E06231: The Formulary of Marculf includes a template for a document ordering the settlement of a dispute at a (royal) palace, during which oaths must be sworn over the cape of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050). Written in Latin in Gaul, probably c. 650/730.

The Formulary of Marculf, I. 38

Carta paricia
Cum in nostra vel procerum nostrorum presencia homo nomen ille itemquae homine nomen illo interpellasset, dum diceret, quasi servo suo nomen illo una cum rauba sua in soledos tantos post se fugitivos pedes recepisset vel post se retenerit indebitae: ad haec prefatus ille omnia haec fortiter visus est denegasse, quod nec ipso servo fugitivus pedes nec rauba sua post se numquam recepisset. Sed dum inter se intenderent, sic eidem a proceribus nostris, in quantum inlustris vir ille, comes palati nostri, testimoniavit, fuit iudicatum, ut de quinque denominatus idem ille apud tres et alios tres, sua manu septima, tunc in palatio nostro, super capella domni Martini, ubi reliqua sacramenta percurrunt, debeat coniurare, quod supra scribto servo illo memoratus ille pedes fugitivos una cum rauba sua in soledos tantos post se numquam recepisset. Si hoc coniurare potuerit, de hac causa ductus resedeat; sin autem non potuerit, ipso servo una cum rauba sua in soledus tantus cum legis beneficium partibus antedicto illo reddere studeat . Interim vero usque ipso placito neutra pars ex ipsis iectita non appareat, unde aequales preceptionis a eis fieri et accipere iussimus.

'Charter in two identical copies
As a man called A accused another man called B in the presence of ourselves and our great men, and said that he had taken his runaway slave called C along with his valuables worth n. solidi, and was keeping him unlawfully, the said B was said to deny all this vigorously, [saying] that he had never taken for himself either the runaway slave or his valuables. But while they were arguing with each other, it was decided by our great men, as the illustrious man D, count of our palace testified, that the same B, together with three men, picked out of five, and another three men, with himself as seventh, should swear at such a time in our palace, on the cape of the Lord Martin (super capella domni Martini), where other oaths take place, that he had never taken for himself the said runaway slave C written above or his valuables worth n. solidi. If he can swear to this, let him remain free from this accusation: but if he cannot, let him endeavour to return this slave to the said A along with his valuables worth n. solidi, together with the compensation price [stipulated] by the law. Meanwhile, so that neither of these parties may be disturbed [regarding this] until [the time of] this placitum, we ordered that identical documents be made for and received by them.'

Text: Zeumer 1886, 67-8. Translation: Rio 2008, 172-4.