A.D. 716 x 745. Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Ingwald, bishop of London; grant of the toll on one ship. Latin

Archive:

London, St Paul's

MSS:

1. London, Lincoln's Inn, Hale 84, ff. 93v-94r (s. xvii)
2. Oxford, Bodleian Library, James 23 (S.C. 3860), p. 35 (s. xvii)

Printed:

Gibbs 1939, pp. 7-8 (J. 14), ex MS 2; Kelly 1992, pp. 25-6, ex MSS 1, 2

Comments:

Gelling, ECTV, no. 194, authentic; Scharer 1982, pp. 203-5, 207-8, authentic, compare S 91; Wormald 1985, pp. 10, 25, broadly trustworthy; Kelly 1992, authentic; Keynes 1993b, p. 307, on MS 2; Kelly, St Augustine's, pp. lxxxv-xc passim, on diplomatic

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    • In nomine Dei patris et summi salvatoris. Quia unicuique homini in hac mortali vita degenti incertus est cursus atque finis vitæ temporalis, ob quam causam ego Aethilbaldus rex Merciorum, pro remedio æternaque salute animæ meæ, tibi Ingualdo episcopo civitatis Londoniæ unius nauis uectigal atque tributum, quæ mihi antea iure competebant, post omne subsequens tempus, quamdiu christianæ religionis status permanserit, perpetualiter concedo, ita ut cuicunque volueris hæredum successorum tuorum uel quorumlibet hominum hoc ipsum de tuo iure perdonare liberam habeas potestatem. Hoc et de aliis similiter antea navibus secundum oportunitatem rerum ac temporum ipsa predicta conditione pro supernæ scilicet mercedis amore et pro vestrorum suffragiis orationum facere curavi. Proinde igitur precipio, in nomine Dei patris omnipotentis, omnibus meis ducibus, prefectis, thelonariis, cæterisque publicis dignitatibus ut hæc donatio mea, mihi a Deo data illique redonata, per presentes ac subsequentes illæsa firmaque perduret, et ad augmentum huiusce donationis hoc addo, ut navis ista vel veterata vel confractione collisa, ut alia et alia in huius donationis locum et conditionem construatur et habeatur. Si quis uero, quod absit, diabolica instinctus fraude, hanc donationem meam uiolare uel minuere temptauerit, sciat se in presenti seculo a participatione corporis et sanguinis Christi suspensum et in ultimo iudicio eternas sine fine penas passurum. + Ego Ædilbaldus rex in hanc cartulam pro confirmatione donationis mee signum sancte crucis nostri saluatoris impressi.
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    Translation

    • In the name of God the Father and of the Supreme Saviour. Because to every man living in this mortal life the course and end of the temporal life is uncertain, for this reason I, Æthelbald, king of the Mercians, for the salvation and eternal safety of my soul, grant in perpetuity to you, Ingwald, bishop of the city of London, the tax and impost of one ship, which before by right accrued to me, for all subsequent time, as long as the position of the Christian religion shall remain, so that to whosoever of your heirs, successors or whichever men you want, you will have the free power to give this itself from your right of property. I have taken care to do this and likewise earlier concerning other ships according to the appropriateness of circumstances and times on the aforementioned condition, namely, for the love of celestial reward and in return for the support of your prayers. Therefore, to that end I enjoin, in the name of God the Father Almighty, with all my duces, reeves, toll-gatherers and other public dignitaries that this gift of mine, given to me by God and given back to Him, should survive now and in the future unimpaired and strong, and I add this for the augmenting of this gift that when that ship either gets old or is damaged through being wrecked, that another and another be built and held in accordance with the place and terms of this gift. If indeed anyone, may God forbid!, instigated by devilish deceit, should attempt to violate or diminish this gift of mine, may he know that he is suspended in the present life from sharing in the body and blood of Christ and at the Last Judgment will suffer eternal punishments without end. + I, Æthelbald, king, have imprinted on this charter in confirmation of my gift the mark of the holy cross of our Saviour.
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    • In nomine dei patris et summi saluatoris. Quia unicuique homini in hac mortali uita degenti a incertus est cursus atque finis uite temporalis, ob quam causam ego Eˇilbaldus b Rex Merciorum pro remedio æternaque c salute anime mee tibi Ingualdo episcopo ciuitatis Londonie unius nauis uectigal atque tributum que mihi antea iure competebant post omne subsequens tempus quamdiu christiane religionis status permanserit perpetualiter concedo, ita ut cuicunque uolueris heredum successorum tuorum uel quorumlibet hominum hoc ipsum de tuo iure perdonare liberam habeas potestatem. Hoc et de aliis similiter antea nauibus secundum opportunitatem rerum ac temporum ipsa predicta conditione pro superne scilicet mercedis amore et pro uestrarum suffragiis orationum facere curaui. Proinde igitur precipio in nomine dei patris omnipotentis omnibus tio mea mihi a deo data illique redonata per presentes ac subsequentes illesa firmaque perduret. Et ad augmentum huiusce donationis hoc addo ut nauis ista uel ueterata uel confractione d conlisa ut alia et alia in huius donationis locum et conditionem construatur et habeatur. Si quis uero quod absit diabolica instinctus fraude hanc donationem meam uiolare uel minuere temptauerit, sciat se in presenti seculo a participatione corporis et sanguinis Christi suspensum et in ultimo iudicio eternas sine fine penas passurum. + Ego Ædilbaldus Rex in hanc cartulam pro confirmatione donationis mee signum sancte crucis nostri saluatoris impressi. a. degente A b. Aethilbaldus B c. æterneque A d. constructione A e. B ends here.