Scripta Quae Exstant

The Writings of Saint Hadoindus, Bishop of Le Mans, Which Survive [Brequiguy, Diplom., etc., vol. II, new edition] The Testament of Hadoindus, Bishop of Le Mans, in the year (642). In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit, on the eighth day before the Ides of February, in the fifth year of the reign of the most glorious King Clovis. I, Hadoindus, although an unworthy sinner [though a sinner], bishop of the holy Church of God of the city of Le Mans, being sound, by the grace of God, in mind and body, and of sound counsel, fearing the accident of human frailty, have drawn up a testament and have dictated it to the deacon Cadulphus to be written. If this testament of mine should, by any chance, be invalid by civil or praetorian law, or by the intervention of some new law, I wish it to be valid in place of codicils, as if I had died intestate, and so let it be valid. Therefore, when I, Hadoindus, the above-written bishop, shall have departed from human affairs and fulfilled the debt of the coming time, then you, the venerable and most holy Church [of Le Mans], shall be my heir, and I constitute you as my heir; so that whatever I have given, bequeathed, or ordered to be given by this testament of mine, that it be given [and it has been given], done, and performed, I commit to your trust, my heir.

I give to you, holy and venerable Church of Le Mans, in honor of Saint Mary, the Lords Gervasius and Protasius, martyrs, a villa of my right, whose name is called Avesa, which I acquired by purchase with my own property, with houses, buildings, slaves, vineyards, woods, meadows and pastures, as much as in that place [in those places] is seen to pertain, with the coloni, and with its entire boundary, to be recalled to your right and dominion [donation], to be possessed in perpetuity. Likewise, to the basilica of the Lord Victurius, where the Lord himself is known to rest, and where, if I merit it, I desire to have my burial; I give to you a villa named Acerveo, which I acquired by purchase for a given price, with houses, slaves, vineyards, woods, meadows and pastures, excepting those whom I have ordered to be made free for the remedy of my soul, the whole and entire the aforesaid basilica, after my departure, shall cause to be recalled to its power, to be possessed in perpetual dominion. And on this condition I give to the holy basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul, apostles, which Lord Berthicrannus, formerly bishop of the city of Le Mans [at the town of the Cenomannic city], built with his own labor, a villa of my property, Iscomodiacum, situated in the pagus of Bellivus [Belinus], which I acquired with money from Anserus [Aussorenus] and his mother, that the ministers of that same basilica, after my passing, may hold, possess, and leave it to whomever they wish to dispose of in the future.

Similarly, I give to the same basilica of the Lords Peter and Paul, apostles, the villas whose names are Taudiniacus and Martiniacus, which Lupus, formerly, was seen to hold through my benefice: this aforementioned basilica, after my [our] departure, with all integrity, which is seen to pertain to those villas, our ministers of the said basilica are to receive from the present time for the purpose of ruling. In like manner, I give to the basilica of the Lord Vincentius the martyr, which Domnolus, bishop of holy memory, built by his own labor, the villa of my right called Pratellus, with all integrity, as much as Domnola was seen to have had there for me. Similarly, I give to the basilica of Our Lady and Saint Mary the vicus of Auriono [Aureonno], which Agobertus, abbot of Diablentis [Dixiagens], built together, and the villa of Jona, which belonged to Sigulphus the priest, and which our faithful Chaddo is seen to have through our benefice. Likewise, the dwelling near that same Jona, which Lupus formerly was seen to hold, we wish to be granted to that same Chaddo: if, however, he should have children, it shall remain in their power; and if he should not have children, after his passing, it shall revert to the right and dominion of Our Lady Mary of the vicus of Aureonno [to be ruled in perpetuity].

Likewise, the villa Lastemarico [Lastemariaco], which from our generosity we ourselves granted to our faithful defender Caddo [ipsius fidele nostro Caddono defensore], it is my will that, as long as he lives, he possess it in usufruct; after his departure, however, with everything improved or added, it shall return to the holy basilica of the Aureonensian vicus. Likewise, we decree that Pauliaco, which belonged to Roccoleno [Roccoleno partis], be possessed in its time by the aforementioned basilica of Lady Mary. And likewise, the villa Baudiacam, which we recovered by purchase and by our direct actions [villa Baudriacae ex comparatione legitimas nostras directionibus], with lands, houses, slaves, woods, meadows and pastures, and all appurtenances, and its entire boundary, the aforesaid holy basilica of Saint Mary and its minister shall receive into their right in perpetuity from the present day. Together, the villa Briaco, which is at the oppidum [and the villa Driaco, at the oppidum] of that same basilica, with the colonia Hamarico, which I donated to the aforementioned holy church of Saint Mary, for intercession for our sins [Colonica Cameriaco, to the aforementioned holy basilica of Saint Mary for intercession for our sins]. Likewise, Tusciaco, which belonged to Dondulf, and the road which we exchanged with Edebert [Ausciaco which belonged to Dructulf, and that which we exchanged with Edebert, I wish to be donated.

Similarly, Auliaco, and likewise the fortifications, and the villa Cometas, which we purchased from the illustrious matron Modenana with our own money, together with the houses, buildings, lands, slaves, forests, and pastures, we assign to the basilica of Our Lady of the Aureonensian district, along with the colony of Appiaco. In like manner, the villa of Frigidus Fons, with all its entirety, that is, all things looking to and pertaining to it [or: all things looking to it and pertaining to it, with all] buildings, slaves, inhabitants, serfs and freemen, forests, lands, vineyards, meadows and pastures, waters and watercourses, and everything else sought therein, I wish to be given to the holy basilica of Our Lady, so that she may intercede for our sins, and that our Lord Jesus may deign to grant pardon for our offenses [everything unsearched, so that from the present day it may be applied to the aforementioned holy basilica of Our Lady for the intercession of our sins, that our Lord Jesus Christ may deign to grant pardon for the magnitude of our offenses, to be applied there]. Likewise also Vernicellae, with all its right and boundary, and the colonies [colonica] pertaining to it, shall benefit that same holy basilica in perpetuity.

