Vetera Monumenta Hibernorum et Scotorum DCXL

Innocent, etc. To our venerable brother, [Walter] Bishop of Dunblane, greeting, etc. The order of the petition presented to us on behalf of a noble young man, John of Drummond (age 42), and a noble woman, Margaret, Countess of Menteith (age 26), belonging to your diocese, narrated that they, being for n long time past desirous of allaying and setting at rest the grievous contentions and emmities which for some time have existed between the said John and the kinsmen and friends of the said Margaret at the instigation of the enemy of the human race, from which burnings, homicides, and many other evils have ensued, desiring also to obviate more grievous dangers and ills which they feared were likely to arise therefrom, and to procure a bond of peace between them, the Lord granting it, and knowing that they were related in the fourth degree of consanguinity, they have in face of the Church contracted marriage together of which they have begotten offspring. But seeing, as the said petition related, that if a divorce were to take place between them, great scandals, dissensions, wars, enmities, murders, and other possible evils might very probably threaten them and their kinsmen and friends, and be very damaging as it were to the whole kingdom of Scotland, we have on their behalf been humbly besougit that we would of our apostolic benignity vouchsafe to absolve them from the sentence of excommunication imposed by the canon [law] which they have incurred by this procedure, and to provide to them the benefit of a ready dispensation thereanent. We, therefore, who cheerfully procure for the faithful of Christ the benefits of salvation and peace, striving as much as we may in the Lord to prevent such scandals, dissensions, wars, enmities, murders and other evils, and to consult the welfare of their souls, yielding to the petitions of the said Juhn and Margaret, do, by apostolic letters, command and commit to you, brother, in whom we repose special confidence, that if it is so, you may absolve the foresaid Jchm and Margaret from the sentence »f excommunication according to the forms of the Church, and they, having been separated for such time as shall seem good to you in your discretion, shall be enjoined upon oath not to commit the like again, nor to afford counsel, aid, or favour to any doing the like; and that if by virtue of these presents you happen to dispense with these things, they, within the space of two years, shall cause to be constructed, or choose from among those already constructed, in your clurch of Dunblane, one altar, and of their own goods endow the same to the value of ten marks of silver of annual and perpetual rent, and with books, furnishings, a house axd other things necessary to the service of the said altar; and this notwithstanding, let them, within the above-mentioned term, give in marriage two poor maidens, and dover each of them with the value of ive marks of silver; and if it seem expedient to you that such a dispensation be granted in other things which shall of right have been enjoined, as to which we burden your conscience, you may, by apostolic authority, grant dispensation, that, notwithstanding the impediment which arose from the said consasguinity, they may be free to contract marriage, and after it shall have been contracted, to abide lawfully therein decerning the offspring conceived and to be conceived of the said marriage to be legitimate. But we will that the foresuid altar and benefice may be conferred only on a priest vho ought to be present in the said church during divine service and in canonical hours, and celebrate divine service on the said altar, of which altar or benefice the right of patronage ought to belong in perpetuity to the said noble persons and their heirs, but the visitation [thereof] to you and your successors, who shall be for the time Bishops of Dunblane. Given at Avignon, the 29th of April, in the eighth year of our pontificate, 1360.

Episcopo Dunblanensi, ut cum Joanna de Drumomlo et Margarita comitissa de Meneteht super matrimonio dispensare possit. Reg. An. VIII. Tom. XXiV. cod. chart, fol. 508,

Innocentius episcopus etc. Venerabili fratri ... Episcopo Dumblanensi, salutem etc. Exhibite nobis pro parte nobilis viri Iohannis de Drumondo domicelli, et nobilis mulieris Margarete Comitisse de Meneteht tue diocesis petitionis series continebat, quod olim ipsi graves guerras et inimicitias, que inter ipsum lohannem et ipsius Margarete consanguineos et amicos aliquamdiu vigerunt, instigante humani generis inimico, ex quibus incendia, homicidia et alia multa mala secuta fuerant, sedare et sopire, ac I gravioribus periculis et malis, quo exinde verisimiliter evenire timebantur, obviare, et pacis inter ipsos vinculum procurare, dante domino, cupientes, ac scientes se esse quarto consanguinitatis gradu con; iunctos, matrimonium in facie ecclesie insimul contraxerunt et prolem exindo procrearunt. Cum autem, sicut eadem petitio subiungebat, ex divortio, si fieret inter eos, magna scandala, dissensiones, gueiro, inimicitie, homicidia et alia mala quam plurima ipsis et eorum consanguineis et amicis, et quasi toti regno Scocie valde dampnosa verisimiliter imminere possent, pro parte ipsorum nobis extitit humiliter supplicatum, ut eos ab excomunicationis sententia lata a canone, quam occasione huiusmodi incurrerant, absolvere, eisque super biis de oportune dispensationis hencficio providere de benignitate apostolica dignaremur. Nos igitur, qui libenter Christi fidelibus salutis et pacis commoda procuramus, huiusmodi scandalis, dissensionibus, guerris, inimicitiis, homicidiis et malis aliis obviaro, et ipsorum animarum saluti consulere, quantum cum deo possumus, intendentes, dictorum Iohannis et Margarete supplicationibus inclinati, fraternitati tue, de qua specialem in domino fiduciam gerimus, per apostolica scripta committimus et mandamus, quatenus, si est ita, lohannem et Margaretam predictos ab eadem excommunicationis sententia iuxta formam ecclesie absolvas, eisque iuxta tue discretionis arbitrium ad tempus, de quo tibi videbitur, separatis, ac iniunctia eis sub virtute iuramenti prostandi per eos, quod similia dc cetero non committant, nec ea committentibus prebeant consilium, auxilium vel favorem, et quod infra biennium, si per te cum eis super hiis vigore presentium dispensari contigerit, construi faciant, vel do constructis in tua ecclesia Dumblanensi eligant unum altare, et ipsum de bonis propriis dotent de valore decem marcharum argenti annui et perpetui redditus, ac libris, paramentis, domo et aliis necessariis ad obsequia altaris predicti, ct nicliilominus duas pauperes muliereB puellas maritent, et earum cuilibet donent pro doto valorcm quinque marcharum argenti infra terminum supradicturo, et aliis, que de iure fuerint iniungenda, si tibi videatur expediens, quod buiusmodi dispensatio concedatur, super quo tuam conscientiam oneramus, eum Iohanne et Margareta prodictis, ut impedimento, quod ex dicta consanguinitate provenit, non obstante, matrimonium invicem libero contrahere, et in eo, postquam contractum fuerit, licite remanere valeant, apostolica auctoritato dispenses, prolem susceptam ct suscipiendam ex huiusmodi matrimonio legitimam decernendo. Volumus autem, quod prefatum altare sive beneficium conferri non possit nisi sacerdoti, qui debeat interesse in dicta ecclesia divinis officiis et lioris canonicis, et in dictg altari divinum officium celebrare: cuius quidem altaris sive beneficii ius patronatus ad ipsos nobiles et eorum heredes, visitatio vero ad te et successores tuos episcopos Dumblancnses, qui erunt pro tempore, perpetuo debeant pertinere. Datum Avinione ixxt. Kal. Maii, Pontificatus nostri anno octavo.