Transactio de Regno Manniae et Insularum, inter serenisshnos Leges Alexandrzo-m III. Scotiae, et Magnum IV. Norvegiae-Ex Torfæo.  

In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Ut certitudo præsentium det veram ac evidentem memoriam prxteritorum Tternaliter est sciendum quod anno gratiæ AICCLXVI. die Veneris proxima post festum apostolorum Petri et Pauli in ecclesia fratrum pra,-dicatorum apud Perthen, inita fuit hæc com-positio et finalis concordia, super contentionibus, querimoniis, damnis et injuriis ac discordiis insularum Manniæ et Sodorensium, ac jurium earundem sopiendis, Divine cooperante providentia, inter maguificos et illustres principes, Dominum Magnum IV. Dei gratia Regem Norvegiæ illustrem, per solemnes nuncios suos Dominos Askatinum Cancellarium suum, et Andream filium Nicolai Baronem suum, super hiis illue specialiter destinatos ac legitime constitutos, comparentes ibidem ex parte una;. et Dominum Alexandrum III. eadem gratia Regem Scotiæ, ibidem cum elero et proceribus Regni sui majoribus, personaliter com-parentem ex altera, sub hac forma; videlicet, quod dictus Dominus Magnus Rex Norvegiæ tanquam amicus pacis, et cultor justitiæ, ad Dei reverentiam et mutuæ dilectionis ac pacis observantiam diligentius confovendam, et animarum periculum propulsandum, ac strages hominum citius evitandum ad instantiam et honorem Domini Alexandri Regis Scotiæ memorati, Manniam cum cæteris insulis Sodorensibus, et omnibus aliis insulis ex parte occidentali et australi Magni Haffne, cum omni jure quod in ein ipse et pro-genitores sui habuerunt ab antiquo tempore, vel ipse et hæredes sui habere poterunt in futurum, per prædictos viros discretos, Dominos Aschetinum Cancellarium ipsius Domini Magni Regis Norvegiæ, et Andream filium Nicolai Baronem saum, habentes ab ipso Reg e plenam authoritatem componendi et coneordandi super ipsis amicabiliter et socialiter, concessit, resignavit, et quietas clamavit, tam in petitorio quam in possessorio, pro se et hæredibus suis in perpetuum tenendum habendum et possidendum, dicto Domino Alexandro III. Regi Scotorum et suis hæredibus, cum dominfs, homagiis, redditibus, servitiis et omnibus juribus et pertinentiis dietarum Insularum, sine aliquo retinemento, una cum jure patronatus Episcopatus Manniæ, salvis jure, jurisdictione, ac libertate Ecclesiæ Nidrosiensis in omnibus et per omnia, quod vel quas habet in Episcopum et ecelesiam Manniæ : et exceptis insulin Orcadiæ et Hethlandi, quas idem Rex Norvegiæ cum domi-niis, homagiis, redditibus, servitiis, et omnibus juribus et perti-nentiis suis infra easdem contiguis dominio suo specialiter reservavit, ita quod omnes homines dietarum Insularum quæ præfato Domino Scotiæ Regi snut concessæ, resignatæ, et quietæ clamat,-e, tam maioren, quam minores, subjaceant legibus et con-suetudinibus regni Scotiæ, et secundum eas ex nunc in posterum tractentur et judicentur, pro biis autem forefactis, vel injuriis et damnis quæ fecerunt usque in hodiernum diem, dum memorato Domino Regi Norvegiæ adhærebant, nullatenus puniantur, nec querentur super hæreditatibus suis in illis insulis, sed pacifice stent in eisdem, sub dominio Domini Regis Scotiæ, sicut alii liberi et legii dicti Domini Regis Scotiæ qui liberiori justitia gau-dere dignoscuntur, nisi aliquid de cætero faciant propter quod juste puniri debeant juxta leges ac consuetudines Regni Scotiæ approbatas. Et si, in dictis insulis sub dominio dicti Domini Regis Scotiæ morari voluerint, morentur in Domino libere et in pace, et si recedere voluerint recedant cum bonis suis licite, libere et in plena pace, itaque nec morari nec recedere contra leges et consuetudines Regni Scotiæ et stum libitum compellantur. bomi-nus itaque Alexander Rex Scotiæ memoratus, veritatis zelator et pacis et concordiæ amator, et hæreder sti in perpetuum pro istis concessione, resignatione, et quieta clamatione, et præcipue pro bono pacis, et ut fatigationes et labores redimantur dabunt et reddent in perpetuum sæpe-ditto Domino Regi Norvegiæ et hæredibus suis et eorundem assignatis in perpetuum infra octavas Nativitatis Sti. Johannis Baptistæ in Orcadia terra scilicet Domini Regis Norvegiæ, in ecclesia Sancti Mag ni in manibus Episcopi Orchadiæ sett Ballivi ipsius Domini Regis Norvegiæ ad hoc per ipsum specialiter deputati, vel in eadem ecclesia deponent ad opus ipsius Domini Regis Norvegiæ sub custodia Canonicornm ejusdem ecclesiæ, si Episcopus vel Ballivus non inveniantur ibidem, qui dabunt eir literas adquietationis et factæ solutionis, centum marcas bonorum et legalium Sterlingorum secundum modum et tisum curiæ Romanæ ac Regnorum Franciæ, Angliæ, et Scotiæ, numerandas annuatim, et nihilominus quatuor millia mar-carum Sterlingorum ditto modo numerandartxn infra proximum quadriennium loco et termino prænotatis ; videlicet mille marcas infra octavas nativitatis Sancti Johannis Baptistæ, anno gratiæ MCCLxvir. et centum marclias de prædicta pensione. Et anno gratiæ MCCLxVIII. ad eosdem locum et terminuro mille marcas, et centum marcas de pensione præfata. Et anno gratiæ MCCLxix dictis loco et termino mille marcas et centum mareas de memo-rata pensione. Et ultimo anno gratiæ nrCCLxx. eisdem loco et termino mille marcas, et centum marcas de eadcm pensione. In posterum autem dictis loco et termino, duntaxat centum marcas de pensione prædicto modo numerandas in perpetuum pro omnibus arnnuatim.

