Archives Nationales JJ 120 fo 57v no 102 Original
Charles etc. We make known to all present and to come to us has been exposed on the part of Jehannette de Lospital otherwise of Lyon, poor linen draper living in Paris. That as before she had gone to see a Jew named Bon Jour living in the said place in order to borrow some money that she needed and because at the time she felt a great illness and sorrow in her head she asked for a remedy from the said Jew who practiced medicine and this Jew having told her that she should bring him her urine, she brought it to him the next morning the which seen by the said Jew he asked her if she was married and she said no. And then the said Jew told her that she was very much in love with a man and she told him that it was true that she was and that she loved one more than any other and that she wanted him to marry her even though he had never given her any hope but it seemed to her that he had become cold towards her. After which the said Jew told her that if she wanted to pay him well he would teach her something that was worth it through which she could come to her intention so that if she took it with her she would never have poverty. Therefore she, desiring to come to the state of marriage in order to achieve the creation of that joining she, as the simple woman that she was and is, at the words of the said Jew made a deal with him for four francs of gold in order to have this from him and in the meantime she gave him a belt of hers as a guarantee. And the said Jew gave her a little bit of something enveloped and contained in silk [cendal] without her seeing what it was and he said to her that she should carry it on her in the area of her stomach when she would join the said man that she loved contained and she would come to her intention but it never happened that she did it even though the said Jew had organized and taught her nevertheless she did not at all marry the said man but instead he married another who is still living and stays with him. For the which deed the said exposant is at the moment in our Chatelet of Paris and fears to be pursued by the rigor of justice for this if by us is not given to her grace. As we have been humbly supplicated that considering that before she had never meddled in the said sorcery but only gave her consent as a simple person by the suggestion of the said Jew that the thing had no effect nor any evil that came from it by the grace of God and that never before had she been accused or apprehended for any villainous deed, we would wish to give to her the said grace. Therefore we, having compassion on the said Jehannette in this party for consideration of the things above said, to the said Jehannete we have in the case abovesaid acquitted, pardoned, and remitted, acquit, pardon, and remit by our Royal authority and special grace through these present the deed abovesaid and all that which could come with all penalty, criminal, corporal, and civile that she could have incurred for this cause. And we return her to her good reputation and renown and to her goods not confiscated. And we impose on this to our procurer and to all other officers perpetual silence. Except for the right of the party if there is any to pursue her only civilly.. So given in commandment to the Prevot of Paris and to all others of our justices and officers present and to come or to their lieutenants and to each one of them as appertains to him that by our present grace they have and allow the said Jehannete to peaceably enjoy and use. And against the tenor of this they neither have impeded nor allow to be impeded in any manner but if any thing is done against or any of her goods are or were taken, seized, or arrested for this, give or have given to their original state and due. And her said goods and her body for this taken as is said to full deliverance as soon as these letters are seen. So that this may be a firm and stable thing forever We have had placed our ordinary seal in the absence of the Great ~ Except our law in other things and the other in everything ~ Given in Paris in the month of February ~ The year of grace 1381 And the second of our reign ~
~ By the request of Lostel.. Bordes.. Gurardus
Charles etc Savoir faisons atouz presens et avenir a nous avoir este expose de la partie de Jehannette de lospital autrement de lyon povre lingere demourant a paris Que comme naguere elle feust alec pardevers un Juif nomme bon jour demourant audit lieu pour emprunter certaine finance don’t elle avoit besoing et pource que lors elle sentoit grant mal et doleur en sa teste en eust demande remede audit juif qui se entremets de medicine et icellui juif lui esut dit que elle lui apportast son urine elle lui apporta lendemain matin la quelle veue par le dit juif il lui demanda se elle estoit marrie et elle dise que non. Et lors ledit juif lui dist que elle amoit tresgrandement un home et elle lui dis ten effect que cestoit voit et que elle en amoit un plusque nul autre et quelle vouldroit quil leust espouse mesmement que aucune foiz il lui en avoit donne Esperance maiz il lui sembloit quil en este refroidiez Sinquoy ledit juif lui dist que se elle le vouloir bien paier il lui enseigneroit en vauldroit chose par la quele elle vendroit a son entencion ce que se elle le portoit sur lui elle mavoit jamaiz povrete. Pourquoy elle desirent venir a estat de marriage afin de eschever formaccion adionstant soy comme simple femme que elle estoit et est aux paroles dudit juif marchanda avecques lui a quatre francs dor pource avoir de lui et par trait de temps lui en bailla une sienne ceinture en gaige Et le dit juif lui bailla un po de chose envelopee et consue en Cendal sans ce que elle veist que cestoit et lui deist que elle le portast sur elle alendroit de son ventre quant elle auroit acole ledit homme qui Elle aimoit consy et elle vendroit a son entencion maiz jasoit ce que elle le feist tout ainsy que ledit juif lui avoit devisie et enseignie toutevoyes ne la espousa point ledit homme Ains set mariez en une Autry qui ancores vit et demeure avec lui. Pour lequel fait la dicte exposant est a present en Notre chastellet de Paris et se doubte destre pource poursuivre par rigueur de justice se par