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  • Uniuersis Dei fidelibus tam futuris quam presentibus, regibus, episcopis, comitibus, abbatibus, baronibus, militibus et uniuersis sancte Dei ecclesie ordinatorum gradibus, Ordl\a/fus peccator, utriusque uite beatitudinem. Ego peccator Ordlafus omnibus uobis notum facio, quod in nomine Dei saluatoris nostri terram emptam a quodam olim ministro Elfredi regis, nomine Dudi, in loco qui dicitur Ceollanwurd, domino meo gloriosissimo Eadwardo consentiente necnon et eius optimatibus qui ei in presentia tunc aderant, pro salute et remedio anime mee, familie Deo seruientium in loco nuncupato antiquo uocabulo Mailduberi, nostro autem Maldubesburg, concedo imperpetuo. Est autem aliquantulum terre, quatuor uidelicet casatorum, ad eandem ecclesiam pertinentium. Quam quidem Elfredus rex, una cum consensu uenerabilis familie Maildeubiensis ecclesie, cuidam, ut prememoratus sum, ministro suo nomine Dudi, de quo illam emi, dederat, ne illa de causa aliquis suorum illam sibi adoptet et prememoratam ecclesiam calumpniis perturbet, hincque regis optimatumque suorum suffragiis siue peccunia meum frustretur donum, Wulfsigum illius diocesis episcopum adiui et ab illo ad doni mei confirmationem hunc sequentem impetraui fauorem: ‘Ego Wulfsigus indignus episcopus, rogatu uenerabilis Ordlafi comitis, terram que uocatur Ceollanwurd, quam, pro salute et redemptione anime sue, familie ecclesie que antiquo uocabulo Mailduberi uocatur, nostro autem Maildubesburg, in dono perpetuo concessit, sub anathemate imperpetuum dominium illius ecclesie confirmo et constituo, ita ut nullus, nec etiam eiusdem ecclesie abbas, presumat aliquando seu prece seu precio in franco feudo illam alicui dare. Quod qui presumpserit, ex auctoritate Dei saluatoris nostri et beate eiusdem Dei genetricis Marie et beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli omniumque sanctorum, illum anathematizizo et a communione corporis et sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi Dei et saluatoris nostri, sed et a consortio et ab unitate sancte ecclesie et totius Christianitatis, illum excipio, cum Iuda Scarioth et Caipha, Pilato et Symone Mago, sine fine cremandum in gehenne incendio, nisi reatum suum correxerit Deumque satisfactione pacauerit’. Nec sic adquieui. Post trium annorum curricula Lundoniam, ubi concilium tredecim episcoporum, presente gloriosissimo domino meo rege prenominato et E. metropolitano episcopo, consedit, ueni et iterum pristinam doni mei confirmationem ab auctoritate eiusdem metropolitani episcopi E. simulque aliorum omnium confirmatam, uotis et benedictionibus consecratam recepi. Quam ideo scripto assignari memorie iussi, ne quis aliquando, hoc interdicto precognito, uel eiusdem ecclesie abbas uel rex aliquis ne\c/ regni prepotens, per sugestionem alicuius secularis illam terram sibi adoptantis, in prememoratum anime incidat periculum. Nouissime autem mea benedictio et maledictio sequetur. Consentientibus huic cartule, perpetua pax maneat in superis. Contradicentibus uero, heu et ue, et pars cum inferis, nisi in presenti cum satisfactione emendent. Fiat, fiat, Amen.
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  • To all the faithful of God, both future and present, kings, bishops, counts, abbots, barons, knights and all the degrees of holy orders of the holy church of God, Ordlaf, a sinner, grants the blessing of either life [i.e., in this world and after death]. I, Ordlaf, a sinner, make known to you all that in the name of God our Saviour I grant in perpetuity an estate bought from a former minister of King Alfred, Dudig by name, in the place that is called Chelworth, with the agreement of my most glorious lord, Edward, and also with his magnates who were then in his presence, for the salvation and reward of my soul, to the community of the servants of God in the place called by the ancient name Mailduberi, in our [speech] Maldusburg [i.e., Malmesbury]. There is a small amount of land, moreover, namely of four hides, belonging to the same church. This indeed King Alfred, together with the agreement of the venerable community of the church of Malmesbury, as I mentioned earlier, had given to a certain minister of his, Dudig by name, from whom I bought it; so that no one on that account should take it for himself and disturb the aforementioned church with claims and hence thwart my gift through the assent of the king and his magnates or through money, I approached Wulfsige, bishop of that diocese, and procured the following consent from him in confirmation of my gift: ‘I, Wulfsige, an unworthy bishop, at the request of the venerable Count Ordlaf, confirm and decree under anathema that the estate that is called Chelworth, which, for the salvation and redemption of his soul, he granted as a gift in perpetuity to the congregation of the church that is called by the ancient name Mailduberi, in our speech Maildubesburg, to be under the lordship in perpetuity of that church, so that no one, not even the abbot of this same church, should presume to give it at any time to anyone through prayer or price as a free fief. Should anyone presume [to do] this, with the authority of God our Saviour and the blessed mother of the same God, Mary, and the blessed apostles, Peter and Paul and all the saints, I excommunicate him and withdraw him from the communion of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, God and our Saviour, but also from the fellowship and from the community of Holy Church and of all Christendom, to be burned without surcease with Judas Iscariot and Caiaphas, Pilate and Simon Magus, in the fire of Gehenna, unless he corrects his offence and makes his peace with God through penance.’ Nor was I thus satisfied. After a period of three years, I came to London, where [there was] a council of thirteen bishops, in the presence of my most glorious lord, the aforementioned king, and E., the metropolitan archbishop, and again I had the former confirmation of my gift confirmed by the authority of the same metropolitan archbishop E. and also of all the others, consecrated by vows and blessings. Accordingly, I ordered this to be committed to writing as a record, so that having foreknowledge of this prohibition, no one at any time, either an abbot of the same church or any king or a very powerful person in the kingdom, through the suggestion of a secular person, should fall into the aforementioned danger to his soul by assuming that land for himself. Moreover my most recent blessing and curse will follow. To those agreeing with this charter, may everlasting peace remain in heaven. To those opposing it, alas and alack, may their part be with those in Hell unless they atone with penance in the present life. Let it be, let it be, Amen.