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← Vita Caroli (Autobiography of Emperor Charles IV)/Book 1 · Vita Caroli
Chapter 14VitC.1.14

Vita Caroli

Summer Campaigns and a Silver Discovery

Charles captures Bohemian castles and a silver mine is discovered at Vresnik.

That same summer, coming near Muta, I captured the castle of Choczyn and as many other castles belonging to the lord of Potnsteyn as I could, because I was at war with that same lord at the time; and afterwards an agreement was reached. At the same time, a silver mine was discovered at Vresnik.

Journey to Father and the Betrayal of Louis

Charles travels toward his father through Bohemia and Hungary, but Louis the Bavarian deceitfully negotiates a false agreement with Charles's father behind his back, which Charles repudiates upon discovering the fraud.

That same summer I set out on a journey with many barons of Bohemia, wanting to cross into the county of Luxembourg to my father, who had sent for me; and I returned from Frankfurt. On that same return I established a college at All Saints in the royal chapel in the castle at Prague, and I went on to the king of Hungary, who was seriously ill. And before I could return to Bohemia, while I was in Hungary, my father came to Louis, who was conducting himself as emperor, to negotiate an agreement. The aforementioned Louis, however, had promised me that he would hold no negotiations with my father about any agreement without me, but said that he would graciously arrange matters with my father on my advice. Louis himself, however, forgetful of his loyalty and his promises, deceitfully tricked my father, leading him into an agreement, and claiming he had already settled things with me. And so he drove a deep wedge of distrust between me and my father, and brought it about that, on the basis of the agreement that the same Louis had fabricated between me and him — claiming it had already been made — my father received his fiefs back from him as though from the emperor.1 He also came to terms with him and yielded to his wishes in many matters — things he would never have done had he known that I had not yet agreed with him. When I found out about this, I hurried to my father in Mylteberk in the diocese of Mainz, making it clear to him that the whole thing was false and fraudulent — that Louis the Bavarian had been dealing with him on his own. And so I refused to seal the agreement with the barons of Bohemia, or to consider it ratified — those things that had been arranged between them — and I treated everything that had been transacted there as though it had never happened, and I said nothing in its favor.

Alliances, Sieges, and a Bishop's Excommunication

Charles brokers peace between Hungary and Austria, besieges and destroys the rebel fortress of Potnsteyn, joins his father in Wrocław, and witnesses a two-year rift between his father and the local bishop.

From there I came to Bozen, which lies on the borderlands of Hungary and Austria, and I brought the king of Hungary and the duke of Austria into agreement. Then my father advanced toward Moravia, wanting to destroy Nicholas, duke of Opava and Ratibor, whom I had barely reconciled to my father. He did, however, give my father forts and a great deal of money. From there I advanced to the siege of the fort Potnsteyn, which had rebelled against me and the king of Bohemia, and many spoils were being carried off from it. And although it was considered unconquerable, within nine weeks I captured it and its tower, along with the baron whose fort it was; I threw him to the ground, and I leveled the walls too, along with the entire fort, flat to the earth.2 Then I went with my father to Wratislavia. The bishop of that place, however, was disobedient to my father, on account of which my father, angered, took away from him the fort Milecz. He himself, for that reason, excommunicated my father; my father, on the other hand, expelled him together with the clergy from the city. And this disagreement lasted fully two years between my father and the aforementioned clergy.

The French Campaign and Louis's Bavarian Usurpation

Charles's father departs for France, Charles follows through Bavaria where he finds his brother-in-law dead and Louis seizing the boy duke's guardianship, then joins his father in Luxembourg and marches toward a confrontation with the English that ends without battle.

