A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1264)

Translated letter:

Let all to whom the present writing comes know that since a dispute had been carried on for a long time in the court of our lord king of France between Henry, by the grace of God illustrious king of England, and Edward, his firstborn son, on the one side, and Renaud de Pons and his wife Marguerite on the other, over the castle of Bergerac and its appurtenances and their restitution, finally with the will and consent of said parties we, Marguerite, by the grace of God queen of France, who have full and free power from said parties to dispose and arrange in said dispute, as is fully contained in letters of those parties, we have undertaken for the good of peace, to end the discord which has swirled between said parties by amicably disposing or arranging. Having taken diligent deliberation on that discord, therefore, and communicated with counsel of good people, we have thus disposed, with the will and assent of said parties for the good of peace: First, we wish and dispose that said Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, have released and handed over to said king of England and Edward his son, from our lord king of France, 4000 Tours pounds, in which said Edward was held by loan. Of the remaining 6000 Tours pounds, let said Renaud and Marguerite his wife make reparation to the Temple in Paris for the king and Edward, in which said Edward is held [by loan] to said Temple. And of said discharging of 6000 Tours pounds by said Temple, said Renaud and Marguerite his wife will give the illustrious king of France, our said lord, as guarantor/surety and principal debtor, and they will procure from the lord king letters patent on said discharging of said 4000 Tours pounds. Item, we wish and dispose that said Renaud and Marguerite his wife discharge said king of England and his son and completely release them from all the fruits received and which could be received from that king and his son or at their charge from the rents, appurtenances, revenues whatsoever of the castle of Bergerac and his appurtenances, and of Genciac and its appurtenances, and swear that they will make no claims against said discharge and deliberation in the future. Item, we wish and dispose that said Renaud and his wife will not do harm either themselves or through others or have any harm devised by any art or artifice for what knights or townsmen or men of Bergerac and its appurtenances, and especially Aldebert his provost, did against them by adhering to said king and his son and favoring their side; rather if any one wishes to inflict harm on them for said reasons, Renaud and his wife will, if they know about it, prevent the harm in good faith. Item, we dispose that Renaud and his wife remit henceforth towards said men the rancor conceived from said causes and whatever hatred they released in our presence. Item, we dispose that Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, renounce henceforth all rancor and action of injuries especially and expressly against Aldebert his provost and his people, though they have already remitted them, for the reasons they had up to now, and on this they will give letters patent to said Aldebert and his people, and ask our lord king of France, in good faith, to affix his seal to them. They will also swear that they will observe all things contained above inviolably towards said Aldebert and his people. Item, said Renaud and his wife will swear that they will work in good faith so that those to whom donations of land which was once Elie Rudelh's were made by lord Edward, or in exchange for others, they will renounce either for compensation or gifts and that they surrender the instruments composed for those gifts to said Edward. And if they can not induce the donatories to this, said Renaud and his wife will work in good faith to have those instruments given into our hands, on the coming feast of the Assumption of blessed Mary, or within an octave of that feast, so we can dispose by counsel what seems prudent and good to us about the contents of those instruments. And Renaud and his wife will compel