Archives Nationales de France series JJ 163 folio 130 number 229 (Himanis p. 278)
Charles etc. To all who see these present letters, we make known that we have been exposed to the party of the close friends of Ysabeau, daughter of the late Raymon Sarvallier formerly a merchant of Montpellier, and currently wife of Guillaume Gauguin, merchant of the said town of Montpellier that previously the said Ysabeau was married to Naudin de Moscre, son of the Sire de Moscre, with whom the said Ysabeau by her indiscretion and because she did not have good natural sense lived very little time but often left and returned to several places and hostels of her friends without the license and permission of her said late first husband, after the death of whom she was married 11 years or thereabouts to the said Guillaume Gauguin, with whom also since this marriage could not be nor live by her indiscretion and that she does not have good natural sense as is said during the said time of 11 years for the space of one year or thereabouts in many and diverse times but as before she left and returned in multiple and diverse places in the hostel of her mother and with other friends both by day and by night and as before without permission and desire of her said husband even though she always comported herself honestly with her body and was never defamed or blamed to have committed the crime of adultery, fornication, or other crime with any people. It is also true that before this Ysabeau tried to throw herself into a well by her indiscretion and lack of good natural sense at the convent of the sisters of Saint Katherine at Montpellier and another time also she put herself in the waters of another well, wishing and trying to drown in the said well such that if she had not had the aide and assistance of the good people who saw her and guarded her she would have been drowned in the said well. And for the things abovesaid and many others that this Ysabeau had done like a person who is not well sensible of good discretion or natural sense and of bad guidance, for some interval of time she was defamed in the said town of Montpellier and elsewhere where people knew her. And it is true that one day in the month of April last passed this Ysabeau, living in Montpellier in one of her hostels sequestered and separated from the hostel and company of her said husband, from the window of her said hostel went to call a girl of the age of eight years or thereabouts who lived in the service of Phot Ostarde, inhabitant of the said town of Montpellier, who passed in front of the said hostel carrying two breads and two pastries or corundeaux, the which girl went to talk to this Ysabeau in the said hostel in the highest attic or solar of the said hostel where this Ysabeau happened to find a pestle with which suddenly and as if alienated and out of her good sense and natural discretion as usually takes her and is to be perceived by all presumption for the things abovesaid during the said time and hour and interval, gave a hit to the said girl on the head and elsewhere such that the said girl was very grievously wounded by this. And after she was seen and given medicine by a barber she died and passed over that same day. Due to which case, this Ysabeau because she understood that she had done a great folly, left the hostel and fled to immunity and franchise in several churches of the said town of Montpellier and already the bailli and ordinary judge of this town of Montpellier have proceeded against her for the said case up to banishment and confiscation of goods or otherwise. So we have been humbly supplicated that, considering that which is said and that the said Ysabeau is not well sensible, of good prudence and natural discretion often and by many intervals of time as is said and that this is publicly defamed and that she committed the said deed by accident without having had any hatred, malice, or injury with the said girl, her family, friends, or affinity nor ever had any words of malice, anger, or injury with the said girl or her close friends, and that the said Ysabeau had been born and partnered with some of the most notable, rich, and good people of the said town of Montpellier and never did nor was defamed to have done, committed, or perpetrated any villainous crime, misdemeanor, or excess, but always was and is of good life, renown, and honest conversation except for her indiscretion and imprudence abovesaid, we wish to impart and make a guarantee to her on this. For all these things considered, wishing the rigor of justice to be tempered by mercy, the deed and case abovesaid with all punishment, offense, and fine corporal, criminal, or civil that the said Ysabeau has and could have incurred for this and the banishment in the case abovesaid etc. Satisfaction made to the adverse party first. We have acquitted, remitted, and pardoned, and by these present letters acquit, remit, and pardon by special grace, and by our full power and royal authority, in restoring her to the country and to her renown and to her goods not confiscated. And to our procurer we impose perpetual silence on this by these same present letters. By the tenor of which we give in commandment to the governor, bailli, and judge of Montpellier and to all our other justices, present and to come, and to each one of them as it appertains to them or to their lieutenants that by our present grace and remission they make and allow the said Ysabeau to enjoy and use fully and peaceably without molesting her nor suffering her to be molested or impeded to the contrary. But all this that is done serves to the contrary should be placed immediately and without delay in its first state and being. And so that this should be a firm and stable thing forever we have had placed on these present letters our seal. Except in other things our right and the other in everything. Given at Paris in the month of March the year of grace 1408 and of our reign the 29th By the King at the relation of the counsel ..Castel..
