Early-Medieval-England.net

S 425

A.D. 934 (Winchester, 28 May). King Athelstan to Ælfwald, minister; grant of 12 hides (cassatae) at Derantune. (probably Durrington, Sussex) Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS: BL Cotton Aug. ii. 65 (s. x¹; BM Facs., iii. 5)

Printed: K 364; B 702; Earle, pp. 171-2; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 63; Barker 1948, pp. 150-7, with translation.

Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, contemporary; Farrer, ECY, i. 4, citing Stevenson, contemporary; Stevenson 1914, p. 697 n. 41, contemporary; Kärlstrom 1927, p. 147 n. 2; PN Sussex, i. 195 n. 1, identification with Durrington disputed; PN Devon, ii. p. x; Wallenberg, KPN, pp. 238-41, on identification; Drögereit 1935, pp. 361-6; Barker 1948, pp. 157-62; Forsberg 1950, p. 47 n.; Stenton 1955, p. 53, original, same hand as S 416; Chaplais 1965, pp. 59-60, written by Winchester scribe, also responsible for S 416 (= 1973, pp. 41-2); Stenton 1971, p. 342, cited; Bullough 1972, p. 472 n. 39, on Latin vocabulary; Brooks 1974, p. 218 n. 3, dialect of bounds is not West Saxon; Biddle et al. 1976, p. 466 n. 6; Sawyer, Burton, p. 8, original; Keynes 1980, pp. 16, 21, 44, original, product of 'Æthelstan A', probably written by a royal scribe; Chaplais 1985, pp. 47-9, probably drafted and written at Winchester; Dumville 1987, p. 173, on script; Keynes 1988, p. 186 n. 4, product of 'Æthelstan A'; BA Facs., p. 9; Kelly, Selsey, p. 57, more likely to refer to Durrington, Sussex, than to Darenth, Kent.

Notes: Line 5 was erased and rewritten at Christ Church in s. xi/xii, to stress the community's claim to the estate.

+ Fortuna fallentis sæculi procax non lacteo inmarciscibilium liliorum candore amabilis . sed fellita hejulandæ corruptionis amaritudine odibilis foetentis filios valle in lacrimarum carnis . rictibus debacchando venenosis mordaciter dilacerat . quæ quamvis arridendo sit infelicibus adtractabilis Acherontici ad ima Cociti ni satus alti subveniat boantis . impudenter est decurribilis . et ideo quia ipsa ruinosa deficiendo tanaliter dilabitur . summopere festinandum est ad amoena indicibilis lætitiæ arva . ubi angelica ymnidicæ jubilationis organa . mellifluaque vernantium rosarum odoramina . a bonis beatisque naribus inestimabiliter dulcia capiuntur . sineque calce . auribus clivipparum suavia audiuntur . Cujus amore felicitatis illectus fastidiunt jam infima dulcescunt superna eisque pro percipiendis . semperque specie indefectiva fruendis ego Æðelstanus rex Anglorum per omnipatrantis dexteram totius Britanniæ regni solio sublimatus quandam telluris particulam meo fideli ministro Ælfwaldo . id est . xii . cassatarum ecclesiæ Christi Cantuarie civitatis subjacens . in loco quem solicolæ . æt Derantune . vocitant tribuo . Ut ille eam . sine jugo exosæ servitutis . cum pratis . pascuis . silvis . rivulis omnibusque ad eam utilitatibus . rite pertinentibus . quamdiu aura naribus spirabili ocellorumque convolatu cernibili potiatur habeat . et post generalem . qui omnibus certus incertusque homulis . constat transitum . cuicumque successionis heredi voluerit in perpetuum contradendo liberaliter . derelinquat .

Predicta siquidem tellus 'h'is terminis circumcincta clarescit ;

ærast on æscwoldes hlaw . ðonne on gemot biorh . ðonne on setl ðorn . ðonne on lytlan biorh . ðonne on gat ham . ðonne on æðelgiðe deno . ðonne on widan leh . ðonan on wulfa biorh . ðonne betweonan twæm biorgum . ðonon on wæbbeles hol . ðonon on mearc biorh . ðonon on pis berh ; 7 ðis synt ða denbæra ðe to ðissum londe mid rihte belimpað . hlos dionu . swanu dionu . gehæg holt . prentsan hlaw . ruwan biorg . ecgwealdes cumb . wæter ðorn . eofor sol . ðyrran mere . bioh'h'an dun . wiðig wic . garunga leah . hudelinga scydd . scealces hom . broc hyrst . byring falod . fæstan falod . hæcinga hleah .

Si autem quod absit . aliquis diabolico inflatus spiritu . hanc meæ compositionis ac confirmationis breviculam . elidere . vel infringere temptaverit . sciat se novissima . ac magna examinationis die . tuba perstrep[en]te archangeli . bustis sponte de'h'iscentibus . somata jam rediviva relinq'v'entibus . cum Juda proditore . qui a satoris . pio sato ; 'filius perditionis' dicitur . ejusque complicibus Judeis . Cristum blasphemantibus . æterna confusione . edacibus . ineffabilium tormentorum flammis . periturum ; huius namque a Deo dominoque Jhesu Christo . inspiratæ atque inventæ voluntatis scedula . anno dominicæ incarnationis . dcccc ^o . xxx ^o . iiii ^o . regni vero mihi commissi . x ^o . indictione . vii ^a . epacta . iii ^a . concurrente . ii ^o . quinctis . Junii Kalendis . luna . xi ^a ; in civitate opinatissima quæ Winte ceaster nuncupatur . tota populi generalitate . sub alis regiæ dapsilitatis ovanti . perscripta est ; cujus etiam . inconcussæ firmitatis auctoritas . 'h'is testibus roborata constat . quorum nomina subtus . caracteribus depicta ; annotantur .

+ Ego Æðelstanus . singularis privilegii . ierarchia preditus rex . huius indiculi acumen . cum signo sanctæ semperque adorandæ crucis . corroboravi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfhelmus Dorobernensis . ecclesiæ . archiepiscopus . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfstanus . Eboracensis ecclesiæ . archiepiscopus . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Howæl . subregulus . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Juðwal . subregulus . consensi . et subscripsi .
[+ Ego Morcant] subregulus . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Teowdor . subregulus . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfwine . episcopus . consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadulf . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Cenwald . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Biornstan . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ðiodred . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfhun . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wynsige . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfred . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Tidhelm . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Burhric . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfred . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Conan . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfhelm . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Cynsige . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wired . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Sæxelm . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æscberht . episcopus consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfric . abbas . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadwine . abbas . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelnoð . abbas . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Biorhtsige . abbas . consensi . et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfwald . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Osferð . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelstan . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Urm . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Inhwær . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Halfdene . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Osulf . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Uhtred . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Æscberht . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfstan . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Scule . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Hadd . dux . consensi et . subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfheh . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wullaf . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfgar . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfmær . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfnað . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ordheh . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfgar . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelelm . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelwold . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðered . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Odda . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfgar . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfhæh . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wihtgar . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfhere . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadric . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelwold . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadwald . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfric . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadmund . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfric . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Hun . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelberht . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wynsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelferð . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelmund . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelnoð . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadnoð . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Aðulf . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Hæðred . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Sigered . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðered . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadwald . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Sigeferð . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadweard . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Æðelsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfric . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Biorhstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ælfsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Biorhtelm . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Eadsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Tiobcon . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulfsige . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Ealhelm . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Wulstan . minister consensi et subscripsi .
+ Ego Berhtric . minister consensi et subscripsi .