A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1256)

Translated letter:

To her most excellent and dearest brother Henry, by grace of God illustrious king of England, Marguerite, by that same grace queen of the French, greetings and continuous increase of sincere love. Since the priory of Deerhurst in England is known to regard the monastery of our most glorious and devout patron, saint Denis the martyr, as its member, it is worthy that we love its individual members for the love and honor of the head, and embrace those more especially before others with preferential love. Since, therefore, as we have understood, you bring the prior of said priory on a charge before you over certain possessions which said prior and his antecedents held in your time and at the time of your father, we ask your excellence out of affection that you permit said priory to remain in peaceful possession and you hold in hand and defend said prior and the goods of that priory for our love and grace, as long as will be opportune, carrying out our request with such promptitude of generosity that said abbot may deservedly thank us.

Original letter:

Excellentissimo et carissimo fratri suo Henrico, Dei gratia regi Anglie illustri, Margareta, eadem gratia Francorum regina, salutem et sincere dilectionis continuum incrementum. Cum prioratus de Berhust [Deerhurst] in Anglia, ad monasterium gloriosissimi ac devotissimi patroni nostri, beati Dyonisii martiris, tanquam ipsius membrum spectare noscatur, dignum est ut ob capitis honorem et dilectionem, singula ipsius membra diligamus, ac ipsa pre ceteris amore prerogante specialius amplectamur. Igitur cum, prout intelleximus, vos priorem dicti prioratus trahatis in causam coram vobis, super quibusdam possessionibus quas dictus prior et antecessores sui tenuerunt tempore vestro et tempore patris vestri, excellentiam vestram ex affectu rogamus, quatinus dictum prioratum in possessione pacifica manere permittatis, et dictum priorem ac bona ipsius prioratus manu teneatis et defendatis, ob nostri gratiam et amorem, quociens fuerit oportunum, preces nostras illa liberalitatis promptitudine prosequentes, quod dictus abbas regraciari merito possit nobis.

Historical context:

The queen writes to her brother-in-law about disputed possessions of an English monastery whose mother-house is in France, apparently at the request of the French order. I am grateful to Kathleen Neal of Monash University for the corrected date of this letter.

Printed source:

Lettres de Rois, Reines et Autres Personnages des Cours de France et D'Angleterre, ed. M. Champollion-Figeac (Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1839), 1.129-30, ep.101.  

Date:

1260