S 980

A.D. 1021 x 1023. King Cnut to Bury St Edmunds Abbey; grant of privileges and of renders of fish from Welle (Upwell and Outwell, Norfolk) and of eels from Lakenheath, Suffolk. Latin and English versions

Archive:

Bury St Edmunds

MSS:

1. King's Lynn, Corporation Manuscripts, Ae. 34 (s. xi/xii; BA Facs., 33; Hervey 1907, facing p. 596)
2. Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, 111, pp. 137-311, pp. 284-285 (s. xvi; Latin)
3. Cambridge, University Library, Ee.3.60, ff. 125v-126v (s. xiv med.)
4. Cambridge, University Library, Ff.2.33, f. 20r-v (s. xiii 2)
5. Cambridge, University Library, Gg.4.4, ff. 94v-95r (s. xv med.; Latin)
6. Cambridge, University Library, Gg.4.4, ff. 101v-102r (s. xv med.)
7. Cambridge, University Library, Gg.4.4, f. 270r-v (s. xv med.)
8. Cambridge, University Library, Mm.4.19, ff. 85r-87r (s. xii 2)
9. London, British Library, Cotton Augustus ii. 8 (s. xv)
10. London, British Library, Harley 76, ff. 138r-139r (s. xi/xii)
11. London, British Library, Harley 258, f. 59r-v (s. xvii; Latin)
12. London, British Library, Harley 358, ff. 44v-45r (s. xvi)
13. London, British Library, Harley 638, f. 25r-v (s. xiv)
14. London, British Library, Harley 743, f. 57r-v (s. xiv med.; Latin)
15. London, Public Record Office, C 53, 8 Edw. II, no. 11 (Latin)
16. London, Public Record Office, C 53, 4 Edw. III, no. 58 (Latin)
17. London, Public Record Office, C 53, 7-8 Ric. II, no. 11 (Latin)
18. London, Public Record Office, C 53, 1 Hen. IV, pt 2, no. 2
19. London, Public Record Office, C 53, 1 Hen. V, pt 2, no. 6
20. London, Public Record Office, C 66, 2 Hen. VI, pt 2, m. 38 (Latin)
21. London, Public Record Office, C 66, 2 Edw. IV, pt 6, m. 21 (Latin)
22. London, Public Record Office, C 56, 6, no. 9
23. London, Public Record Office, C 56, 14, no. 10
24. London, Public Record Office, C 56, 53, no. 5
25. London, Public Record Office, E 32, Bundle 16, m. 6 (s. xiv; Latin)
26. London, Society of Antiquaries, 128, f. 149v (s. xvii; incomplete)
27. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Bodley 297, pp. 353-354 (s. xii; Latin)
28. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Dodsworth 10 (S.C. 4152), f. 72r-v (s. xvii; Latin)
29. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Dodsworth 110 (S.C. 5051), f. 138r-v (s. xvii; Latin)
30. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Dugdale 11 (S.C. 6501), f. 18r-v (s. xvii)
31. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Gough Cambridge 22 (S.C. 17772), ff. 12v-13r (s. xiv 2)
32. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Junius 62 (S.C. 5173), ff. 3r-5v (s. xvii)
33. Oxford, Bodleian Library, Eng. hist. C. 241, f. 23v (s. xvi)

Printed:

Hickes, Diss. Epist., p. 65, English only; Alford 1663, iii. 481, ex MS 24; Battely 1745, pp. 132-3, Latin only; K, 735 from MSS 4, 11, 12; Mon. Angl. (rev. edn), iii. 137-8 (no. 5), ex MS 15; Goodwin 1855, pp. 108-11; Goodwin 1855, pp. 111-12, English only; Thorpe, pp. 305-8; Arnold, Memorials, i. 342-4; John of Worcester, ii. 643-5

Printed and Translated:

Hervey 1907, pp. 596-7, English only

Comments:

Goodwin 1855, pp. 94-104, authentic, dates it 1021 x 1022; Larson 1910, p. 725 n. 28; Galbraith 1925, p. 224; Lobel 1935, pp. 4, 5, form dubious but no reason to doubt content; Harmer, Writs, pp. 433-4, authenticity in present form questionable, cf. S 1046; Hart, ECEE, no. 86, may be authentic; HRH, p. 233, dubious, dates 1022 x 1023; Keynes 1980, pp. 126 n. 136, 143 n. 212, dubious; Gransden 1982, pp. 70-71, forged under Abbot Baldwin, probably for episcopal-primacy dispute hearing of 1081; Gransden 1985, pp. 10-11, forged; BA Facs., p. 10, late-11th-century forgery; Dumville 1993, pp. 37 n. 141, 40-1, 133; Lawson 1993, pp. 66 n. 29, 239, likely forgery, links with S 984; Keynes 1994a, pp. 49 n. 39, 52 n. 51, spurious, partly modelled on S 984; Wormald 1995, p. 128; Wormald 1996, p. 123; Sharpe 2003, pp. 245-6, forged

