A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1265)

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. You will know that our lord king has recently order that the citizens of Bayonne who had been held captive in Paris be freed, and since they, as is evident in their letters, did much damage and injury to the illustrious king of England and the queen, our dearest brothers [brother-in-law and sister], and to lord Edward our very close nephew, especially by preventing our said sister from getting Bayonne galleys last year at Bruges where she had gathered her army, so that she could not cross and sustained no small damages. We, truly, who have always had and have special faith in you, request your sincerity especially and ask that you not permit those citizens who not once but many times betrayed their natal lords to be received in your land and dominion, for love of us, and to prohibit their entry or stay in your said land. What you might wish to do about that, write back by letter. We also ask you to grant us about Guillaume Arnaud Dupuy and his brothers, their companions, who did much evil and robbery on the seacoast of Normandy, as was revealed to our lord king in a complaint. We told lord John of Nanteuil orally that he should ask you about that in our place; nonetheless we communicate this to your love by letter, asking you assiduously and as a special gift, that you grant us this, if it please you. Dated Vincennes, the day after the beheading of John the Baptist.

Original letter:

Margarita, Dei gratia Francorum regina, karissimo fratri suo Alfonso, filio regis Francie, comiti Pictavie et Tholose, salutem et sincere dilectionis affectum. Noveritis quod dominus noster rex cives Baionenses, qui capti detinebantur Parisius, precepit noviter liberari, et cum ipsi, sicut per eorum patet litteras, illustri regi Anglie ac regine, fratribus nostris karissimis, et domino Eduardo nepoti nostro intimo, multa dispendia procuraverint atque dampna, impediendo precipue quod soror nostra predicta anno preterito apud Brugas, ubi suum congregaverat exercitum, galeas de Baiona non habuit, quare impeditus fuit ejus transitus, inde gravamina non modica sustinendo; nos vero qui de vobis semper gessimus et gerimus fiduciam specialem, sinceritatem (sic) vestram requirimus specialiter et rogamus quatinus ipsos cives, qui non solum semel sed pluries suos natales dominos prodiderunt, non permittatis amore nostri in terra vestra et dominio receptari, facientes moram dicte terre vestre et introitum inhiberi. Quid autem inde facere volueritis nobis per vestras litteras rescribatis. Sane idem de Guillelmo Arnaudi de Podio et fratribus suis, sociis istorum, qui multa mala fecerunt et roberias in costili maris Normannie, sicut domino nostro regi querimonialiter est ostensum, petimus nobis concedi. Domino vero Johanni de Nantolio verbotenus dixeramus quod vos inde requireret loco nostri; tamen istud nichilominus vestre dilectioni litteratorie intimamus, vos rogando attentius et postulando pro munere speciali quod istud nobis, si placeat, concedatis. Datum apud Vicenas, in crastino decollationis beati Johannis Baptiste.

Historical context:

The queen asks her brother-in-law not to receive in his land the men of Bayonne who had kept her sister, the queen of England, from getting the ships she needed to transport her army. She also asks him to do the same with pirates who had been raiding the coast of Normany. Sivéry cites part of the letter, p.197.

Printed source:

Correspondance Administrative d'Alfonse de Poitiers, ed. Auguste Molinier (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1894), Collection de Documents indédits sur l'Histoire de France, 2.548, ep.2027

Date:

1265