Lost Letters of Medieval Life. English Society, 1200-1250

360 Pages·2013·7.73 MB·English

by  Martha Carlin

Lost Letters of Medieval Life
(cid:2)
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Lost Letters of Medieval Life
E ng l i sh S o c ie t y,   –
(cid:2)
edited and translated by
Martha Carlin and David Crouch
University of Pennsylvania Press
Philadelphia
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THE MIDDLE AGES SERIES
RuthMazoKarras,SeriesEditor
EdwardPeters,FoundingEditor
Acompletelistofbooksintheseriesisavailablefromthepublisher.
Copyright(cid:2)2013UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress
Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsusedforpurposesofrevieworscholarlycitation,
noneofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformbyanymeanswithoutwrittenpermission
fromthepublisher.
Publishedby
UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania19104-4112
www.upenn.edu/pennpress
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Lostlettersofmedievallife:Englishsociety,1200-1250/editedandtranslatedbyMarthaCarlin
andDavidCrouch.
p.cm.(TheMiddleAgesseries)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes.
ISBN:978-0-8122-4459-5(hardcover:alk.paper)
1. England—Civilization—1066-1485—Sources. 2.Letterwriting—Earlyworksto1800.
3.England—Sociallifeandcustoms—1066–1485—Sources. I.Carlin,Martha. II.David
Crouch.III.Series:TheMiddleAgesseries.
DA170.L67 2013
942.03(cid:2)4
2012023969
Frontispiece:BodleianLibrary,Oxford,FairfaxMS27,fol.4v.Thefourtextsthatbegin
witha‘‘C’’are Documents65–68;thetwotextsthatbeginwith a‘‘B’’areDocument
61andthebeginningofDocument62.
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CONTENTS
List of Illustrations xiii
Preface xv
List of Abbreviations xix
A Note on Money xxiii
INTRODUCTION 1
TheLostLetters .................................................. 1
EarlyFormularies ................................................. 3
BritishLibrary,AdditionalMS8167 ................................ 5
BodleianLibrary,FairfaxMS27 ................................... 7
OtherRelatedFormularies ......................................... 8
England,1199–1250 .............................................. 9
Oxford,c.1200–1250 ............................................ 12
LiteracyinEarlyThirteenth-CenturyEngland ...................... 13
LanguageandStructureoftheLetters ............................. 15
EditorialPrinciples .............................................. 17
CHAPTER 1. MONEY 27
Credit, Debt, and Commerce 27
1 LegalAgreementforPledgingaRuralEstate ....................... 27
2 AnEarlOrdersWinefromHisVintner ............................ 32
3 HowtheVintnerShouldRespondiftheEarlHasaGood
CreditRating .................................................... 38
(cid:3) v (cid:3)
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vi (cid:3) Contents
4 HowtheVintnerShouldRespondiftheEarlDoesNotRepay
HisDebts ....................................................... 40
5 AnEarlOrdersClothfromHisDraper,toWhomHeOwes
Money .......................................................... 42
6 AnEarlOrdersFursfromHisSkinner,toWhomHeOwesMoney .. 48
7 TheMannerinWhichOneShouldWriteaPositiveorNegative
ResponsetoaRequest ............................................ 53
8 LetterofRefusalfromaSkinnerRuinedbyaFire .................. 54
9 AFriendRequestsFiveMarkstoBuyWool ........................ 57
10 AFriendRequestsaLoantoBuyWoolandClothattheFair ........ 59
11 AManSendsPledgesThatHisNeighborCanUsetoSecure
aLoan .......................................................... 62
The Jews 63
12 AFriendBegsforMoneytoRepayaLoan ......................... 63
13 ALetterofResponse:BuyingaHorseforOne’sLord ............... 68
14 ALetterofRefusal:RejectingaSubordinate’sRequestfora
SecondLoan .................................................... 71
Household Provisioning and Hospitality 73
15 InstructionsforWritingOrdersorProhibitions:AnEarlOrders
HisStewardtoSendHimaSupplyofWineandAle ................ 73
16 AFriendWarnsAnothertoBuyGrainAgainstaComingDearth .... 77
17 AnArchdeaconSendsWordtoaDeanAboutanImpending
VisitationbytheBishop .......................................... 79