Et ad hæc omnia et singula, ut prænotata sunt, fideliter et firmiter observanda dicti Asketinus Cancellarius, et Andreas Baro pro Domino suo Magno illustri Rege Norvegiæ et hæredibus suis et assignatis, in animam ipsius Regis de cujus voluntate eis super hiis constabat ad plenum, et animas proprias jurarunt publice in ecclesia fratrum prædicatorum apud Perthen, tactis Evangeliis sacrosanctis. Et dictus Dominus Alexander Rex Seotiæ per no-biles viros, Adam Comitem de Carrick et Robcrtum de Mcyners, eodem modo in animam suam, et animas eorum pro se et hæredi-bus suis, fecit jurare solemniter, in præscntia nunciorum eorundem. Et ad majorem hujus rei sceuritatem, utraque pars se obligavit, ad pænam decem millium marcarum Sterlingorum solven-dam de plano et absquc strepitu judiciali a partc resilire volente, parti compositionem istam et finalcm concordiam observanti, compositione ipsa et finali coneordia nihilominus in perpetuum in pleno robore duraturis. Dominus insuper Rex Magnus Norvegiæ per nuncios suos supradictos se ipsum ac hærcdes ac successores suos, et Dominus Alexander Rex Scotiæ se et hæredes suos subjecerunt in hoe jurisdictioni sedis Apostolicæ; ut unica mo-nitione præmissa per sententias exeommunicationis in personas, nullius persona excepta, et interdicti in regna, absque strepitu judiciali et aliqua causæ cognitione, compellat partem resilientem a compositione et finali coneordia prædictis ad solvendam parti ipsas compositionem et finalcm concordiam observanti dictum poenam decem millium marcarum integre et plenarie, et nihil-ominus ad ipsas compositionem et finalcm concordiam in omnibus et singulis articulis observandis non relaxandas quousque dicta pæna ut dictum est plenarie fuerit persoluta, ipsis compositione et finali concordia in suo robore, in omnibus et per omnia dura-turis et in perpetuum valituris.

