A letter from Marguerite of Provence (1278)

Translated letter:

To the magnificent prince, her dearest nephew, Edward, by the grace of God king of the English, Marguerite, by that same grace queen of the French, greetings and affection of sincere love. At the prayers and requests of the venerable father in Christ William, archbishop of Rouen, whom we consider our special friend, we request and ask you out of affection, since that archbishop ought to make an oath of fidelity to you and he fears such a crossing of the sea and that he would be weakened/ exhausted by the labor of the long journey so that he could not reach you in person without great physical danger, that you do him the grace for our sake and by the intervention of our prayers, to make this oath through his special agent and that you accept that agent for this if it please you for love of us. And if that same archbishop can then make the oath to you in person when you next come to France or Gascony, you would fullfil our request, if it please you, so the archbishop would feel our prayers had succeeded for him in this case. Dated Etampes, Thursday after the invention of St. Stephen.

Original letter:

Magnifico principi, nepoti suo carissimo, Edwardo, Dei gratia regi Anglorum, Margareta, eadem gratia Francorum regina, salutem et sincere dilectionis affectum. Ad preces et requisitiones venerabilis in Christo patris Willelmi, archiepiscopi Rothomagensis, quem nostrum amicum specialem reputamus, vos ex affectu requirimus et rogamus quantinus, cum idem archiepiscopus vobis fidelitatis prestare debeat juramentum, et ipse tantum maris transitum timeat, et propter laborem longi itineris adeo sit fessus quod ad vos, sine magno corporis periculo, non possit personaliter accedere, eidem illam gratiam, obtentu nostro et precum nostrarum interventu, facere vos velitis quod hujusmodi fidelitatem per suum procuratorem possit facere specialem, ipsumque procuratorem ad hoc amore nostri, si placeat, admittatis; ita tamen quod idem archiepiscopus personaliter ipsam fidelitatem vobis faciat, quam primo vos ad partes Francie vel Vasconie contingerit declinare, preces nostras taliter impleturi, si placeat, quod idem archiepiscopus in hoc casu ipsas cum effectu sibi sentiat profuisse. Datum apud Stampas, die jovis post invencionem beati Stephani.

Historical context:

The dowager queen asks her nephew to grant a special dispensation to an archbishop who can not journey to make his oath of fidelity in person.

Printed source:

Lettres de Rois, Reines et Autres Personnages des Cours de France et D'Angleterre, ed. M. Champollion-Figeac (Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1839), 1.212, ep.166

Date:

1278