18 ARuralDeanWarnsaPriestofanImminentVisitfromtheBishop
andAdvisesHimtoObtainanAppropriateVarietyofFoods ........ 82
19 TheKingOrdersaSherifftoCommandeerWineforHisUseand
TransportforIt,andtoDealSharplywithAnyResistance .......... 84
Accounts 85
20 TheMannerofKeepingAccounts ................................. 85
21 ModelManorialAccountforaSix-YearPeriod[September29,
1222–September29,1228] ....................................... 90
22 InstructionsforKeepingaTravelAccount,FollowedbyaDaily
HouseholdAccount .............................................. 92
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Contents (cid:3) vii
23 FurtherInstructionsforKeepingTravelAccounts,Followedby
AnotherDailyHouseholdAccount ................................ 96
CHAPTER 2. WAR AND POLITICS 99
War 99
24 AnEarlSummonsHisKnightstoMilitaryServiceOverseas ......... 99
25 AKnightRespondstoaSummonsforMilitaryServicebyAsking
foraCashLoantoMeetHisExpenses ............................ 105
26 AManAsksaFriendtoMakeHisExcusestotheKingforBeing
UnabletoRespondtoaSummons ............................... 108
27 AManCautionsaFriendThatHeShouldProvidefortheKnights
CommittedtoHisCustodyorHisFortuneMightSufferatCourt .. 111
28 AManAdvisesHisFriendtoGuardWelltheImprisonedKnights
inHisCharge .................................................. 113
29 TheSheriffofCambridgeOrderstheSerjeantsofaHundredto
SummonThoseWhoOwetheKingMilitaryServicetoAssemble
atPortsmouthtoGoOverseas ................................... 115
30 TheKingWritestotheEarlofChesterRequestingAidAgainstthe
WelshUnderPrinceLlywelyn .................................... 117
31 TheKingSummonsanArmytotheDefenseofHisInterestsin
Wales .......................................................... 119
32 TheKing’sLiegeMenWarnHimAboutSecretConfederacies
BetweenSomeofHisOwnMenandtheWelsh,WhichThreaten
theSuccessofHisCampaign .................................... 121
33 AWarningtoaFriendtoGetHisGrainofftheRoad,Becausethe
KingIsAbouttoGotoWalesandWillSeizeAllProvisionsThat
HeFindsAlongtheWay ........................................ 123
Politics 124
34 KingHenryIIIofEnglandRequestsanAidfortheMarriageof
HisSister ...................................................... 124
35 AMagnateRepliestotheKingAcknowledgingtheKing’sRightbut
RemindingHimNottoOverburdenHisSubjectsWhenHeHas
IncomeofHisOwn ............................................. 127
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viii (cid:3) Contents
36 TheBishopsandChurchDignitariesRecommendtotheMagnates
andKnightsofEnglandthatTheyTakeCounselovertheKing’s
PositiononTaxation ............................................ 128
37 AKnightSeeksAdviceConcerningtheKing’sSupposedWillingness
toMarryNobleYoungWomentoMenBelowTheirSocialStation . 130
38 HisColleagueReassurestheKnightthatDisparagementIsAgainst
theArticlesofMagnaCarta,andAssuresHimofHisAssistance .... 135
CHAPTER 3. LORDSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION 137
Law and Order 137
39 AConstableOrdersHisBailiffstoDiscoverWhoAretheRobbers
PlaguingTheirJurisdictionsandtoStopThem .................... 137
40 TheKingOrdersaSherifftoFindandHangtheThievesWhoHave
BeenBurglingVillageHomesbyNight ........................... 141
41 TheSheriffInformstheKingoftheResultofHisPursuitofthe
Robbers ........................................................ 143
42 ALandownerintheKing’sServiceComplainstoaSheriffthatHis
MenAreBeingHarassedbytheSheriff’sOfficersforSuitofCounty
andHundredDespiteHisExemption ............................ 144
43 AManAsksaSherifftoReleaseGoodsSeizedforanUnpaidFine
OwedtotheKing ............................................... 147
44 AManAsksaFriendtoCometoLondonwithHimtoActfor
HiminaCanonLawSuit ....................................... 149
45 ALettertoaFriendRequestingLegalAssistanceonAnother’s
Behalf ......................................................... 153
46 AManAsksaFriendfortheServicesofHisAttorneytoAppearin
HisPlaceattheRoyalCourt ..................................... 155
Lordship and Manorial Administration 158
47 AnEarlAsksanAgenttoGetHimMoneyforaReplacement
Mount ......................................................... 158
48 ALordRespondswithThreatstoanAttackonHisDependents .... 161