Eænunciavit itaque utraque pars in hoe facto omni exceptioni fraudis et doli, actioni in factum, et privilegio fori, et specialiter restitutioni in intcgrum, et omnibus literis inter eosdem Reges et antecessores suos hue usque habitis et obtcntis cujuscunque tenoris existant, et omnibus literis et indnlgentiis Apostolicis, impetratis et irapetrandis, et orani remedio juris canonici et civilis, per quæ prædictæ concessio, resignatio, quieta clamatio, compositio et finalis concordia impediri, differri, et destrui valeant, sen. modo aliqua enervari. Adjectum est etiam huie concorddæ, et statutum communi consensu inter Reges et regna Norvegiæ et Seotiæ, ut omnes transgressiones et delicta inter eos, et anteces-sores suos, et eorum homines, usque in hodicrnum diem perpetrata, ex utraque parte penitus sunt remissæ, quoad ecclesias sicut ad regna, nullo ex iis mali iræ vel vindictæ traxnite remanenti, et ut obsides dictorum insulanorum hine inde capti et detenti, plenæ libertati restituantur. Et si inimicus alterius Regum ipsorum, Scotiæ seilicet et Norvegiæ, ad alterum ipsorum confugiat, ipsum in regno suo vel dominio, ad gravamen ejus a quo effugerit, non receptet, nisi forte ad tempus ut gratiara sibi impetret si gratiara meruerit, et si gratiara Domini sui offensi habere non poterit, ipsum statim post anmzm non differat a se et sno dominio removere. Exceptis illis, qui Grimen 1æsæ Majestatis commiserint, quos nullo modo hine inde receptent. Insuper si contingat homines Regni Norvegiæ, quod absit, in regno vel dominio Regis Scotiæ pati naufragium, vel e converso, liceat eis libere et quiete naves suas fractas vel collisas, una cum rebus suis omnimodis, per se vel per alios, recolligere et habere, vendere, et alienare, absque omni calumnia, quamdiu eas non habuerint pro derelicto.

Et si quis contra hoc commune statutum concordiæ, de rebus vel navibus hujusmodi perielitatis quidquam fraudulenter vel violenter surripuerit, et super hoc convictus fuerit, tanquam raptor et pacis violator, prout demeruerit, puniatur, consuetudine si quæ sit contraria non obstante. Si quis autem repertus fuit, et convictus perturbator pacis istius et finalis concordiæ inter prædictos Reges et Regna et eorum regnicolas habitæ et confirmatæ, per Regem in cujus dominio repertus fait qui talia præsumpserit, sic aeriter puniatur, ut poena illius metus fiat aliorum.

Et in hujus rei testimonium, parti hujus scripti in modum chirographi confecti remanenti penes dictum Dominum Regem Norvegiæ illustrem, sigillum dieti Domini Regis Scotiæ, una cum sigillis venerabilium Patrum Gamelini Sancti Andreæ, et Johannis Glasguensis, Dei gratia Episcoporum, et nobilium virorum Alex-andri Cymyn de Buchan, Patricii de Dumbar, Wilhelmi de Marre, Adæ de Karricke Comitum, et Roberti de Meyners Baronis est appositum.

Et alteri parti ejusdem scripti in modum chirographi confecti, penes dictum Dominum Regem Scotiæ remanenti, sigillum Ex-cellentis dieti Domini Regis Norvegiæ una cum sigillis venera bilium Patrum Petri Bergensis, Thorgilsi Stavangrensis, Dei gratia Episcoporum, et nobilium virorum, Gauti de Mele, Buccolini filii Johannis, Finnii filii Gauti, Andreae filii Nicolai, et Asketini Cancellarii dieti Domini Regis Norvegiæ est appensum.

Convention between their Majesties Alexander III. of Scotland, and Magnus IV. of Norway, regarding the kingdom of Man and of the Isles.-From Torfaeus.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

