A letter from Cunegund of Swabia, Queen of Bohemia (1247)

Translated letter:

In the name of the Lord amen. We Cunegund, by the grace of god queen of the Bohemians to all present as well as future who will see this page, greetings. So that cupidity, the mother of conflicts, material of disputes, enemy of peace, follower of envy, fomenter of discord, may be reined in, limited by the path of law, it is necessary that the usefulness of actions and feats and the good deeds of the pious be preserved by writings and charters, lest through the passage and mutability of men oblivion steal the good which providence left and provided to the successors of those who came before. Therefore, so that he who provides all good things to men may receive a part of what is provided, we have revealed to all who look at this page that Otto, provost of Melnik, with our assent and that of our lord king and husband sold from said provostry three towns, two called Cernotin and Turov with the forest of Vrabina to the provost and monastery of Chotesov to be possessed perpetually by hereditary right. And so that such a sale may enjoy the perpetual force of stability we have given this page strengthened by the force of our seal to said monastery as a mark of proof. Dated in the year of the lord’s incarnation 1247.

Original letter:

In nomine Domini amen. Nos Chunegundis, dei gratia Boemorum regina, omnibus tam presentibus quam futuris hanc paginam inspecturis salutem. Ut cupiditas effrenata, mater litigium, materia iurgiorum, pacis emula, sectatrix invidie, fomes discordie, sub iuris tramite limitetur, utilitatem actuum et gestorum et bona facta piorum necesse est scriptis et privilegiis perhennare, ne per transitum et per mutabilitatem hominum oblivio subripiat bonum, quod providentia reliquit predecessorum successoribus et providit. Igitur, ut ille, qui universa bona prestat hominibus, partem recipiat prestitorum, nos universis hanc paginam intuentibus apperimus, quod Otto, prepositus Melnicensis, cum assensu nostro nec non et domini nostri regis et mariti vendidit de dicta prepositura tres villas, Chrinotyn et alius Chrinotyn et Thurow cum silva Wrabina preposito et conventui de Hotesouich iure hereditario perpetuo possidendas. Et ut talis vendicio perpetuo gaudeat robore firmitatis, memorato conventui in signum evidens hanc paginam dedimus nostri sigilli munimine roboratam. Datum anno dominice incarnationis MCCXLVII.

Historical context:

The queen gives her consent to the settlement mediated between the master and brothers of two religious institutions.

Printed source:

Codex Diplomaticus et Epistolarius Regni Bohemiae, ed. Gustavus Friederich, Jindrich Sebanek and Sasa Duskove (Prague: 1962), 4.221-22, ep.126.

Date:

1247