Various partially translated charters

From Bruel ...

3976

Letter of Walter of Trudignes to Peter, the Cluniac abbot, in which he asks him that he send to the Church of Bertreis, monks from the monastery of Cluny.

To his Lord and Father Peter, the venerable abbot of the Cluniacs, Walter, his son and faithful man through the angel of good counsel wishes him to abound in every kindness and every good work.

I make known to you, beloved father, and to your brothers that I lawfully hand over the Church of Berteis with all its property and appurtenances and confirm them to the Cluniac Church, for the salvation of my soul in

4029.

It is instituted that, if the religious ordo in the monastery of St. Egidius be diminished in any way, I Peter, the abbot of St. Edigius, or my successors will reform it at the command and counsel of Peter, the abbot of Cluny or his successors. I Peter, the abbot of St. Edigius, concede also with the counsel of our community, that when Peter, the abbot of Cluny, or his successors should come into the monastery of St. Edigius, he shall be received with reverence … and sitting in our seat, ruling also the chapter… they have the faculty of correcting what ought to be corrected. (February, 1132)

4038

In this world, Divine providence allows emperors and kings to rise to the height of terrestrial kingship, in order that they might supplement the poverty of the servants of God from their abundance and thus through the mercy which they disburse, they merit to receive the eternal crown after the temporal crown. For in this way it is considered both by us and them, since firstly the poverty of them be relieved by our largesse, and secondly by their devout prayer, the eternal crown be prepared for us. Therefore, I, king Aldefonsus, the emperor of Spain, pierced by the love and fear of God I humbly seek the society of the brothers of the monastery of Cluny –so famous, so proven, so holy in religion– serving under God and St. Peter, and I give to God, and the aforementioned Church of the Blessed Peter and Paul at Cluny and Peter the abbot, and the entire community, the abbey of St. Facundia and Primitivus….

But I make this gift with the following agreement, that the abbot of Cluny (whosoever he is) ordains whom he wish as the abbot in the aforementioned monastery from its congregation which remains under the obedience of him and the Ecclesia Cluniacensis, and in one year yenders four marks of silver to Cluny according to the accounting.

4072

(29 July, 1142)

Whosoever is seen to abound so greatly in riches and so abundantly in possessions, ought to redistribute an equivalent amount of the things which he possesses for the salvation of his/her soul to the churches and true worshipers of God, following that saying of the Apostle: “Do good to all, but especially to the servants of Faith” and that saying of Salomon: “The riches of a man are the redemption of his soul.” On account of this, I, Alfonso, the emperor of Spain, along with my wife Berengaria, desiring to adhere to the pious footsteps of my dead parents, for my and their salvation, for the remission of our sins, … I grant… the monastery of Saint Peter of Cardigna… to the monastery of Cluny and to the lord abbot Peter…

4183

1155-56.

Since for almost three hundred years almost all the latin kings have loved the Ecclesia Cluniacensis and they have promoted and enriched it with gifts of mobile and immobile property for the sake of God, among all however of blessed memory, the King of England and the Duke of Normandy, William, first duke, then King, the son, worshiped and venerated it with special love. Surpassing all aforesaid, however, with manifold and great gifts, even the great church begun by Aldefonso, the King of Spain, he completed such a marvellous and singular work among almost all the churches of the whole world. On this account, his memory is considered special by all the brothers of the Cluniac order and in perpetuity will be so considered, by the grace of God. Matilda, his daughter, succeeding in paternal inheritance, the wife of Henry the Great, Emperor of the Romans, and the mother of another younger Henry, the king of England and the Duke of the Normans et Aquitainians, re-presented the form of the paternal image and prudence (just like the impression of a seal) and, besides the relation of other dignities, sincerely loved the Cluniac church in her father’s manner. Whence I, Peter, the humble abbot of Cluny, with the will and assent of ours…. it is constituted by us that after her death for the salvation of her soul 600 masses will be said at Cluny