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    Old Text

    • + In nomine poliarchis Iesu Christi saluatoris mundi totiusque creaturae creatoris, cuius diuino dominatui quaeque dominationes debito seruitio subnixe deseruiunt, cuius etiam omnipotentatui uniuersi potentatus obsecundari examussim properant, quia bonitas eius bonitas est incomprehensibilis et miseratio interminabilis, dapsilitas bonitatis ineffabilis, longanimitas quoque super prauorum nequitias quantitatis prolixitate cuiuslibet longior, qui cotidianis admonitionibus religiosam conuersationem ducentes monet, ut pie sectando iustitiae culturam non eam deserendo linquant, quin potius perseuerabili instantia in eius cultura, ut permaneant paterno affectu hortatur, qui nihilominus eadem affectione mandet peccatoribus ut resipiscant a suis iniquitatibus conuertentes, quia eorum execratur mortem. Eius amoris stimulo et fide suffultus, cuius largiflua miseratione, ego Cnut rex totius Albionis insulae aliarumque nationum plurimarum in cathedra regali promotus, cum consilio et decreto archiepiscoporum, episcoporum, abbatum, comitum, aliorumque omnium meorum fidelium, elegi sanciendum atque perpeti stabilimento ab omnibus confirmandum, ut monasterium quod Beadriches wor∂e nuncupatur sit per omne aeuum monachorum gregibus deputatum ad inhabitandum, et ab omni dominatione omnium episcoporum comitatus illius funditus liberum, ut in eo domino seruientes monachi sine ulla inquietudine pro statu regni dominum praeualeant precari. Placuit etiam in hanc optionis electionem roborare priuilegio isto in quo uidere praecepi libertatis donum, quod iam olim Eadmundus rex Occidentalium Saxonum largitus est suo aequiuoco, pro nanciscenda eius gratia et mercede aeterna, scilicet, Eadmundo regi et martyri, quod bono uoto augere cupimus, quatinus eius promereri precibus merear portionem eius beatitudinis post huius uitae cursum, tali libertate concedo fundo frui illi, in quo idem sanctus pausat, ut quotiens populus uniuersus persoluit censum Danis, uel ad naues seu ad arma, persoluant inhabitantes in ipso fundo eadem ad usus quos elegerint fratres illius loci. Sitque nobis remedio hoc mihi quippe aeque reginae meae Ælfgife ac filiis nostris, omnibusque qui pridem ei hoc contulerunt. Huic libertati concedo additamentum, scilicet, maritimos pisces, qui mihi contingere debeant annualiter per thelonii lucrum et piscationem quam Ulfkitel habuit in Welle, et omnia iura quarumcunque causarum in uillis quae monasterio adiacent et quae adiiciendae sunt per gratiam dei. Dedi, quoque regina mea assensu concedens ei, pro sua eleemosyna dare .iiii. millia anguillarum cum muneribus quae pertinent ad illas pro annuali censu in uilla quae cognominatur Lakinghe∂e. Si quislibet, quod absit, istam libertatem quolibet conatu nititur seruitutis iugo subigere, uel praua intentione transmutare, ut rursus clericos in eo collocet loco, sit addictus captiuitati aeternae carens sempiterna libertate, et mancipatus seruitio diaboli eiusque consortio sit inextricabilibus habenis constitutus, nisi satisfactio eius erratui subueniat, quod prorsus optamus. + Ego Cnut rex gentis Anglorum aliarumque nationum nihilominus hoc priuilegium iussi componere et compositum cum signo dominicae crucis confirmando inpressi. + Ego Ælgifa regina omni alacritate mentis hoc confirmaui. + Ego Wlfstanus archiepiscopus consensi. + Ego Æ∂elno∂us archiepipscopus confirmaui. + Ego Godwinus episcopus corroboraui. + Ego Ælfwinus episcopus assensum dedi. + Ego Ælfsinus episcopus consignaui. + Ego Æ∂elricus episcopus conclusi. + Ego Ælfwinus episcopus roboraui. + Ego Brihtwaldus episcopus. + Ego Iric dux. + Ego Godwinus dux. + Ego Ulf dux. + Ego Eglaf dux. + Ego Hakun dux. + Ego Leofwinus dux. + Ego Godricus dux. + Ego Ælfwinus abbas. + Ego Leofwinus abbas. + Ego Wlfredus abbas. + Ego Oskitellus abbas. + Ego Leofricus abbas. + Ego Ælfwardus abbas. + Ego Æ∂elstanus abbas. + Ego Oslacus miles. + Ego ˘ord miles. + Ego ˘urkil miles,. + Ego ˘rim miles. + Ego Bro∂or miles. + Ego Ælfricus miles. + Ego Ælwinus miles. + Ego Ælfwinus. + Ego Ælfricus. + Ego Leofsius. + Ego Leofricus. + Ego Ælfricus. + Ego Leofricus. In ælmichtin drichtines name. Ic Cnut kyng ki∂e alle manne ∂a wed ∂at ic mid mine redgiuen red habbe for mine saule ˇearfe, and for alle mine ˇedschipes sendfulnesse. ∂at is, ∂at ic an ece fredomes ∂an halegen kinge seint Eadmund so for∂ so he firmest hauede into ∂ere stowe ∂at he on reste∂. And so wille ic ∂at se fredom stonde on his welde unawend buten alkes bisschopes anwelde ∂ere schire ekilike fre. And so fele si∂e so men gilde∂ hire geld o∂er to schipgeld, gelde se tunschipe so o∂ere men don to ∂ere moneke nede ∂e ∂er binnen schulen for hus ˇewien. And we curan ∂at it nefre ne schulde ani man wenden to o∂re Godes manne, buten he wolde ben aschired from Godis manne and alle hise halegen. And ic an ∂o monekes to fode al ∂at fischno∂e ∂at Wlfketel aichte at Welle and min gouelfisch ∂e me arist be selonde. And min quen ælgiue an ∂en halegen four ˇusend ele mid hire looc ∂e ∂erto bire∂ at lakinghe∂e. And ic an hem alle here tune socne of alle hire lond ∂e he nu habben and get bigeten schulen on Godes este.