Guest Post: Harlequin Scroll by Mari Clock van Horne

As more and more people in the East are trying out the work of doing period charter-style texts, I want to promote and encourage their work.  So, from time to time, I'm going to have guest posts show casing certain wordsmiths and texts that catch my fancy.   If you or one of your students have a piece you'd like me to look over and showcase, please contact me at alys.mackyntoich@gmail.com


Today's guest post from Mari Clock van Horne ( +Marietta Messina ).   Her text was written for a Baronial award scroll for the Barony of Bhakail.  She worked from the Gelnhausen Charter, one of my favorite texts for adapting to the SCA. 

Talking about her work, Mari says:  "I liked how it sort of sounded like he was in trouble, but clearly he wasn't. One of the parts of this text I liked most was how it put in the in the presence of but then went on to name nobles that were in attendance. Of course I changed that to be only Majesties and
Highnesses."

Here is the text, which was read in Court yesterday.


Memory is short and does not suffice for a crowd of things; therefore, the authority of those who preceded our age has decreed that those things were to be written down which the progress of fleeting time generally removes from the knowledge of men.

Wherefore let the generality of the present as well as the future subjects of our Barony know, that John Marshall atte Forde shall incur the sentence of our will. As he did not desist from frequent kitchening and was often caught preparing magnificent feasts, We call him before our presence, to answer for the repeated allegations; and We, by unanimous decree after consultation with the Order of the Harlequin declare him named thus and adjudge this to be our Will.

We, Rowen and Suba, Baron and Baroness of Bhakail,  hereby confirm that the above-written was done and caused to be done on the ninth day of December on the occasion of this Yule Revel in Renaissance Germany in the presence of Our Royal Majesties and Our Royal Highnesses, and wishing this judgment to remain valid unto all in posterity, we forbid that anyone, with rash daring, infringe it or in any way attempt to violate it; and we validly corroborate this our decree by the present document, signed by Our hands, with witnesses present at this deed.


Mari is also one of those talented people who can calligraph her own words, which always makes things easier.