From there my father went on to Bautzen, and then to France to aid the king of France, because war was then breaking out between the kings of France and England, and he left me in his place in the kingdom. I, however, appointed Peter of Rosinberg in my place and followed him through Bavaria, where I found my brother-in-law Henry, duke of Bavaria, dead — he had left his only son with my sister Margaret as his heir, a boy of ten years. Louis seized the guardianship of him and of the fatherland — the same Louis who conducted himself as emperor by reason of marriage and of a treaty he had made with the father of the aforesaid boy. Because he had rejected the daughter of Rudolf, duke of Bavaria, count Palatine, the son of his brother — who had been promised and sworn to the aforesaid boy — and gave the same boy his own daughter, who could not yet speak, saying that he wished to promise her on the boy's behalf until she herself could speak for her own; and she, God permitting, was made mute. And from there, passing through Bavaria, I came to my father in the county of Luxembourg. And there, eager to advance, I set out to the aid of the king of France, whose city of Rennes the king of England had then besieged, before he himself could gather his forces.3 And from there he advanced before the town of Saint-Quentin, then before the town of Roubaix, and from there all the way to near the city of Liège.4 At last he turned back toward the county of Hainaut, where the king of France had followed him all the way to the border. Each side pitched camp on the borders of Hainaut. But the king of England withdrew and retreated, leaving the field to the king of France, since he had waited for him an entire day and the battle lines were drawn up — even though he had with him in his army many princes of Germany, namely the duke of Brabant, the margrave of Jülich and of Mons, the count of Flanders from lower Germany; and from upper Germany, the margrave of Meissen, the margrave of Brandenburg, the son of the Bavarian, and as many others as possible with the forces of Louis, this same Louis whom the king of England had appointed as vicar of the empire throughout Germany.567

The Father's Blindness and Detention at Montpellier

Charles's father loses his sight seeking cures at Montpellier, while Charles is secretly detained there and prevented from aiding the king of Spain.

During those days, when my father had lost one eye and the other was beginning to grow weak, he went secretly to Montpellier to consult physicians, to see if he could be cured; but at that time he was blinded in it nevertheless. I, however, was making my way to the king of Spain to aid him against Feragacius, the king of Granada, and had already sent my troops and supplies ahead to Montalbán. But my father detained me secretly at Montpellier, not allowing me to go any further.

At Avignon: Confession, Prophecy, and the Penny of Saint Peter

Charles and his father visit Pope Benedict XII to resolve a diocesan tax dispute, confess a vision of the Dauphin of Vienne, and receive a prophecy from Cardinal Peter of Rouen that Charles will become King of the Romans.

And even though my father could not be healed, I traveled with him to Avignon to Pope Benedict XII, to reach an agreement with him about the penny of Saint Peter collected in the diocese of Wrocław. It wasn't resolved at that time but remained in dispute; nevertheless, the disagreement was later reconciled — the conflict between the Roman Church and the aforementioned diocese over the penny already mentioned. And while we were there, we made our confession to the same pope about the vision that had been given to us concerning the Dauphin of Vienne, when we had been in Italy, as mentioned above. Nevertheless, at that time it seemed better, for certain reasons, to stay silent than to tell my father or reveal it to him. And when we were with the pope in that same place — Peter, formerly abbot of Fécamp, a native of the diocese of Limoges, promoted to bishop of Auxerre, then to archbishop of Sens, and afterward transferred to the archbishopric of Rouen — at that time a bishop and priest cardinal of the title of the holy martyrs Nereus and Achilleus, mentioned before, who had served on the council of King Philip and had celebrated Mass in his presence on the day of ashes, as was said above. He had received me into his home — I was at that time margrave of Moravia — during the period I stayed with Pope Benedict, and one hour, as I was present in his house, he said to me: 'You will yet be king of the Romans.' To which I replied: 'You will be before the pope.' Both of these things came to pass, just as will be described below.

Return Through Bavaria and a Marian Vow

Charles returns to France with his father, is sent to aid his sister in Bavaria, crosses the Alps, and during the journey remembers a Marian vision, vowing to institute daily Hours in honor of the Virgin at Prague.

After these things, I returned to France together with my father. And from there my father sent me to my sister, formerly the widow of Henry, Duke of Bavaria, who was being oppressed by Louis, who was conducting himself as emperor, to render aid and counsel to the same man in things to be done.89 When I reached her, I found that she had been reconciled with him. From there I made my way through the archbishopric of Salzburg, across the Alps, which are called Aurentur.10 As I was crossing through the valley called Gerlos the whole day, I remembered the miracle or vision that had come to me on the feast of the blessed Virgin—the Assumption of Saint Mary—in Tharunso in the diocese of Parma.11 From that same time on, I resolved, in honor of the glorious Virgin, to arrange for the Hours to be sung daily in the church of Prague, so that new readings about her life, deeds, and miracles would be read each day.1213 This was afterward done, as will be described below. And there I came to my brother, in the valley of Insuburcham.14

Alliance with Hungary and Conspiracy in Tyrol

Charles's father forms alliances with the kings of Poland and Hungary, but upon learning that his wife and barons have conspired to replace him with Louis of Bavaria, Charles captures the conspirators and secures Tyrol for his brother.