said donatories to do this as should be done. Item, since said Edward is said to have granted to the magnate and vassals and community of Bergerac certain liberties or franchises in the land that was Elie Rudelh's, and to certain other places outside said land, and to have given his letters and made certain pacts and promises, and Walter Prepositus [reeve?], knight, Americus of Prato Novo and Peter Sinquennal, townsmen of Bergerac, agents of the mayor, of the jurors and of the whole community, wished and granted in our presence in their name and that of the whole community, that said Edward give back and restore to the aforesaid Renaud and his wife the castle of Bergerac with all its appurtenances, notwithstanding pacts, disputes, promises, oath, or other confirmations of any kind, that said Edward can not place said castle with its appurtenances outside his hand; and said agents promised that in said Parliament at Pentecost they would give us the letters of said Edward on what the mayor has and what is in common in the city of Bergerac and certain other customs or liberties or franchises in the land of said Elie Rudel, and whatever other place granted to him, and about those things which said townsmen say were granted by that Edward in the town of Bergerac or elsewhere, in the land that was Elie's, by name of the community of Bergerac, they expressly renounced in our presence, and discharged said Edward from every concession and pact altogether, we dispose that said Renaud and his wife take care in good faith that said letters from aforesaid townsmen be given to us within the mentioned time and compel them to that, as will seem to us should be done. Item, since said Renaud and his wife are held to do homage to the king of England for the castle of Bergerac and its appurtenances, we wish and dispose that the seneschal of said king of England and his son Edward in Gascony receive the fidelity of Renaud and his wife, in the name and place of the king of England and his son Edward, as long as aforesaid Renaud and his wife do homage to aforesaid king or his son Edward or their heirs. Item, we wish and dispose that aforesaid king of England and his son Edward restore or have restored fully and wholly to Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, or at their command, the castle of Bergerac with its appurtenances, as the foresaid came into the hands of that king or his son or another, by their command, saving foreign law and the law of said king of England and his heirs that said king of England and his heirs had in the time of said Elie Rudelh, father of said Marguerite. Item, that aforesaid king of England and his son Edward remit rancors conceived from aforesaid causes or others and all the corresponding actions that have arisen against said Renaud and his wife, from the time of said Elie Rudelh, with pure heart and good will. Item, that the oathes which knights, townsmen, and men of Bergerac vouched for or made to said king of England and Edward, in the name of said castle and its appurtenances, when they took that castle and its appurtenances into their hands, [the king of England and Edward] remit to said knights, townsmen and men, saving the law of that king and his heirs, that obtained in the time of aforesaid Elie Rudelh in receiving said oaths. Item, that said king of England and Edward grant their letters patent to Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, on the contingent arrangements. About said concession, with the expressed will of the said parties, we retain the power for two years of specifying and declaring if any doubt or obscurity should emerge about the arrangments. Said Renaud and Marguerite, his wife, in person in our presence, promised that they would observe inviolably this disposition of ours, having approved it, the whole and all the separate items, by oath taken bodily, and would not turn against it in the future in any way. This is enacted in Paris, on the Monday after the Sunday in which Rejoice Jerusalem is sung, in the one-thousand two-hundred sixty-third [sic] year of the Lord. In witness of which we affix our seal to the present writing/document.

