A letter from Marie, empress of Constantinople (1248/49)

Translated letter:

To the very high, and our very dear lady, my lady Blanche, by the grace of God queen of France, Marie, by that same grace empress of Constantinople, greetings and commendations as to our very dear lady. As we had borrowed, in Constantinople, from Bon de Monz, a Tuscan, citizen of Constantinople, bearer of these letters, six[hundred 1] eighty Tours pounds, to pay or have paid in France, by our oath and that of Jean our brother, to that Bon de Monz or to the one carrying these letters at his command, within the first 15 days after he or the one he sends has shown you the letters. We beg you, as strongly as we can, that you have 680 Tours pounds paid to that Bon de Monz or to the one who bears the letters at his command, from what you have of ours and of my brother John’s. And may your highness know, sweet lady, that if the 680 Tours pounds are not paid within the mentioned term, we and John, my brother, from then on will be and are bound, by all our goods and by our oath, to pay to the said Bon de Monz or his representative, the said 680 Tours pounds in principal/chattel and beyond that to render and restore to that Bon de Monz or his representative all the losses and expenses and damages they swear to have incurred through the default in payment. And in witness of this, we have turned over to aforesaid Bon de Monz the present letters sealed with our seal. These letters were done at Negrepont, in the 1248th year of the incarnation, in the month of January at the end.

Original letter:

A la tres haute et nostre tres chiere dame ma dame Blanche, par la grace de Deu roine de France, Marie, par icele meisme grace empereriz de Romanie, salut et recomandement, com a nostre tres chiere dame. Cum il soit chose que nos eussiens emprunte, en Costantinoble, de Bon de Monz, Toscan, citeien de Costantinoble, porteor de ces lettres, vi et LXXX. livres de Tornais, a paier ou a fere paier en France, par le serement de nos et de Jahan, nostre frere, a celi Bon de Monz ou a son comandement ces lettres portant, dedenz les premiers XV jorz puis qu'il, ou ses comandemenz, vos aura ces lettres mostrees, nos vos prions, tant com nos porrons, que vos a celi Bon de Monz, ou a son comandement ces lettres portant, fetes paier vi et LXXX. livres de Tournais, de ce que vos avez la dou nostre, et dou Jahan, mon frere. Et sache Vostere Hautesce, douce dame, que, s'il n'estoit paiz dedenz le termine devantdit, des vi et LXXX. livres de Tornais devant dites, que nos et Jahans, mes freres, d'iloques en avant serons et somes tenu, sor toz nos biens et par nostre serement, de paier ou de faire paier au devant dit Bon de Monz, ou a son comandement, les vi et LXXX. livres de Tornais devant dits de chatel, et par deseure, toz les domages et les despens et les deperz rendre et restorer a celi Bon de Monz ou a son comandement, qu'il diront par lor serement qu'il auront eu par la defaute de lor paiement. Et en tesmoignance de ceste chose, avons nos baillie au devantdit Bon de Monz ces lettres presentes saelees de nostre sael. Ces lettres furent fetes a Negrepont, l'an de l'incarnation M.CC.XL. Ouit, ou mois de janver oissant.

Historical context:

Blanche’s grand-niece, asks her aunt to pay her debts; the Latin empire of Constantinople was in dire straits. It had lost territory and the emperor, Baldwin II, was in constant need of financial as well as military help. He had earlier sold precious relics, like the crown of thorns and a piece of the cross, to Blanche’s son Louis IX. In this letter his wife, Marie, who was Blanche's grandniece, asks her aunt to pay one of their creditors. The letter is in French.

Scholarly notes:

1. The French text gives vi et LXXX, but other passages and the receipt from Bon de Monz clearly state sexcentas octoginta libras Turonensium, so Marie’s six must stand for six hundred.

Printed source:

Teulet, Layettes, 3 #3741

Date:

1248/49