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Medieval Sourcebook:
Grant of Privileges to the Flemings at Cologne, 1197


Be it known to all that the merchants of Cologne and Flanders have agreed that, if any Fleming be prepared to depart by land or water, if any one seek a debt from him, and have witnesses, he should prove it by the law of Cologne, and should not delay him further: but if he have no witnesses he, who is accused, without aggression and without delay will purge himself on his own oath that he is byvanc and will be free. No one from their land can be provoked to fight a duel, or to go to the judgment commonly called ordeal except by chance he commit homicide, or wound any one, or be taken by reason of false money, or except he break the peace. Nothing shall be taken from them for the debt of another except he promise of his own will to repay, or except there be pledges.

Done in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord 1197. Given at Cologne on the 25th of March.


Source.

From: Gustave Fagniez, ed., Documents Relatifs à l'Histoire de l'lndustrie et du Commerce en France, (Paris: Alphonse Picard et Fils, 1898 ), Vol. I., p. 97; reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, eds., A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), p. 222

Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.


This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.

Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.

© Paul Halsall, October 1998
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