S 442
A.D. 938. King Athelstan to Athelstan, comes; grant of 6 hides (mansae) at Uplyme, Devon. Latin with English bounds.
Archive: Glastonbury
MSS: 1. Marquess of Bath, Longleat, 39, 188v-189r (s. xiv)
2. Bodleian, Wood empt. 1, 212rv (s. xiv)
3. Liber Terrarum, no. 42 (lost, cf. Abrams 1996, p. 32)
Printed: Mon. Angl., ii. 840-1, ex MS 2; K 372 ex MS 2; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 50 (no. 96); B 728 ex MS 2; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no 66; Watkin, Glastonbury Cart., iii. 577-8 (no. 1062) ex MS 1; Hooke 1994, pp. 127-8, bounds only.
Comments: Drögereit 1935, p. 370; Finberg, ECDC, p. 11 (no. 27), the boundaries point to Lyme Regis, although the assessment agrees with that of Uplyme in DB; Hart 1964, pp. 160-1, on bounds, agrees with Finberg; Fox 1970, bounds are those of Uplyme; Hart 1973, p. 125 n. 4, agrees with Uplyme identification (= 1992, p. 581 n. 44); Keynes 1980, p. 44 n. 81, on formulation; Scott 1981, pp. 112, 201 n. 108; O'Donovan, Sherborne, p. 5, on a contiguous estate; Hooke 1994, pp. 127-34, on bounds; Abrams 1996, pp. 29, 32, on MS sources, pp. 155-7, on estate.
Carta Athelstani Regis de Lym .
Regnante imperpetuum domino nostri Jhesu C[h]risto . Egregius agonista sermocinatus est in divinis scripturis 'omnia que videntur temporalia sunt , que autem non videntur eterna' 1 . Iccirco superflua utentibus divinus sermo ut supra taxati sumus terribiliter premonet ut huius seculi caduca contempnentes spiritaliaque imitantes celestia properemus ad regna .
Quamobrem ego Athelstanus desiderio regni celestis exardens favente superno numine . basileos industrius Anglorum cunctarumque gencium in circuitu persistencium . cuidam adoptivo fideli meo comiti Athelstano vocitato ob illius amabile obsequium dignatus sum largiri . sex mansas aseluli juxta dirivativis fluencium successibus ubi vulgares prisco usu moralique relacione nomen indiderunt . at . Lym . cum pratis paschuisque necnon et silvis silvarumque densitatibus . ut hec prospere possideat ac eternaliter teneat dum huius enim fragilis cursum uti audebit post se autem veluti affirmavimus cuicunque voluerit heredi derelinquat seu supradiximus in eternam hereditatem fiat etenim prefata terra ab omni servili jugo libera cum omnibus sibi recte pertinenciis exceptis istis tribus expedicione pontis arcisve coedificacione .
Denique vero si quis nobis non optantibus nostrum hoc donum violare fraudulenter perpetrando consenserit aut infringere temptaverit perpessus sit gelidis glaciarum flatibus ex pennino excercitu malignorum spirituum nisi prius irriguis penitencie gemitibus in pura emendacione emendaverit .
Istis terminibus predicta terra circumgirata esse videtur .
Erest of se in sigilmere þanen up on clif of clive to farngoren þanen on here paþ on sirdeheved þanen on mappilleknap of huneforde þanen on þe sour appeldore of þe waynlete þanen on enlipes exe berghes . on here paþ forþ on here paþ forth bi þan combes heved to þan rede wey þanen on lullisburghe to crowan stapele . of þan stapile to dalisberghe on monnisclive . þanen to estbroke on doune on streem on saltforde . of saltforde on þa sweluende þanen on lym . of lym up on þe hasil . of þan hasil on somersete . of somersete on werboldiston . þanen up on to þan weyzate . on wiþilake eft out on soe .
Acta est hæc præfata donatio anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi . dcccc . xxxviii . indictione . xi a .
+ Ego Aþelstanus rex totius Britannie præfatam donationem cum sigillo sanctæ crucis confirmavi .
+ Ego Wulfhelm Dorobornensis ecclesiæ archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum trophæo agiæ crucis consignavi cum multis aliis .
Huius præfatæ ruris possessio Aþelstano duci ab Aþelstano rege largita duce arma proiciente et militiam Christi in Glastingburi suscipiente in jus illuc perpetuum per Athelstanum esse collatum videtur .