S 817

A.D. 963 x 975. King Edgar to Old Minster, Winchester; renewal of the privileges of Chilcomb, Hants. Latin and English versions

Archive:

Winchester, Old Minster

MSS:

1. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 110, pp. 255-358, pp. 299-300 (s. xvi; Latin)
2. London, British Library, Add. 15350, ff. 9v-10r (s. xii med.; Latin)
3. London, British Library, Harley 358, ff. 62v-63r (s. xvi; Latin)
4. Winchester, DC., St Swithun's Cartulary, pt 1, ff. 5v-6r (s. xiv; Latin)
5. London, British Library, Add. 15350, f. 10r (s. xii med.; English)

Printed:

Mon. Angl., i. 982, Latin version; K, 512, Latin version ; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), i. 212 (no. 9) , Latin version ; Thorpe, pp. 228-9, 256-7 , Latin version ; Thorpe, pp. 226-8, English version ; B, 1147, Latin version, ex MS 2; B, 1148, English version

Printed and Translated:

Robertson, Charters, no. 38 (pp. 68-71), English version; Rumble 2002, no. V (ii), (iii)

Comments:

Maitland 1897, p. 497, spurious; Harmer, Writs, pp. 374, 377-9, Englsh version a paraphrase of the Latin; Robertson, Charters, pp. 324-5; Finberg, ECW, no. 110, authentic, cf. pp. 237-41, probably drafted at Winchester with Edgar's knowledge, but not formally promulgated; John 1965, esp. pp. 408-11, 415 n., 417, 420; Chaplais 1966, p. 171, spurious, forger probably also responsible for S 325 and 946 (= 1973, pp. 55-6); Hart 1970a, p. 25 (no. 13), authentic; Biddle et al. 1976, pp. 256-7, on Chilcomb; Wormald 1988a, p. 39 n. 106; Wormald 1988a, p. 41 n. 115, on use of the vernacular; Rumble 2002, p. 17, no. V (ii), (iii), edits SS 814-19, 821-7 as a single document; suggests that a little late tenth or early eleventh-century cartulary may lie behind it, perhaps compiled under influence of Æthelwold

