A letter from Honorius III, pope (12/23/1216)

Translated letter:

Honorius, etc., to his dearest daughter in Christ, our Berengaria, once illustrious queen of the English, greetings, etc.

Since it is the function of judges to lessen and quell disputes, it is fitting for us, who hold the place of the highest judge on earth to apply apostolic enforcement to those which are quelled with amicable concord, so that having removed the matter of disputing from those who should cherish each other with mutual love, whatever rancor is expelled from their minds, which can scarcely be absent while there is any jot of argument between them.

Thus it is that when John, king of England of bright memory entreated by letter our predecessor of good memory, pope Innocent to strengthen the settlement that was amicably entered into between you and him over your dower, and the payment of a thousand marks a year for the arrears owed you from a certain settlement which you had entered with him in the past, adding to it what assurances he thought effective, and the same was asked from us on your part. Yielding to your prayers, we confirm with apostolic authority that settlement prudently made and received freely on both sides, as is contained in the original document of the king and we fortify it with the protection of the present writing, the tenor of which for greater proof we have had inserted word for word to our page from the copy of our predecessor:

“John, by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, duke of Normandy and Aquitaine, and count of Anjou, to all to whom the present writing comes, greeting.

Know that what she asked has been agreed between us and the lady queen Berengaria, formerly wife of lord king Richard our brother about her dower and the settlement that had once been made between her and us over the dower from which she should receive a thousand marks annually, namely that we give her 2000 marks now for all arrears and for this year’s payment, and for the rest we will give her annually a thousand pounds of good and legal sterling, 500 pounds on the feast of All Saints and 500 on the Ascension. This money we will pay into the home of the New Temple in London.

It will be permitted moreover to the lady queen to seek her dower again outside the kingdom of England from every holder, especially from us or our successors; and we will not oppose her in this, unless we are bound by law to guarantee it. And neither we nor our successors could seize by our hand those things about which she had made claims against the holders. That queen could, however, end it at her will with those holders, save for our rights and our heirs’ after her death.

We also grant that that queen and the men of her household would have at all times free entry to our land and exit from it, and they can remain there as long as they wish; and we take them and all their things in safe conduct and our protection for coming, remaining, and going; having sworn that no harm will occur to us or our kingdom through them.

We also granted that in all the sea ports they would have free transit whenever they wished, prohibiting any man or bailiff of ours from preventing her or the men of her household, or receiving customs/tolls from them.

We make this agreement for ourselves as well as for our heirs, declaring that if perhaps — let it not be — we or any of our successors should breach the settlement, which they can not do in good faith, and if within twenty days of our having been notified we have not emended it, we or our justiciary if we should be out of the kingdom are bound to restore her dower to her completely, with no deferral or cause.

Moreover we have had our knight Geoffrey Luterell swear on his soul that he will observe all the things that are contained in that charter in their integrity and, for greater assurance, we will request that the lord Pope confirm them all.

We also ask the lord Pope and humbly request him to add assurances to this settlement which seem effective to him and we will confirm whatever he establishes. For we wish all things to be faithfully observed and we do not wish the aforesaid queen to be harmed over this by anyone in the future.

And it should be known that in this feast of All Saints, in the 17th year of our reign, we will pay said lady queen the first 500 pounds of the aforesaid 1000 pounds to be paid her annually.

With these witnesses, Lord P[eter] of Winchester, S. bishop of Exeter (Exon), H. abbot of Beaulieu, brother Alan Mairel, master P, archdeacon of Surrey.

Dated by the hand of master Richard Marsh, our chancellor, at Dover, on the 2nd day of September, in the 17th year of our reign.”

To no one, therefore, etc., of our confirmation. If any one …

Dated Rome, at St. Peter’s, 10th kalends of January, in the first year of our pontificate.

Original letter:

Honorius, etc., carissimae in Christo filiae nostrae Berengariae quondam Anglorum reginae illustri, salutem, etc.

Cum judicis sit officium lites minuere, ac sopire, oportet nos, qui supremi judicis locum tenemus in terris, his, quae amicabili concordia sopiuntur munimen apostolicum adhibere, quatenus ablata materia litigandi ab his, qui se debent mutua caritate fovere, rancor quilibet ab eorum mentibus expellatur, qui abesse vix potest durante inter eos scrupulo quaestionum. Inde est, quod cum clarae memoriae Joannes rex Angliae bonae memoriae Innocentio Papae praedecessori nostro suis litteris supplicarit, ut compositionem inter te ac ipsum super dote tua, et super arreragiis mille marcarum annui redditus tibi ex quadam compositione quam olim inieras cum eodem debitis, amicabiliter initam robur habere faceret perpetuae firmitatis, appositis quas videret securitatibus expedire, ac ex parte tua id ipsum a nobis fuerit postulatum; nos tuis precibus annuentes, compositionem ipsam provide factam et ab utraque parte sponte receptam, sicut in ejusdem regis authentico continetur, auctoritate Apostolica confirmamus, et praesentis scripti patrocinio communimus, cujus tenorem ad majorem rei evidentiam de verbo ad verbum huic nostrae paginae ad exemplar ejusdem praedecessoris nostri duximus inserendum:

