A letter from Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse (1242)

Translated letter:

To his most serene lady, Blanche, illustrious queen of France by the grace of God, R[aymond], by the same grace the count of Toulouse, her devoted and faithful cousin, greetings and ready will to her service. Since, after God, we have greatest faith in the mercy of your serenity, for you have loved us long and love us [still] openly from the highest nobility of your spirit, nor can you not love us, having in your mind love of our mother of distinguished memory, through whom we are bound to you by the line of consanguinity. We are filled with sorrow and shame that ever by anything we have done against our dearest lord king, your son, we have given matter to your detractors against the celebrated fame of your goodness and purity and discretion. And because of that, we desire especially to return to the grace and peace of that king our dearest lord so that with our good behavior, we may restrain the tongues of our adversaries and obstruct wicked mouths of those speaking against you because of us. And though it might be that that lord king in the mercy which we hope from him, might oppress us more strongly than we deserved, in order to have peace with him and his court, where signs of love come to our heart as much from blood ties as of our daughter whom we have there, we have brought ourselves directly to your direction, to be committed to your counsel, invoking you as merciful mediator between us and your son, our dearest king and lord. If you counsel this to us and give your letters patent, we would not do otherwise, nor would we give glory to any but you in this, but we are ready, in order to have his peace and grace, to submit to his good mercy without any condition and pact, ourselves and our land and our supporters who protected us in the present war, not having war with him before, in which we believe there is no heretic or anyone condemned for heresy in any way among those we consider our supporters, abandoning altogether that way, as the venerable father bishop of Toulouse, whom we knew before to be solicitious of the advantage and honor of that lord king, recently offered him on our part, recognizing that it would not be an honor to us where he did not have honor principally and totally. And if he would thus receive us, we would cleave to him with all our power, perpetually, virilely, and faithfully against all men, and we will hold with him and his service, which we want very much and intend. Nor will anyone ever be able to separate us from him and we will have an investigation for the honor and defence of the Church and the catholic faith and the purgation of the land from heretical wickedness in every way, and we will punish those who, treasonably against us, killed inquisitors of heretics, Preachers and Minors, and their fellows. For we promise this well to you that in the rest we shall act so that the preceding infamy and suspicion will pass into oblivion, and your detractors like all who will hear of your circumspection in supporting our affairs will bless it. And because of all these things, when you give your letters that counsel us in this, we are ready to come immediately to his presence, if he will send us at Chorges [Caturcum] an honorable and secure escort with his letters patent. Let your discernment not doubt in any way that you will see and say that for a long time nothing has been acquired more useful to the kingdom, nor that, if we should risk our body there and suffer from now on, you would be shamed. Given at Penne, 13th kalends of November, in the year 1242.

Original letter:

Serenissime domine sue Blanche, Dei gratia regine Francie illustri, R[aimundus], eadem gratia comes Tholose, ejus devotus consanguineus et fidelis, salutem et paratam ad ipsius obsequia voluntatem. Cum, post Deum, de clementia serenitatis vestre majorem fiduciam habeamus, que plane de summa vestri ingenuitate animi nos dilexistis diu et diligitis, nec potestis nos non diligere, in mente vestra amorem insignis memorie matris nostre gerentes, per quam vobis consanguinitatis linea attinemus, nos dolentes et verecundi plurimum quod unquam per aliquod quod nos fecerimus contra karissimum dominum nostrum regem, filium vestrum, data sit materia quibusque vestris detractoribus contra bonitatis ac puritatis et discretionis vestre famam celebrem obloquendi. Et propter hoc precipue affectantes redire ad gratiam et pacem ipsius karissimi domini nostri regis, ut, cum bono portamento nostro, adversariorum nostrorum lingas [sic] reprimamus et ora adversum vos occasione nostri iniqua loquentium obstruamus, et quamvis constaret nobis quod idem dominus rex in misericordia, quam speramus de ipso, fortius nos gravaret quam meruimus, ad hoc ut pacem ejus habeamus et sue curie, ubi multa dilectionis tam ex consanguinitate quam filie nostre, quam habemus ibi, intuitu, cordi nostro occurrunt insignia, vestro prorsus nos duximus regimini et consilio committendos, clementiam vestram mediatricem inter nos et ipsum vestrum filium, nostrum karissimum regem et dominum, invocantes. Qui, si vos nobis hoc consulueritis et litteras vestras patentes et pendentes dederitis, non enim aliter faceremus, nec alicui quam vobis daremus de hoc gloriam, parati sumus ut, ad habendam pacem ejus et gratiam, nos et terram nostram et valitores nostros qui de guerra presenti nos amparaverunt, non habentes cum eo guerram antea, in quibus nullum intellegimus hereticum vel de heresi condempnatum, quos nullo modo valitores reputamus nostros, sine omni condicione et pacto, ejus bone misericordie supponamus, viam illam penitus deserentes quam nuper ex parte nostra obtulit ei venerabilis pater episcopus Tholosanus, quem dudum experti sumus esse sollicitum de ipsius domini regis et regni commodo et honore, cognoscentes quod non esset honor nobis ubi ipse honorem principaliter et totaliter non haberet. Et si sic nos receperit, nos ei, cum toto posse nostro, perpetuo viriliter adherebimus et fideliter contra omnes homines, et cum eo nos tenebimus, et ejus servicio, quod multum volumus, intendemus, nec quisquam nos unquam ab eo poterit separare, et circa honorem et deffensionem Ecclesie et fidei catholice et purgationem terre ab heretica pravitate ad omnimodam ejus cognicionem nos habebimus, et vindictam faciemus de illis qui, tam proditionaliter contra nos, inquisitores hereticorum, Predicatores et Minores, et eorum socios occiderunt. Nam hoc bene vobis promittimus quod in cunctis taliter nos habebimus quod in oblivionem infamia precedens et suspitio pertransibunt, et tam detractatores vestri quam omnes qui audierint circumspectionem vestram, quia nostra supportastis negocia, benedicent. Et propter omnia ista, cum litteras vestras dederitis quod hoc nobis consulitis, promti sumus incontinenti ad ipsius venire presentiam, si tamen ipse nobis usque Caturcum miserit, cum suis litteris patentibus et pendentibus, guidagium honorabile et securum. Nec dubitet ibi vestra discretio prorsus in aliquo, quoniam et videbitis et dicetis quod a multis diebus non fuit regno quisquam utilior adquisitus, nec si deberemus ibi corpus exponere, pateremur amodo quod de nobis verecundiam haberetis. Datum Penne, XIII. kalendas novembris, anno Domini MoCCoXLo secundo.

Historical context:

The Count, wanting to make peace with Louis IX after the defeat of the southwestern nobles, asks Blanche to intercede for him, assuring her of his devotion and of the absence of [Cathar/Albigensian] heresy among his followers, and his commitment to pursue heretics. Blanche and Raymond were first cousins, their mothers, Eleanor and Joan of England, being sisters. Raymond’s daughter was married to Blanche’s son Alphonse of Poitiers. Blanche had supported peace with Raymond as early as 1229 and had interceded for him with the pope several times when Raymond was at odds with his clergy, causing rumors that she was too partial to her cousin. He had made trouble in Provence for Louis’s father-in-law, as well as siding with the southwestern nobles and the king of England, and had failed to keep his oath to go on crusade, but this time he would respect the peace.

Printed source:

Teulet, Layettes, 2.482-83, #2996

Date:

1242