A letter from Honorius III (07/1222)

Translated letter:

Honorius bishop, to the noble man Hugh of Lusignan, Count of La Marche and Isabel his wife, etc. We have understood from our venerable brother Pandulph, bishop of Norwich, that at the time of the truce between our dearest son in Christ Henry, illustrious king of the English, on one side and you on the other, with the said bishop then elect mediating, you swore for yourself and your accomplices to observe our mandates according to the intent of said bishop on those things for which sentences of excommunication and interdict on your persons and those of your supporters and accomplices and on your lands and theirs had been promulgated by our venerable brothers the bishops of Orange and Limoges and our beloved son the deacon of Bourdeaux, by apostolic authority, namely because you, Count, my son, refused to give back the dowery of his sister when you rejected her; and since you unduly kept and occupied the castrum of Cognac of which you, daughter, before you married, despoiled the king and his faithful, and after our prohibiting you from harming the king, you, count, violently besieged and occupied his castrum of Merpis. Truly, since we do not wish to nor should we allow our mandates either to be avoided by cleverness or to be scorned in obstinacy, and it is not fitting for you to abuse the grace shown in the relaxing of the aforesaid sentences against you, but rather it is expedient for you to adapt to our and that king's will; we admonish your nobility assiduously by apostolic writings under charge of the oath that was sworn, ordering and mandating that by the feast of St. Andrew next, you give back to said King, or to whomever he will send, the dowry and aforesaid castra with the fruits taken from them, and the castle of Merpis, having put aside the objection of any kind of difficulty and appeal, satisfying him for the harms and injuries inflicted on him and his faithful. Otherwise we give letters to our aforesaid bishops and deacon firmly ordering that they reinstate the former sentences against you and your accomplices, and your lands and theirs, and pronounce you excommunicated and perjured and have those sentences solemnly published, with bells rung and candles lit, on every Sunday and feast day, until fitting satisfaction is inviolably observed. And that they compel the prelates and clerics, if any favoring you in this do not observe the sentences, to come before us with testimonial letters [with objection or appeal] suspended(1). We shall proceed against you spiritually and temporally most severely, Dated at the Lateran, 7th kalend of July, in the sixth year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Honorius episcopus, nobili viri Hugoni de Leziniaco, Comiti Marchiae, et Isabellae uxori ejus etc. Intelleximus ex relatione venerabilis fratris nostri Pandulphi episcopi Norwicensis, quod tempore treugae initae inter carissimum in Christo filium nostrum Henricum, Regem Anglorum illustrem, ex parte una, et vos ex altera, mediante praedicto episcopo tunc electo, vos, juxta intentionem episcopi memorati, pro vobis et complicibus vestris, mandatis nostris stare jurastis super hiis pro quibus in personas vestras et fautorum vestrorum ac complicum excommunicationis, et in terras vestras et ipsorum interdicti, fuerant per venerabiles fratres nostros Xantonensem et Lemovicensem episcopos, et dilectum filium decanum Burdegalensem sententiae, auctoritate apostolica, promulgatae, pro eo, videlicet quod dotem sororis ejusdem, tu, fili Comes, ea rejecta, reddere contemnebas; et quia castrum de Campniaco, quo tu, filia, priusquam invicem copularemini, spoliares Regem et fideles ipsius, detinebatis indebite occupatum, et post inhibitionem nostram ne Regem infestares eumdem, castrum suum Merpisii tu, Comes, obsederas et occupaveras violenter. Verum, quia pati nec volumus nec debemus, ut mandata nostra vel per alienam eludantur astutiam, vel per proterviam contemnantur, nec vos decet abuti gratia in relaxatione praedictarum sententiarum vobis exhibita, cum potius expediat, ut vos nostris et Regis ejusdem beneplacitis coaptetis; nobilitatem vestram monemus attente per apostolica vobis scripta, sub debito praestiti juramenti, praecipiendo mandantes, quatenus infra festum S. Andreae futurum proximo dotem et castra praedicta cum fructibus inde perceptis et aliis, necnon et castrum Merpisii praefato Regi, vel cui mandaverit ipse, sublato cujuslibet difficultatis et appellationis objectu reddatis de dominis et injuriis irrogatis sibi et ejus fidelibus nihilominus satisfacientes eidem. Alioquin praedictis episcopis et decano nostris damus literis firmiter in praeceptis, et vos et complices vestros, et vestras et eorum terras, in pristinas sententias reducentes, extunc vos excommunicatos denuncient et perjuros, et sententias ipsas, pulsatis campanis et accensis candelis, singulis diebus Dominicis et festivis publicari solemniter faciant, et usque ad satisfactionem condignam inviolabiliter observari. Praelatos quoque ac clericos, si qui, vobis in hac parte faventes, sententias non servaverint memoratas, ad praesentiam nostram cum suis testimonialibus literis suspenso venire compellant. Nos quoque contra vos severius spiritualiter et temporaliter procedemus. Datum Laterani, VII kal. julii, pontificatus nostri anno sexto.

Historical context:

Honorius once again threatens Hugh and Isabel, previously excommunicated because of their attacks on the lands of her son Henry and then absolved, with excommunication, unless they restore the dowry of Henry's sister, Joanna, to whom Hugh had been betrothed before he married her mother, and the castles they have taken from Henry. A castrum is an administrative unit with a fortification/castle at its center.

Scholarly notes:

(1) The text gives only "suspenso" but the editor suggests that words may be missing, such as the right to appeal or object.

Printed source:

HGF 19.726-27; Rymer, Foedera 1.1.88; Regesta Honorii Papae III, 2.82, #4054 (summary).

Date:

07/1222