Letter 19

From: The Austrasian Court To: [Diplomatic recipient] Date: ~550 AD Context: A formal diplomatic letter from the Austrasian court, addressed to a foreign power or senior official, on matters of border administration and the treatment of persons crossing between jurisdictions. From the court of the Frankish king to our honored friend, The matter you raised in your last communication — the treatment of persons who cross the border between our territories without the formal documents that our regulations require — is one we want to address clearly, because misunderstandings on this point have created unnecessary difficulties in the past. Our regulation is not intended to prevent normal travel and commerce between our territories. It is intended to prevent the illegal movement of persons who are fleeing legal obligations in one kingdom by taking refuge in another — whether those obligations involve debts, military service, criminal prosecution, or the bonds of servitude. We believe your regulations have the same purpose. What we propose is an agreement on mutual recognition: persons who are legitimately traveling between our territories for purposes of trade or pilgrimage or personal business will be recognized as such by both sets of border officials, while persons who are fleeing legal obligations will be returned to the jurisdiction where those obligations exist. The detail of how such an agreement is administered will require further discussion. We suggest that our representatives meet to work through the practical arrangements. We expect such a meeting to be productive. From the royal chancery of Austrasia