S 227
A.D. 670. Cenwalh, king of Wessex, to Beorhtwald, abbot; grant of 1 hide (cassatus) and two small islands, with a fishery, at Meare, Somerset. Latin.
Archive: Glastonbury
MSS: 1. Marquess of Bath, Longleat, 39, 135r (s. xiv)
2. Bodleian, Wood empt. 1, 150r (s. xiv)
3. Liber Terrarum, no. 3 (lost, cf. Abrams 1996, p. 31)
Printed: Mon. Angl., ii. 838; K 7 ex MS 2; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 47-8 (no. 86); B 25 ex K; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 1, no. 7; Watkin, Glastonbury Cart., ii. 365-6 (no. 644) ex MS 1.
Comments: HS, p. 164 n., spurious; Robinson 1921, pp. 49-53, authentic basis, but has undergone more than one modification; Turner 1950; Finberg, ECW, no. 353, authentic basis; Scott 1981, pp. 90, 187 n. 80; Carley, Glast. Chron., p. 88, identifies islands as Westhay and Godney; Edwards 1988, pp. 20-3, spurious, perhaps 10th-century fabrication partly based on S 257 and 1249; Costen 1992, p. 38, on estate; Abrams 1996, pp. 28, 31, 38, on MS sources, pp. 46-7, 124-5, probably a forgery but contains genuine 7th-century elements, p. 131, on Godney, pp. 169-71, on Meare.
+ Regnante ac gubernante nos domino nostro Jhesu Christo. Nichil intulimus in hunc mundum verum nec auferre quid possumus ; ideo terrenis cælestia et caducis æterna mercanda sunt. Quapropter Ego Ceduualla terram quæ dicitur Ferramere, unum cassatum Beorhtuualdo abbati libenter largior necnon duas parvas insulas , hoc est cum captura piscium in utraque parte stagni, cum paludibus , silvis , pascuis apium , et omnibus ad se pertinentibus dabo ei , ut habeat diebus vitæ suæ et post obitum suum cuicumque voluerit derelinquat. Corroboravimus nunc crucisque signo confirmato, hoc donativum stabili jure gratum et ratum decerno durare quamdiu vixero , poli terras atque æquora circa æthera siderum jusso moderamine volvet. Si quis autem nisus fuerit huius meæ donacionis testamentum confringere aut adimere conatur , ipse acrius multatus sit infernalis ergastuli pæna demersus , quam eo dæmon vel diis dampnatorum paravit.
+ Ego Coenuualla basilleos Westsaxonum propriæ manus subscripcione sanctæ crucis designavi effigiem , ut nemo qui se regeneratum in Christo noverit huius largicionis donum mutare præsumat.
+ Signum manus Theodori archiepiscopi.
+ Signum manus Leuteri episcopi.
+ Signum manus Hedde abbatis.
+ Signum manus Aldhemi abbatis.
Scripta est hæc cartula privilegii anno incarnacionis Christi, dclxx.