S 351

A.D. 939. Alfred, king of the English, to Heahferth, minister; grant of 8 hides (mansae) at Worthy, Hants. Latin with English bounds

Archive:

Winchester, Old Minster

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Add. 15350, ff. 89v-90r (s. xii med.)

Printed:

K, 1121; B, 740

Comments:

Grundy, Hants., III, pp. 187-9, bounds are probably those of Chilland in Martyr Worthy, possibly also incorporating part of Itchen Abbas; Finberg, ECW, no. 56, authentic basis, formulas are of Athelstan's time but witness-list is composite, part 9th- and part 10th-century; Hart 1970a, p. 34 (no. 157), authentic basis; O'Donovan 1972, p. 38, very suspect; Sawyer, Burton, p. 8, very suspicious; Whitelock 1979, p. 77, spurious; Keynes 1980, p. 44 n. 81, forgery based on a genuine charter of King Athelstan; Keynes and Lapidge 1983, p. 281 n. 1, spurious, appears to combine elements from charters of Alfred and Athelstan; Hooke 1989a, p. 119, on woodland

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    Old Text

    • ˘is is ˇara . viii . hida boc 'æt Wor∂iæ' ˇe Ælfred cing gebocode Heahfyr∂ his ˇægne on ece yrfæ . Egregius agonista sermocinatus est in scripturis divinis 'omnia que videntur temporalia sunt , que autem non videntur eterna' . Idcirco superflua utentibus divinus sermo ut suprataxati sumus terribiliter premonet ut huius seculi caduca contempnentes spiritaliaque imitantes celestia properemus ad regna . Quamobrem . ego Ælfredus . desiderio regni celestis exardens favente superno numine basileus industrius Anglorum cunctarumque gentium in circuitu persistentium . cuidam adoptino fideli meo ministro Heahfyr∂ vocitato ob illius amabile obsequium dignatus sum largiri . viii . mansas agelluli . ibidem ubi vulgares prisco more mobilique relatione vocitant æt Wordige . cum pratis pascuis necnon et silvis silvarumque densitatibus ut hæc prosper[e] possideat ac æternaliter teneat . dum huius ævi fragilis cursum uti audebit . Post se autem veluti affirmavimus cuicumque voluerit heredi derelinquat . fiat etenim prefata terra ab omni servili jugo libera cum omnibus sibi recte pertinentibus . exceptis his tribus expeditione pontis arcisvæ coedificatione . Denique vero si quis nobis non optantibus nostrum hoc donum violari fraudulenter perpetrando consenserit . Consideret hinc se die ultima judicii coram Deo rationem redditurum atque cum reprobis quibus dicitur 'Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum' ; Pænis atrocibus se esse passurum . si non antea corporea lamentatione emendaverit . Istis terminibus predicta terra circumgyrata esse videtur . ˘is is ˇæt ge mære æt Wor∂ige. Ærest of icenan to iwiga∂ . of iwiga∂ to stan ceaslan . of stan ceaslan for∂ to bican sclæde swua for∂ to A∂elwoldes beorge . of A∂elwoldes beorge for∂ to æˇelmes hangram . ˇanon to cyrringe . for∂ to ˇan coppedan ˇorne . of ˇan coppedan ˇornæ . for∂ utan ˇa ea . of ˇara ea utan cyoling mor . Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jhesu . d . cccc xxxviiii . Indictione . xii . Ego Ælfred Rex tocius Bryttanniæ prefatam donationem cum sigillo sanctæ crucis confirmavi . Ego Eadweard filius regis . Ego Æ∂ered archiepiscopus predictum donum consensi . Ego Swithun episcopus consensi . Ego Ealstanus episcopus confirmavi . Ego Fry∂estan episcopus consignavi . Ego Aˇelwold episcopus consensi . Ego Byrhred episcopus roboravi . Ego Wullaf abbas confirmavi . Ego Eanulf dux . Ego Aˇulf dux . Ego Æˇelna∂ dux . Ego Byocca dux . Ego Æˇelwold dux . Ego Ceoleah minister . Ego Odda minister . Ego Ælfstan minister . Ego Æˇestan minister . Ego Eadmund minister . Ego Ælfred minister . Ego Æsculf minister . Ego Byrhfer∂ minister . Ego Byorhtulf minister . Ego Leofheah minister . Ego Buga minister . Ego Osulf minister . Ego Ælfric minister . Ego Deormod minister . Ego Byrhthelm minister . Ego Ealhstan minister . Ego Hæfa minister . Ego Alwold minister . Ego Aˇulf minister . Ego Heahno∂ minister .