A letter from Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne (1209)

Translated letter:

I countess Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, make known to all that these are the agreements [between me and my dearest] lord Philip, illustrious king of the French, namely that he will hold my son Thibaut from the coming feast of the Purification of blessed Mary for four years, and from then on I shall have my said son whenever I wish. 2. The lord king will hold Bray-sur-Seine and Musterol as he holds them now by those agreements by which he now holds them, until my son Thibaut is 21, and moreover I wish the [oathes made] (surety) of barons and cities, and castles of my land to be held by my lord king of the French until my said son is twenty one. 3. When I wish to have my son at said term, truly, if the lord king wished [to have further} sureties of my land, that I as well as my son will be faithfully in his service, we will provide more. 4. When my said son is 21, the lord king will receive him as his liege man for the land which his father held when he died, saving the right of another; nor will he receive him as his man before that said time as long as I am alive, unless through me. 5. And if the daughters of count Henry or anyone else should bring a claim against my said son or myself for the county of Champagne, before my son has reached 21, neither my son nor I will be held to respond within the foresaid term as long as that son lives; nor will the lord king hear that claim because it is the usage and custom of France that no one has to answer before his twenty-first year against his will for the heredity his father held when he died. 6. To hold to the aforementioned agreements, I must give the lord king 15,000 L. by these terms: on the coming feast of St. Andrew 2,500 L; [on the next Purification of Saint Mary, 2500 pounds;] on the octave of the following Easter, 2,500 L.; [on the following octave of Saint Mary Magdalene, 2500 pounds;] on the following octave of St. Remigius, 2,500; [on the next feast of St. Andrew, 2500 pounds].* 7. If, far be it, my said son Thibaut dies within the period from the coming Purification of blessed Mary in four years, if the lord king holds the county in his hand, he will make good the said 15,000 within the year; and if the lord king wishes to give the county [of Champagne] to another, he will seisin no one in it until he has made me secure for the said 15,000 to be given back to me within the year; and if in the said period from the coming Purification of blessed Mary for four years, no one, not a lord nor the king, nor others who might hold the county of Champagne, may be restrained from giving back said 15,000 L. [I assured the lord king I] (The lord King assured me he) would hold all these agreements, and I assured him; and the lord King ought to have them assured by lord Louis his son. Enacted in the year of the lord 1209, in the month of August.

Original letter:

Ego, Comitissa B. Trecensis Comitissa Palatina, notum facio universis quod hae sunt conventiones inter [me et karissimum] dominum meum Philippum, Regem Francorum illustrem, scilicet quod ipse Theobaldum filium meum tenebit ab instanti festo Purificatione beatae Mariae usque ad quatuor annos, et ex tunc in antea habebo dictum filium meum quandocumque voluero. 2. Dominus autem Rex tenebit Braium et Musterolium sicut modo tenet, et per eas conventiones quibus nunc tenet, usquedum Theobaldus filius meus habeat viginti et unum [annos] annum, et [juramenta] (insuper securitatem) baronum et civitatum, castrorum terrae meae, domino Regi [facta] Francorum volo ei teneri quousque dictus filius meus habeat viginti et unum annos. 3. Quando vero ad dictum terminum meum habere voluero filium, si dominus Rex voluerit [habere amplius] securitates terrae meae, quod tam ego quam filius meus erimus fideliter ad servitium suum, nos (cum) amplius habere faciemus. 4. Cum [autem] dictus filius meus viginti et unum annos habuerit, dominus Rex recipiet eum in hominem ligium de terra de qua pater ejus tenens erat quando decessit, salvo jure alterius; nec ipsum ante [exinde] in hominem recipiet, sicut dictum est, quamdiu ego vixero, nisi per meipsam. 5. Et si filiae Comitis Henrici, vel aliquis alius, dictum filium meum vel meipsam traderent in causam de comitatu Campaniae, priusquam filius meus viginti et unum annos complesset, filius meus vel ego non teneremur exinde respondere infra praedictum terminum, quamdiu idem filius viveret; nec dominus Rex audiret inde causam, quia usus et consuetudo Franciae talis est, quod nullus ante vigesimum primum annum respondere debet super haereditate de qua pater ejus tenens esset sine placito, cum decederet. 6. Propter conventiones supradictas tenendas, (ego) debeo dare domino Regi quindecim millia librarum his terminis: in instanti festo S. Andreae, duo millia et quingentas libra; [ad Purificationem Beate Marie proximo sequentem, duo milia et quingentas libras;] in octavis Paschae subsequentis, duo millia et quingentas libras; [in octabis Beate Marie Magdalene subsequentibus, duo milia et quingentas libras;] in octavis S. Remigii subsequentibus, duo millia et quindecim* libras; [in festivitate sancti Andree subsequenti, duo milia et quingentas libras]. 7. Si vero, quod absit, dictus filius meus (Th.) moreretur infra terminum qui est ab hac instanti Purificatione beatae Mariae in quatuor annos, si dominus Rex teneret comitatum in manu sua, ipse mihi gratum meum faceret infra annum de praedictis quindecim millibus; et si dominus Rex comitatum [Campaniae] tradere vellet alii, nullum de eo saisiret quousque me ad gratum meum securam [fecisset] (faceret) de praedictis quindecim millibus mihi reddendis infra annum; et si praenominato termino qui est ab instanti Purificatione beatae Mariae in quatuor annos in antea, (nullus), nec dominus[, nec] Rex, nec alii qui tenerent comitatum Campaniae, [tenerentur] (teneatur) reddere dictas quindecim millia librarum. Omnes istas conventiones [assecuravi domino regi] (asecuravit mihi dominus Rex) tenendas, et ego ipsi; et eas dominus Rex debet assecurari a domino Ludovico filio suo. Actum anno Domini MCCIX, mense augusto.

Historical context:

This is the text of an agreement reached between king Philip of France and the countess by which he would hold her son Thibaut four years and would recognize his right to his father’s lands when he came of age, to assure which she contracts to pay the king 15,000 pounds, which will be returned to her if her son dies and the county is given to someone else. The text given in Layettes du Tresor differs from the HGF. I have given the Layettes text and translation in brackets, the HGF different readings in parentheses.

Scholarly notes:

The document says 2,015 [quindecim], which the editor corrects to 2,500 [quingentas], like the other sums listed.

Printed source:

HGF 19.536, fn (a), citing Martenius, I Collect. Ampliss. c.1094; Layettes du Tresor des Chartes (Paris: Plon, 1863), 1.332-33, #878.

Date:

1209