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  • Her kyþ on þison gewrite þæt Harold king . let beridan Sandwic of Cristes cyrcean him sylfan to handa . 7 hæfde hit him wel neh twelf monað . 7 twegen hæri\n/gc timan swa þeah fullice . eall ongean Godes willan . 7 agen ealra þara halgena þe restað innon Cristes cyrcean swa sva hit him syððan sorhlice þær æfter agiode . 7 amanc þisan siþan siðe wearð Ælfstan abbod . æt sancte A . 7 begeat mid his smehwrencan . 7 mid his golde 7 seolfre eall dyrnun\c/ga æt Steorran þe þa wæs þæs kinges rædesmann þæt him gewearð se þridda penig of þære tolne on Sandwic þa gerædde Eadsige arcebiscop þa he þis wiste . 7 eall se hired æt Cristes cyrcean betweonan heom þæt man sende Ælfgar munuc of Cristes cyrcean to Harolde kingce . 7 wæs se king þa binnan Oxanaforde swyþe geseocled . swa þæt he læg orwene his lifes . þa wæs Lyfingc bisceop of Defenanscire . mid þam kincge . 7 Þancred munuc mid him . þa com Cristes cyrcean sand to þam biscop . 7 he forð þa to þam kincge . 7 Ælfgar munuc mid him . 7 Oswerd æt Hergerdesham . 7 Þancred . 7 sædon þam kinge . þæt he hæfde swyðe agylt wið Crist þæt he æfre sceolde niman ænig þing . of Cristes cyrcean þe his foragengceon dydon þiderinn . sædon þam kinge þa embe Sandwic þæt hit wæs him to handa geriden . þa læg se king 7 asweartode eall . mid þare sage . 7 swor syþþan under God ælmihtine 7 under ealle halgan þarto þæt hit næfre næs . na his ræd na his dæd . þæt man sceolde æfre Sandðic don ut of Cristes cyrcean . Þa wæs soðlice gesyne . þæt hit wæs oðra manna geþeaht næs na Haroldes kinges . 7 soðlice Ælfstanes abbodes ræd wæs mid þam mannan þe hit of Cristes cyrcean ut geræddon. Þa sende Harold king Ælfgar munuc agen to þam arcebisceop Eadsige . 7 to eallon Cristes cyrcean munecan . 7 grette hig ealle Godes gretincge 7 his . 7 het \þæt/ hig sceoldan habban Sandwic into Cristes cyrcean . swa full . 7 swa forð swa hig hit æfre hæfdon on ænies kinges dæge . ge on gafole . ge on streame . ge on strande . ge on witan . ge on eallon þam þingan þe hit æfre ænig king fyr\m/est hæfde ætforan him . þa Ælfstan abbod . þis ofaxode þa com he to Eadsige arcebisceop . 7 bæd hine fultumes to þam hirede embe þone . þriddan penig . 7 hi begen þa to eallon gebroþran 7 bædon þone hired þæt Ælfstan abbod moste beon þæs þriddan peniges wurðe of þære tolne . 7 gyfan þam hirede .x. pundas . ac hy forwyrndon heom ealle togædere endemes . þæt he hit na sceolde næfre gebidan . 7 wæs þeah Eadsige arcebisceop swiðor his fultum þonne þæs hiredes . 7 þa he ne mihte na forð hermid þa gyrnde he þæt he moste macian fornan gen Mildryþe æker ænne hwerf wið þone wodan to werianne . ac eall se hired him forwyrnde þæs forþ ut mid ealle . 7 se arcebisceop Eadsige let hit eall to heora agene ræde . þa gewearð se abbod Ælfstan æt . mid micelan fultume . 7 let delfon æt Hyppeles fleote an mycel gedelf . 7 wolde þæt scipryne sceolde þærinne licgean eall swa hig dydon on Sandwic . ac him na speow nan þingc þæron . forþam he swingð eall on idel þe swincð ongean Cristes willan . 7 se abbod let hit eall þus . 7 se hired fengc to heora agenan . on Godes gewitnesse 7 sancta Marian 7 ealra þara halgena þe restað innan Cristes cyrcean . 7 æt sancte Augustine . þis is eall soð gelyfe se þe wylle . na gebad Ælfstan abbod næfre on nanan oþre wisan þone þriddan penig of Sandwic . Godes bletsung si mid us eallon a on ecnysse . amen.
