S 67

A.D. 624 (? for 674). Wulfhere, king of Mercia, to Beorhtferth, his kinsman; grant of 5 hides (manentes) at Dillington, Hunts., in return for 30 mancuses of gold. Latin with English bounds

Archive:

Worcester

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Add. Ch. 19788 (s. xi; BM Facs., iv. 1)

Printed:

B, 32; Earle, pp. 4-5

Comments:

BM Facs., iv, p. 7, probably written in 11th century; Maitland 1897, pp. 229, 235, open to grave suspicion; Liebermann 1913, p. 74, spurious; Stenton 1918, p. 434 n. 6, spurious (= Stenton 1970, p. 49 n. 3); Grundy, Wilts., I, p. 150, rejects identification with Dilton, Wilts.; PN Beds. and Hunts., p. 269; Chaplais 1965, p. 50 n., typical forgery (= 1973, p. 31 n. 24); Hart, ECEE, no. 3, spurious, MS probably post-Conquest and very poorly preserved, date may originally have read 674, four witnesses are 8th-century, formulation is mid 9th century, hidage as in Domesday Book; Scharer 1982, pp. 145-6, spurious; Dumville 1993, p. 48 n. 210, notes Ramsey connection with estate.

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    Old Text

    • Px Regnante in perpetuum domino Deo vivo et vero . sine fine ullo in æternum cuncta tempora labenti sæculi in velocitate deficiunt adque instar umbræ meridiano tranando decidant et cotidie volendo nolendoque de hoc sæculo labimur . ideo magnopere cogit[and]um est ut cum caducis et temporalibus rebus æterna præmia conparare valeamus in cælis . memor illius exempli de quo dominus dixit :-- 'Sicut aqua extinguit ignem ita elemosinam extinguit peccatum.' 1 Ob quam causam ego Wulfhere rex Mercentium gentis pro amore omnipotentis Dei et illius fidelis ministri beati Petri apostoli . et quia in evangelio dictum est ;-- 'Dilige proximum tuum tanquam temet ipsum' 2 , et reliqua . ideo cum consensu et licentia amic[or]um meorum et optimatum meorum dabo Berhfer∂e propinqus meus aliquam partem agri in hereditatem perpetuam id est . v . manentes . ubi ruricoli nominantur Dilingtun cum campis et silvis et omnibus utensilibus rebus ad isto agro pertinente æternaliter ac perseverabiliter possideat abendi vel dandi cuicunque eligere voluerit. Hoc agrum liberatum est cum . xxx . mancusis cocti auri . et semper liber permaneat omnibus habentibus ab omnibus duris secularibus notis et ignotis præter arcem atque pontem ac vulgare militiam . Si quis vero quod non obtamus . . . . . frangere vel minuere temptaverit . sciat se anathematum ab omnipotenti . . . . . orum nisi hic cum satisfacione digne D[e]o et hominibus emenda[verit] . . . . . . hanc meam donationem signo crucis Christi perscribere jussi . . . . . ege suisque præcipientibus perscripsi + Wita episcopus . + Totta episcopus . + Ofa princeps . + Eadbriht princeps . + Tepra princeps . + Cynred princeps . + Eadbald minister . + Hearnbriht minister . + Eada . + Eoppa . + Ofa . + Acta est autem hæc donatio anno ab incarnatione domini . d.c.xxiiii.