S 817
A.D. 963 x 975. King Edgar to Old Minster, Winchester; renewal of the privileges of Chilcomb, Hants. Latin and English versions.
Archive: Winchester, Old Minster
MSS: Latin
1. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 110, pp. 299-300 (s. xvi med.)
2. BL Add. 15350, 9v-10r (s. xii)
3. BL Harl. 358, 62v-63r (s. xvi med.)
4. Winchester, D. & C., 'St Swithun's Cartulary', pt 1, 5v-6r, no. 28 (s. xiii)English
5. BL Add. 15350, 10r (s. xii)
Printed: Latin:
Mon. Angl., i. 982; K 512; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 212 (no. 9); Thorpe, pp. 228-9, 256-7; B 1147 ex MS 2.English
Thorpe, pp. 226-8; B 1148; Robertson, Charters, no. 38 (pp. 68-71), with translation.
Comments: Maitland 1897, p. 497, spurious; Robertson, Charters, pp. 324-5; Harmer, Writs, pp. 374, 377-9, Englsh version a paraphrase of the Latin; Finberg, ECW, no. 110, authentic, cf. pp. 237-41, probably drafted at Winchester with Edgar's knowledge, but not formally promulgated; John 1965, esp. pp. 408-11, 415 n., 417, 420; Chaplais 1966, p. 171, spurious, forger probably also responsible for S 325 and 946 (= 1973, pp. 55-6); Hart 1970/1, p. 25 (no. 13), authentic; Biddle et al. 1976, pp. 256-7, on Chilcomb; cf. S 814.
Freols Boc to Cyltancumbe .
Mundanæ volubilitas orbita nunquam in eodem statu permanet . sed cotidiano defectu more fluentis aquæ decurrit . ob id quæ rerum preteritarum effectus oblivioni tradetur . Nisi litterarum caracteribus exaretur . quibus quasi quodam anchoræ ligamento ne penitus a memoria defluat retinetur . hoc quæ modo quæ olim gesta fuerant posteris innotescit .
Quapropter in hac cartula manifeste declaratur . qualiter ego . Eadgar . opitulante gratuita salvatoris mundi clementia Anglorum basileus Aðelwoldo . michi pontificum dilectissimo suggerente . cum optimatum meorum consilio devotus renovavi . Cyltancumbes . hereditariam libertatem . quæ vallis undique adjacet Wentanæ civitati . eandemque renovatam privilegii libertatem sanctæ et individuæ Trinitati humillime commendavi . et in veteri monasterio in æcclesia beatorum Petri et Pauli ad usum monachorum Deo inibi regulariter famulantium . et Christo cotidie pro omni Christiano populo supplicantium . perpetuo jure conservari precepi . Hanc quoque renovationem in ipsa eademque libertate fine tenus perdurare jussi . qua illam ab avis et atavis et ab omnibus regibus antecessoribus meis donatam esse comperi . Quorum primi extiterunt . Cynegils rex . et filius ejus Cynewalh rex . qui in exordio Christianæ fidei sancto Birino episcopo verbum Dei predicante concesserunt ejusdem ruris possessionem ad prefatum sancti loci monasterium . Deinde successores eorum scilicet Ecgbirht rex . Adulf rex . Ælfred rex . Eadweard rex . et reliqui omnes . donec Christi gratia me quando voluit . et sicut voluit super omne regnum gentis Anglorum regem constituit . Ideoque precipio in nomine domini nostri Jesu Christi . ut juxta priorum decreta regum tota ipsius telluris quantitas cum omnibus appendiciis suis ; pro una tantummodo mansa ab omnibus posteris reputetur ; Et ut nullus episcopus ejusdem loci illam terram de ipso monasterio tradere audeat ; nec alicui secularium pro munere quolibet eam dare presumat . Hoc quoque provida consideratione super addidi et mandavi . ut nullus filiorum vel nepotum meorum . nec aliquis successorum illorum ad predictum sedis episcopalis cænobium clericos umquam introducat . sed locus idem semper monachis Christo ibidem servientibus deputetur . sicut ipse ego co operante Dei omnipotentis auxilio constitui . quando superbos clericos qui Deo servire contempserunt . pro nefandis suis actibus et detestandis spurcitiis inde eliminatos expuli . ibique sacram cænobitarum congregationem qui in hympnis et laudibus domino voluntarie servirent devotus aggregavi .
