A letter from Henry III, king of England (12/28/1261)

Translated letter:

To the queen of France, the king of England [sends] greetings and always affection of dearest love. Since we are committed to pay, year by year, to our beloved John of Brittany, who married our daughter, the value of the fief of Richmond, until we shall have assigned him up to the value of said fief in other lands and for many reasons we shall need money in those times and we should have to satisfy him from the next term already passed; and since we shall ask our lord and your king through our messengers and letters to be willing in response to our prayers to pay said John the thousand marks against the money which he is committed to pay annually to us for the value of the land of Agen; We earnestly ask your sincerity that you wish to urge said lord king, if it please him, by the ways you know will succeed, that he grant our petition in this, for which we will be especially grateful to your love. King as witness at Westminster, 28th day of December.

Original letter:

Reginae Franciae, Rex Angliae salutem, & sincerae dilectionis semper affectum. Cum teneamur exsolvere, annis singulis, dilecto nobis Johanni de Britannia, qui filiam nostram duxerit in uxorem, valorem honoris Richemundiae, donec ei in aliis terris assignaverimus usque ad valorem honoris praedicti, & ex causis plerisque pecunia opus habuerimus temporibus istis, ac eidem de proximo termino jam transacto satisfacere debeamus; cumque per Nuncios & litteras nostras Dominum nostrum & vestrum Regem requiramus, ut ipse nos erga praefatum Johannem de mille Marcis super denarios, quos pro valore terrae Agenensis nobis annuatim solvere tenetur, optentu precum nostrarum acquietare velit; Sinceritatem vestram rogamus attente quatenus erga praefatum Dominum Regem, si placet, modis, quibus expedire noveritis, instare velitis ut ipse petitioni nostrae annuat in hac parte, per quod vestrae dilectioni specialiter teneamur ad grates. Teste Rege apud Westm. 28 die Decembris. In Margine. Alia littera directa fuit eidem Reginae, quod, si Dominus Rex Franciae non annuat precibus Domini Regis, aut suis, quod laboret ad mutuum contrahendum cum Creditoribus, conditione & modo quibus negotium illud melius poterit expedire.

Historical context:

The king of England writes separately to the king and queen, asking the king to pay him money he owes so that he can pay his son-in-law, and asking the queen to prevail on the king to do so. The letter to the queen quotes a paragraph from the letter to the king beginning "Cum teneamur" and ending "satisfacere debeamus."

Printed source:

Rymer, Foedera, 1.2.67

Date:

12/28/1261