A Source Book of Mediæval History: Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German Invasions to the Renaissance
History
A Source Book of Mediæval History: Documents Illustrative of European Life and Institutions from the German Invasions to the Renaissance
Middle Ages -- Sources
=7.= We decree that if any lord or knight aids us in promoting the
peace, we will do all we can to protect him. Whoever does not swear
to keep the peace with us, shall be excluded from the general
peace.
=10.= Above all, we wish to affirm that we desire to live in mutual
peace with the lords and all the people of the province, and we
desire that each should preserve all his rights.
=11.= Under threat of punishment we forbid any citizen to revile
the lords, although they may be our enemies. For although we wish
to punish them for the violence they have done us, yet before
making war on them we will first warn them to cease from injuring
us.
[Sidenote: Mainz and Worms to be the capitals of the league]
=12.= We decree that all correspondence about this matter with the
cities of the lower Rhine shall be conducted from Mainz, and from
Worms with the cities of the upper Rhine. From these two cities all
our correspondence shall be carried on and all who have done us
injury shall be warned. Those who have suffered injury shall send
their messengers at their own expense.
[Sidenote: The governing body of the league]
=13.= We also promise, both lords and cities, to send four official
representatives to whatever place a conference is to be held, and
they shall have full authority from their cities to decide on all
matters. They shall report to their cities all the decisions of the
meeting. All who come with the representatives of the cities, or
who come to them while in session, shall have peace, and no
judgment shall be enforced against them.
=14.= No city shall receive non-residents, who are commonly called
"pfahlburgers," as citizens.[493]
=15.= We firmly declare that if any member of the league breaks the
peace, we will proceed against him at once as if he were not a
member, and compel him to make proper satisfaction.
=16.= We promise that we will faithfully keep each other informed
by letter about our enemies and all others who may be able to do us
damage, in order that we may take timely counsel to protect
ourselves against them.
=17.= We decree that no one shall violently enter the house of
monks or nuns, of whatever order they may be, or quarter themselves
upon them, or demand or extort food or any kind of service from
them, contrary to their will. If any one does this, he shall be
held as a violator of the peace.
[Sidenote: The league to be enlarged]
=18.= We decree that each city shall try to persuade each of its
neighboring cities to swear to keep the peace. If they do not do
so, they shall be entirely cut off from the peace, so that if any
one does them an injury, either in their persons or their property,
he shall not thereby break the peace.
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