Passage allowed through a territory for peaceful purposes; it was often given to students, merchants,
knights on their way to
tournament , certain
heralds & messengers, and pilgrims. Such safe-conducts could either be issued by the
Prince of a region; these were general proclamations that bound the princeâs subjects to respect the passage. The other safe-conducts were offered by individual
nobles , issued as sealed guarantees, where the noble himself extended their own protection to the holder of the safe passage. These writs named a specific recipient by name, the number of people in his party allowed to pass, the goods they could carry. Other goods carried were subject to confiscation--this was not an uncommon occurrence. Knights on their way to tournament were frequently given such safe conducts, they are specifically mentioned in several
tournament declarations . 
