Early-Medieval-England.net

S 508

A.D. 946. King Edmund to Æthelhere, his faithful minister; grant of 5 hides (mansae) at Weston near Bath, Somerset, on condition that he and his heirs remain faithful to Edmund until the king's death and thereafter transfer their loyalty to a designated friend (amicus) of the king. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Bath

MSS: Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 67-70 (s. xii²)

Printed: K 408 and vol. iii. 423-4; B 814; Hunt, Bath Carts., pp. 13-15; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 84.

Comments: Grundy, Somerset, pp. 221-7, on bounds; Finberg, ECW, no. 457, authentic; Abels 1988, pp. 225-6 n. 38, on unusual condition of inheritance; cf. S 478.

De Westona .

+ In nomine Dei summi et altissimi Jhesu Christi .

Egregius agonista sermocinatus est in scripturis divinis . 'Omnia quæ videntur temporalia sunt . quæ autem non videntur ; æterna' ¹ . Iccirco superflua utentibus divinus sermo ut supra taxati sumus terribiliter præmonet ut huius sæculi caduca contempnentes spiritaliaque imitantes cælestia properemus ad regna .

Quamobrem ego Eadmundus desiderio regni cælestis exardens favente superno numine basyleos Anglorum multarumque gentium in circuitu persistentium . cuidam adoptivo fideli meo ministro nomine Æþelere . ob illius amabile obsequium ei libenter largiendo quinque mansas . ibidem ubi vulgares prisco more mobilique relatione vocitant æt Westtune . eatenus ut vita comite tam fidus mente quam subditus operibus mihi placabile obsequium præbeat . Et meum post obitum cuicunque meorum amicorum voluero eadem fidelitate immobilis obediensque fiat . Sicque omnes posteriores præfatam terram possidentes in hoc decreto fideliter persistant . sicuti decet ministro ut fidelitatem custodiat coram Deo et omnibus electis ejus . cum pratis pascuis necnon et silvis silvarumque densitatibus . donans donabo libertatem .

ut hæc prospere possideat ac æternaliter teneat dum huius labentis ævi cursum transeat illesus atque vitalis spiritus in corruptibili carne inhaereat . Post se autem veluti affirmavimus . cuicumque voluerit heredi derelinquat . Fiat etenim præfata terra ab omni servili jugo libera cum omnibus sibi recte pertinentibus .

exceptis his tribus . expeditione . pontis . arcisve coædificatione .

Si quis vero atri demonis face inflammatus contra hoc nostrum decretum quod neutrum aut optamus vel desideramus machinari infringereque aliquid voluerit . sciat se trusum sub unda Stigei fluminis . atque cum illis nefandis legem Dei blasphemantibus in picea custodia tetræ tortionis mancipatam . nisi prius Christi cohortatione compulsus ad satisfactionem vita comite festinanter pervenerit .

Divisiones. Þis synd þa land ge mæru þa . VIIII . æceras þe Æþelere ahte . þa sceotaþ on oden æcer . of oden æcere dun to þæs hegges hyrnan . andlang hegges . swa adun to þam broce . on kynges wudu . andlang broces up to bytles cumbe to þam hege . of þam hege up anan ænne æcer innan wudu . of þam æcere to þam ealdan hole . of þam hole to þam ealdan hylle buuan ellen cumbe . of ealdan hylle to sclæt æcere to þam wegge . of þam wegge to þam . III . æcere .

Divisiones. Ðis synd þa land gemeru þe sceotað dun to pucan wylle . of pucan wylle andlang broces to hida wudu . of hida wuda up to þam . III . æceran . of þam . III . æceran to þam garan . of þam garan to þam oþran garan . andlang riges to þam lytle mappeldre . of þam mappuldre dun to þam oðeran stan up oð a hylle . of þam mappeldre to þam hæg þorne . of þam hæg þorne to þam broce . swa up be broce þar blac wylle ut scyt . of blac wylle to þam wic . be westan blac wylle ut scyt . of þam wice to þare hapuldre . of þare haran apuldre to þan alre stan onforan þam hylle . of þam alre to þam twam wycan standað on gerewe eal swa þæt gemere gæð swa up to þam wice stynt . beneoþan bælles wæge of þam wice innan bælles weg . andlang bælles wæge up to þære styge . andlang styge ut to þam holan . of þam holan to þam mappuldre . of þære mappuldre to þam wæge to huttes æsce . swa be bege to lytle wylle . of lytlan wylle into pucan wylle . on þam ealdan ham stealle þe Æþelere ahte to plegidic . of plegi dic to higi wegge . of higi wegge into anlipi þyrnan . up anlipi þurnan into selardes pole into loxan . of loxan into afenan . swa beiea to brihtwoldes were . of þam were to þere dic . of þere dic to þam wealle . of þam wealle into hlipgete . of þam hlipgete into þam hachan . of þam hachan in to clænan feldan . þaran on loxan . a be loxan in to þam gemyþan . of þam gemyþam up be midderice . of midderice to stutardes cumbe . to rawuwe . of þere rawuwe to stennihta wege . of þam stænihtan wege a be egge þæt þu cymmes to þam wealle . of þam wealle swa norð þæt þu cyme to þæs wealles hyrnan . of þere hyrnan a be wealle þæt þu cyme to elle beorhan . of elle beorhan into stanclude a be hege to ealdan wycan to þam wealle . of þam wealle a be hege æft into loxan . XIII . æceras liggat buuan þere byri wið þes abbudes gemære .

Facta est hæc præfata donatio anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu Christi . DCCCC . XLVI . Indictione . IIII ^a .

Ego Eadmundus rex Anglorum præfatam donationem sub sigillo sanctæ : + : indeclinabiliter concessi atque roboravi .
Ego Oda Dorobernensis æcclesiæ archiepiscopus ejusdem regis principatum et benevolentiam sub sigillo sanctæ : + : conclusi .
Ego Theodred Lundoniensis æcclesiæ episcopus corroboravi . : + :