He dismissed the bishop of Trent, leaving him as captain in the county of Tyrol, and traveled with me into Bohemia, then to the king of Cracow, then to Charles, king of Hungary, with whom — and with his son Louis, my son-in-law — he formed an alliance through the firmest treaties and bonds.15 While he was there, messengers arrived saying that his wife, together with the barons of his county, had conspired against him, and that because of this he needed to return quickly to the county of Tyrol through Bavaria and Bohemia. I, however, after a short time had passed, followed him into that same county, into the valley of the Enns. And there I learned in secret that a certain man named Albert, the natural son of the father of my brother's wife, and a certain baron, the steward of the aforesaid wife's court — the brother of my wife — had discussed, with the consent of that woman and the other barons of the country, a plan for her to repudiate my brother and to take as her husband Louis, the son of a Bavarian, who conducted himself as if he were emperor, and that all the barons would be willing to obey him as their lord, and that she herself would then be established as his wife.1617 Wanting to confirm these things with certainty, I secretly set an ambush for this same Albert with a younger man named Busco, and I captured him and led him through the forest all the way to the castle called Sonpurg, near Innsbruck. Once he had been put to the rack, he acknowledged that all these things were exactly as they had been reported to me. Then I made an effort to capture the steward of the court, but he escaped my grasp for the time being; however, his castle was demolished by me right down to the ground. He himself was also afterwards handed over to me through his friends, on the condition, namely, that the count's life would be spared and that in other matters he would remain in my hands according to my will. I made all these things known to my brother, who thanked me and agreed to my counsel, and we placed a guard over the castle of Tyrol and over his wife.

Campaigns in the Alps and the Patriarch's Appeal

Charles travels through Salzburg and Brixen, captures the castle of Iumellarum, besieges Penode, receives Belvesini, and responds to the patriarch of Aquileia's plea to defend the Virgin's house against enemies.

Then I went to my sister in Bavaria, who needed me. And from there I returned through the archbishopric of Salzburg by a repeated journey, and I reached the bishopric of Brixen at the castle of Taubers.18 Then I went through the valley of Cadubrii to the city of Belluno, and at nighttime I entered the suburb of the strongest castle of Iumellarum on the eve of blessed Wenceslaus the martyr, and so, a siege having been laid, I took it.19 That castle was held by the Count of Czen, the lord of Camino, and by the city of the Venetians, who were then my enemies; nevertheless, after an agreement it remained in my power. From there I went to the city of Trent, and on entering the county of Tyrol I stayed there up to the vigil of blessed Catherine, and on the vigil of blessed Catherine I besieged the castle of Penode above Lake Cardi, which had been besieged by the forces of Luchino of Milan and the lord of Arco. Having assembled an army, I secretly put them to flight from there with the bishop of Trent, and on the day of blessed Catherine the castle was surrendered into my hands, and I bestowed it on the church of Trent. Then the castle of Belvesini in the diocese of Vicenza was given to me — a city which, along with the whole county, was held by Mastino della Scala. To approach him I had to come secretly at night with a large company of people, and to fortify him with troops. And from there I returned to Trent, and from Trent I went to the city of Belluno. When I was present, the patriarch of Aquileia, hard pressed by the duke of Austria and the count of Verona, who were encamped in the fields near Veronium in Forum Julii — against whom the patriarch with his own retinue could not hold out — sent me a letter in these words:2021 "To you, illustrious Prince Charles, of the lineage of the king of Bohemia, margrave of Moravia, and to your soldiery as well, I make known that the house of the Lady of ladies and Virgin of virgins of Aquileia is being heavily attacked by enemies; yet the servants of the ladies—or rather, of the girls—ought to come to its aid." "And so I ask you and all your princes alike: for the love of the Lady of ladies, do not allow her house and property to be violated in this way."

Relief of Aquileia

Charles leads his army over impassable mountains to relieve the patriarch of Aquileia, scatters the enemy, and besieges a fortress where many of his men are wounded.

