S 1445

A.D. 899 x 924. Letter to King Edward explaining the history of land at Fonthill. English.

Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church

MSS: Canterbury, D. & C., Chart. Ant. C. 1282 (Red Book, no. 12; s. x; OS Facs., i. 13; Canterbury 1936, pl. between pp. 8-9; Keynes 1992, pp. 59-60)

Printed: K 328; Thorpe, pp. 169-74, with translation; Essays, pp. 338-42, with translation; B 591; Earle, pp. 162-5; Harmer, SEHD, no. 18 (pp. 30-2), with translation, pp. 60-3; Wyatt 1919, pp. 112-15; Keynes 1992, in sections, with translation; Gretsch 1994, pp. 98-100, with translation pp. 100-2.

Translated: Goodchild 1929, pp. 325-8; Canterbury 1936, pp. 11-15; Whitelock, EHD, no. 102 (pp. 544-6).

Comments: Stevenson 1912, p. 5 n. 12; Harmer, SEHD, pp. 114-16; Mawer 1941-2, pp. 91-2; John 1960, pp. 87, 172; Finberg, ECW, no. 227, authentic; John 1966, p. 148-50, on lawsuit; Whitelock, EHD, p. 544; Keynes 1980, p. 33 n. 57, cited; Dumville 1987, p. 171, probably written in 910s or 920s; Wormald 1988, nos 23-6; Keynes 1990, pp. 248-9, 250 n. 97; Dumville 1992, pp. 44-5, on estate history; Keynes 1992, probably written nearer to c. 920 than 900; Reynolds 1992, p. 218 n. 33, p. 219 n. 36 (= 1994, p. 330 nn. 30, 35); Kitson 1993, p. 644; Gretsch 1994, on language; Kennedy 1995, pp. 153 n., 162 n., 163 n., 167 n., 171, 180 n., 183; Smyth 1995, pp. 393-400; Boynton and Reynolds 1996, on authorship.

+ Leof, ic ðe cyðe hu hit wæs ymb ðæt lond æt Funtial ða fif hida ðe Æðelm Higa ymb spycð. Ða Helmstan ða undæde gedyde ðæt he Æðeredes belt for'stæl', ða ongon Higa him specan sona on mid oðran onspecendan 7 wolde him oðflitan ðæt lond. Ða sohte he me 7 bæd me ðæt ic him wære forespeca, forðon ic his hæfde ær onfongen æt biscopes honda ær he ða undæde 'gedyde'. Ða spæc ic him fore 7 ðingade him to Ælfrede cinge.

Ða, God forgelde his saule, ða lyfde he ðæt he moste beon ryhtes wyrðe for mire forspæce 7 ryhtrace wið Æðelm ymb ðæt lond. Ða het he hie seman, ða wæs ic ðara monna sum ðe ðærto genemned wæran, 7 Wihtbord 7 Ælfric - wæs ða hrælðen - 7 Byrhthelm 7 Wulfhun ðes blaca æt Sumortune 7 Strica 7 Ubba 7 ma monna ðonne ic nu genemnan mæge.

