A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle AgeThatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
History
A Source Book for Mediæval History: Selected Documents illustrating the History of Europe in the Middle Age
Thatcher, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
Europe -- History -- 476-1492 -- Sources; Middle Ages -- Sources
We, the princes of the empire, to all to whom these presents come. The
holy Roman church has always borne a special love for Germany, and has
given her a name which in secular affairs is above the name of every
other power on earth [_i.e._, the name of the empire]; she has
established the princes in Germany, like rare and beautiful trees in a
garden, watering them with her special favor, and they [the princes],
supported by the church, have brought forth wonderful fruit; namely, the
ruler of the empire who is produced by the election of the princes. He
[the emperor] is that lesser luminary in the firmament of this world
which shines by the reflected light of the great luminary, the vicar of
Christ. He it is who draws the material sword at the command of the
pope, to support the spiritual sword which the shepherd of shepherds
uses to guard his sheep, and he wields it to restrain and correct
evil-doers and to aid the good and the faithful. Now we desire that all
occasion of dissension and strife should be avoided, that the two swords
should work together for the reformation of the whole world, and that
we, the princes, who are bound to support both the church and the
empire, should be recognized as lovers of peace. Therefore we approve
and ratify all concessions, renewals, and new grants made by our lord
Rudolf, by the grace of God king of the Romans, Augustus, to our most
holy father and lord, pope Nicholas III, and to his successors, and to
the Roman church; in particular, the fidelity, obedience, honor, and
reverence to be paid to the popes and to the Roman church by the
emperors and kings of the Romans; the possessions, honors, and dignities
of the Roman church; including all the land from Radicofano to Ceperano,
the march of Ancona, the duchy of Spoleto, the lands of the countess
Matilda, the city of Ravenna, the Emilia, with the cities of Bobbio,
Cesena, Forlimpopoli, Forli, Faenza, Imola, Bologna, Ferrara, Comacle,
Adria, Gabello, Rimini, Urbino, Montefeltre, the territory of Balneum,
the county of Bertinoro, the exarchate of Ravenna, the Pentapolis, Massa
Trabaria, and the adjacent lands of the church, with all the boundaries,
territories, islands, land, and water, belonging to the aforesaid
provinces, cities, territories, and places; also the city of Rome and
the kingdom of Sicily, including its possessions on the mainland and on
the island of Sicily; also Corsica and Sardinia, and all other lands and
rights belonging to the church....
148. Revocation of Grants of Lands Belonging to the Imperial Domain,
1281.
M. G. LL. folio, II, p. 435; Altmann und Bernheim, no. 14.
Rudolf's efforts to secure the crown lands which had been seized during
the interregnum (see introductory note, no. 146) were not successful.
The princes often voted that he should recover them, but each one
refused to give up those which he himself held. In spite of his
continued efforts, Rudolf was unable to regain any large part of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account