A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1263)

Translated letter:

Marguerite, by the grace of God queen of the French, to her dearest brother Alphonse, son of the king of France, count of Poitiers and Toulouse, greetings and the affection of sincere love. The oppressions, damages, and troubles that the barons of the kingdom of England, having rejected their owed fidelity at the instigation of the count of Leicester, [have inflicted] on the illustrious king and queen of England, our dearest sister, and their children, we believe have come to your ears. We have those damages very much to heart and justly consider them our own. We have so far put off writing to you about this business so that we could write about it with greater certitude in every way, and since we have and have always had full faith in you, we ask and request of you, hoping to be helped in our need, that out of affection insofar as the oppression of said king, queen and their children displease you, you wish to offer counsel and aid to restore their affairs to a prosperous and tranquil state, as we have asked you. We ask, also, that you charge your seneschal of Agen by letter to work to establish a long truce between lord Gaston, viscount of Béarn, and the count of Comminges, so that that lord Gaston, our very dear relative, may be free to give his help to said king, queen, and their children, if it is necessary. Moreover, we ask you to charge your bailiff at Poitiers to give counsel that we may have all the ships and boats in those parts, using the money of said king, and that you would lend us what galleys you have in those parts.

Original letter:

Margarita, Dei gratia Francorum regina, karissimo fratri suo A., filio regis Francie, comiti Pictavie et Tholose, salutem et sincere dilectionis affectum. Oppressiones, dampna et gravamina que barones regni Anglie, rejecto fidelitatis debito, procurante comite Leycestrie, illustribus regi, regine Anglie, karissime sorori nostre, ac liberis eorum [intulerunt], ad aures vestras credimus pervenisse. Ipsa quidem dampna cordi habemus plurimum et nostra propria merito reputamus. Sane hucusque super dicto negocio vobis distuleramus scribere, ob hoc quod vobis de ipso majorem certitudinem et omnimodam scriberemus, et quia de vobis gerimus et semper gessimus fiduciam pleniorem, sperantes per vos nostris neccessitatibus subveniri, rogamus vos et requirimus ex affectu, quatinus oppressiones dictorum regis, regine ac liberorum suorum, vobis displiceant, et quod in negociis ipsorum ad statum prosperum et tranquillum reducendis velitis vestrum consilium et auxilium impertiri, cum a nobis super hoc fueritis requisiti. Rogamus eciam vos quod senescallo vestro Agennensi vestris detis litteris in mandatis, ut ipse laboret ad hoc quod quedam longa treuga iniatur inter dominum Gastonem, vicecomitem Bearnensem, et comitem Convenarum, ita quod idem dominus Gasto, consanguineus noster karissimus, circa juvamen dictorum regis, regine ac liberorum suorum interim intendere valeat, si neccesse fuerit, et vaccare. Preterea vos rogamus quod ballivo vestro Pictavensi mandetis quod ipse apponat consilium ut omnes naves et batellos illius partis habere possimus, mediante peccunia dicti regis, et vos, si quas galeas in illis partibus habetis, nobis eas accomodare velitis.

Historical context:

The queen asks her brother-in-law to help her sister and her husband, who is the object of a rebellion in England, by helping to establish a truce and lending ships.

Printed source:

Correspondance Administrative d'Alfonse de Poitiers, ed. Auguste Molinier (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1894), Collection de Documents indédits sur l'Histoire de France, 2.540-41, ep.2014

Date:

1263