Un Formulari i un registre del bisbe de Valencia En Jaume d'Arago (segle XIV) (review)

While less fully documented than those of England, the episcopal chanceries of the Crown of Aragon have been the subject of a number of recent publications. For the fourteenth century we have works on Barcelona, Girona, Saragossa, and Majorca (listed here on p. 20 n. 8). Previous studies by Professor Cárcel Ortí deal with collations to benefices in Valencia in 1349–1359. The present volume is more ambitious. It contains two products of the chancery of Jaume (Jaime) de Aragón, bishop of Valencia from 1369 to 1396. The bishop was a grandson of King Jaime II of Aragon (1291–1327) and had previously been bishop of Tortosa (in 1362–1369). He was named cardinal by Clement VII, one of the competing popes during the Great Schism, but continued, while often resident at the papal court, to act as bishop until his death. The see of Valencia already possessed several series of registers. The bishop immediately introduced a new series, the Manuale litterarum (registering documents issued by the curia). He was also responsible for the Formularius litterarum published here. Although both this and the register in this volume are now incomplete, taken together they provide a picture of the problems confronted by the diocese immediately before and during the Schism. As we have it, the register contains documents only from 1372; the Formulary—which records real cases as well as listing a range of different possible cases and addressees—refers to earlier and later events.

Most of the information provided by these two works can be classified under standard headings. We have the names of the bishop's staff and household. The vicar-general was responsible for many of the documents collected here. The bishop was obliged (p. 209) to rebuke his abusive Official in Játiva. Although we are given excellent indices of persons and places, there is none of the subjects dealt with. I shall indicate some of the range covered. The largest group of documents concerns collations to benefices and exchanges between them. There are also a number of documents concerning wills and their enforcement. The standard oath is sworn (p. 266) by a merchant (a Genoese) that he would not transport arms or other prohibited goods to the Muslim east. There is a reference to a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by a relation of the royal family (p. 187); a local hermit proposing to go there solicits financial aid to enable him to do so (p. 231). A female hermit also appears in one document (p. 193). There are references to differences with the secular arm and one (p. 322) to the need to collect funds to meet the expenses of a papal legate. There are a few references to cases of usury.

To me the most interesting documents are those concerning pastoral problems. The bishop's visitation of his diocese reveals instances of clerical neglect. There are five cases of non-resident clergy. There is only one mention (p. 201) of the illegitimate child of a priest, who had himself already entered on a clerical career. A priest in Murviedro was accused (p. 245) of seducing a virgin. The Formulary records (p. 163) the scandal caused by the behavior of members of the local Mercedarian convent, who were "frequently" seen at night, armed and in lay dress in the suspicious company of married women. The problems created by the swarm of nominal clergy—often destitute of any desire to proceed to major orders—are illustrated by the bishop's need (p. 214) to provide a safe-conduct against an arrest by secular authorities of a tonsured and married cleric in Valencia who had killed a carpenter. Violence was a common feature of life. In Alzira an elderly and infirm priest claims (p. 345) that he was not able to chant the night office...