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  • Here is made known in this document that King Harold had Sandwich seized from Christ Church for his own use, and indeed retained it about twelve months – and even fully two herring seasons – all against the will of God and against [that] of all the saints who lie buried within Christ Church, so that it turned out sorrowfully for him thereafter. During and after these [times], Ælfstan was abbot of St Augustine’s and – through his subtle deceits and his gold and silver – he obtained the third penny of the toll at Sandwich entirely in secret from Steorra, who was the king’s household manager. When Archbishop Eadsige learnt of this and all the community at Christ Church, then they determined between them to send Ælfgar, a monk of Christ Church, to King Harold. Then the king was in Oxford, so very sick that he lay in despair of his life; there with the king was Lyfing, bishop of Devonshire and the monk Thancred [was] with him. Then the Christ Church messenger came to the bishop, and he immediately [went] to the king – and the monk Ælfgar with him, and Osweard of Harrietsham and Thancred. And they said to the king that he had greatly sinned against Christ by ever taking anything from Christ Church, which his predecessors had granted thereto; then they told the king about Sandwich, namely that it had been seized for his use. The king lay and turned quite black through the statement, and thereupon swore by Almighty God and all the saints that it was neither his advice nor his decision that Sandwich should ever be taken from Christ Church. Then it was clearly evident that it was a scheme of other men, not of King Harold; and indeed Abbot Ælfstan’s counsel was behind the men who decided [to take] it from Christ Church. Then King Harold sent the monk Ælfgar back to Archbishop Eadsige and to all the monks of Christ Church and sent them all God’s greeting and his. And [he] commanded that at Christ Church they should possess Sandwich as fully and to the same extent as they ever held it in any king’s day, with rent, with river[-dues], with shore[-dues], with fines [and] with everything, the most that any king had ever had before him. When Abbot Ælfstan was informed of this, he came to Archbishop Eadsige and requested his support with the community over the third penny. And then they both [went] to all the brethren and asked the community that Abbot Ælfstan should be entitled to the third penny of the toll and should pay the community ten pounds. But they all of them together refused unanimously that they should ever at all endure that, [even] though Archbishop Eadsige was more in his support than the community. And when he could not [get] further with this, he desired that he might make a wharf facing ‘Mildrith’s acre’ to protect against the raging [tide], but the whole community refused this outright altogether and the archbishop left the matter entirely at their own discretion. Then Abbot Ælfstan came with a large supporting troop and had a great trench dug at Ebbsfleet and intended that ships should lie in a channel in there, just as they did in Sandwich. But that profited him nothing, because he labours all in vain who labours against the will of Christ. And the abbot left it all thus and the community took possession of their own in the sight of God and of St Mary and of all the saints who rest within Christ Church and at St Augustine’s. This is entirely true; let him believe it who will. Abbot Ælfstan never obtained in any other manner the third penny from Sandwich. God’s blessing be with us all for ever and ever, Amen.
