A letter from Blanche

Sender

Blanche of Navarre, Countess of Champagne

Receiver

Public

Translated letter:

Let it be known to all present as well as future, that I, Blanche, countess palatine of Troyes at the command of my dearest lord Philip, illustrious king of France, and his son lord Louis, I swore to Hervé, count of Nevers that if that Louis or his sons reneg on the pacts which they have with that count for the marriage of his daughter and the son of that lord Louis, and other things pertaining to that marriage, according to what is fully contained in their letters composed about this, after forty days that having been summoned they did not wish to make amends, I would offer no service nor help nor counsel to them, except about making amends until it was fully amended.  That this remain firm and stable, I have confirmed the present page with the protection of my seal.  Enacted at Melun, in the year of the Lord 1215, in the month of July. 

Original letter:

Notum sit omnibus tam presentibus quam futuris, quod ego Blancha comitissa Trecensis palatina de mandato karissimi domini mei Ph(ilippi) illustris regis Francie, et domini Lud(ovici) filii ejus juravi H(ervei) comiti Nivernensis, quod si idem Lud(ovicus) vel filii ejus in aliquo resilirent a pactionibus quas habent cum eodem comite de matrimonio filie ejus, et filii ejusdem domini Lud(ovici) et de aliis ad idem matrimonium pertinentibus secundum quod in litteris eorum super hoc confectis plenius continetur, ego post quadraginta dies postquam submoniti id emendare nollent, nullum servitium nec auxilium nec consilium eisdem prestarem, nisi de hoc emendando donec id esset plenius emendatum. Quod ut firmum et stabile perserveret, presentem paginam sigilli mei munimine confirmavi. Actum Meleduni, anno Domini M CC quintodecimo, mense julio.

Historical context:

The countess confirms her commitment to Hervé, count of Nevers, to see that the king’s son honor the marriage contract between his son and Hervé’s daughter.

Printed source:

The Cartulary of Countess Blanche of Champagne, edited by Theodore Evergates, © The Medieval Academy of America 2010 (University of Toronto Press, 2009), 260-61, #291.  Reprinted with permission of the press.

Date:

1215, July

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7916/s1zt-vm84

This is an archived work created in 2024 and downloaded from Columbia University Academic Commons.