'sincere dutifulness in the Lord. The actions of princes are blessed with more prosperous results when they receive strength and favour from the Apostolic See, and are directed by communication with the Church of Rome. Wherefore, we have deemed it proper to transmit to the knowledge of your Holiness the matters which have been lately arranged between ourselves and the lord Tancred, the illustrious king of Sicily, by public treaty, which indeed was suggested by necessity. We have then established with him brotherly love and lasting concord, and the same, by the oaths of our nobles, archbishops, bishops, and very many illustrious men, we have promised that we will with inviolate fidelity observe towards him and his people, and all the territories of his dominions. And for the further purpose of binding this treaty of peace and friendship with a still more stringent tie, we have thought proper to make a contract of marriage between Arthur, the excellent duke of Brittany, our most dearly-beloved nephew, and heir, if we shall chance to die without issue, and, with the will of God, his illustrious daughter ; and, by the bounty of the Lord, the same shall be brought to a due consummation when the illustrious damsel shall have arrived at marriagable years, or when it shall have pleased the said lord, the king Tancred, for her, before she has arrived at marriageable years, to be given in marriage to our nephew, if the Holy Church of Borne shall, in like manner, think fit to grant a dispensation for the same. And, further, the sum of money which for the said marriage we have received for the use of our nephew from the said lord, the king Tancred, namely, twenty thousand ounces of gold, in case, which heaven forbid, by reason of the death of either, or through the fault of ourselves, or of our nephew, or of his people, the said marriage shall not take place, we, or our heirs, are bound on our part by oaths made to that effect to repay in full to the lord the king Tancred, or his heirs. To the end, therefore, that the terms of the said treaty of peace so concluded, and full acquiescence in the marriage thus contemplated, may, with all due integrity, be secured on the part of ourselves and our nephew, in such manner as we have upon oath promised to the lord the king Tancred, we do earnestly entreat your Holiness, and the Holy Church of Rome, that the Holy See will undertake to be surety on our behalf towards the lord the king Tancred and his heirs, for our constant ob •eervance of the peace thus established between us, and for the