Philip Augustus Deals with a Recalcitrant Vassal, 1213

Philip by the grace of God king of the French to his beloved vassals, the noble men living in Poitou, greetings.  We gave our beloved noble lady, the countess of Flanders, to lord Ferrand as his wife, and since the county of Flanders is known to pertain to our fief, the said Ferrand performed and supplied the required fidelity to us.  But when we recently [de novo] summoned him to accompany us to England, he recused himself wholly from appearing and demanded from us certain things which he ought never to have required.  We, therefore, wholly confident in your fidelity, command you as a group to appear in a certain place on a certain date, since we first wish to subdue [expugnare] Ferrand, and then we wish to cross over to England as we have sworn/agreed to do.

Note on the date: the editor of the Recueil (p. 439, n. 1) gives 1213, end of May.  According to Guillaume le Breton (ed. Delaborde, v. 1, p. 249), Philippe Auguste arrived at Gravelines on May 22 and there discovered the absence of Ferrand.

Source: Recueil des actes de Philippe Auguste, v. 3, p. 439-440, no. 1302.  Translated from the Latin by Richard Barton.



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