And if anyone thereafter produces a letter as if made by us, it shall remain void and invalid; and it is agreed among us, as we have indicated above, that if anyone, whether our relative or heir, produces any document concerning our deeds, even if it is confirmed by the hand of good men, as greed may suggest, it shall remain void and invalid, and he shall incur that curse which is set forth above. The villa Fontanas in the pagus Sylviasinensis, our son and kinsman Bodilo, as long as he shall survive, shall hold and possess that little place for the term of his life. In the name of Christ, I, Hadoindus, though a sinner, bishop, have had this testament, which I requested out of devotion, read over and subscribed. Rosindus subscribed. Berteghiselus subscribed. Marsus subscribed. Auffrebertus subscribed. Sigrannus subscribed. Audobertus subscribed. I, Cadulphus, at the direction of the lord bishop Hadoindus, wrote and subscribed this testament of revenues.

To the magnificent sons in Christ and of holy Church, Badilo and Andramnus, Hadouin, bishop: I ask and beseech your charity that, when the Lord and creator of all has commanded me to depart from this world, you should make your way to Le Mans, and there, with you pursuing it and before the municipal public records, have my testament, when it has been opened, attached, and that each one, whether the holy citizens or my relatives or faithful to whom I am seen to have bequeathed something through that same testament, may, by your dispensation, receive according to that bequest. And whatever you may do thereafter shall remain ratified and most firm. This mandate we have confirmed with our hand, and we ask that it be fortified. (Done in the city of Le Mans; in the name of Christ, amen. I, Hadouin, though a sinner, bishop, have read again and subscribed this mandate. Rosindus subscribed. Bertigheselus subscribed. Marsus subscribed. Auffrebertus subscribed. Austrebertus subscribed. Audebertus subscribed. Deffensor subscribed. Ursimannus subscribed. Sirannus subscribed. Cadulphus, deacon, by order of the lord bishop Hadouin, wrote and subscribed this mandate.)

II. Charter by which Sigrannus acknowledges that he holds the monastery of Anisola from Hadoin, bishop of Le Mans, by usufructuary right, and under a certain rent (year 637). To the holy lord and venerable apostolic see, Hadoin, bishop of the city of Le Mans, together with the congregation itself dwelling in that city, I, Sigrannus, an unworthy priest and monk, approach you as a suppliant. Since it was both my petition and your will decreed it, that little monastery which is built in honor of Saint Peter and Saint Martin, and is situated in the territory of holy Mary, Mother of God, and of the holy martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, of the mother and senior church of the city of Le Mans, in the district of Le Mans, in a place which from ancient times was called Casa-Gaiano, on the river Anisola, which, according to the name of that river, is called Anisola, where lord Turibius, formerly bishop of that same parish, had built a church in honor of Saint Peter, prince of the apostles, on the properties of the senior and mother church of the city over which he presided, which church, however, had been destroyed on account of impending devastations, but some part of those walls still remained there, when lord Karilefus, by permission and entreaty and assistance of the lord...

Of Innocent the bishop, on the already mentioned land of holy Mary and the holy martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, from his own resources and those of other good men, I built, by your benefice, under a usufructuary arrangement, for the term of my life, you permitted me to hold there all things pertaining or belonging to it, and to pay a census each year to the mother church of the city or to its pontiffs and rectors, that is, for the lighting of the church, four pounds of wax, and for the use of the bishop one cambutta and two subtalares, and for the use of the canons living there in God's service two prepared buticulae, full of the best wine, and on the Lord's Supper a full modius of eggs; and if I should appear negligent or tardy regarding this census, I shall give surety for it, and I shall not lose that little monastery during my lifetime; and I shall have no right to sell or alienate it anywhere, except that it shall remain under the right and power and dominion of holy Mary and the holy martyrs Gervasius and Protasius, or of their pontiffs and rectors. And after my departure from this light, at God's command, with everything improved or added, without any judge's consignment or contradiction from our heirs, you or your rectors and successors shall cause the aforesaid little monastery, with all its integrity and the things pertaining or belonging to it, to be recalled into your power or dominion.

And so that these precariae, written in a single tenor—one to be deposited in the treasury of the city church, and the other which I, Sigrannus, have received from you—may obtain greater force, we have signed them below with our own hands and have determined to strengthen them with the subscriptions of good men. Done publicly in the city of Le Mans. Given on the eighth day before the Ides of April, in the thirty-first year of the reign of King Dagobert. I, Hadoindus, though an unworthy bishop, have subscribed this precaria made by me. Wistremandus, abbot, subscribed. Oduluvinus, priest, subscribed. Bernericus, unworthy abbot, subscribed. Winetharius, priest, subscribed. Adamalgandus, deacon, subscribed. Danihel, priest, subscribed. Helenus, priest, subscribed. Erigandus, deacon, subscribed. Ebrenus, priest, subscribed. Landricus, deacon, subscribed. Emmo, priest, subscribed. Albo, deacon, subscribed. Herifredus, priest, subscribed. Besto, priest, subscribed. Urso, deacon, subscribed. The mark of Landohic, advocate.