S 985

A.D. 1017 x 1020. Writ of King Cnut declaring that he has confirmed, at the request of Archbishop Lyfing, the liberties of Christ Church. English

Archive:

Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Royal 1 D IX, f. 44v (s. xi 1; Chaplais 1966/1, pl. II, opp. p. 174 = 1973, pl. II, opp. p. 65)

Printed:

Wanley, Catalogus, p. 181; K, 731; Thorpe, p. 308; Harmer, Writs, no. 26

Printed and Translated:

Pelteret 1995, pp. 282-3

Comments:

Harmer, Writs, pp. 168-71, 446-8, authentic; Chaplais 1965, pp. 54-5 (= 1973, p. 35); Chaplais 1966, p. 18, copy in Canterbury gospel-book, declaration may originally have reached Canterbury in oral form (= 1981, XV p. 18); Chaplais 1966a, p. 174, on scribe (= 1973, p. 59); Bishop 1971, p. 22, on script; Stenton 1971, p. 488, cited; Brooks 1984, pp. 288-90, entered in gospel-book by Canterbury scribe, very difficult to establish authenticity; Ker, Catalogue, p. 317 (no. 247); Dumville 1993, pp. 113 nn. 12-13, 116-17, 122, 139-40, copy of authentic writ, discusses scribe; Lawson 1993, pp. 66 n. 29, 237; Pelteret 1995, pp. 282-3; Sharpe 2003, p. 287, part of sequence of writs

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    Text

    • + Cnut cing gret Lyfing arcebisceop . 7 Godwine bisceop . 7 Ælmær abbot . 7 Æþelwine scirman . 7 Æþelric . 7 ealle mine þegnas . twelfhynde . 7 twihynde freondlice . 7 ic cyðe eow þæt se arcebisceop spæc to me ymbe Cristes cyrcean freols . þæt heo hæfð nu læsse munde þonne hio hwilan ær hæfde . Þa lyfde ic him þæt he moste niwne freols settan on minan naman . Þa cwæð he to me þæt he freolsas genoge hæfde gyf hi aht forstodan . Þa nam ic me sylf þa freolsas 7 gelede hi uppan Cristes agen weofod on þæs arcebisceopes gewitnysse . 7 on Þurkilles eorles . 7 on manegra goddra manna þe me mid wæron to ðan ylcan foreweardan þe hit Æþelbyrht cing gefreode . 7 ealle mine foregencgan . þæt næfre nan man ne sy swa dyrsti . sy he gehadod . sy he læwode þæt ænig þara þinga gelytlie þe on ðam freolse stænt . Gyf hit hwa þænne do . sy his lif her gescert . 7 his wunung on helle grunde butan he hit þe stiðlicor gebete ær his ænde be þæs arcebisceopes tæcincge:-
  • Metadata

    Translation

    • King Cnut greets Archbishop Lyfing and Bishop Godwine and Abbot Ælfmær and Æthelwine the Sheriff and Æthelric and all my thegns, ‘twelve-hundreders’ and ‘two-hundreders’, in friendship. And I inform you that the archbishop spoke to me about the freedom of Christ Church, that it now has less mund than it once had. Then I gave him permission to draw up a new charter of freedom in my name. Then he told me that he had charters of freedom enough, if only they availed anything. Then I myself took the charters of freedom and laid them on Christ’s own altar, in the witness of the archbishop and of Earl Thorkell and of many good men who were with me — with the same provisions as King Æthelberht and all my predecessors [had] freed it: that no-one, be he ecclesiastic or be he lay, shall ever be so presumptuous as to diminish any of the things that stand in the charter of freedom. And if any one do this, may his life here be shortened and may his dwelling be in the abyss of Hell, unless before his end he make amends for it more severely according to the archbishop’s instruction.
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    Old Text

    • Cnut cing gret Lyfing arcebiscop 7 Godwine biscop 7 Ælmær abbot 7 æˇelwine scirman 7 æˇelric 7 ealle mine ˇegnas twelfhynde 7 twihynde freondlice. & ic cy∂e eow ˇæt se arcebiscop spæc to me ymbe Cristes cyrcean freols ˇæt heo hæf∂ nu læsse munde ˇonne hio hwilan ær hæfde. ˇa lyfde ic him ˇæt he moste niwne freols settan on minan naman. ˇa cwæ∂ he to me ˇæt he freolsas genoge hæfde gyf hi aht forstodan. ˇa nam ic me sylf ˇa freolsas 7 gelede hi uppan Cristes agen weofod on ˇæs arcebiscop gewitnysse 7 on ˇurkilles eorles 7 on manegra goddra manna ˇe me mid wæron to ∂an ylcan foreweardan ˇe hit æˇelbyrht cing gefreode 7 ealle mine foregencgan, ˇæt næfre nan man ne sy swa dyrsti sy he gehadod sy he læwode ˇæt ænig ˇara ˇinga gelytlie ˇe on ∂am freolse stænt. Gyf hit hwa ˇænne do sy his lif her gescert 7 his wunung on helle grunde butan he hit ˇe sti∂licor gebete ær his ænde be ˇæs arcebiscopes tæcincge.