When we had heard these things, together with our soldiers — a good two hundred helmeted men and a thousand foot soldiers — we crossed through the highest mountains, where there was no established route. The Lord also opened a way through for us by way of Senevallem, and with great difficulty we made it into the diocese of Aquileia, and the following day to the patriarch.22 He had gathered his people and pitched camp toward us near a river, facing his enemies, who were lying on the other side of the stream that lay between us and them. But they themselves, learning of our arrival that same night, fled, and their army was scattered. Then we followed them and besieged some of them in a fortress. There we lay for a long time and repeatedly attacked the fortress. In that same place many of our men were wounded.

Read the original Latin

Estate eadem veniens prope Mutam fregi castrum Choczyn et alia quam plura castra domini de Potnsteyn, quia habui eodem tempore guerram cum eodem domino; et postea fuit concordatum. Eodem tempore inventa fuit argentifodina in Vresnik.

Eadem estate arripui iter cum multis baronibus Boemie volens transire in comitatum Luczemburgensem ad patrem meum, qui miserat pro me; et de Francfurt reversus sum. In eadem reversione creavi collegium ad Omnes Sanctos in capella regia in castro Pragensi et processi ad regem Ungarie, qui graviter infirmabatur. Et antequam in Boemiam reverterer, me in Ungaria existente, venit pater meus ad Ludovicum, qui se gerebat pro imperatore, ad tractandum pro concordia. Dictus tamen Ludovicus promiserat michi nullos tractatus cum patre meo alicuius concordie se sine me habiturum, sed de consilio meo dicebat se cum patre meo graciose ordinaturum.

Ipse vero Ludovicus immemor fidei ac promissionum suarum, fraudulenter decipiens patrem meum, ad composicionem eum deduxit, asserens se dudum mecum concordasse. Et sic posuit magnam diffidenciam inter me et patrem meum, fecitque, quod ex racione concordie, quam idem Ludovicus confinxerat inter me et ipsum factam fuisse, pater meus recepit ab ipso feoda sua tamquam ab imperatore. Concordavit eciam cum eo et in pluribus voluntati condescendit ipsius, que minime fecisset, si scivisset, quod ego nondum concordatus cum eo fuissem. Hoc vero ego resciens ad patrem meum in Mylteberk Maguntine diocesis acceleravi, significans eidem totum esse falsum et fraudulentum, quod idem Ludovicus Bavaricus secum tractavisset. Sicque ea, que inter ipsos facta fuerant, cum baronibus Boemie nec sigillare nec ratam habere volui eandem concordiam, et ea que ibidem acta fuerant, omnia pro non factis habui et nulla dixi.

Abinde veni Bozoniam, que est in metis Ungarie et Austrie, et concordavi regem Ungarie cum duce Austrie. Deinde pater meus processit versus Moraviam volens destruere Nicolaum, ducem Opavie et Ratiuarie, quem patri meo vix reconciliavi. Dedit tamen patri meo castra et pecuniam multam. Abinde processi in obsidionem castri Potnsteyn, quod contra me et regem Boemie rebellaverat et spolia multa de eo committebantur. Et licet esset inacquisibile, infra novem tamen septimanas ipsum acquisivi turrimque cum barone, cuius castrum erat, in terram deieci, muros quoque cum toto castro solotenus prostravi. Deinde ivi cum patre meo Wratislaviam. Episcopus vero illius loci erat patri meo inobediens, propter quod pater meus commotus abstulit eidem castrum Milecz. Ipse vero ea de causa excommunicavit patrem meum; pater autem meus expulit eum una cum clero de civitate.

Et hec dissensio duravit bene per duos annos inter patrem meum et clerum predictum.

Abinde processit pater meus in Budissyn, proinde in Franciam in auxilium regi Francie, quia tunc incipiebat guerra inter reges Francie et Anglie, et dimisit me loco sui in regno. Ego autem substitui loco mei Petrum de Rosinberk et secutus fui eum per Bavariam, ubi inveni sororium meum Heinricum, ducem Bavarie, mortuum, qui unicum filium cum sorore mea Margaretha reliquerat in heredem, puerum decem annorum. Cuius tutelam pariter et patrie occupavit Ludovicus, qui se gerebat pro imperatore, racione matrimonii et tractatus, quem idem Ludovicus fecerat cum patre predicti pueri. Quia repulerat filiam Rudolphi, ducis Bavarie, comitis Palatini, filii fratris sui, que predicto puero erat promissa et iurata, deditque eidem filiam suam, que nondum loqui poterat, dicens, quod vellet pro ea promittere, donec eadem pro se loqueretur; que deo permittente muta facta est.