Ða reahte heora ægðer his spell, ða ðuhte us eallan ðæt Helmstan moste gan forð mid ðon bocon 7 geagnigean him ðæt lond, ðæt he hit hæfde swa Æðeldryð hit Osulfe on æht gesealde wið gemedan feo, 7 heo cwæð to Osulfe ðæt heo hit ahte him wel to syllanne forðon hit wæs hire morgengifu ða heo æ[re]st to Aðulfe com. 7 Helmstan ðis eal on ðon aðe befeng. 7 Ælfred cing ða Osulfe his hondsetene sealde, ða he ðæt lond æt Æðeldryðe bohte, ðæt hit swa stondan moste, 7 Eadweard his 7 Æðelnað his 7 Deormod his 7 ælces ðara monna ðe mon ða habban wolde. Ða we hie æt Weardoran nu semdan, ða bær mon ða boc forð 7 rædde hie; ða stod seo hondseten eal ðæron. Ða ðuhte us eallan ðe æt ðære some wæran, ðæt Helmstan wære aðe ðæs ðe near. Ða næs Æðelm na fullice geðafa ær we eodan in to cinge 7 sædan eall hu we hit reahtan 7 be hwy we hit reahtan; 7 Æðelm stod self ðærinne mid. 7 cing stod - ðwoh 'his' honda - æt Weardoran innan ðon bure. Ða he ðæt gedon hæfde, ða ascade he Æðelm hwy hit him ryht ne ðuhte ðæt we him gereaht hæfdan, cwæð ðæt he nan ryhtre geðencan ne meahte ðonne he ðone að agifan moste gif he meahte. Ða cwæð ic ðæt he wolde cunnigan 7 bæd ðone cing ðæt he hit andagade; 7 he ða swa dyde. 7 he gelædde ða to ðon andagan ðone að be fulla[n. 7] bæd me ðæt ic him fultemade 7 cwæð ðæt him wære leofre ðæt he [ðæt land me se] alde ðonne se að forburste oððe hit æfr[. . . . . . . . . . g . . .]æde. Ða cwæð ic ðæt ic him wolde fylstan to ryhte, 7 næfre to nanan wo, on þa gerada ðe he his me uðe; 7 he me ðæt on wedde gesealde.

7 we ridan ða to ðon andagan; ic 7 Wihtbord rad mid me 7 Byrhthelm rad ðider mid Æðelme. 7 we gehyrdan ealle ðæt he ðone að be fulan ageaf. ða we cwædan ealle ðæt hit wære geendodu spæc ða se dom wæs gefylled. 7 leof, hwonne bið engu spæc geendedu gif mon ne mæg nowðer ne mid feo ne mid aða geendigan? Oððe gif mon ælcne dom wile onwendan ðe Ælfred cing gesette, hwonne habbe we ðonne gemotað? 7 he me ða boc ða ageaf swa he me on ðon wedde ær geseald hæfde, sona swa se að agifen was. 7 ic him gehet ðæt he moste ðes londes brucan ða hwile ðe he lifde, gif he <...> hine wolde butan bysmore gehealdan.

Ða onufan ðæt ymban oðer healf gear nat ic hweðer ðe ymb tua, ða forstæl he ða unlædan oxan æt Funtial, ðe he mid ealle fore forwearð, 7 draf to Cytlid; 7 hine mon ðæræt aparade. 7 his speremon ahredde ða sporwreclas. Ða he fleah, ða torypte hine an breber ofer ðæt nebb; ða he ætsacan wolde, ða sæde him mon ðæt to tacne. Ða swaf Eanulf Penearding on - wæs gerefa - ða genom eal ðæt yrfe him on ðæt he ahte to Tyssebyrig. 'Ða' ascade ic hine hwy he swa dyde, ða cwæð he ðæt he wære ðeof. 7 mon gerehte ðæt yrfe cinge forðon he wæs cinges mon.

7 Ordlaf feng to his londe; forðon hit wæs his læn ðæt he on sæt, he ne meahte na his forwyrcan. 7 tu hine hete ða flyman. ða gesahte [? for gesohte] 'he' ðines fæder lic 7 brohte insigle to me, 7 ic wæs æt Cippanhomme mit te. Ða ageaf ic ðæt insigle ðe. 7 ðu him forgeafe his eard 7 ða are ðe he get on gebogen hæfð.

7 ic feng to minan londe 7 sealde hit ðon biscope ða on ðine gewitnesse 7 ði'n'ra weotena ða fif hida wið ðon londe æt Lidgeard wið fif hidan. 7 biscop 7 eal hiwan forgeafan me ða feower; 7 an was teoðinglond.

Ðonne, leof, is me micel neodðearf ðæt hit mote stondan swa hit nu gedon is 7 gefyrn wæs. Gif hit elleshwæt bið, ðonne sceal ic 7 wylle beon gehealden on ðon ðe ðe to ælmessan ryht ðincð.

Endorsed:
+ 7 Æðelm Higa eode of ðam geflite ða cing wæs æt Worgemynster on Ordlafes gewitnesse 7 on Osferðes 7 on Oddan 7 on Wihtbordes 7 on Ælfstanes ðys blerian 7 on Æðelnoðes.