A letter from Eleanor of Provence (02/14/1254)

Translated letter:

To her most excellent lord, lord Henry, by grace of God illustrious king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy, Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, his most devoted consort Eleanor, by that same grace queen of England, and his devoted and faithful Richard, count of Cornwall, greetings with all reverence and honor. Your reverend lordship should know that the lords count Marshal and John of Balliol, who had been held up at sea by contrary winds for twelve days, came to us in England on the Wednesday after the purification of the blessed Mary just past. And we had discussed your subsidy with the prelates and magnates of your kingdom of England, both before the arrival of said count and John, in the fortnight of St. Hilary just past, and again after their arrival ... The archbishops and bishops responded that if the king of Castile attacked you in Gascony, each of them would assist you with his own goods, so that you would owe them perpetual thanks, but they could do nothing about what their clergy would do to help without their assent, and they do not believe their clergy can be induced to supply any help at all unless the tithe of the clergy granted by you for the crusade in the first year which should start now, is altogether relaxed by your letters patent, and the collection of that same crusade tithe for the two following years is postponed until two years before your passage to the Holy Land. And they would diligently urge the clergy subject to them to assist you according to this form of the tithe of their benefices, if said king of Castile attacked you in Gascony, and will discuss it with them. But when the bearers of the presents left, no subsidy from said clergy had yet been granted. Moreover, as we said elsewhere, if the king of Castile attacks you in Gascony, all the counts and powerful barons of your kingdom will cross the sea to you in Gascony with all their force; but we do not believe that any aid in your endeavor can be obtained from the other laymen who will not cross over to you unless you write to those holding your place [your lieutenants] in England that the freedoms of your Magna Charta must be strictly observed and this must be strictly ordered by your letters to all the sheriffs(1) of your kingdom, and publicly proclaimed through each county of that kingdom, so they may be roused to help you willingly in the projected aid, since many complain that the tenets of said charter are not observed by your sheriffs and other bailifs as they ought to be. May your lordship know, therefore, that we shall treat with the clerics and laymen at Westminster a fortnight after Easter about said aid, begging your lordship to write back your will about what we have mentioned as swiftly as you can. You will find us prepared and devoted to seeking said help in your endeavor, according to our powers, and to doing and procuring everything else that looks to your advantage and the increase of your honor. Dated Windsor, 14th of February, in the 38th year of your reign.

Original letter:

Excellentissimo domino suo, domino H[enrico], Dei gratia regi Angliae illustri, domino Hiberniae, duci Normanniae Aquitanniae, et comiti Andegaviae, sua consors devotissima A[lianora], eadem gratia regina Angliae, et devotus et fidelis suus R[icardus], comes Cornubiae, salutem, cum omni reverntia et honore. Vestra sciat reverenda dominatio quod domini comes Marescallus et Johannes de Balliollo, impediti ad mare per ventum contrarium per duodecim dies, ad nos in Anglia venerunt die Mercurii proxima post Purificationem B. Mariae proximo praeteritam. Et habito tractatu cum praelatis et magnatibus regni vestri Angliae, ante adventum praedictorum comitis et Johannis, super subsidio vestro, videlicet in quindena S. Hillarii proximo praeteriti, et post adventum eorundem comitis et Johannis tam.......[qu]am praedictorum praelatorum et magnatum; responderunt nobis archiepiscopi et episcopi, quod si rex Castellionis venerit contra vos in Wasconiam singuli eorum de bonis propriis vobis subvenient, ita quod grates perpetuas eis fore debebitis, sed de auxilio clericorum suorum vobis faciendo nihil facere potuerunt, sine assensu eorundem clericorum, nec credunt clericos suos posse induci ad aliquod auxilium vobis impendendum nisi decima clericorum vobis concessa de crucesignatione de primo anno, quae in praesenti debet incipere, penitus relaxetur per literas vestras patentes, et collecta ejusdem decimae de duobus annis sequentibus de eadem crucesignatione ponatur in respectum usque ad terminum duorum annorum ante passagium vestrum in Terram Sanctam. Et ad inducendum clericos eis subjectos ad subveniendum vobis secundum formam istam de decima beneficiorum suorum, si praedictus rex Castellionis [venerit] contra vos in Wasconiam, diligentiam apponent, et cum eis tractatum habebunt; sed in recessu latoris praes[entium] nondum fuit aliquod subsidium a praedictis clericis concessum. Praeterea, sicut alias vobis significavimus, si rex Castellionis venerit contra vos in Wasconiam, omnes comites et barones regni vestri potentes ad transfretandum ad vos venient in Wasconiam cum toto posse suo; sed de aliis laicis ad vos non transfretaturis non credimus aliquod auxilium ad opus vestrum obtinere, nisi scribatis tenentibus locum vestrum in Anglia quod firmiter teneri faciant magnas cartas vestras de libertatibus, et quod hoc firmiter praecipiatur per literas vestras singulis viceomitibus regni vestri, et publice clametur per singulos comitatus ejusdem regni, quia sic fortius animarentur ad auxilium vobis gratanter impendendum, cum plures conquerantur quod praedictae cartae non tenentur a vicecomitibus et aliis ballivis vestris, sicut teneri deberent. Dominationi igitur vestrae innotescat quod cum clericis et laicis praedictis habituri sumus tractatum apud Westmonasterium in quindena Paschatis proximo futuri super auxilio praedicto, dominationi vestrae supplicantes quatenus beneplacitum vestrum super praemissis nobis cum quanta poteritis festinatione rescribatis. Paratas enim nos invenietis et devotas ad prae[dictu]m auxilium ad opus vestrum, secundum posse nostrum, perquirendum, et ad alia omnia facienda et procuranda [q]uae commodum vestrum et honoris vestri respiciunt incrementum. Datum apud Windesoram, quartodecimo die Februarii, anno regni vestri tricesimo octavo.

Historical context:

Eleanor, as the king's regent, and his brother, as her chief advisor, write to the king who is in Gascony to put down a rebellion to tell him what their negotiations with clergy and barons for aid have so far accomplished, and to ask what he wants from a planned parliament.

Scholarly notes:

1. Prof. Linda E. Mitchell alerted me to the correct translation of "vicecomitibus" in this passage. In France, she points out, vicecomes would be a viscount, but in England it is a sheriff.

Printed source:

Royal and Other Historical Letters Illustrative of the Reign of Henry III, ed. W.W. Shirley (London: Longman et al., 1866), ep.499, 2.101-2

Date:

02/14/1254