49 AVilleinRefusesaRequestfortheLoanofaPlowandOxen
BecauseHeNeedsThemHimself ................................ 164
50 ATenantInformsonaLandowner’sCorruptBailiff ............... 165
51 TheSameBailiffSendsHisRebuttaltoHisLord .................. 168
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Contents (cid:3) ix
52 AKnightOrdersaBailiffAccusedofFraudtoPresentHis
AccountsforInspection ......................................... 172
53 ALandownerSendsaListofInstructionstoHisBailiff ............ 173
Ecclesiastical Administration 175
54 BishopH[ugh]ofLincolnOrdersHisOfficialtoProhibitTwoMen
fromLeavingaTownUntilaMajorLawsuitBetweenThemHas
BeenSettledbyaForthcomingDiocesanAssembly ................ 175
55 AnArchdeaconWritestoaRuralDeantoChargeHimwiththe
CollectionofaClericalTax,andtoOrderHimtoCorrectthe
MisbehaviorofChaplainsinHisDeanery ......................... 177
56 ABishop’sOfficialWritestoanArchdeacon’sOfficialtoCertifythe
CredentialsofaChaplainWhoWishestoMovetotheLatter’s
District ........................................................ 179
57 AChaplainWhoIsWorriedAboutLosingHisJobWritestoa
Fellow-ChaplainforAdviceandHelp ............................ 182
Forests and Hunting 184
58 TheKingOrdersaSherifftoInquireintothePoachingofGame
inaRoyalForest ................................................ 184
59 TheKingOrdersaSherifftoArresttheCorruptForestersUnder
HisCommandWhoHaveBeenSellingOakTreesfromtheRoyal
Forest .......................................................... 188
60 ASheriffTellstheKingthatHeCannotComplywithaCommand
toProvideVenison,BecausetheAdjoiningForestsBelongtothe
KingofScots,WhoseForestersRefusetoAllowHimtoTakeGame
There .......................................................... 189
61 ABaronAsksAnotherBarontoSendHimGameandFishto
StockHisNewParkandFishpond,andinReturnHeSends
HuntingDogs,Hawks,andFalcons .............................. 191
62 ABaronAsksaBarontoHavetheLatter’sSonTrainHisGoshawk,
WhichHeSends ................................................ 197
Tournaments 201
63 AnEarlInvitesaBarontoJoinHisTournamentRetinue .......... 201
64 AKnightOrdersHisBailifftoProvideforHisArrivalwithEdmund
deLacy,ConstableofChester,andTwentyKnights,WhoAreon
TheirWaytoaTournamentatBlyth ............................. 207
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65 TheEarlofWarenneBeseechestheCountofAumaletoCometoa
TournamentthatHeHasSponsored,BecauseHeandHisKnights
AreRustyfromLackofPracticeandNeedHisHelp ............... 210
66 AnEarlWritestoAnotherEarltoRequestaBriefPauseBetween
Tournaments,toEnableEveryonetoTakeaLittleBreakBefore
ResumingCombat .............................................. 213
67 AnEarlAsksaBarontoSendHimaDestrierEquippedfora
Tournament .................................................... 216
68 TheBaronAgreestoLendHisDestriertotheEarl,BecauseHis
LegalAffairsWillPreventHimfromAttendingtheTournament
Himself ........................................................ 218
CHAPTER 4. FAMILY AND COMMUNITY 219
News, Gossip, and Family 219
69 ASerjeantWritestoHisMaster,aKnight,toJustifyHisRefusal
toObeytheOrdersoftheKnight’sWife .......................... 219
70 AManWarnsHisFriendthatHeHasSeentheLatter’sWifeNaked
inBedwithAnotherMan,andSendsHerGirdleasEvidence ...... 222
71 BishopH[ugh]ofC[arlisle]OrdersHisArchdeacontoInquire
AboutAdulterersinHisArchdeaconry ........................... 225
72 AnArchdeaconOrdersaDeantoInvestigatetheAllegedBribing
ofaChaplainbyanAdulterertoConcealHisAffair ............... 230
73 ARuralDeanOfferstoCoverUpanAllegationAgainstaChaplain
ofAdulterywiththeWifeofOneofHisParishioners .............. 231
74 AStewardWritestoHisLordAboutaGravelyIllKnightWhose
WifeandDaughterHaveGoneElsewhere ........................ 233
75 AManofPropertyWritesHometoHisWife,Niece,andServants . 235
76 AWifeWritestoHerAbsentHusband ........................... 238
77 AKnightintheQueen’sServiceAsksHisWifetoSendHimLinen
ClothandSheets................................................ 241
78 AManAsksaFriendtoTakeHisSonintoHisService ............. 243
Student Life 245
79 AStudentTellsHisFriendsthatHeIsGoingtoBecomeaMonk ... 245
80 AStudentatParisWritestoHisFatherforMoney ................ 247
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