A letter from Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne (2/4/1228 n.st.)

Translated letter:

I, Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes, and I Thibaut, count of Champagne and Brie, make known to all who will see the present letters that we have solemnly sworn on holy objects to the reverend father our dearest lord and relative Henry, the archbishop of Reims, that we shall seek diligently and wish, as long as we live, in every way and in every place, his good, his advantage, and his honor. We have also sworn that we shall help that archbishop against any creature that might live and die, save loyalty to the lord king and lady queen, and others who are more our lords than the aforesaid archbishop, and save loyalty to our men whom we have on the day the present letters were made, as long as they hold fiefs from us and would wish to seek judgment before us. We have also sworn to said archbishop that we shall not do homage as long as we live to any man nor receive any man as ours by which said agreements might be damaged, or kept less well, except with the will and assent of the mentioned archbishop. I, count Thibaut, have excepted from these agreements the lady duchess of Burgundy and the lord duke her son, and the lord bishop of Langres. In witness of which ... Emactedom the year of grace 1227, on the sabbath after the Purification of the Blessed Mary.

Original letter:

Ego, Blancha, comitissa Trecensis palatina, et ego, Theobaldus, Campanie et Brie comes, notum facimus universis presentes litteras inspecturis, quod nos juravimus solempniter super sancta, reverendo patri carissimo domino et consanguineo nostro Henrico, Remensi archiepiscopo, quod nos perquiremus et volemus, quandiu vixerimus, omnibus modis et omnibus locis, bonum ipsius commodum et honorem. Juravimus etiam quod nos juvabimus ipsum archiepiscopum contra omnem creaturam que posset vivere et mori, salva fidelitate domini regis et domine regine, et aliorum qui melius sunt domini nostri quam archiepiscopus antedictus, et salva fidelitate hominum nostrorum quos habemus die confectionis presentium litterarum, quandiu de feodis que de nobis tenent, coram nobis voluerint justificare. Juravimus etiam dicto archiepiscopo quod non faciemus homagium quandiu vixerimus alicui homini, neque recipiemus aliquem hominem nostrum, propter quod dicte conventiones possint deteriorari, vel minus bene teneri, nisi de voluntate et assensu archiepiscopi memorati. Ego, Theobaldus comes, de istis conventionibus excepi dominam ducissam Burgundie, et dominum ducem filium ejus, et dominum episcopum, Lingonensem. In cujus testimonium . . . Actum anno gratie MCCXXVII die sabbati proximo post Purificationem Beate Marie.

Historical context:

Affirmation by the countess and her son of the agreement they have sworn with Henry, archbishop of Reims.

Printed source:

Documents relatifs au Comté de Champagne et de Brie, 1172-1361, ed. Auguste Longnon (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1901) v.1 Les Fiefs, 477, ep.31.

Date:

2/4/1228 n.st.