A letter from Constance of Hungary (1233, February 6)

Translated letter:

In the name of the holy and individual trinity, amen. There is a great distinction between private fortune and the elevated position of kings, so that kings and their spouses are not compelled to admit the precautions that are usually inserted into the contracts of private people and therefore receiving, not undeservedly, something from kings or their most serene spouses, they are thus sure of their sale or gift or whatever title of transfer, so they should not fear the danger of eviction nor actions of false accusation. Indeed, illustrious persons compose documents for precaution in their contracts so people contracting with lofty persons, face no harm if not by law at least by deed. In order that this age may announce to [later] ages what was done in the present, we Constance, by the grace of God queen of the Bohemians, spouse of former king Otakar of good memory, sell to the monastery of Tepla, the area of Vidzin and Utery with their rights, Olesovice, Lestina, Pochovo, Drevohryzy, Stara Ves, Dobra Voda, Nemchice, Chrstovo, Prachomety, Otrochin, and Tisova, which Wenceslas our son, glorious king of the Bohemians, gave us, with all their appurtenances, namely cultivated and uncultivated lands, pastures and forests, and we hand over to that monastery physical possession of the thing sold. Since, moreover, we have been satisfied with the price by the convent of said house of Tepla, we renounce receiving of money not enumerated. The series of payment procedes thus: we have decided to place in the church of Prague, which is called St. Peter, in which the brothers of the hospital of St. Mary of the Teutonic [Knights] house dwelled, nuns of the Cistercian order, for whose support we have bought Hlubetin with its appurtenances and certain other goods from those brothers for 1500 marks and we have delegated the abbot and convent of the church of Tepla debtors to those brothers for 600 marks. Indeed, since the religious ladies of the Cistercian order could not remain comfortably in the church of St. Peter of Prague, we have established a suitable dwelling for them in Moravia in a place which is called Tisnov. The goods which we bought from said Hospitallers, namely Hlubetin with its appurtenances, we have conferred on the hospital of St. Francis. The mentioned abbot and convent offered to the aforesaid brothers these towns for 400 marks: Byckovice, Dolni Nezly, Ujezdec, the court in Lutomerizco, Perna with its vineyards and other appurtenances and fully paid them 200 marks in pure silver beyond that. So the monastery of Tepla may be secure from all disturbances in the future, we hand over the present instrument to it, confirmed by the sign of our seal. Witness to this are these: the venerable men abbot Bernhard of Buch, abbot Peter of Strahov, abbot Herman of Zeliv, Arnold chancellor of the royal court, provost of Vysherad (Wissegrad), Gerhard canon of that church, John notary, William notary, Henry of Newcastle, underchamberlain Watto and his brother Bohuzlaus, Henry son of Zlim, Zavisse son of Witegon, Nostup of Primda (Frinberc), Nevlaz son of Radim, Budizlas Jarozlay, Zulizlas, Zlavnic, Ypoch, Pribizlas with his brother Buno, Pribizlas son of Spere, Zbarazlas underbutler, Gallus son of Marquard, Fredrick son of Nacherath, Witla of Stankov, Conrad of Falkenberg, Notath, Componosius and Lambinus, brothers of the house of Teutonic Knights: Volcmar and again Volcmar, Ladota, Gozvin, Hermann, and several others. Enacted in the 1233rd year of the lord's incarnation, indiction 6, 7th ides of February. Dated at Prague in the cloister of St.George.

