Aniani Aurelianensis conferendum quotiens et quando vacaverit, quamdiu dictum tenebimus dotalitium, et inde faciet nobis decanus hominagium. 3. Concessit autem nobis idem Ludovicus Rex Franciae, ut in foresta de Lagio percipiamus per liberationem servientum suorum merrenium ad reaediticandum et reparandum domos nostras de Aurelianis et Castro-novo, quantum necesse fuerit competenter; et ad ardere nostrum percipiemus in ipsa foresta quantum nobis fuerit competenter. 4. De Judaeis vero taliter ordinatum est quod ad praesens habebimus redemptionem Judaeorum de Aurelianis, de Checiaco et de Castro-novo. 5. Praeterea concessit nobis idem Ludovicus Rex Franciae centum libratas redditus, assidendas extra civitates, forestias et castra, in provincia Remensi vel in provincia Senonensi, vel, si maluerimus, percipiendas in Ambianis, ita quod illas centum libratas redditus tenebimus in manu nostra quamdiu nobis placuerit, et pro voluntate nostra eas dare poterimus in altero archiepiscopatuum praedictorum in perpetuam eleemosynam pro salute anime felicis memoriae carissimi mariti nostri Philippi quondam Regis Franciae, et nostrae et antecessorum nostrorum, et pro remedio animae domini Ludovici Regis Franciae et antecessorum suorum. 6. Prater haec autem ipsi Ludovico Regi Franciae et ejus haeredibus in perpetuum quitavimus universa mobilia et immobilia , et omnes acquisitiones ac res alias universas quas a domino Rege Ludovico petere poteramus vel debebamus aliqua ratione , et hanc quitationem firmavimus domino Ludovico Regi per nostrae fidei interpositionem in manu venerabilis patris et amici nostri G[uarini] Silvanectensis episcopi, Franciae cancellarii, coram venerabilibus patribus archiepiscopo Bituricensi [Simone], Carnotensi [Galtero] et Aurelianensi [Philippo] episcopis, et coram viris nobilibus Philippo Comite Boloniensi, R[oberto], Comite Drocensi, R[oberto] de Cortenaio Franciae buticulario, Bartholomaeo de Roya Franciae camerario, Stephano de Sacrocaesare, et multis aliis tam baronibus quam militibus, ac clericis et laicis. Quae omnia ut perpetuae stabilitatis robur obtineant, sigilli nostri auctoritate praesentem paginam fecimus roborari. Actum Lauriacum , anno incarnati Verbi MCCXXIII, mense augusto.Historical context:
This is a charter in which the queen declares her dowry arrangements with her stepson, Louis VIII, particularly her rights to the city of Orleans. Castra are administrative units with fortifications/castles at the center.