A letter from Eleanor of Aquitaine (1200)

Translated letter:

To her dearest son, etc., John, by the grace of God, Eleanor, by that same grace, etc., and with the blessing of God as hers. You will know, dearest son, that we ordered your relative and ours, Viscount Americ Thoarc to come to Fontevrault to visit us in our illness and he came; whence, thank God, we are getting better than we normally are. Especially you should know that I and your faithful Guido de Dina asked and showed him so much that he was altogether in your service, since he himself had done you no harm nor held any of your land unjustly, as your other Poitevin barons do. And again we showed him that he should feel great shame and sin that he suffered your other barons to disinherit you unjustly: He listened and at the same time understood your words; and because we spoke right and reason to him, he freely and willingly conceded that he and his lands and castles were from now on at your command and will, whatever he might have done before: And his friends, and others, who had seised [taken possession of] the land and your castles without your permission and will, unless they do your pleasure and will, and wished to give back in peace those things which they had unjustly seised, he will oppose them with all his power as much as you possessed as well as your brother Richard who was king of England, [possessed] on the day he died. And since he conceded benevolently what we had asked, namely that he will be in your service well and faithfully against all men, I, who am your mother, and your faithful Guido de Dina, have undertaken that you will be towards him as a Lord ought to be towards his loyal man; and I and your faithful Guido de Dina pledged that he will do whatever we report to you and his letters which he sends to you. We ask you therefore assiduously and we advise you for your good that, save your business in England, you make haste to get to the Norman areas and signify all your will to us and the said Viscount Thoarc; since, as we said before, he is prepared to acquiesce in all things to your order and will; if, at your order, to come to you in England or in Normany, or wherever it pleases you, and he much desires your coming. In hearing and doing this, your faithful Guido de Dina, Constable of Auvergne, was present. With my witness and that of Guido at Fontevrault.

Original letter:

Karissimo filio suo, &c. Johanni Dei Gratia, Alienora, eadem Gratia, &c. & Dei benedictione cum sua. Noveritis, karissime fili, quod mandavimus Consanguineum vestrum & nostrum Americum Vicecomitem Thoarc. ut veniret apud Fontem Ebraudi visitare Nos in infirmitate nostra, & venit; unde, Deo Gratias, convalescemus melius quam solemus. Praeterea sciatis quod ego & fidelis vester Guido de Dina tantum ei rogavimus & monstravimus, ut esset omnino in servitio vestro, sicut ipse qui nullam injuriam vobis fecit, nec aliquid de terra vestra injuste tenuit, ut alii Barones vestri Pictaviae faciant. Et item ei monstravimus quod magnum pudorem & peccatum deberet habere, quin patiebatur alios Barones vestros injuste dishaereditare vos: Ille autem audiebat, & insimul intelligebat verba nostra; &, quod ei jus & rationem diximus, nobis libenter & animo libente concessit, quod ille, & terrae, & Castra sua amodo ad praeceptum & voluntatem vestram erant, quicquid antea fecisset: Et amici sui, & alii, qui terram & Castra vestra saisierant sine licentia & voluntate vestra, nisi placitum & voluntatem vestram facere, & ea, quae injuste saisierint, in pace reddere voluerint, contra eos cum omni posse suo erit, tantum ut saisitus sitis; & amplius, ut frater vester Ricardus Rex Angliae fuit, die quo laboravit in extremis. Et quia nobis benigne concessit ea quae rogavimus, scilicet quod erit in servitio vestro bene & fideliter contra omnes mortales, Ego, quae vestra mater sum, & fidelis vester Gwido de Dina, manucepimus quod versus eum eritis, ut Dominus versus legalem hominem suum existere debet; & ego & fidelis vester, Guido de Dina, plegii sumus quod faciet quicquid vobis mandamus & literae suae quas vobis mittit. Rogamus igitur vos attentius & salubriter monemus quatinus, salvis negotiis vestris in Anglia, ad partes Normanniae festinetis transfretare, & omnem voluntatem vestram nobis & praedicto Vicecomiti Thoarc. significare velitis; quia, ut praediximus, ipse paratus est adquiescere, in omnibus, mandato vestro & voluntati; &, ad mandatum vestrum, ad vos accedere in Angliam, sive in Normanniam, aut ubicumque vestrae placuerit voluntati, & adventum vestrum multum desiderat. Ad haec autem audienda & facienda interfuit fidelis vester Guido de Dina Constabularius de Alvernia. Teste meipsa & eodem Guidone apud Fontem Ebraudi.

Historical context:

Eleanor writes to her son about the steps she and the Constable of Auvergne, Guido de Dina, have taken to affirm the loyalty of one of his Poitevin lords, Viscount Thoarc, to the king and ensure his support in winning over the other Poitevin barons.

Printed source:

Rymera, Foedera, 1.1.39.

Date:

1200