A letter from John, king of England (1214)

Translated letter:

The king to his illustrious sister queen B[erengaria], greetings. We have received your messengers, the bearers of the presents, through whom we indicate our will to you on those things which you indicated to us. We have also received assurance from them that those things which were spoken between us will be revealed to no one but you. And they have received assurance from us that they will not be revealed by us to any one if you do not accept them. We have however committed the written terms discussed between us and them, sealed with our seal and yours, through the hands of those messengers, to the care of the Temple at Havering, on the first of November.

Original letter:

Rex sorori suae illustri Reginae B. salutem. Suscepimus nuncios vestros, praesentium latores, per quos voluntatem nostram vobis significamus super hiis quae nobis significastis; a quibus etiam securitatem cepimus quod ea, quae prolocuta sunt inter nos et ipsos, nulli revelabuntur nisi vobis; accepta etiam securitate a vobis, quod nulli alii per nos revelabuntur, si ea non acceptaveritis. Formam autem rei prolocutae inter nos et ipsos, scriptam, et sigillo nostro sigillatam, per manus eorundem nunciorum et vestram, in custodiam Templar' commisimus apud Havering 1 die Novembris.

Historical context:

Berengaria, widowed in 1199, worked hard and long to recover her marriage dower, and reached an agreement with her brother-in-law, king John in 1215, but John never paid what he owed her.

Printed source:

Rymer, Foedera, 1.194 (126).

Date:

1214