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  • Her kyˇ on ˇison gewrite ˇæt Harold king . let beridan Sandwic of Cristes cyrcean him sylfan to handa . 7 hæfde hit him wel neh twelf mona∂ . 7 twegen hæri'n'gc timan swa ˇeah fullice . eall ongean Godes willan . 7 agen ealra ˇara halgena ˇe resta∂ innon Cristes cyrcean swa swa hit him sy∂∂an sorhlice ˇær æfter agiode . 7 amanc ˇisan siˇan si∂e wear∂ Ælfstan abbod. æt sancte Augustine. 7 begeat mid his smehwrencan . 7 mid his golde 7 seolfre eall dyrnun'c'ga æt Steorran ˇe ˇa wæs ˇæs kinges rædesmann ˇæt him gewear∂ se ˇridda penig of ˇære tolne on Sandwic ˇa gerædde Eadsige arcebiscop ˇa he ˇis wiste . 7 eall se hired æt Cristes cyrcean betweonan heom ˇæt man sende Ælfgar munuc of Cristes cyrcean to Harolde kingce . 7 wæs se king ˇa binnan Oxanaforde swyˇe geseocled . swa ˇæt he læg orwene his lifes . ˇa wæs Lyfingc biscop of Defenanscire . mid ˇam kincge . 7 ˝ancred munuc mid him . ˇa com Cristes cyrcean sand to ˇam biscop . 7 he for∂ ˇa to ˇam kincge . 7 Ælfgar munuc mid him . 7 Oswerd æt Hergerdesham . 7 ˝ancred . 7 sædon ˇam kinge . ˇæt he hæfde swy∂e agylt wi∂ Crist ˇæt he æfre sceolde niman ænig ˇing . of Cristes cyrcean ˇe his foragengceon dydon ˇiderinn . sædon ˇam kinge ˇa embe Sandwic ˇæt hit wæs him to handa geriden . ˇa læg se king 7 asweartode eall . mid ˇare sage . 7 swor syˇˇan under God ælmihtine 7 under ealle halgan ˇarto ˇæt hit næfre næs . na his ræd na his dæd . ˇæt man sceolde æfre Sandwic don ut of Cristes cyrcean. ˝a wæs so∂lice gesyne . ˇæt hit wæs o∂ra manna geˇeaht næs na Haroldes kinges . 7 so∂lice Ælfstanes abbodes ræd wæs mid ˇam mannan ˇe hit of Cristes cyrcean ut geræddon . ˇa sende Harold king Ælfgar munuc agen to ˇam arcebiscop Eadsige . 7 to eallon Cristes cyrcean munecan . 7 grette hig ealle Godes gretincge 7 his . 7 het 'ˇæt' hig sceoldan habban Sandwic into Cristes cyrcean . swa full . 7 swa for∂ swa hig hit æfre hæfdon on ænies kinges dæge . ge on gafole . ge on streame . ge on strande . ge on witun . ge on eallon ˇam ˇingan ˇe hit æfre ænig king fyr'm'est hæfde ætforan him . ˇa Ælfstan abbod . ˇis ofaxode ˇam com he to Eadsige arcebiscop . 7 bæd hine fultumes to ˇam hirode embe ˇone . ˇriddan penig . 7 hi begen ˇa to eallon gebroˇran 7 bædon ˇone hired ˇæt Ælfstan abbod moste beon ˇæs ˇriddan peniges wur∂e of ˇære tolne . 7 gyfan ˇam hirede .x. pund. ac hy forwyrndon heom ealle togædere endemes . ˇæt he hit na sceolde næfre gebidan . 7 wæs ˇeah Eadsige arcebiscop swi∂or his fultum ˇonne ˇæs hiredes . 7 ˇa he ne mihte na for∂ hermid ˇa gyrnde he ˇæt he moste macian fornan gen Mildryˇe æker ænne hwerf wi∂ ˇone wodan to werianne . ac eall se hired him forwyrnde ˇæs for∂ ut mid ealle . 7 se arcebiscop Eadsige let hit eall to heora agene ræde . ˇa gewear∂ se abbod Ælfstan æt . mid micelan fultume . 7 let delfon æt Hyppeles fleote an mycel gedelf . 7 wolde ˇæt scipryne sceolde ˇærinne licgean eall swa hig dydon on Sandwic . ac him na speow nan ˇingc ˇæron . forˇam he swing∂ eall on idel ˇe swinc∂ ongean Cristes willan . 7 se abbod let hit eall ˇus . 7 se hired fengc to heora agenan . on Godes gewitnesse 7 sancta Marian 7 ealra ˇara halgena ˇe resta∂ innan Cristes cyrcean . 7 æt sancte Augustine . ˇis is eall so∂ gelyfe se ˇe wylle . na gebad Ælfstan abbod næfre on nanan oˇre wisan ˇone ˇriddan penig of Sandwic. Godes bletsung si mid us eallon a on ecnysse. Amen.