Prefatæ siquidem terræ summa ; centum cassatorum portio est . sed tamen ut dictum est . a cunctis antecessoribus regibus tam pro illorum quam pro omnium successorum illorum æterna redemptione predicta libertate donata . Deoque omnipotenti et sanctis apostolis ejus Petro et Paulo . æternaliter concessa est .
Quicumque hanc libertatem custodire voluerit ; custodiat eum Deus et hic et in ævum . Si quis autem diabolica suggestione deceptus . hanc libertatem minuere vel infringere presumpserit . veniant super eum omnium maledictionem genera quæ scripta sunt in veteri et novo testamento . sitque cælum ferreum super capud ejus . et tellus enea sub pedibus ejus . et sit ipse æterno anathemate separatus a Deo et omnibus sanctis ejus . et apostolica beatorum . Petri et Pauli auctoritate ligatus sit quam diu vixerit . et post maledictum obitum suum gehennalibus flammis cum diabolo et angelis ejus sine fine dampnatus et cruciatus intereat nisi prius emendaverit . quod Deum omnipotentem et sanctos apostolos ejus pro nichilo spernere non timuit .
Huius quoque libertatis renovationem . patria lingua hoc est Anglica scribere jussi . ne quis secularium de ignorantia se excusare possit . quia Latinam sermocinationem forte non didicit ; Neque eam quamvis coram se legeretur intelligere novit .
Her is geswutelod on þisum gewrite . hu Aþelwold bisceop begeat æt his leofan cynehlaforde Eadgare cyninge þæt he mid geþeahte his witana geniwode . Ciltancumbes freols þære halgan þrynnesse 7 sancte Petre 7 sancte Paule into Wintanceastre . þan hirede on ealdan mynstre . ealswa his yldran hit ær gefreodon ; ærest Cynegils cyning 7 his sunu Cynewald cyning . þe on angynne cristendomes hit sealdan . ealswa hit lið on ælche healfe þæs portes into þære halgan stowe . 7 syððan ealle heora æftergengen . þæt wæs Egcbirt cynincg . and Aþulf cyning . 7 Ælfred cynincg . 7 Eadweard cynincg . 7 he geuðe þæt man þæt land on eallum þingon for ane hide werode . swa swa his yldran hit ær gesetton 7 gefreodon . wære þær mare landes . wære þær læsse . 7 he bead on Godes naman þæt naðer ne þære stowe bisceop ne nanes bisceopes æftergenga þæt land næfre of þære stowe geutode . ne hit nanan portmen wið nanan sceatte ne wið ceape gesealde . 7 he bead þurh Godes ælmichtiges myclan mægenþrymm þæt nan his bearna ne nan heora æftergengcana þæt menster æfre leng mid preostan gesette . ac þæt hit efre mid munecan stode . swa swa he hit mid Godes ælmilhtiges fultume gesette . þa þa he hit þa modigan preostas for heora mandædon þanan ut adrefde . 7 þerinne munecas gelogode þæt hi Godes þeowedom æfter sancte Benedictes tæcinge . 7 dæghwamlice to Gode cleopodon for ealles cristenes folces alidsednesse. Ealles þæs landes is an hund hida . ac þa godan cynegas 7 þa wisan ælc æfter oþran þæt ylce land swa gefreodon Gode to lofe 7 his þeowan to brycen 7 to fostorlande . þæt hit man æfre on ende for ane hide werian sceolde.
Se þe þysne freols healdan wille . God ælmihtig hine gehealde her 7 on ecnesse. Gif hwa þonne þurh ænige dyrstignesse oððe þurh deofles lare þisne freols abrecan wille . oððe þas gesetednesse on oðer awendan durre . Se he awyrged mid eallan þan awyrgednessan þe synd awritene on eallan halgan bocan . 7 sy he ascyred fram ures Drichtnes gemanan 7 ealra his halgana . 7 sy he gebunden þa hwile þe he libbe on þisam life mid þan ylcan bendan þe God ælmihtig þyrh hine sylfne betæchte his halgan apostolan Petre 7 Paule . 7 æfter his awyrgedan forðsiðe ligge he efre on healle grundleasan pytte . 7 byrne he on þan ecan fyre mid deofle 7 his englan a butan ælcan ende . butan he hit ær his forðsiðe gebete. Amen.