Original letter:

Noverint universi ad quos venerit presens scriptum quod, cum inter Henricum, Dei gracia regem Anglie illustrem, et Eduuardum, ejus filium primogenitum, ex parte una, et Reginaldum de Pontibus et Margaritam, ejus uxorem, ex altera, super castro Brageriaci ac ejus pertinenciis, ac restitucione eorumdem, in curia domini nostri regis Francie questio fuisset diucius agitata, tandem, de voluntate et assensu parcium predictarum, nos, Margarita, Dei gracia Francie regina, que a predictis partibus plenam et liberam potestatem ordinandi seu componendi super premissa questione habebamus, prout in ipsarum parcium litteris plenius continetur, pro bono pacis, discordiam, que inter partes predictas vertebatur, amicabiliter ordinando seu eciam componendo, suscepimus terminandam. Diligenti ergo deliberacione habita, bonorum communicato consilio, de voluntate et assensu parcium predictarum, pro bono pacis, super ipsa discordia sic duximus ordinandum : In primis volumus et ordinamus quod predicti Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, prefatos regem Anglie et Eduuardum ejus filium, faciant quitari et deiiberari a domino nostro rege Ffrancie de quatuor milibus libris Turronensium, in quibus dictus Edwardus ex causa mutui tenebatur eidem. De sex vero milibus libris Turronensium residuis satisfaciant predicti Reginaldus et Margarita, uxor ejus, Templo, Parisiis, pro ipsis rege et Edwardo, in quibus dictus Edwardus tenetur dicto Templo; et de dicta quietacione sex milium librarum Turronensium a Templo predicto facienda dabunt illustrem regem Francie, dominum nostrum predictum, fidejussorem et principalem debitorem, et procurabunt dicti Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, apud ipsum dominum regem, quod de acquitacione dictarum quatuor millium librarum Turronensium supradicta suas dabit litteras patentes. Item, volumus et ordinamus quod dicti Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, prefatos regem Anglie et ejus filium quitent et penitus liberent omnibus fructubus perceptis et qui percipi poterunt ab ipso rege et ejus filio vel eorum mandato, de redditibus, pertinenciis, exitibus quibuscumque castri Brageriaci et pertinenciis ejusdem, et Genciaci et pertinenciis ejusdem, et jurent se contra dictam quitacionem et deliberacionem imposterum non venturos. Item, volumus et ordinamus quod predicti Reginaldus et ejus uxor, ratione aliquorum que milites, vel burgenses, vel homines de Brageriaco et ejus pertinenciarum, et specialiter Audebertus Prepositi et sui, fecerunt contra eos, adherendo prefato regi et ejus filio et fovendo partem ipsorum, an eis adherencium seu fovencium, eis per se vel per alios in aliquo non nocebunt nec nocumentum aliquod procurabunt, aut aliqua [arte] vel ingenio machinabuntur eis inferre; immo, si aliqui ex causis predictis aliquod nocumentum eis volunt inferre, ipsi Reginaldus et ejus uxor, si hoc scirent, bona fide dampnum eorum impedirent. Item, ordinamus quod ipsi Reginaldus et ejus uxor prefatis hominibus rancores perceptos ex causis predictis et odia, quamquam coram nobis remiserint, adhuc remittant. Item, ordinamus quod ipsi Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, specialiter et expresse, Audeberto Preposito et suis, licet jam remiserint, adhuc remittant omnem rancorem et accionem injuriarum quas contra dictum Audebertum et suos ex causis predictis hactenus habuerunt, et super hoc dabunt litteras suas patentes dicto Audeberto et suis, et dominum nostrum regem Ffrancie predictum requirent, bona fide, quod ibi sigillum suum apponi faciat; jurabunt eciam quod predictis Audeberto et suis predicta omnia superius contenta inviolabiliter observabunt. Item, jurabunt predicti Reginaldus et ejus uxor quod bona fide laborabunt quod illi, quibus alique donaciones facte fuerint per dominum Edwardum de terra que quondam fuit domini Elie Rudelh, seu de scambio faciendo in aliis, seu compenssacione facienda, donacionibus eisdem renunciabunt et quod instrumenta confecta super eisdem donacionibus redderent dicto Edwardo; et si eos donatorios ad hoc forte inducere non poterunt, bona fide laborabunt dicti Reginaldus et ejus uxor quod eadem instrumenta tradantur in manibus nostris, in festo Assumpcionis beate Marie proximo venturo, aut infra octabas ejusdem festi, ad ordinandum de contentis in ipsis instrumentis quod nobis de prudentum consilio visum fuerit esse bonum; et ad hec facienda compellent predictos donatorios ipsi Reginaldus et ejus uxor, prout videbitur faciendum. Item, cum dictus Edwardus majori et juratis et communitati de Brageriaco dicatur quasdam libertates seu franchesias in terra que fuit dicti Elie Rudelh, et locis quibusdam aliis extra dictam terram, concessisse, et inde predictas suas