p.lond.5.1660 ca. 553Antaiopolites

… of the said village this agreement … I acknowledge through this written document of mine, that is agreement, that I am willing and convinced and ready – at my own risk and means of my present and future substance, in general and in particular, undisturbedly and without penalty and damage: to keep you safe from everyone for our magnificentissimi common lords, the pagarchs, magificentissimus Iulianus, former archon, and gloriosissima Patricia, through clarissimus lord Menas, her manager and pagarch, regarding the said public burdens and auspicious annona, and favour, or again expenses for aid for soldiers, and other penalties concerning the mentioned village Phthla, so that I will do and fulfill in your stead in every respect … to take profit of those (incomes) falling on me and to collect with great care and to pay down for these (if it is short) and to provide you the account of every sum and every payment and to not hide anything not even a carat not only this, but I shall also give you a most terrifying Godly oath about this in the holy places that you wish, and if it happens that anything whatsoever is left after paying off of those said public burdens and other sums and expenses, as I said earlier, that I shall contribute and participate in all amounts and expenses with you for the half share that falls on you; and take the liability as to render the accounts and fulfill the said public burdens and other payments of taxes vis-a-vis the abovesaid pagarchs and their traktatores … for the one that belongs to the said (Patricia ?) for the public burden and expense. I acknowledge that: I shall not allow any action or ill-speaking to happen against you in court or out of court, but I shall take care of the entire village for the privilege of the said rights, either if you are in the village or abroad by way of doing things on your behalf, and do nothing with deceit or by negligence, but perform everything with wakefulness and precision and diligence, and if I am ever found, after having sworn the imperial oath in the holy precincts, to have committed deceit for as little as one carat, I shall be liable to pay double to you; and I shall be liable to the imperial oath and the attached risk of failure regarding it and all above-written agreements and acknowledgments, as I swore by the almighty God and the imperial heavenly fortune of the victorious over everything Lord of the inhabited world, Flavius Iustinianus, the eternal August and emperor, to observe that this agreement is forever unbroken and unregretted and unalterable for you, but to have the valid power and firm validity produced before every magistrate and authority, which (acknowledgment) I ordered to be written in a single copy and subscribed with my hand and of customary witnesses according to the law. Should I wish to transgress and not abide by the provisions agreed above, I acknowledge that I shall give you on account of the stipulated penalty and transgression six ounces of gold, to be demanded as a matter of fact and with full legal power, and I establish for you a mortgage for all provisions written herein and for a part of them and for the capital and for the payment of penalty on all my belongings, current and future, in particular and in general, on account of pledge and by the right of mortgage as by the decision of court, And having been asked the formal question on all that is herein written, I gave my consent. †