A letter from Isabel of Angoulême (1219)

Translated letter:

To her dearest father and lord P[andulph], by the grace of God bishop-elect of Norwich, chamberlain of the lord pope and legate of the apostolic see, Y[sabel] by that same grace queen of England, lady of Ireland, duchess of Normandy and Aquitaine, and countess of Anjou, greetings as to her own. You will know that we have offered to restore to Bartholomew of Podio, at the request of our son the lord king of England and his council, all his land, possession and rents in their entirety, which he had before we came there, except our castris, and all his hostages, aside from his two sons whom we wish to be held in suitable and fine care until we are secure that he seek no harm to us, as he once sought harm to us against the count of Augi [Auch/Agen?] and other barons of the land. And if he would not accept this from us, we have offered him sure judgment of our court which he altogether refused. And we are amazed that the council of our son sent to lord Hugh of Lusignan and lord Geoffrey of Neville, seneschal of Poitou, that they should support Bartholomew against us. For though our son and lord king and his council did not order us to be attacked, yet we find many who would distress us for his sake; and the council of our son should beware of ordering what would remove us from his council and his actions. It would weigh heavily on us if we were to be removed from our son's council. And you should know that we have been informed that said Bartholomew entered the presence of the king of France and gave him to understand that our land was part of his fief, and he asked that he [the king] order us to restore his land to him. It seems to us therefore that he does not love our son the lord king of England very much, since running here and there he works to the harm of the king and his people. And you should know that lord Hugh of Lusignan and his seneschal endeavor more to carry out this order which is against us than they would do if ordered to help us. If this has however been ordered to them, they have done nothing or little up to now; and we ask you that you have letters from our son the lord king sent to lord Hugh of Lusignan and the seneschal of Poitou ordering them to help us and give counsel to our land and the land of the lord king; and write back to us what your pleasure is in this. 

Original letter:

Carissimo patri et domino P[andulfo], per Dei gratiam Norwicensi electo, domini papae camerario, et apostolicae sedis legato, Y[sabella] eadem gratia regina Angliae, domina Hiberniae, ducissa Normanniae et Aquitaniae, et comitissa Andegaviae, salutem quam sibi. Noveritis nos obtulisse reddere Bartholomaeo de Podio, ad preces filii nostri domini regis Angliae et consilii sui, in integritate, totam terram suam, possessiones, et redditus quos habebat antequam illuc veniremus, exceptis castris nostris, necnon et omnes obsides suos, praeter duos filios suos, quos in pulchra et decenti custodia teneri volumus, donec securae essemus, ne nobis perquireret malum, sicut versus comitem de Augi et alios barones terrae olim perquisierat nobis malum. Et si nollet hoc a nobis accipere, obtulimus ei certum judicium curiae nostrae, quod totum recusavit. Et multum miramur quod consilium filii nostri mandavit domino Hugoni de Leziniaco, et domino G[alfrido] de Nevill, senescallo Pictaviae, quod dictum Bartholomaeum contra nos manuteneant. Licet enim dominus rex filius noster vel consilium suum non mandet nos impugnari, multos tamen reperimus qui pro ipso nos inquietant; et bene deberet cavere consilium filii nostri, ne tale quid mandaret propter quod removeremur a consilio et agendis filii nostri. Multum et enim grave nobis fuerit, si nos a consilio filii nostri oporteat removeri. Et sciatis nobis pro vero significatum fuisse quod dictus Bartholomaeus adiit praesentiam regis Franciae, et ipsi fecit intelligi quod terra nostra manebat de feodo suo, et rogavit ut mandaret nobis quod sibi restitueremus terram suam. Ideo videtur nobis quod ipse non diligit vehementer filium nostrum dominum regem Angliae, ex quo ipse huc et illuc discurrens molitur damnum regis et suorum. Et sciatis quod dominus Hugo de Leziniaco et senescallus magis nituntur facere hoc mandatum, quod est contra nos, quam faciant si eis mandetur quod nos juvent. Quia licet mandatum iis fuerit, nihil aut parum usque modo fecerunt; et vos rogamus quatenus per literas domini regis filii nostri faciatis mandari domino Hugoni de Leziniaco et senescallo Pictaviae, quod nos juvent et consilium apponant terrae nostrae, et terrae domini regis; et nobis vestris beneplacitum vestrum rescribatis.

Historical context:

Isabel explains why she has been hesitant to restore all she had seized from Bartholomew de Podio, without assurances of security, and complains that her son's council is urging her neighbors to make trouble for her. Castris are administrative units with a castle/fortification at the center.

Printed source:

Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages: Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III, 1.32-34, ep.26.  Anne Crawford has also translated this letter, see Letters of the Queens of England 1100-1547 (Bath: Alan Sutton, 1994), p.52-53.

Date:

1219