Charles etc A tous ceulx qui ces presentes lres verront savoir faisons a nous avoir este expose de la partie des amis charnelz de ysabeau fille de feu raymon sarvallier jadiz marchant de montpelier femme apresent de guillaum gaignin marchant de la dit ville de montpelier que ja pieca la dite ysabeau fu mariee avecques naudin de moscre filz du sire de moscre avec le quel icelle ysabeau par sa indiscrecion et pource quelle navoit pas bon sens naturel demeura bien peu de temps mais souventeffoiz aloit et retournoit en plusieurs lieux et hostelz de ses amis sans la licence et congie de son dit feu premier mary apres le trespassement du quel elle aeste mariee xj ans a ou environ avec le dit guile Gauguin avec le quel aussi depuis icellui mariage na peu estre ne demourer par sa indiscrecion et quelle na pas bon sens naturel comme dit est durant le dit temps de xj ans par lespace dun an ou environ en plusieurs et diverses foiz mais comme paravant est alee et retournee en plusieurs et diverses lieux en lostel de sa mere et avec ses autres amis tant de jour comme de nuit et comme paravant sans congie et voulente de son dit marj combien que tousiours elle se soit porter honnestement de son corps ne onques ne fu diffamer ou blasmer davoir commis crime de adultrie fornicacion ou autre crime avec quelques personnes est aussi vray que japieca icelle ysabeau se jetta en un puys par sa dicte indiscrecion et deffault de bon sens naturel ou couvent et maison des seurs de saincte Katherine a montpelier et une autrefois aussi se mist en seaulx dun autre puys en soy voulant et parforcant noyer esdiz puys telement que se elle neust eu aide ou secours des bonnes gens qui lapercervoiont et gardee de ce elle se feust noyer esdiz puys et pour les choses dessus dictes et plusieurs autres que icelle ysabeau a faictes comme personne qui nest pas bien sensible de bonne discrecion ou sens naturel et de mauvais gouvernement par aucun intervalle de temps elle est diffamer en la dit ville de montpelier et autre part la ou len a congnoissance delle et cest vray que un jour du moys davril derrenier passe icelle ysabeau demourant a montpelier en un sien hostel sequestree et separee de lostel et compaignie du son dit mary de la fenestre de son dit hostel va appeller une fille de laage de huit ans ou environ qui demouroit ou service de phot ostarde habitant de la dicte ville de montpelier qui passoit pardevant le dit hostel portant deux pains et deux eschaudez ou corundeaux la quelle fille ala parla oudit hostel a icelle ysabeau au plus haut gervier ou solier dudit hostel la ou icelle ysabeau daventure trouva un pestel du quel incontinant et comme aliene et hors de son bon sens et discrecion naturelle comme communement len tient et est apersuivre de toute presumpcion pour les choses dessu dit par ledit temps et heure et interval donna et frappa ala dicte fille sur la teste et autre part telement que la dicte fille fut pource moult griefment blecee et apres ce quelle fu appereillee et medicinee par un barbier mourut et trespassa icellui jour mesmes pour occasion du quel cas icelle ysabeau pource quelle recongnut quelle avoit fait moult grant folie se parti de lostel et sen fouy en immunite et franchise en plusieurs eglises de la dicte ville de montpelier et desia par le bailli et judge ordinaire dicelle ville de montpelier aeste procede contre elle pour lesdis cas jusques aban confiscacion de biens ou autrement. Si nous ont humblement supplice que actendu ce que dit est et que la dite ysabeau nest pas bien sensible de bonne prudence et discrecion naturelle souventeffoiz et par aucun intervalle de temps comme dit est et de ce est publiquement diffamee et quelle a commiz le dit fait par cas de meschief sans ce quelle eust aucune hayne malveillance ou iniurete avecques ladite fille ses parens amis ou affins ne jamais eu aucune parole de malveillance courroux ou iniure aucune ala dite fille ou ses amis charnelz et que la dicte ysabeau aeste nee et partirer des plus notables riches et bonnes gens de la dicte ville de montpelier et jamais ne fist nest diffamer a avoir fait commis ou perpetre aucun vilain crime delit ou exces mais tousjours aeste et est de bonne vie renomee et honneste conversacion fors de sa indiscrecion et imprudence dessus dit nous lui vueillons sur ce impartis et faire un garant a tous ces choses confidences voulans rigueur de justice obtemper par misericorde le fait et cas dessus dit avecqus toute paine offense et amende corporele criminele et civile ...Donne a paris ou moys de mars lan de grace mil cccc et huit et de notre regne le xxixeme
Par le roy ala relacion du conseil
Castel
Summary
A pardon letter for Ysabeau Sarvallier for killing a young servant girl
Essays
Mental Illness
Mental illness was not uncommon in the Middle Ages. According to “Madness And Care in the Community: A Medieval Perspective,” the mentally ill were often cared for by their communities and their families instead of being placed in hospitals or asylums. Symptoms of mental illness included, but was not limited to, attempts to kill oneself and an inability to make sound judgments, both of which haunted Ysabeau throughout her life. With an occasional inability to make sound judgments, people like Ysabeau ended up taking actions that led to legal action. As such, mental illness was often used as a reason for clemency or reduced legal responsibility with people arguing that the individual was not in their right mind at the time of the crime.