Original letter:

In nomine sancte et individue trinitatis amen. Inter privatam fortunam et culmen regium adeo magnum est discrimen, ut reges ac eorum coniuges cautiones, que solent interponi in contractibus privatorum, agnoscere non cogantur, et ideo non immerito accipientes aliquid a regibus vel a serenissimis coniugibus eorumdem emptionis vel donationis seu cuiuslibet alienationis titulo taliter sunt securi, ut nec evictionis periculum nec actionis calumpniam debeant formidare. Verum, ne homines cum personis sublimibus contraentes, etsi non de iure, saltem de facto aliquod senciant detrimentum, illustres persone super suis contractibus ad cautelam conficiunt documenta. Ut igitur gesta presencium etas nunciet in etatem, nos Constancia, dei gracia regina Boemorum, coniunx condam bone memorie regis Ottacari, circuitum Withsin, Vtheri cum suis iuribus, Olezovic, Leschen, Pochovo, Drevohrisi, Ztarawez, Dobrawoda, Nemchici, Hristowo, Brachometi, Otrochin, Tizowo, que Wencezlaus, filius noster, gloriosus rex Bowemorum, nobis donavit, monasterio Teplensi vendidimus cum pertinenciis omnibus, videlicet terris cultis et incultis, pascuis et forestis, et eidem monasterio rei vendite possessionem tradidimus corporalem. Quoniam autem a conventu predicte domus Teplensis nobis est de precio satisfactum, renunciamus exceptioni pecunie non numerate. Solutionis autem series sic processit: Conceperamus siquidem Prage in ecclesia, que dicitur sancti Petri, in qua fratres hospitalis sancte Marie de domo Teutonica morabantur, locare Cisterciensis ordinis moniales, ad quarum alimoniam ab eisdem fratribus Glupetin cum suis pertinentiis et quedam bona alia comparavimus pro mille et quingentis marcis, et in sexcentis marcis abbatem et conventum Teplensis ecclesie ipsis fratribus delegavimus debitores. Verum quia in ecclesia sancti Petri Prage domine religiose ordinis Cisterciensis commode non poterant commorari, ipsis in Moravia, in loco, qui Tusnowic dicitur, conpetentem constituimus mansionem; bona vero, que a predictis Hospitalariis emeramus, videlicet Glupetin cum suis pertinenciis, sancti Francisci contulimus hospitali. Memorati autem abbas et conventus predictis fratribus has villas: Bichcowici, Nezel, Ugezdec, curiam in Lutomiric, Perna cum vineis ac aliis pertinenciis pro quadringentis marcis exposuerunt et insuper in puro argento ducentas marcas eisdem plenarie persolverunt. Ut autem Teplense monasterium in posterum contra omnes inquietudines sit securum, presens ei tradimus instrumentum nostri sigilli caractere roboratum. Testes autem huius rei sunt hii: venerabiles viri abbas Bernhardus de Buch, abbas Petrus de Strahov, abbas Hermannus Syloensis, Arnoldus cancellarius regie aule, Wissegradensis prepositus, Gerhardus canonicus eiusdem ecclesie, Johannes notarius, Willehelmus notarius, Heinricus de Novo castro, Watto subcamerarius et Bohuzlaus frater eius, Henricus filius Zlim, Zauisse filius Witegonis, Nostup de Frinberc, Nevlaz filius Radim, Budizlaus Jarozlay, Zulizlaus, Zlavnic, Ypoch, Pribizlaus cum fratre Bunone, Pribizlaus filius Spere, Zbarazlaus subpincerna, Gallus filius Marquardi, Fridicus filius Nacherath, Witla de Stanowic, Cunradus de Walkeberc, Notath, Champonosius et Lambinus; fratres de domo Teutonicorum: Volcmarus et iterum Volcmarus, Ladota, Gozvin, Hermannus et alii quam plures. Acta autem sunt hec anno dominice incarnationis MCCXXXIII, indictione VI, VIII idus februarii. Datum Prage in claustro sancti Georgii.

Historical context:

Constance sells towns which she received from her son, Wenceslas, king of Bohemia (see ep.30), to a monastery in Tepla, arranging for the transfer of nuns to a more suitable dwelling and for their support. Wenceslas confirms the sale in ep.32.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich (Prague: 1942), ed. Gustavus Friederich (Prague: 1962), 3.1.29-31, ep.31.

Date:

1233, February 6