Et inde transiens Bavariam veni ad patrem meum in comitatum Luczemburgensem. Et ibi ego optans processi in auxilium regi Francie, cui tunc obsederat rex Anglie civitatem Rannatensem, antequam ipse gentem suam congregaret. Et abinde processit ante oppidum sancti Kwintini, deinde ante oppidum Rubemontis et abinde usque prope civitatem Laudinensem. Demum reversus est versus comitatum Hannonie, ubi rex Francie secutus est eum usque ad metas. Metatus est uterque castra in metis Hannonie. Rex vero Anglie secessit et recessit, dimittens regi Francie campum, cum eum per integram diem expectasset et acies essent parate, quamvis in exercitu multos principes Almanie secum haberet, videlicet ducem Bravancie, marchionem Juliacensem et de Monte, comitem Flantrensem de inferiori Almania; de superiori vero marchionem Misnensem, marchionem Brandeburgensem, filium Bavari, et quam plures alios cum potencia Ludovici, qui Ludovicus ipsum regem Anglie per Germaniam vicarium imperii constituerat.

Illis diebus, cum pater meus unum oculum perdidisset, in altero incipiens infirmari transivit in Montem Pessolanum secreto ad medicos, si posset curari; qui tamen eo tempore excecatus est. Ego vero procedebam ad regem Hispanie in auxilium eidem contra regem Granate Feragacium, ac gentes et apparatus meos iam premiseram in Montem Albanum. Sed pater meus retinuit me in Monte Pessolani secrete, non permittens me transire ulterius.

Et cum curari non valuisset pater meus, processi una cum ipso versus Avinionem ad papam Benedictum duodecimum, ad concordandum cum eo de denario sancti Petri, qui datur in diocesi Wratislaviensi. Nec tunc fuit concordatum, sed remansit in discordia; tamen in posterum fuit concordata discordacio, que erat inter ecclesiam Romanam et dictam diocesin pro denario iam dicto. Et ibi nobis existentibus confessi fuimus eidem pape de visione nobis facta de Delphino Vyenensi, cum fueramus in Ytalia, que superius memoratur. Tamen pro tempore illo visum fuit, quod melius esset tacere propter aliquas raciones quam patri meo dicere seu revelare. Et cum ibidem essemus aput papam, Petrus, quondam abbas Fiscanensis, Lemovicensis diocesis oriundus, promotus in episcopum Altissiodorensem, demum in archiepiscopum Senonensem, post hec translatus in archiepiscopatum Rothomagiensem, tempore illo episcopus presbyter cardinalis tituli sanctorum martyrum Nerei et Achillei, de quo ante mencio facta est, qui fuit de consilio regis Philippi et coram eo celebraverat [missam] in die cinerum, prout ante dictum est. [Is] receperat me in domum suam, me marchionem Moravie existentem pro eo tempore, quo steti aput papam Benedictum, dixitque una hora mecum existens in domo sua: Tu adhuc eris rex Romanorum. Cui respondi: Tu eris ante papa. Quod utrumque secutum est, prout infra describetur.

Post hec una cum patre meo reversus sum in Franciam. Et abinde misit me pater meus ad sororem meam, olim relictam Heinrici, ducis Bavarie, que opprimebatur per Ludovicum, qui se gerebat pro imperatore, pro auxilio et consilio eidem faciendis. Et cum pervenissem ad eam, inveni eam cum eo concordatam. Abinde arripui iter per archiepiscopatum Salczpurgensem per Alpes, que dicuntur Aurentur. Et cum tota die transirem per vallem, que dicitur Gerlos, recordatus sum de miraculo seu visione, quod in die beate virginis, in assumpcione sancte Marie, in Tharunso Parmensis diocesis michi contigerat. Et ab eodem tempore concepi ad eius honorem gloriose virginis horas cottidie decantandas in Pragensi ecclesia ordinare, ita ut de ipsius vite, gestis et miraculis cottidie nova legenda legeretur. Quod postea factum est, prout inferius describetur. Ibique perveni ad fratrem meum in vallem Insuburcham.