That the sure vouching of these presents may furnish a true and clear record of the past, it is to be known henceforth and for ever, that in the year of grace 1266, on the Friday first after the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, there took place, in the church of the Friars Preachers at Perth, the following adjustment and final settlement touching the contentions, complaints, losses, and injuries, and the terminating of the dissensions regarding Man, and the Sodor Islands, by help of Divine Providence, between the Magnificent and illustrious monarchs the Lord Magnus IV., by grace of God illustrious King of Norway, through his state envoys the Lords Asketin his Chancellor, and Andrew son of Nicholas his baron, special proxies of his Majesty, legitimatelyappointed to that effect, appearing in the place aforesaid, on one side; and the Lord Alexander III., by like grace of God King of Scotland, personally, together with his clergy, and high nobles and chief men of his kingdom, appearing on the other side ; to the tenour and effect as follows, to wit:-that the said Lord Magnus, King of Norway, as a friend of peace and respecter of justice, for God's honour, and for the more careful furthering of mutual love and peace, and for averting the peril of souls, and more effectually avoiding human slaughter, at the urgent request, and in honour of the above named Lord Alexander, King of Scotland, bath ceded Man, together with the other Sodor Isles, and all other islands of the west or south of the Great Sea," with all rights therein to himself or his forefathers from time of old belonging, or which to himself or heirs might hereafter accrue, and bath for all future time, through the forenamed prudent men, to wit, Asketin, Chancellor of the said Lord Magnus, King of Norway, and Andrew son of Nicholas his baron, holding from the king full power to treat and come to a final settlement in the premises, freely and with good will, given up, resigned, and surrendered all claim to sue or to seize for himself and his heirs the said Isles, to be for ever kept, held, and possessed by the said Lord Alexander, King of Scotland, and his heirs, with all the lordships, homages, revenues, services, and all rights of whatsoever kind to said Islands belonging, no reservation whatsoever being made, together with the advowson of the bishopric of Man, saving however in all things and entirely the right, jurisdiction, and liberty of the Church of Drontheim which it has in respect to the bishop and the church of Man ; and saving, moreover, the Orkney Islands and the Islands of Shetland, which, with their lordships, homages, revenues, services, and all rights and appurtenances thereto adjoining, he bath specially unto his own lordship reserved, in such wise that all the inhabitants of the said islands, great and small, which are given up, resigned, and surrendered all claim to, to the Lord King of Scotland, shall be subject to the laws and customs of the kingdom of Scotland, and in future be ruled and judged according to them ; but for those misdeeds, injuries, or losses, which they may have committed or caused, while adhering to the forementioned King of Norway, down to the present day, they are in no wise to be punished, nor are they to be pursued in their inheritances in those Islands, but to continue in the peaceful enjoyment of the same, under the dominion of the Lord King of Scotland, as the other freemen and lieges, whose rights are held in greater consideration, of the said Lord the King of Scotland, unless they should do something amiss, on account of which they should incur just punishment according to the approved laws and customs of the kingdom of Scotland. And if they shall choose to remain in said Islands under the dominions of said king, let them remain in the Lord, freely and in peace; should they choose to leave, let them leave with their effects, legitimately, freely, and in full peace. Therefore they are not to be compelled to remain, neither to withdraw contrary to the laws and customs of the kingdom of Scotland and their own free pleasure.

The Lord King of Scotland then, the aforesaid Alexander, zealous for justice and a lover of peace and concord, as also his heirs henceforth and for ever, in consideration for the above named cession, resignation, and quit claim (withdrawing of all claim), and most of all for the blessing of peace, and that parties may be spared harassings and toils, shall give, and shall pay, from year to year and for ever, to the oft named Lord King of Norway, his heirs and their assigns for ever, within the octave of the nativity of St. John the Baptist, in Orkney, being, to wit, the territory of the Lord the King of Norway, in the church of St. Magnus, into the hands of the Bishop of Orkney, or of the bailiff of the Lord King of Norway himself for this purpose chosen and specially deputed, or deposit in the same church, for the uses of the said Lord King of Norway, in the keeping of the canons of the said church, should there fail to be forthcoming therein the bishop or bailiff, who shall give letters of quit-tance and payment made, one hundred marks of good and legal sterling money, according to the style and use of the Roman Court, and of the kingdoms of France, England, and Scotland, to be counted down from year to year ; and, over and above this, four thousand marks sterling, same style of reckoning, within the four years thereupon first following in time and place as before men-tioned, to wit, one thousand marks within the octave of St. John the Baptist, in the year of grace 1267, and one hundred marks of the aforesaid pension; and in the year of grace 1265, time and place as before., one thousand marks, and one hundred ditto of the yearly pension as above ; and in the year of grace 1269, time and place as heretofore, one thousand marks, and one hundred of the aforesaid pension ; and in the last year, viz., of grace 1270, time and place as specified, one thousand marks, and of the yearly payment one hundred marks. But thenceforth, in time and place specified, only a pension of one hundred marks, on foot of all considerations whatever - to be reckoned as above, and paid down yearly in perpetuity.

And to the firm and faithful observance of all and each of these engagements, as hereinbefore set forth, the aforesaid Asketin, Chancellor, and Andrew, Baron, on behalf of their liege Lord Magnus, the illustrious King of Norway, and his heirs and assigns, have upon the king's own soul, his will in this matter being to them fully known, and upon their own souls, sworn publicly in the church of the Friars Preachers at Perth, laying their hands the meanwhile on the ever Blessed Gospels. And the above named Lord Alexander King of Scotland, by his nobles, Adam Count of Carrick, and Robert de Meyners, in the same way made solemn oath upon his soul, and upon their souls, for himself and his heirs, in presence of the same envoys.

And for the greater security of this matter, both the parties bound themselves to a penalty of 10,000 marks sterling, to be paid summarily, without the observance of the forms of law, by the party choosing to draw back, unto the party that stands by the adjustment and final agreement; the adjustment and final agreement nevertheless to continue in full force for ever.

