A.D. 941. King Edmund to Ælfheah, minister; grant of 16 hides (mansae) at Pitminster, Somerset. Latin with English bounds

Archive:

Winchester, Old Minster

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Add. 15350, ff. 30r-31r (s. xii med.)

Printed:

K, 1140; B, 770

Comments:

Grundy, Somerset, pp. 30-4, on bounds; Drögereit 1935, pp. 378-9, authentic; Finberg, ECW, no. 444, authentic; Hart 1970a, p. 27 (no. 55), authentic; O'Donovan 1972, pp. 32-3, citing Whitelock, may not be reliable; Keynes 1980, p. 66 n. 124, on formulation, cf. S 440, the grant of the same estate to the same beneficiary

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    • ˘is is ˇara . xvi . hida boc æt Pipigmynstræ ˇe Edmund cing gebocode Elfegæ his ˇegnæ on ece yrfæ . Beantis universorum voce monemur preclara . procuremus incessanter sine amaritudine mentis huius seculi ambitione integra libertate apertis januis intrare ad eum qui suo cruore scelera nostra detersit injusta . Licet primi prothoplasti facinore violata improbis successionibus deterioranda . istic degentibus vilescerent . tamen omnibus namque sapientibus notum ac manifestum constat quod dicta futura vel facta pro multiplici erumpnarum perturbatione . et cogitationem vagatione frequenter ex memoria recedunt . Nisi apicibus litterarum et custodiæ cautela scripturarum reserventur . et ad memoriam revocentur . Idcirco ego Eadmundus . industrius Anglorum rex cæterarumque gentium in circuitu persistentium . secundo anno imperii mei litteratoriis apicibus roboravi . quod cum consensu heroicorum virorum tradidi cuidam meo fideli ministro vocitato nomine Ælfheago modicam numinis mei partem . id est . xvi . mansas agelluli aeternaliter tradendo concessi . ubi turbarum collatione jamdudum nomen illatum hoc adesse propertur . æt Pippingmynstre . ut terram jam prefatam meo scilicet ovante concessu tramitibus suæ possideat vitæ . Deinceps namque sibi succedenti cui voluerit heredi derelinquat ceu predixi in æternam hereditatem . Maneat igitur meum hoc immobile donum æterna libertate jocundum cum omnibus quæ ad ipsum locum pertinere dinoscuntur . tam in magnis quam in modicis rebus . Campis . pascuis . Pratis . Silvis . dirivatisque cursibus aquarum . excepto communi labore . expeditione . Pontis . arcisvæ coedificatione . Si qui denique michi non optanti hanc libertatis cartam livore depressi violari satagerint agminibus tetre caliginis lapsi vocem audiant examinationis die arbitris sibi dicentis . 'Discedite a me maledicti in ignem eternum'1 . Vbi cum demonibus et cum Juda Christi proditore ferreis sartaginibus crudeli torqueantur in pæna . Si non ante mortem digna hoc emandaverint penitentia . Sed tamen surgunt frequenter nenia machinantium quomodo possunt infringere statuta priscorum . Sed hoc omni modo ab omnibus christianis interdico . ita ut meum donum corroboratum sit cum signaculo sanctæ crucis . Etiam si quis alium antiquum librum in propatulo protulerit nec sibi nec aliis proficiat sed in sempiterno graphio deleatur et cum justis non scribatur nec audiatur . His terminibus predicta terra circumgirata esse videtur . ˘is synd ˇa land ge mere to ˇan . xvi . hidum æt Pippingmynstre. Ærest of fearres cumbes heafde west on ∂one herepo∂ . swa west and langes ˇes herepo∂es . ˇet it cyme to easte wear∂re ac beara . ˇæt nor∂ on ge richte of ac beara weste weardre on ˇæs biscopes ge mere . 7 bennacumbes . Swa adun æfter ˇæs biscopes ge mere 7 bennacumbes for∂ . ˇæt hit cym∂ be nor∂e fyrs leage . swa of nor∂e wer∂ne fyrs leage . on bennacumbes for∂ . ˇonne up on gean stream . east on tuhhele mor . of ˇam more on ge rihte on heardan geat . Of ˇam geate on hagan on deopan ford . Of ˇam forda on ˇa land sceare . adun on sciteres stream . Of ˇan streame on ge rihte on witan stan on higean beara nor∂e wear∂re . ˇanon on readan for∂ . Of ˇam forda east on ˇone herepo∂ . Of ˇam herepo∂e su∂ . ˇonne on lang ham . Of ˇan hamme ˇanon binan efisc on gregean stan . Of ˇam stane on lind horan . Of lind horan on ˇone healdan hagan . on wealdenes weg . Of ˇam wege upan dune on hringwoldes beorg . Of ˇam beorge west and lang dune on wi∂igsled . to henna ˇorne . ˇanon west on ˇa ealdan dic . ˇonne sume hwile be ˇere dic . 7 ˇanon nor∂ ofer wi∂ancumb ˇæt ef[t] on fearrescumbes heafod . Acta est hæc prefata donatio anno ab incarnatione domini nostro Jhesu Christi . dccccxli . Indictione . xiiii . Ego Eadmundus rex Anglorum prefatam donationem cum sigillo sanctæ crucis confirmavi . Ego Eadred ejusdem regis frater consignavi . Egp Wulfhelm Dorobernensis æcclesiæ archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum tropheo agie crucis consignavi . Ego Eadgifu ejusdem regis mater consensi . Ego Theodred Lundoniensis æcclesiæ episcopus consensi . Ego Ælfheah Wintoniensis æcclesiæ episcopus trumphale tropheum agie crucis impressi . Ego Kynewald episcopus consignavi . Ego Ælfric episcopus consignavi . Ego Oda episcopus subarravi . Ego Eˇelgar episcopus roboravi . Ego Wulfhelm episcopus consignavi . Ego Wulfgar dux . Ego Æ∂elwold dux . Ego Æ∂elstan dux . Ego Aˇelmund dux . Ego A∂elstan dux . Ego Ealhelm dux . Ego Vhtred dux . Ego Odda minister . Ego Ælfric minister . Ego Eadmund minister . Ego Wullaf minister . Ego Wulfgar minister . Ego Eadric minister . Ego Ælfstan minister . Ego Ælfheah minister . Ego Elfstan minister . Ego Eˇered minister . Ego Ælfsige minister . Ego Æˇered minister . Ego Ordheah minister . Ego Elfred minister . Ego Wulfric minister . Ego Ælfhelm minister .