Qui dimisso episcopo Tridentino pro capitaneo in comitatu Tyrolis processit mecum in Boemiam, deinde ad regem Cracovie, deinde ad Karolum, regem Ungarie, cum quo et filio suo Ludovico, genero meo, se colligavit federibus et ligis firmissimis.

Ibi eo existente venerunt nuncii, dicentes, quod uxor sua una cum baronibus comitatus sui contra eum conspiraverunt, propter quod eum per Bavariam et Boemiam opportebat festinanter reverti ad comitatum Tyrolis. Ego vero brevi tempore decurso secutus sum eum in comitatum eundem in vallem Eni. Et ibi secreto cognovi, quod quidam nomine Albertus, filius naturalis [patris] uxoris fratris mei, et quidam baro, magister curie predicte uxoris fratris mei, tractaverunt de consensu ipsius et aliorum baronum patrie, ut repudiaret fratrem meum et duceret Ludovicum, filium Bavari, qui se gerebat pro imperatore, et quod omnes barones vellent illi obedire tamquam domino, ipsaque sibi esset in uxorem. Hec volens rescire certitudinaliter, posui secrete insidias eidem Alberto cum Buscone iuniori et captivavi eum duxique eum per silvam usque ad castrum, quod dicitur Sonpurg prope Inspurgam. Ibi positus ad tormenta, recognovit hec omnia sic se habere, sicut relata michi fuerant. Tunc nitebar captivare magistrum curie, qui tamen pro tempore illo manus meas evasit, castro tamen suo usque ad terram deiecto per me. Ipse quoque postea per amicos suos in manus meas fuit traditus, sic scilicet ut comite sibi vita in aliis pro voluntate mea in manibus meis remaneret. Hec omnia fratri meo significavi, qui michi grates agens acquievit meo consilio, et posuimus custodiam castro Tyrolis et uxori sue.

Deinde processi ad sororem meam in Bavariam, que indigebat mei. Et abinde reversus sum per Salczburgensem archiepiscopatum iterato gressu et perveni in episcopatum Brixiensem ad castrum Taubers. Deinde ivi per vallem Cadubrii ad civitatem Bellunii et nocturno tempore intravi in suburbium castri fortissimi Iumellarum in vigilia beati Wenceslai martyris, et sic obsidione facta ipsum obtinui. Quod castrum possidebat comes Czenensis, dominus de Camino, et civitas Venetorum, qui tunc erant mei inimici, quod tamen post concordiam in mea potestate remansit.

Abinde ivi in civitatem Tridentinam, et veniens in comitatum Tyrolis fui ibi usque ad vigiliam beate Katherine, et in vigilia beate Katherine obsedi castrum Penode super [lacum] Cardi, quod obsederat gens Luchini Mediolanensis et dominus de Arco. Quos congregato exercitu secrete cum episcopo Tridentino abinde fugavi, et in die beate Katherine castrum in meas manus fuit resignatum, ipsumque contuli ecclesie Tridentine. Deinde datum michi castrum fuit Belvesini diocesis Vincentinensis, quam civitatem cum toto comitatu tenebat Mastinus de la Scala. Ad quem opportebat me secrete accedere nocturno tempore cum magno populo et ipsum munire gentibus. Et abinde reversus sum in Tridentum, et de Tridento ivi in civitatem Bellunensem.

Ubi me existente patriarcha Aquilegiensis oppressus a duce Austrie et comite Veronensi, qui in campis iacebant prope Veronium in Foro Julii, quibus patriarcha cum gente sua resistere non valebat, misit michi epistolam in hec verba:

"Vobis illustri principi Karolo de progenie regis Boemie, marchioni Moravie, nec non milicie vestre notifico, quod domus domine dominarum et virginis virginum Aquilegiensis per hostes graviter oppugnatur; cui tamen servitores dominarum vel, puellarum pocius adiuvare debent. Et ideo rogo vos et vestros principes universaliter, quatenus amore domine dominarum non permittatis ita ipsius domum et bona violari."

