Introduction

In dossier 10, we saw how John of Bavaria, count in (not of!) Holland and Zeeland, wrote an angry letter on 1 July 1420 to the Brabant nobles and the city of Leuven who had rebelled against Duke John IV. He accused them of breach of oath and ingratitude.

Two weeks later, the nobles and Leuven wrote back a letter, dismissing John of Bavaria's allegations as slander. Here they show themselves to be loyal and responsible Brabanders, who care deeply about the fate of the duke and duchy. That may be true, but between the lines it is also clear that the nobles are angling for a place on the ducal council, to which they believe they are entitled.

Ultimately, this, and the previous letter, is mainly about the modern question of what the responsibility of the royal council is for the general interest of the principality and for the person of the monarch.

Physical Description

The copy of the charter is written in a fifteenth-century cursive. The text is contained in a small paper cartulary. Ketting- and haarlijnen are clearly visible. A later, (nineteenth-century?) hand has made some annotations in pencil. The text has been crossed out, also in pencil.