nous ne lui estoit faicte grace Si nous a fait humble supplier que considerant que paravant elle navoit point machine en la dicte sorcerie maiz seulement y donna son consentement comme simples par la suggestion dudit juif que la chose na eu aucun effect ne aucun mal ne sen est ensuy la grace dieu et que onques maiz elle ne fu accrainte ou reprise daucun vilain cas nous lui vouillons surce faire la dicte grace Pourquoy nous ayans compassion de la dicte Jehannecte en ceste partie pour consideration des choses dessus dites A ycelle Jehannete avons ou cas dessusdit quicte pardonne et Remiz, quictons pardonnons et remettons de notre auctorite Royal et grace especial par ces presents le fait dessusdit et tout ce qui se nest ensuy avec toute peine criminele corporele et civile que elle puet avoir encouru pour ceste cause Et la restituons a sa bonne fame et renommee et a ses biens non confisquiez. En imposans sur ce a notre procureur et a troz autres officiers silence perpetuelle Sauf le droit de partie se aucune en ya en poursuite civile tant seulement.. Si donnons en mandement au prevost de paris et a touz autres noz Justiciers et officiers presens et avenir ou a leurs lieuxtenans et a chacun deulz sicomme a lui appartendra que de notre presente grace Ilz facent et laissent la dite Jehannete joir et user paisiblement Et contre la teneur dicelle ne leur pschent facent ou sueffrent empeschir en aucune manière maiz se aucune chose estoit faite au contraire ou aucuns de ses biens sont ou estoient pour ce priz saisiz ou arrestez la mettent ou facent mettre au premier estat et deu Et sesdiz biens et son corps pour ce pris comm edit est a plaine deliverance tantost veues ces lettres. Esqueles afin que ce soit chose ferme et estable atouziours Nous avons fait mettre notre scel ordene en labsence du grant ~ Sauf notre droit en autres choses et lautruy en toutes ~ Donne a Paris au moys de fevrier ~ lan de grace mil ccciiijxx et un Et le Second de notre Regne ~
~ Es Requestes de lostel .. Bordes .. Gurardus
Summary
Jehannette de Lospital, a poor linen draper living in Paris, was searching for a Jewish doctor going by the name of Bon Jour. She asked to borrow some money that she required, as well as something to ease her the sorrow and illness that affected her. Later, Jehannette was asked if she was married, to which she said no, but admitted that she was in love with another man that gave her little to no attention. Bon Jour claimed that he could help her for the right price, and after payment, gave her an unknown object wrapped in silk and instructed her to place it on her stomach, claiming that her desires would come true. However, the man did not marry, instead he married someone else.
However, because Jehannette has never practiced sorcery before, only giving consent to Bon Jour, as well as nothing harmful coming from this situation, she was later pardoned and absolved from this deed. If any goods were taken from her, or if anything was done against her will, Jehannette was to be compensated accordingly and have all her items returned to her as soon as possible.
By: Miguel Velazquez
Essays
Social hierarchy and Jewish population
In this letter, we are introduced to a person called Bon Jour, a Jewish doctor who claims to have the solution to Jehannette’s problem regarding love. However, from then on, he is referred to as “Jew”, despite giving the audience his name and occupation. What makes this interesting is that around this time, “7% of Jewish men in Marseille identified themselves as physicians or surgeons, putting medicine third among male professions” . However, despite Bon Jour claiming to be a doctor and the statistics backing this up, he is still referred to as “Jew”. It shows that although the Jewish population did practice medicine, they were not considered by the rest of the population to be doctors. However, during the late Middle Ages, they were tolerated at times, especially in areas such as banking, since their religion did not prohibit actions such as loans.
More reading: Berenbaum, Michael. “Anti-Semitism”. Britanica. April 3rd, 2022
Love and Magic
Love in the late Middle Ages was not always viewed as “romantic” as we know it now. It was often seen as violent, as seen with the Siege of the Castle of Love . It depicts knights fighting their way into a castle, while the women in the castle are throwing roses at said knights. On the contrast, there were a few paintings depicted that showed a man giving his heart to a woman, which is referred to as courtly love. Courtly love was the idealized romantic relationship between two people, more specifically, it involved a man of good character, and serving his beloved. In this case, the love shown in the letter would be more of a siege of love, since the man mentioned had no desire for Jehannette, and Jehannette willing to use more forceful tactics to win him over without consent. Another aspect that is intriguing is that in the letter, it makes a brief mention of sorcery, specifically, in reference to the strange object wrapped in silk. Sorcery, and magic in general, was generally frowned upon and would often be used as a scapegoat for certain kinds of people, often linked with witchcraft . In this instance, we can see that even though Jehannette actively used the item to make the man fall in love with her, the guilt is put on Bon Jour. Showing that those who actively participated in magic are more likely to have the punishment fall upon them.
More reading: Author unknown, Siege of the Castle of Love, (1330-1350)
Free Will
In the letter, Jehannette tries to overwrite the man’s free will to get him to fall in love with her. During this time, free will was a problem that was divided into two categories: theological and a more rational perspective. Free will, through the theological perspective, was viewed as God giving people free will, having the capacity to either do good or evil . In the case of the love potion, it would be viewed as Jehannette not only committing a sin by partaking in what can be considered witchcraft, but also attempting to violate someone else's free will.
More reading: Karen Louise Jolly, John F.M. Middleton, “History of Magic in Western Worldviews”, Britanica