Quibus auditis una cum militibus nostris bene ducentis galeatis et mille peditibus transivimus per altissimos montes, ubi transitus non erat consuetus. Dominus quoque transitum nobis paravit per Senevallem, et venimus cum magna difficultate in diocesin Aquilegiensem et altero die ad patriarcham. Qui congregaverat gentem suam et castra metatus est ad nos prope unum flumen contra inimicos suos, qui iacebant ex altera parte rivi inter nos et eos existentis. Ipsi autem eadem nocte rescientes adventum nostrum fugierunt, et dispersus est exercitus eorum. Tunc nos secuti sumus eos et obsedimus partem eorum in castro. Ibi iacuimus per multum tempus et impugnavimus sepius dictum castrum. Ibidem ex nostris multi fuerunt vulnerati.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Composicio/concordie rendered as 'agreement' throughout for consistency; the Latin distinguishes composicionem (a settlement) from concordie (an accord), but the narrative context treats them as stages of the same arrangement.
  2. 2 ↩inacquisibile is a rare word rendered here as 'unconquerable' in the sense of 'not able to be taken.'
  3. 3 ↩Rannatensem is a medieval place-name form, normalized here as Rennes.
  4. 4 ↩Kwintini and Rubemontis are medieval place-name forms, normalized as Saint-Quentin and Roubaix respectively. Laudinensem is normalized as Liège.
  5. 5 ↩Bravancie, Juliacensis, Flantrensis, Misnensis, Brandeburgensis, and Bavari are medieval forms normalized to their standard place-name equivalents.
  6. 6 ↩vero at token 1 is rendered as 'but' to mark the adversative turn; vero at token 43 is absorbed into the contrastive structure 'and from upper Germany' to distinguish the two German regions.
  7. 7 ↩cum at token 10 is rendered as 'since' to reflect its causal function.
  8. 8 ↩relictam: rendered as 'widowed' (lit. 'left behind'); could also mean 'surviving' in the sense of a surviving spouse.
  9. 9 ↩faciendis: gerundive expressing purpose/necessity, rendered as 'things to be done' — the sense is that aid and counsel were to be provided for matters requiring action.
  10. 10 ↩Aurentur: uncertain proper name; the form is not standard and may be a variant or corruption of a local Alpine pass name.
  11. 11 ↩seu: disjunction 'or' — the author presents miracle and vision as alternatives, leaving open which term is more accurate.
  12. 12 ↩horas … decantandas: 'the Hours to be sung' — refers to the canonical hours of the Divine Office, the daily cycle of prayer.
  13. 13 ↩legenda: 'readings' or 'lessons' — here in the sense of hagiographic readings appointed for liturgical use.
  14. 14 ↩Insuburcham: place name of uncertain form; possibly a valley name related to the Inns region.
  15. 15 ↩Ligis is a rare form, possibly from ligum ('bond, league') or a variant of lex ('law'); rendered as 'bonds' to parallel federibus ('treaties').
  16. 16 ↩The phrase 'uxoris fratris mei' is ambiguous: it could mean 'the wife of my brother' or 'the wife belonging to my brother.' The translation follows the most natural reading in context — the wife of the narrator's brother — but the Latin syntax permits a looser possessive sense.
  17. 17 ↩'filius naturalis' here means 'illegitimate son' (born out of wedlock), not 'natural' in the modern English sense.
  18. 18 ↩iterato gressu: rendered 'by a repeated journey' as ablative of manner; could also mean 'having retraced my steps.'
  19. 19 ↩obsidione facta: ablative absolute rendered 'a siege having been laid'; could also mean 'by means of a siege.'
  20. 20 ↩Latin iacebant ('were lying') rendered 'were encamped' to convey the military sense; the plain sense 'were lying in the fields' is also possible.
  21. 21 ↩cum at token 23 is ambiguous between temporal ('when'), causal ('since'), and concessive ('although'); the temporal reading was chosen as most natural in this narrative context.
  22. 22 ↩Senevallem — a place name, likely the Sannfeld/Senica region; identification uncertain.

Vita Caroli (Autobiography of Emperor Charles IV) companion

Charles opened his memoir with a devotional, not a battle. Start your days the same way.

Chosen Portion gives you the practice Charles commended to his sons: a short reading on the things that outlast thrones, every morning.

Charles IV began his autobiography by commending Scripture meditation to his heirs before recounting a single battle; Chosen Portion makes that same meditation the first act of your day.

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