“Joannes, Dei gratia, rex Angliae, dominus Hiberniae, dux Normaniae, Aquitaniae et comes Andegaven., omnibus ad quos praesens scriptum pervenerit, salutem.

“Sciatis ita convenisse inter nos, et dominam reginam Berengariam quondam uxorem domini Ric. regis fratris nostri de dote sua, quam petebat, et de quadam compositione quae quondam inter nos et ipsam facta fuerat super eadem dote, de qua mille marcas de nobis recipere debebat annuatim, videlicet quod nos ad praesens damus ei duo millia marcarum pro omnibus arreragiis, et pro solutione praesentis anni, et de cetero dabimus et annuatim mille libras bonorum et legalium sterlingorum, scilicet quingentas libras in festo Omnium Sanctorum, et quingentas libras in festo Ascensionis. Hanc autem pecuniam solvemus ei in domo novi templi apud London. Licebit autem eidem dominae reginae repetere dotalitium suum ab omni detentore extra regnum Angliae praeterquam a nobis, vel a successoribus nostris, et nos de hoc non erimus contra ipsam nisi nos teneamur de jure illud warantizare. Et neque nos neque successores nostri poterimus capere in manum nostram res illas super quibus ipsa in causam traxerit detentorem. Poterit autem ipsa regina finem facere ad suam voluntatem cum eisdem detentoribus, salvo nobis et haeredibus nostris post ejus obitum jure nostro. Concedimus etiam, quod ipsa regina, et homines de familia ejus liberum habeant omni tempore introitum in terram nostram, et exitum ab eadem, possint ibi morari quandiu voluerint, et tam eos quam omnes res eorum in salvum conductum nostrum recipimus et fidelem securitatem nostram in veniendo, in redeundo, et morando, praestito sacramento quod per eos malum nobis non eveniet, nec regno. Concedimus etiam quod in omnibus portubus maris liberum habeant transitum quandocunque voluerint, prohibentes quod nullus ballivorum vel hominum nostrorum ipsos impediat, vel consuetudinem recipiat ab eisdem.

“Compositionem autem istam facimus tam pro nobis quam pro haeredibus nostris; statuentes, quod si forte, quod absit, nos vel aliquis successorum nostrorum ipsam compositionem infringeremus, quod facere non possumus salva fide, et infra viginti dies commoniti nos vel justitiarius noster, si extra regnum fuerimus non emendaverimus, dotalitium suum integre restituere teneamur eidem, omni occasione et dilatione remota. Praeterea fecimus jurare in animam nostram Galfridum Litterel militem nostrum, quod omnia quae in carta ista continentur observabimus illibata, et ad majorem securitatem ea omnia a domino Papa confirmari impetrabimus. Rogamus etiam dominum Papam, et humiliter petimus, ut praesenti compositioni addat securitates quas viderit expedire, et nos ratum habebimus quidquid inde statuerit. Volumus enim quod omnia fideliter observentur, et nolumus quod praedicta regina possit super hoc ab aliquo in posterum molestari. Et sciendum est, quod in hoc festo Omnium Sanctorum anno regni nostri septimo decimo solvemus dictae dominae reginae primas quingentas libras de supradictis mille libris sibi annuatim solvendis.

His testibus dominis P. Winton., S. Exon. episcopis, magistro Pand., Norwegiae electo., H. abbate de Bello Loco, fratre Alano Mairel, magistro P. archidiacono Surr.

Datum per manum magistri Ricc. de Marisc., cancellarii nostri apud Dover., secunda die septembris, anno regni nostri septimo decimo.

Nulli ergo, etc., nostrae confirmationis, etc. Si quis autem, etc.

Datum Romae apud Sanctum Petrum, X kalendas januarii, pontificatus nostri anno primo.

Historical context:

The pope confirms the settlement Berengaria made with king John about her dower citing the letter John had written to the previous pope, Innocent III, in 1215 giving the details of the arrangement between himself and the queen, see PL217 c.305-07.

Printed source:

Horoy, Honorii III Opera, Epistolae, 1.114; summary in RHP III, #198.

Date:

12/23/1216