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    • Freols Boc to Cyltancumbe . Mundanæ volubilitas orbita nunquam in eodem statu permanet . sed cotidiano defectu more fluentis aquæ decurrit . ob id quæ rerum preteritarum effectus oblivioni tradetur . Nisi litterarum caracteribus exaretur . quibus quasi quodam anchoræ ligamento ne penitus a memoria defluat retinetur . hoc quæ modo quæ olim gesta fuerant posteris innotescit . Quapropter in hac cartula manifeste declaratur . qualiter ego . Eadgar . opitulante gratuita salvatoris mundi clementia Anglorum basileus A∂elwoldo . michi pontificum dilectissimo suggerente . cum optimatum meorum consilio devotus renovavi . Cyltancumbes . hereditariam libertatem . quæ vallis undique adjacet Wentanæ civitati . eandemque renovatam privilegii libertatem sanctæ et individuæ Trinitati humillime commendavi . et in veteri monasterio in æcclesia beatorum Petri et Pauli ad usum monachorum Deo inibi regulariter famulantium . et Christo cotidie pro omni Christiano populo supplicantium . perpetuo jure conservari precepi . Hanc quoque renovationem in ipsa eademque libertate fine tenus perdurare jussi . qua illam ab avis et atavis et ab omnibus regibus antecessoribus meis donatam esse comperi . Quorum primi extiterunt . Cynegils rex . et filius ejus Cynewalh rex . qui in exordio Christianæ fidei sancto Birino episcopo verbum Dei predicante concesserunt ejusdem ruris possessionem ad prefatum sancti loci monasterium . Deinde successores eorum scilicet Ecgbirht rex . Adulf rex . Ælfred rex . Eadweard rex . et reliqui omnes . donec Christi gratia me quando voluit . et sicut voluit super omne regnum gentis Anglorum regem constituit . Ideoque precipio in nomine domini nostri Jesu Christi . ut juxta priorum decreta regum tota ipsius telluris quantitas cum omnibus appendiciis suis ; pro una tantummodo mansa ab omnibus posteris reputetur ; Et ut nullus episcopus ejusdem loci illam terram de ipso monasterio tradere audeat ; nec alicui secularium pro munere quolibet eam dare presumat . Hoc quoque provida consideratione super addidi et mandavi . ut nullus filiorum vel nepotum meorum . nec aliquis successorum illorum ad predictum sedis episcopalis cænobium clericos umquam introducat . sed locus idem semper monachis Christo ibidem servientibus deputetur . sicut ipse ego co operante Dei omnipotentis auxilio constitui . quando superbos clericos qui Deo servire contempserunt . pro nefandis suis actibus et detestandis spurcitiis inde eliminatos expuli . ibique sacram cænobitarum congregationem qui in hympnis et laudibus domino voluntarie servirent devotus aggregavi . Prefatæ siquidem terræ summa ; centum cassatorum portio est . sed tamen ut dictum est . a cunctis antecessoribus regibus tam pro illorum quam pro omnium successorum illorum æterna redemptione predicta libertate donata . Deoque omnipotenti et sanctis apostolis ejus Petro et Paulo . æternaliter concessa est . Quicumque hanc libertatem custodire voluerit ; custodiat eum Deus et hic et in ævum . Si quis autem diabolica suggestione deceptus . hanc libertatem minuere vel infringere presumpserit . veniant super eum omnium maledictionem genera quæ scripta sunt in veteri et novo testamento . sitque cælum ferreum super capud ejus . et tellus enea sub pedibus ejus . et sit ipse æterno anathemate separatus a Deo et omnibus sanctis ejus . et apostolica beatorum . Petri et Pauli auctoritate ligatus sit quam diu vixerit . et post maledictum obitum suum gehennalibus flammis cum diabolo et angelis ejus sine fine dampnatus et cruciatus intereat nisi prius emendaverit . quod Deum omnipotentem et sanctos apostolos ejus pro nichilo spernere non timuit . Huius quoque libertatis renovationem . patria lingua hoc est Anglica scribere jussi . ne quis secularium de ignorantia se excusare possit . quia Latinam sermocinationem forte non didicit ; Neque eam quamvis coram se legeretur intelligere novit . Her is geswutelod on ˇisum gewrite . hu Aˇelwold bisceop begeat æt his leofan cynehlaforde Eadgare cyninge ˇæt he mid geˇeahte his witana geniwode . Ciltancumbes freols ˇære halgan ˇrynnesse 7 sancte Petre 7 sancte Paule into Wintanceastre . ˇan hirede on ealdan mynstre . ealswa his yldran hit ær gefreodon ; ærest Cynegils cyning 7 his sunu Cynewald cyning . ˇe on angynne cristendomes hit sealdan . ealswa hit li∂ on ælche healfe ˇæs portes into ˇære halgan stowe . 7 sy∂∂an ealle heora æftergengen . ˇæt wæs Egcbirt cynincg . and Aˇulf cyning . 7 Ælfred cynincg . 7 Eadweard cynincg . 7 he geu∂e ˇæt man ˇæt land on eallum ˇingon for ane hide werode . swa swa his yldran hit ær gesetton 7 gefreodon . wære ˇær mare landes . wære ˇær læsse . 7 he bead on Godes naman ˇæt na∂er ne ˇære stowe bisceop ne nanes bisceopes æftergenga ˇæt land næfre of ˇære stowe geutode . ne hit nanan portmen wi∂ nanan sceatte ne wi∂ ceape gesealde . 7 he bead ˇurh Godes ælmichtiges myclan mægenˇrymm ˇæt nan his bearna ne nan heora æftergengcana ˇæt menster æfre leng mid preostan gesette . ac ˇæt hit efre mid munecan stode . swa swa he hit mid Godes ælmilhtiges fultume gesette . ˇa ˇa he hit ˇa modigan preostas for heora mandædon ˇanan ut adrefde . 7 ˇerinne munecas gelogode ˇæt hi Godes ˇeowedom æfter sancte Benedictes tæcinge . 7 dæghwamlice to Gode cleopodon for ealles cristenes folces alidsednesse. Ealles ˇæs landes is an hund hida . ac ˇa godan cynegas 7 ˇa wisan ælc æfter oˇran ˇæt ylce land swa gefreodon Gode to lofe 7 his ˇeowan to brycen 7 to fostorlande . ˇæt hit man æfre on ende for ane hide werian sceolde. Se ˇe ˇysne freols healdan wille . God ælmihtig hine gehealde her 7 on ecnesse. Gif hwa ˇonne ˇurh ænige dyrstignesse o∂∂e ˇurh deofles lare ˇisne freols abrecan wille . o∂∂e ˇas gesetednesse on o∂er awendan durre . Se he awyrged mid eallan ˇan awyrgednessan ˇe synd awritene on eallan halgan bocan . 7 sy he ascyred fram ures Drichtnes gemanan 7 ealra his halgana . 7 sy he gebunden ˇa hwile ˇe he libbe on ˇisam life mid ˇan ylcan bendan ˇe God ælmihtig ˇyrh hine sylfne betæchte his halgan apostolan Petre 7 Paule . 7 æfter his awyrgedan for∂si∂e ligge he efre on healle grundleasan pytte . 7 byrne he on ˇan ecan fyre mid deofle 7 his englan a butan ælcan ende . butan he hit ær his for∂si∂e gebete. Amen.