GEN-MEDIEVAL-L Archives

Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 2006-05 > 1148462315


From: "Chris Phillips" <>
Subject: Re: Help with a 13th century Anglo-French document.
Date: Wed, 24 May 2006 10:18:35 +0100
References: <85BCAE0E9860A54094E68C5DCBB8D059041A401C@exchange.einetwork.net>


Steve Banks wrote:
> I'm trying to translate a document from Rymer's Foedera.... and if there's
anyone
> who has experience with doing this your help is much appreciated.
>
> The document is dated 1292 and records that Alexander (MacDougall) of
Argyll, Lord of Lorne,
> swears to keep peace in Scotland and the Isles. I can make out enough to
get the basic
> message, but there are a few sentences refering to Alexander (MacDonald)
of Islay - i.e. Alexander Og,
> son of Angus Mor, which are giving me trouble. The two parts of the text
is below.
>
>
> 'E qe toutz contents, debatz e demaundes de terres e de tenementz,
chateaus,
> e de tote mainere de trespas, mutz, ou a movoir entre nous,
> e Alisaundre des Isles, fiuz Anegus, fiuz Donenald cesserount, e en
> quiete reposerount, entre cy e le parlement, establi a Berewyk par le dyt
nostre
> seignour le Roy, a la quinzeme apres la sein Michel, prochein avenyr, e
duraunt le dyt parlement.'
>
>
> 'E qe nous dever le devauntdit Alisaundre des ylles, ne froms, ne
procuroms estre fet mal,
> ne damage a luy, ne a soens.'
>
>
> I can make out some of it but not enough to really get the whole meaning -
any help is appreciated.

It seems to be just a truce between the author and Alexander of the Isles,
son of Angus, son of Donald, suspending all hostilities between them until
the parliament fixed at Berwick by the king a fortnight after the feast of
St Michael next, and for the duration of that parliament.

A useful resource for puzzling out some of the odd-looking spellings of
medieval French is the Anglo-Norman Dictionary, which has recently been made
available at the "Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub":
http://www.anglo-norman.net/

Chris Phillips




This thread: