2510

August 8. Lyons. Pope Innocent IV writes to the patriarch of Jerusalem and papal legate (Robert de Nantes) and the bishop of Sidon, relating that, since the noble man Jean of Avesnes asked the pope to declare him legitimate, the noble man Guillaume of Dampierre, who is affected by the matter, has appeared before the pope, intends to produce some witnesses living in those parts (Outremer) to testify against Jean, and asked the pope to have these witnesses admitted in those parts. The pope orders the addressees to admit within nine months the worthy witnesses to be produced by Guillaume or the agent that he sends there for this purpose, concerning the articles that [the cardinal-bishop] of Porto [Ottone da Tonengo] and the cardinal-deacon of S. Cosmas and S. Damian. Gil [Torres] are sending to the addressees enclosed with their seals. Diligently examining the witnesses, the addressees are to send their depositions to the pope enclosed with their seals. If both of them cannot carry this out, then one can do so.