litteras dedisse et fecisse eisdem homiuibus quasdam pacciones et promissiones, et Galterus Prepositus, miles, Americus de Prato Novo et Petrus Sinquennal, burgenses de Brageriaco, procuratores majoris, juratorum et tocius communitatis de Brageriaco, voluerunt et concesserunt coram nobis, nomine suo et tocius communitatis, quod dictus Edwardus reddat et restituat Reginaldo et ejus uxori antedictis castrum de Brageriaco cum omnibus ejus pertinenciis, non obstantibus aliquibus paccionibus, questionibus, promissionibus, juramento, vel aliis quoquo modo vallatis, quod dictus Edwardus non possit dictum castrum cum suis pertinenciis extra manum suam ponere; et promiserunt dicti procuratores quod in dicto parliamento Pentecostes reddent nobis litteras dicti Edwardi super habendo majori et communia in villa de Brageriaco, et quibusdam aliis consuetudinibus vel libertatibus vel franchisiis in terra que fuit dicti Elie Rudelli et locis aliis ubicumque sibi concessis, et de hiis que dicunt dicti burgenses sibi fuisse concessa ab eodem Edwardo in villa Brageriaci vel alibi, in terra que fuit dicti Elie, nomine communitatis Brageriaci, coram nobis expresse renunciaverunt, et eundem Edwardum ab omni concessione et paccione penitus quitaverunt, ordinamus quod dicti Reginaldus et ejus uxor procurent bona fide quod predicte littere a prefatis burgensibus nobis reddantur in termino memorato[et] ipsos ad hoc compellant, prout nobis videbitur faciendum. Item, cum Reginaldus et ejus uxor predicti pro castro Brageriaci et ejus pertinenciis regi Anglie homagium facere teneantur, volumus et ordinamus quod senescallus predictorum regis Anglie et ejus filii Edwardi in Vasconia fidelitatem ipsorum Reginaldi et ejus uxoris recipiat, nomine et vice ipsorum regis Anglie et ejus filii Edwardi, quousque prefati Reginaldus et ejus uxor predicto regi vel ejus filio Edwardo vel heredibus eorum homagium faciant. Item, volumus et ordinamus quod predicti rex Anglie et ejus filius Edwardus restituant vel restitui faciant plene el integre Reginaldo et Margarete, ejus uxori, vel eorum mandato, castrum Brageriaci cum ejus pertinenciis, prout predicta ad manus ipsorum regis, vel ejus filii, vel alterius, de mandato eorundem, devenerunt, salvo jure alieno et jure dicti regis Anglie et heredum suorum quod habebant in tempore predicti Elie Rudelh, patris predicte Margarite, predicti rex et heredes sui. Item, quod predicti rex Anglie et ejus filius Edwardus rancores conceptos ex predictis causis vel aliis et omnes acciones sibi competentes contra dictum Reginaldum et ejus uxorem exortas, a tempore prefati Elie Rudelh, puro corde et bona voluntate eisdem remittant. Item, quod juramenta que milites, burgenses et homines Brageriaci prestiterunt et fecerunt predictis regi Anglie et Edwardo , nomine predictorum castri et pertinenciarum, quando ipsum castrum cum pertinenciis in manibus suis ceperunt, salvo jure ipsius regis et heredum suorum, si quod in predictis recipiendis juramentis antedictis habe[b]ant tempore Elie Rudelh predicti, [rex Anglie et Edwardus] predictis militibus burgensibus et hominibus remittant. Item, quod dictus rex Anglie et Edwardus de premissis Reginaldo et Margarite, ejus uxori, contingentibus litteras suas patentes eis concedant. De concessu antedicto, expressa voluntate parcium predictarum, retinemus nobis potestatem usque ad duos annos specificandi et declarandi si aliquod dubium vel obscurum circa premissa emerserit vel aliquod premissorum. Hanc autem ordinacionem nostram dicti Reginaldus et Margarita, ejus uxor, constituti personaliter coram nobis, ratam et gratam habentes, promiserunt se omnia et singula supradicta, juramentis ab eis corporaliter prestitis, inviolabiliter servaturos et se contra eadem in futurum modo aliquo non venturos. Actum est hoc Parisiis, feria secunda post dominicam qua cantatur Letare Jerusalem, anno Domini millesimo ducentesimo.lx.tercio. In cujus rei testimonium presenti scripto sigillum nostrum duximus apponendum.

Historical context:

A long dispute between Renaud de Pons and his wife on one side and the English crown on the other over the castle of Bergerac had eventually been turned over to Marguerite to settle. Marguerite found for Renaud and his wife. Eleanor accepted her sister's decision and acted on it, asking her senechal in Gascony to enforce it (see Eleanor of Provence's letter to Peter of Bordeaux, Epistolae 650.html). This is the public letter announcing the queen's decision that bore her seal.

Printed source:

Recueil d'actes relatifs a l'Administration des rois d'Angleterre en Guyenne au XIIIe siècle (Recogniciones Feodorum in Aquitania) ed. Chs. Bémont (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1914), s.503 p.224-26.

Date:

1264