IV.

The Sources

1.

The Monastery of St. Vincent versus Certain Serfs of the Monastery.

In the name of Christ the Omnipotent. By order of the most pious lord Lewis Augustus, son of the Emperor Lothalr, and also of our lord Duke Guy, we Franfid the Prefect sat in judgment in the rill Trita, which was formerly under the Prefect Audoen, in the cause of the serfs of the vill Often of the Tritan valley in the Balvensian district, whom the Cell Trita of the Monastery of St. Vincent sought to reclaim as serfs; and these were present with us. [Here follow thirteen names.] So coming into the presence of us the above-named judge, Gunipert reeve of the Cell Trita of the Monastery of St. Vincent, together with the clerk Adelpert his advocate, laid claim before us to the men of the vill Often [here are inserted the names of nine men], saying that although these men had always been serfs of St. Vincent, they had now for cause unknown withdrawn themselves from that service. But on their part the said men made answer: "It is not true that either we or our fathers have been serfs of St. Vincent as Gunipert the reeve and Adelpert claim, because both we and our fathers have always been free men; for the sake of protection we commended ourselves to that monastery as free men, not as serfs." To these statements Gunipert the reeve with Adelpert his advocate replied: "Indeed we have the written authorization which Lewis the prior had from the grandfather of our most pious lord Lewis Augustus, and also another order by which this Lewis, son of the lord Emperor Lothair, has confirmed the grant made by his grandfather to this monastery; and in order that the monastic side may at least have the benefit of witnesses, an inquisition ought to be held on this case as by royal authority. Therefore, if it please you, make an inquisition on this matter, as the lord Emperor commands and authorizes, to determine whether these men were free men in that monastery or serfs." Then we Franfid the Prefect, together with the abovenamed judges, saw this cause of disagreement between the parties, for these men of the vill Often declared that they were free men and had become connected with that monastery for protection only and not as serfs; therefore we summoned from neighboring parts of the Tritan valley and Carapella and also from several other rills good and true men who were well acquainted With this case and knew the men. And we made them take oath on the holy Gospels of God that they would tell us the absolute truth of whatever they knew about these men of Offen, their freedom or their serfdom. [Here follow the names of the eighteen who took oath.] And after the oath was taken we each one of us carefully questioned them individually. Their statements to us were of one tenor: "As far back as our memories serve we know how this Ursepert, himself a serf, has been reeve over the other serfs of St. Vincent of Often, likewise also all his connections have as serfs suffered the same limitations; moreover the reeves who have been in this Cell we have always seen treated as serfs until now. And if the aforesaid men or those related to them committed any crime they were put in chains and treated as serfs, and we have seen nothing of their freedom hitherto." Moreover, we questioned Ansfrid, who was formerly prefect, also Gifo and Alaisi the echevins, by that oath or fidelity which they had rendered to the lord Emperor that they would state truly before us whatever they knew of the said serfs or their connections. These made one reply to us: "By that oath or fidelity which we have rendered to the lord Emperor, as far as our memory serves, we have seen this Ursepert, John, Johannaci, etc. always, both them and theirs, serfs of St. Vincent; and all those things are true which the aforementioned men have sworn." And when we Franfid the Prefect and the said judges had, through these documents and inquisitions, found all things thus, we respited the case until our lord Duke Guy again commanded that as by order and authority of lord Lewis the Emperor, as also by his own order and command, I Franfid the Prefect should conclude this case between these monks and these men of the rill Often on the basis of the inquisition which was held before us, and that the monks should return the said men and their connections to their service as serfs. And so it was done. Hence, for the security of said monastery, we Franfid the Prefect and the said judges have bidden Fraupert the notary to record the present judgment together with all that has been done and considered throughout the litigation. And it was done in the thirty-second year of the reign of our lord the Emperor Lothair and the fifth of his most pious son Lewis Augustus, in the month of February, the second Indiction. Witnesses:

I Franfid the Prefect was there I Gifo was there I Senoald was there I Alagisi was there I Adelpert was there I John was there, etc.