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 believe that our reign will best be rendered memorable, if we bestow
suitable benefits on churches (or whatever you wish to insert here),
with pious purpose, and if we secure these benefits under the protection
of God by putting them in writing. Therefore, be it known to you that we
have granted the request of that apostolic man, the bishop of (name),
for the salvation of our souls; namely, that no public official may
enter the lands which his church holds now, by our gift or by the gift
of anyone else, or which his church may receive in the future, for the
purpose of trying cases, or collecting taxes; but that the said bishop
and his successors shall hold the said lands in the name of the Lord
with full immunity. We decree therefore that neither you nor any of your
subordinates or successors, nor any other public official shall presume
to enter the lands of the said church for the purpose of trying cases,
of collecting taxes or revenues, or receiving entertainment or seizing
supplies or securities. All the taxes and other revenues which the royal
treasury has a right to demand from the people on the lands of the said
church, whether they be freemen or slaves, Romans or barbarians, we now
bestow on the said church for our future salvation, to be used by the
officials of the church forever for the best interests of the church.
193. Form by which the King Granted Lands with Immunity to Secular
Persons.
Marculf, I, no. 14; pp. 52 f; Altmann und Bernheim, no. 113.
Those who from their early youth have served us or our parents
faithfully are justly rewarded by the gifts of our munificence. Know
therefore that we have granted to that illustrious man (name), with
greatest good will, the villa called (name), situated in the county of
(name), with all its possessions and extent, in full as it was formerly
held by him _or_ by our treasury. Therefore by the present charter which
we command to be observed forever, we decree that the said (name) shall
possess the villa of (name), as has been said, in its entirety, with
lands, houses, buildings, inhabitants, slaves, woods, pastures, meadows,
streams, mills, and all its appurtenances and belongings, and with all
the subjects of the royal treasury who dwell on the lands, and he shall
hold it forever with full immunity from the entrance of any public
official for the purpose of exacting the royal portion of the fines from
cases arising there; to the extent finally that he shall have, hold, and
possess it in full ownership, no one having the right to expect its
transfer, and with the right of leaving it to his successors or to
anyone whom he desires, and to do with it whatever else he wishes.
194. Grant of Immunity to a Secular Person, 815.
Altmann und Bernheim, no. 114.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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