A letter from Ledgarde, Countess of Blois (c.980)

Translated letter:

The multiply multiple mercy of God ... Wherefore, in the name of the Lord highest saviour, I, Ledgard, countess, and Hugh, bishop and my son, and also my son count Odo, considering the great mercy of almighty God and understanding the mode of our fragility, as well as fearing the last day of dreadful judgment, [we] offer to God and his confessor Martin so that we may deserve to have that pious bishop as advocate in our needs, we give and wish to be given to that aforementioned bishop our lord Martin, as was said, namely to his congregation over which the venerable abbot Hugo is seen to preside, as much for the soul of count Thibaud, once my lord, and for the mercy of our reward in the future, as well as for the soul of Richild, once a nun, and her son bishop Richard who also, when he was dying, solemnly promised that possession to said St. Martin for the amendment of another by name Guadiacus, which his aforesaid mother gave by order to the oftmentioned Martin with devout mind; but that aforesaid, after his mother died, not being able to obtain those things from the brothers as during her life, violently by consent of said count and his brother Thibaud held it during his life. Acknowledging their charity and the righteousness of St. Martin, we bestow as said above, to that same lord Martin, our patron, for our soul, as his/its possession, Calixta Nova with the church built in honor of St. George in all things pertaining to that property, that is with the town Flodulph's Pit/Well (Puteo Flodulphi) and with the other town called Cantegrello, with a certain mancile, Ordono, namely with three and a half manses, and in the town of Pelgiaco 7 manses between a wood and arable land, and in Corbedino three hospices and arable land, and in the town of Tedors, one manse with fields, and in Curte Agoldi whence come D.VI, and beyond that a third part of the woods Ferrarias with the town of Mergell whence come D.XII. All these we grant to the above mentioned St. Martin and its canons for their private possession, and we hand over and transmit sites in the county of Troyes, namely in the district of Morivens, from the present day thenceforeward, so that from today whatever they might wish to do with those things they would have the power freely to do in all, and by our right we grant to the possession of St. Martin and its canons. If any, however of our heirs or of said Richild and Richard her son, or some intervening person should attempt to break this our charitable offering, let him feel that he has offended especially against St. Martin the confessor unless he is swiftly turned away from his malevolent cupidity and unless compelled by parties of that church he pay thirty pounds of gold. But let this our donation, reinforced by our hand and the hands of other good men, remain firm and stable for all time. Hugh, archbishop of Bourges. The sign of Odo, count.

Original letter:

Multipliciter multiplex misericordia Dei. ... Quocirca, in nomine summi salvatoris Domini, ego Ledgardi comitissa, necnon Hugo, episcopus et filius meus, et item filius meus Odo, comes, omnipotentis Dei magnam considerantes devota mente clementiam, atque fragilitatis nostrae modum intendentes, ac etiam pavescentes ultimum diem tremendi judicii, offerimus Deo et S. confessori ejus Martino, quatenus ipsum pium antistitem propitium mereamur habere in nostris necessitatibus suffragatorem, donamus donatumque esse volumus eidem, ut dictum est, praelibato praesuli domino nostro Martino, suae scilicet congregationi, cui praeesse videtur venerabilis Hugo, abbas, tam pro anima Theobaldi, comitis, quondam senioris mei, simulque mercede nostrae in futuro remunerationis, necnon et pro anima Richildis, quondam sanctimonialis, ejusque filii Richardi, episcopi, qui etiam eandem potestatem praefato S. Martino, moriens, devoverat, pro emendatione alterius nomine Gaudiaci, quam praefata mater ejus saepefato Martino per praeceptum devota mente dederat; sed idem praedictum, mortua matre, non valens a fratribus tantum in vita sua ea impetrare, violenter per consensum jam dicti comitis et fratris sui Theobaldi in vita sua tenuit. Quorum elemosynam et S. Martini rectitudinem recognoscentes, offerimus, ut superius dictum est, eidem domino Martino, patrono nostro, tam pro anima nostra ipsa, ad ipsius potestatem, hoc est Calixtam Novam cum ecclesia in honore S. Georgii constructa et in omnibus rebus ad ipsam potestatem aspicientibus, hoc est cum villa Puteo Flodulphi, et cum altera villa Cantegrello nomine, cum quodam mancile Ordono, scilicet tribus mansis et medio, et in Pelgiaco villa mansis VII inter silvam et terram arabilem, et in Corbedino tria hospitia et terram arabilem, et in villa Tedors mansum unum cum pratis, et in Curte Agoldi unde exeunt D. VI, et insuper tertiam partem silve Ferrarias cum villa Mergelli unde exeunt D. XII. Haec omnia praelibato sancto Martino suisque canonicis ad eorum peculiare cedimus, tradimus atque transfundimus, sita in comitatu Trecassino, in pago scilicet Morivensi, a praesenti die et deinceps, ita ut ab hodierma [sic] die, quidquid ex ipsis rebus facere voluerint, liberam in omnibus habeant faciendi potestatem, et de nostro jure in sui potestatemque S. Martini ipsorumque cononicorum cedimus. Si quis autem hanc nostram elemosynae oblationem, aliquis ex haeredibus nostris, vel etiam praefatae Richildis et Richardi, filii, seu aliqua aliunde intromissa persona refringere tentaverit, imprimis S. confessorem Martinum contra se offensum sentiat, nisi citissime a sua malevola cupiditate conversus fuerit, et nisi partibus ipsius ecclesiae libras auri trigenta coactus exsolvat. Sed haec nostra donatio, nostris aliorumque bonorum hominum manibus roborata, firma et stabilis omni tempore permaneat. Hugo, Biturigensis archiepiscopus. Signum Odonis, comitis.

Historical context:

The countess bestows properties on St. Martin of Tours, which include some that had been left earlier by a nun whose son had refused to give them up.

Printed source:

Histoire des Ducs et des Comtes de Champagne, depuis le VIe s. jusqu'a la fin du XIe, H. D'arbois de Jubainville (Paris: Aug. Aubry, 1859) 461-62, Pieces justificatives, XXVIII.

Date:

c.980