S 308

A.D. 854 (Wilton, Wilts., 22 April). Æthelwulf, king of Wessex, to the Church; general grant of land and privileges with specific grant to Wiferth, minister, of 1 hide (cassatum) at Hardenhuish, Wilts. ('Second Decimation'). Latin with English bounds.

Archive: uncertain

MSS: BL Cotton Ch. viii. 35 (s. xi ?; BM Facs., ii. 32)

Printed: K 270 and vol. iii. 394; Thorpe, pp. 108-9; B 469.

Comments: Bond 1878, p. 7, later imitation; HS, pp. 638, 639, doubtful; Stevenson 1904, pp. 187-8, 'written by a scribe who was not an Englishman in an imitative hand with may have been copied from an earlier (spurious) original'; Stenton 1918, p. 445 n. 57, spurious (= Stenton 1970, p. 59 n. 3); Grundy, Wilts. 1919, pp. 170-1, probably refers to Hardenhuish, Wilts., but no landmarks can be positively identified; Robertson, Charters, p. 275, suspicious; Finberg, ECW, no. 203, authentic, cf. chapter vi, esp. pp. 197-8, MS based on older original; Hart 1970/1, p. 21, on rubric; Brooks 1974, pp. 231-2, apparent original is in a hand of s. xi, unconvinced by Finberg's arguments for authenticity; Keynes and Lapidge 1983, p. 233 n. 23, written in obviously imitative hand, apparently of 11th century; Keynes 1994/2, pp. 1119-21, esp. p. 1121 n. 3, MS of disreputable appearance and uncertain date (? s. xi), but basic form of 'Second Decimation' charters seems acceptable; Smyth 1995, pp. 6-7.

Endorsement in same hand:
+ ðis seondan ðes landes bec ðe Æðelulf cyning Wiferðe his ðegne salde

+ Regnnante imperpetuum domino nostro Jhesu Christo summo et ineffabili rerum creatori ac moderatori omnium temporaque sua multimoda disponens tempo'ri'bis potenciam ut voluerit finem inponet et in a'c' vita degentibus cunctis certum ut proposuerat dierum terminum constituet idcirco cunctis agendum est ut ic bonis actibus future beatitudinis felicitatem perpetualiter adipisci mereatur .

Quapropter ego Æðelu'l'f gracia Dei occiduntalium Saxonum rex in sancta ac celeberima paxchali solemnitate pro mee remedio anime et regni prosperitate et populi ab bo omnipotenti Deo conlato consilium salubre cum episcopis comittibus et cuctis optimatibus me perfecci ut decimam partem terrarum per regnum non solum sanctis ecclesiis darem verum eciam et ministris nostris in eodem constitutis in perpetuam libertatem concessiris ita ut alis donacio fixa incommutabilisque permaneat ab omni regab servicio et omnium secularium opsoluto servitute placuit Alhstano episcopo Sciraburnanscis eclesie æt Suiðhun Uuentane eclesie episcopo cum omnibus Deo servientibus ut in unaquaque efdomada die sabato unianimis congregacio famulorum famularum Dei . l . salmos content et unusquisque presbiter duos missas unam pro Æðeluluo rege et alteram pro episcopis et ducibus pro rege vivente Deus qui justificos impium pro episcopis 7 ducibus [sigil like round-backed backwards E] prætende domine pro rege defuncto spetialiter pro episcopis et ducibus cummuniter anc consentientibus donacionem ut tam roborato perseveret quamdiu fides 7 christiana relegio in Agelorum gente inconcusso perungeat oc fecimus in onorem domini nostri Jhesu Christi 7 beate ac seper virginis Marie 7 omnium sanctorum t[uo]rum 7 pasxalis festi reverecia ut Deus omnipotens et nostris posterris propiciare dignet scripta est autem ec cartula anno ap incarnacione domino nostri Jhesu Christi . dccc . liiii . indiccione . ii . die vero paxali in palacio nostro quod dicitur Wiltun qui augere voluerit nostram donacionem satisfaccionis augeað omnipotens Deus dies prosperos si quis minuere vel mutare p's?serið noscat se ante tribunal Christi redditurum racionem nisi prius satisfacione emendaverit .

Ista est autem libertas quam Æðelulf rex suo ministro Wiferðe in perpetuum ereditatem abere concessit . . i . cassati in loca q' di'ci'tur , heregear'd'ingc hiwisce , istis terminis circumdatis , 7 ærest on ða norðigge eastewearde ðone on ða miclanmed ðone on tydgincmæd ðonne on ða mylendic ðone up to mealmehtanleahe ðone to scelces stede ðone on æschyrste æstewerde ðone to hunigyrste ðone to ðunres felda ðonne on fontanhlewe ðonne on wernanbroc ðonne on wrennanwylle ðonne on þæt wæterslæd ðæt for ðon hagan eft to ðere norðigge ; eastewearde , 7 istis testibus consentientibus quorum nomina inufra scribuntur: ,

+ Æðelulf rex .
+ Alhstan episcopus .
+ Suiðhun episcopus .
+ Æðelbal dux .
+ Eanulf dux .
+ Osric dux .
+ Æðelbreht dux .
+ Eannulf dux .
+ Lullede dux .
+ Hunlaf abbas .
+ Unerferð abbas .
+ Esne minister .
+ Æðred fili reg[is]
+ Ælfred fili reg[is] .
+ Cyneuulf minister .
+ Cyneeah minister .
+ Niðmud minister .
+ Ecgheard minister .
+ Osmud minister .
+ Milred minister .
+ Lullig minister .
+ Ecuulf minister .
+ Uulfred .
+ Alhstan minister .
+ Aldred minister .
+ Eanmund minister .
+ Cyma minister .