Furthermore, the Lord Magnus, King of Norway hath by his forementioned envoys subjected himself and successors, and the Lord Alexander King of Scotland himself and heirs, to the jurisdiction in this matter of the Apostolic See ; so that, one admonition only foregoing, said See may, by sentence of excommunication against persons, none excepted, and of interdict on kingdoms, compel, without observing the forms of law or making judicial inquiry into the case, the party which recedes from the agreement and final concord aforementioned, to pay to the party abiding by same, the said penalty of 10,000 marks, full told; and this notwithstanding, not to relax the observances of this arrangement and final agreement itself from being observed in all and each of the articles, until the said penalty has been, as said, fully paid up,-the arrangement and final concord retaining in all and through all its native force, and thus for ever enduring.

In this premise, then, each party hath renounced all exception on ground of alleged fraud or deceitful intent ; all procedure against the deed itself, all privilege of tribunal, especially all claim of re-instatement ; and every kind of letter of whatever import that may have passed and been obtained on either side touching this point between the same kings or their respective predecessors down to the present day ; and all Apostolic Letters and favours already obtained, or hereafter to be obtained ; all relief too of canon or of civil law, through which the aforesaid cession, resigna-tion, quit claim, arrangement, and final concord, would be impeded, delayed, or defeated, or in any wise weakened. To this agreement it has been also subjoined and enacted by common consent be-tween the Kings and kingdoms of Norway and Scotland, that all transgressions and crimes committed against one another, by themselves or their predecessors, or the retainers of these, down to the present day, shall be on both sides entirely forgiven, whether said transgressions regarded churches, or domain of the realm, no trace in consequence of evil clone of anger or revenge abiding; and that the hostages of the said Islanders taken or detained on one or the other side, be restored to their full liberty. And should an enemy of one or other of the kings themselves, i.e. the Kings of Scotland and of Norway, fly for refuge to the other, he, the latter mentioned, must not, unto the molestation or discomfort of him from whom said flight %vas compassed, receive such fugitive into his kingdom or dominion, unless perchance for a time that he may be restored to favour if he so deserve, and should he the fugitive fail to obtain the grace of his offended liege lord, the forementioned king who shall have thus sheltered him shall, on the lapse of one year, forthwith without delay remove the said fugitive from his royal person and dominions. From fore-said indulgence, however, those are to be excepted who shall have been guilty of high treason, who are by no means to be received from one side or from the other.

Furthermore, should it happen, which God forbid, that the men of the King of Norway should suffer shipwreck in the kingdom or dominions of the King of Scotland, or conversely, the persons so wrecked must be permitted freely and without molestation, by themselves or by others, to bring together their wrecked or injured vessels, with all their effects of whatever kind thereto belonging, and to retain, sell, or dispose of the same, without any recourse to law, so long as they have not relinquished such property as derelict.And if any person, in violation of this common statute of agreement should carry off through fraud or by violence any portion or appurtenance of ships endangered as above, and shall be con-victed'of such offence, he is, as his offence deserves, to be punished as a robber and a breaker of the public peace, any custom to the contrary, should such exist, notwithstanding.

Now if any person is found and convicted as a disturber of this pacification and final concord between the forementioned kings, kingdoms, and peoples respectively made and confirmed, such person is, by the king in whose dominions he shall be found, to be chastised for his lawless daring, in such wise that his punishment may be the terror of others.

In witness whereof, to the part of the foregoing instrument, drawn in the form of a chirograpb, to be kept by his illustrious Majesty the said King of Norway, there has been affixed the seal of the said Lord King of Scotland, with the seals of the Venerable Fathers, Gamelin of St. Andrew, and John of Glasgow, by the grace of God bishops, and of the Lords Alexander Comyn de Buchan, Patrick Dunbar, William de Marre, Adam Karrick, earls, and Robert Meyners, baron.

And to the counterpart of the same instrument, drawn in the form of a chirograph, to be kept by the Lord King of Scotland, there has been affixed the seal of his Excellency the said Lord King of Norway, together with the seals of the Venerable Fathers, Peter of Bergen, Thorgils of Stavanger, by the grace of God bishops, and of the Lords Gaut de Mele, Buccolin son of John, Finn son of Gaut, Andrew son of Nicholas, and Asketin chancellor of the said Lord King of Norway.

a We give this translation of Dlagni Daff on the authority of Professor Munch, History of the lvorecefian People, vol. iv., p. i., page 455. If it be correct, an 21 instead of a u must have crept, by mistake, into the Latin text, after the IIaH'.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
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