Further Reading:
“The Enigma of Mental Illness” in Faith Wallis, ed. Medieval Medicine: A Reader (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010).
Roffe, David, and Christine Roffe. “Madness And Care In The Community: A Medieval Perspective.” BMJ: British Medical Journal 311, no. 7021 (1995): 1708–1712. http://www.jstor.org/stable/29729940.
Rosen, George. “The Mentally Ill and the Community in Western and Central Europe During the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.” Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences 19, no. 4 (1964): 377–88. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24621452.
Class
Class in the Middle Ages was characterized by a strict hierarchy that influenced social, economic and political life. Society was split into three estates (clergy, nobility and commoners). Each group held varying social, economic, and political powers. However, the late medieval period saw the rise of the merchant class that challenged traditional power rankings. Ysabeau, by birth and subsequently marriage, was included in this class level. The interactions between classes can reveal the deeper complexities of French society in the Middle Ages. For example, Ysabeau was charged with killing an innocent servant girl for which there is a clear difference in class. Through an examination of the wider context of French society the privilege of Ysabeau who has support and class status, and the vulnerability of the lower classes becomes apparent.
Further Reading
Clouatre, Dallas L. “The Concept of Class in French Culture Prior to the Revolution.” Journal of the History of Ideas 45, no. 2 (1984): 219–44. https://doi.org/10.2307/2709289.
Mark, Harrison W. “The Three Estates of Pre-Revolutionary France.” World History Encyclopedia, September 16, 2024. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1960/the-three-estates-of-pre-revolutionary-france/.
Marriage and Gender
In the Middle Ages, society determined that the relationship between marriage and the gender dynamics was important. In The Good Wife’s Guide, there is a section that goes into providing moral advice to wives, emphasizing the importance of virtue, obedience, and loyalty to their husbands. The expectation being that the wife will adequately fulfill the role of the caretaker and supportive partner to and positive reflection of the husband. However, Ysabeau defied social norms and conventions. She could often be found outside of her home and away from her husband. Ysabeau also often moves between social spaces going from living with her friends and family, to frequenting hostels. In this sense, she exemplifies the ability for women to, in some cases, exercise agency within the patriarchal structure.
Further Reading
Greco, Gina L., and Christine M. Rose, eds. 2009. The Good Wife’s Guide =: Le Ménagier de Paris: A Medieval Household Book. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Howell, Martha. “The Problem of Women’s Agency in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe.” In Women and Gender in the Early Modern Low Countries, edited by Sarah Joan Moran and Amanda Pipkin, 217:21–31. Brill, 2019. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctvrxk3hp.7.
Churches
During the Middle Ages in France, churches embodied the spiritual and cultural lives of communities. They were designated places for worship, education, and community gatherings, bringing together people who practiced the Christian faith. Churches reinforced Christian beliefs and values through sermons, rituals, and various religious celebrations. However, churches functioned beyond their spiritual nature. In the spirit of Christian service, they served as places of refuge for people who were fleeing the law. Under the concept of “sanctuary,” people could seek protection in churches, which offered them safety from persecution. For example, Ysabeau sought refuge in a church after causing the death of a servant, illustrating the way that churches provided spiritual and legal protection in times of crisis.
Further Reading
Drew, Katherine Fischer. The Laws of the Salian Franks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991. https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812200508.
Fordham University. "Internet History Sourcebooks Project." Last modified 2023. https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook1s.asp.
Hostels/Mansions
Mansions in the Middle Ages served as symbols of status with mansions belonging to nobility and affluent merchants. These places were often built out of material that was durable such as timber and stone. These homes were typically designed around a courtyard and had various rooms that served different functions. The layout not only aimed to provide comfort but also served to reinforce a family’s hierarchy and status through its size and the décor in the rooms. On the other hand, hostels refer to temporary lodgings for travelers or guests. These living arrangements would be simpler accommodations, often communal and modest. In the case of Ysabeau, she frequented hostels because of her mental instability. She would often leave her husband’s home without his permission and live in hostels or with friends or family. This behavior was one that she maintained throughout both of her marriages. As evident, both mansions and hostels played roles in the Middle Ages that reflected the differing needs and circumstances of those who used them.
Further Reading
Cantor, Norman F. The Civilization of the Middle Ages: A Completely Revised and Expanded Edition of Medieval History. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.
Gies, Frances, and Joseph Gies. Daily Life in Medieval Times: A Vivid, Detailed Account of Birth, Marriage and Death; Food, Clothing and Housing; Love and Labor in the Middle Ages. New York: HarperCollins, 1987.