S 98
? A.D 743 x 745. Æthelbald, king of Mercia, to Milred, bishop, and St Peter's Minster, Worcester; remission of the toll due on two ships at London. English.
Archive: Worcester
MSS: BL Cotton Tib. A. xiii, 20r (s. xi1)
Printed: Hearne, Heming, pp. 45-6; K 95; Thorpe, pp. 28-9; B 171; Earle, pp. 41-2; Robertson, Charters, no. 1 (pp. 2-3) with translation.
Comments: Turner 1916, p. xxxiii, citing Stevenson, dubious; Robertson, Charters, pp. 259-60, a translation from a Latin original; Vleeskruyer 1953, p. 47; Dyer and Clarke 1968-9, p. 28; Brooke and Keir 1975, p. 367, probably authentic; Gelling, ECTV, no. 199, authentic; Scharer 1982, pp. 201-2, authentic basis, but not genuine in present form; Wormald 1985, p. 25, broadly trustworthy; Sims-Williams 1990, pp. 146-7, 328; Kelly 1992, on ship-toll privileges; Kelly, St Augustine's, pp. lxxxv-xc, on diplomatic; John of Worcester, pp. 192-3 n. 4, on the difficulty that the witnesses include Milred's predecessor as bishop of Worcester.
+ In usses Dryhtnes noman hælendes Cristes . ic Æðelbald Myrcna cincg wæs beden from þæm arfullan bisceope Milrede þætt ic him alefde 7 his þæm halegan hirede alle nedbade tuegra sceopa þe þærto limpe'n'de beoð, þett ic him forgefe . þa þæm eadgan Petre apostola aldormen in þæm mynstre þeowiað þæt is geseted in Huicca mægðe . in þære stowe þe mon hateð Weogernacester þære bene swyðe arfulre geðafunge ic wæs syllende for minre sawle læcedome to ðon þætt for minum synnum hi heo geeaðmedden þætte heo wæren gelomlice þingeras wið drihten swyðe lustfullice þa forgeofende ic him alyfde alle nedbade tuegra sceopa . þa þe þær abædde beoð from þæm nedbaderum in Lundentunes hyðe ond næfre ic ne mine lastweardas ne ða nedbaderas geðristlæcen þæt heo hit onwenden oððe þon wiðgæn . gif heo þæt nyllen syn heo þonne amansumade from dælneomencge liceman 7 blodes usses drihtnes hælendes Cristes . 7 from alre neweste geleafulra syn heo asceadene 7 asyndrade nymðe heo hit her mid þingonge bote gebete.
+ Ic Æþelbald . cincg mine agene sylene trymmende ic heo wrat. Milred bisceop þare halegan rode tacen he heron gefæstnode. Inguwald biscop geðafiende he hit wrat. Wilfrið biscop he hit wrat. Alda cinges gefera he hit wrat.