LOUIS VII: (1120-1180) An exceptionally rare document signed by King Louis VII shortly before the Second Crusade

LOUIS VII: (1120-1180) An exceptionally rare document signed by King Louis VII shortly before the Second Crusade

LOUIS VII: (1120-1180) Louis the Younger. King of the Franks 1137-80. A fine D.S., within his monogram (a bold and attractive example) at the foot, as King, one page (vellum), 8vo (approx. 17 x 15.5 cm), Sens ('Senonis'), 1146 ('Anno ab incarnatione domini m c xl vi Regni vero nostri x'; in the tenth year of Louis VII's reign), in Latin. The manuscript document, in the hand of a scribe, with thin and elongated letters to the first line (a mistake appears between the words franc. and dux, with the scribe originally omitting the word Rex, and afterwards adding it in small letters above), is a Royal Charter confirming to the monks of 'Roseio' (i.e. the Benedictine abbey of Rozoi-le-Jeune, arrondissement of Sens, in the departement of Yonne, founded in 1106) all grants made to them by his predecessors or his feudatories, although without specifying any donors or locations of property, in part, 'In nomine sanct^te et individuae et individuae trinitatis ludovic dei grat. franc. Rex dux Aquitano.Hubis quidem pro regie dignitatis officio principalte incumbre. ecclarum possessiones ac iura benigne protegere et predecellorum ntos. elemosinas Ctabiles conservare Prope. nocum facimus um versis et presentibus parte et sicuris ancillis xpi. de Rosero ad opanendum possidendiuns per [ill] nos [ill] de dono precellorum lesatoriung (?) nros. um u^les ad hordiernum diem in elemosinam sulcepunc’. concluding with the subscriptions (not actual) of several Royal officers, namely Raoul, 1st Comte de Vermandois (Seneschal), Guillaume de Senlis (Grand Butler), Mathieu, 1st Comte de Beaumont-sur-Oise (Grand Chamberlain) and Mathieu de Montmorency (Constable), all of whom served as witnesses, and given by the hand of the Chancellor of France, Cadurc. Lacking the seal although with the original tags still inserted to the plica. Some light staining and minor age wear, and with a few very small holes to parts of the vellum, only very slightly affecting a few letters of text, and not the signature. Loosely housed within a handsome crimson quarter bound morocco presentation folder with gilt stamped title to the front cover. VG

Raoul I (1085-1152) Comte de Vermandois, known as Raoul I the Brave, and a first cousin of King Louis VI of France. Raoul was appointed as a seneschal within the Royal household in 1131 and continued in the service of the King (with gaps in 1138 and 1139) until his death in 1152. In 1142 he married his second wife, Peronella of Aquitaine, the sister of King Louis VII’s consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Guillaume de Senlis served as Grand Butler of France from 1129-47 and accompanied King Louis VII on his crusade.

Mathieu II de Beaumont-sur-Oise (1110-1174) Grand Chamberlain of France.

Mathieu I de Montmorency (d.1160) Constable of France 1138-60.

Cadurc was appointed as Chancellor of France in 1140 and remained so until 8^th June 1147.

The Royal Charter is typically signed within Louis VII's monogram, following the form adopted by predecessors with the name Louis, including King Louis VI, and is composed of the letters which make up the Carolingian word ‘Hludovicus’ or ‘Hludovuicus’.

The Charter gives the year as 1146, in the tenth year of King Louis VII’s reign. The King succeeded on 1^st August 1137, therefore the tenth year began on 1^st August 1146. The calendar year began at Easter, which was 20^th April in 1147. The document therefore dates from between 1^st August 1146 and 19^th April 1147, although to narrow it down any further would appear unfeasible.

Documents bearing the Royal sign manual of King Louis VII are of the utmost rarity and very seldom appear at auction, most being held in public collections. The present document is recorded in Etudes sur les actes de Louis VII (1885) by Luchaire (as no. 181) but only from a 15^th century copy, and also in Bibliographie generale des cartulaires francais (1907) by Stein (as no. 3277), although Stein attributes it to a 16^th century copy. Neither author makes any mention of the original grant and presumably were unaware of its existence.