S 681

A.D. 959. King Edgar to Quen, his faithful matrona; grant of land at Howden and Old Drax, Yorks., with dependencies at Howden, Knedlington, Barnhill (Hall, west of Howden), Caville (in Eastrington), Thorpe Lidget, Hive, Eastrington, Belby (in Howden) and Kilpin, all Yorks. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Peterborough

MSS: 1. London, Soc. Ant., 60, 33r-34v (s. xii)
2. Peterborough, D. & C., 1, 128v-129r (s. xiii; no bounds)

Printed: K 480 and vol. iii. 454; B 1052; Hutchinson 1891, p. 365 n., with translation, pp. 363-4; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 2, no. 117; Farrer, EYC, pp. 12-13 (no. 4), with translation of bounds.

Comments: Hutchinson 1891; Plummer 1899, p. 153, suspicious; Stenton 1910, pp. 80-1; Farrer, EYC, pp. 14-15; Stenton 1955, p. 68, on reference to soke; Stenton 1971, p. 495, cited; Hart, ECNE, no. 122, authentic, with discussion of bounds; Sawyer, Burton, p. 14, authentic; Keynes 1980, p. 69 n. 135, on royal style, pp. 75-6, may be early work of 'Edgar A', compare S 680; Lawson 1984, p. 730; Hart 1992, pp. 449-52, authentic.

De Hovedene .

Vacillante practicæ vitæ statu ejus finis nimium teste divinæ auctoritatis eloquio accelerare dinoscitur . 'Surget' enim ut veredica promulgat sententia 'gens contra gentem regnum adversus regnum' 1 . et reliqua . Nam universa instantis vitæ patrimonia incertis successorum cleronomis deseruntur . et omnis mundi gloria appropinquante læti termino ad nichilum reciproca fatescit . Iccirco recidivis caducarum possessiunculis rerum æterna supernæ patriæ emolumenta lucrando altithrono patrocinante adipisci magnopere satagamus .

Quamobrem ego Ædgar tocius Merciæ provinciæ nec non et aliarum gentium in circuitu persistentium gubernator et rector cuidam matronæ mihi valde fideli quæ a peritis noto Quen nuncupatur onomate quandam ruris particulam sub æstimatione scilicet cassatorum binis in locis direptam qui ab huius provinciæ solicolis æt Heafuddæne 7 æt Ealdredrege . usitato nuncupatur vocabulo prona ammodum devotione æterne largitus sum hereditate .

quatinus ipso cum omnibus utensilibus . pratis videlicet . pascuis . silvis . hilariter voti compos perfruatur . et post vitæ suæ terminum quibuscumque voluerit cleronomis inmunem derelinquat . Sit autem prædicta tellus quam ego cum consensu optimatum meorum præfatæ largitus sum matrone ab omni terrenæ servitutis jugo libera .

tribus exceptis his rata videlicet expeditione . pontis . arcisve restauratione .

Si quis autem larvarico instinctus spiritu hoc donum violare immutareve præsumptuosus temptaverit . nisi digna satisfactione ante obitum suum reus pænituerit . æternis baratri prostratus incendiis cum Juda Christi proditore æternaliter lugubrius puniatur .

Istis metis supradictum rus hinc inde girari videtur .

Þis sind þa land ge mære to 'h'æafuddene . Of Usan up on wilbaldes fleote . of wilbaldes fleote on þa dic andlang dices on Deorwentan . of Deorwentan on ge rihtne on Cærholm of Cærholme andlang dices eal ombutan þane wuda on fulanea . 7lang fulanea on ealdan Deorwentan . 7lang ealde Deorwentan þæt eft on Usan .

Þa seond þa hærað to heofoddene mid sace 7 mid socne . Cnyllingatun . Beornhyll . Cafeld . Ðorp . Hyðe . Eastringatun . Belleby . Celpene .

Þis sindon þa land ge mære æt Ealdedrege . Of Yr on 'H'rodlafes holm . of Hrodlafes holme to se mære on Sigeres ac . of Sigeres ac on Usan 7lang Usan þæt eft up on Yr .

Anno dominicæ incarnationis . DCCCCLVIIII . scripta est hæc carta his testibus consentientibus quorum inferius nomina caraxantur .

Ego Ædgar rex indeclinabiliter concessi .
Ego Oskytel Eboracensis æcclesiæ archiepiscopus firmavi .
Ego Dunstan Lundoniensis æcclesiæ præsul consensi .
Ego Cynesige pontifex signum crucis impressi .
Ego Athulf antistes consensi et subscripsi .
Ego Ældred episcopus confirmavi .
Ego Ælfere dux .
Ego Æthelstan dux .
Adeluuold dux .
Byrhtnoð dux .
Ego Leot dux .
Oskytel dux .
Ælfuuine minister .
Sigulf .
Æthelferð .
Alfuuold .
Wlfhelm .
Wlfsige .
Ulfkytel .
Rold .
Dragmel .
Sigeferð .
Thurferð .
Thurkytel . ministri .