S 986
A.D. 1020. Writ of King Cnut declaring that he has granted to Archbishop Æthelnoth judicial and financial rights over his own men, and over Christ Church, and over as many thegns as the king has granted him to have. English.
Archive: Canterbury, Christ Church
MSS: 1. BL Add. 14907, 18r (s. xviii)
2. London, Lambeth Palace, 1370, 114v (s. xi)
Printed: Earle, p. 232; Harmer, Writs, no. 28.
Translated: Whitelock, EHD, no. 134 (p. 602).
Comments: Harmer, Writs, pp. 171, 449-50, authentic; Ker, Catalogue, pp. 346-7 (no. 284), art. d; Chaplais 1966, p. 18, copy in Canterbury gospel-book, declaration may originally have reached Canterbury in oral form (= 1981, XV p. 18); Chaplais 1966/1, p. 175, authentic, MS 2 written by contemporary scribe (= 1973, pp. 59-60); Whitelock, EHD, earliest royal writ to survive in contemporary or near contemporary form; Brooks 1984, p. 290, on MS 2; Keynes 1988, p. 216 n. 83, stylistic links with S 1091; Lawson 1993, p. 66 n. 29, p. 237; Kennedy 1995, p. 151 n. 86, on immunity; Wormald 1995, pp. 116, 128-9, authentic, discusses immunity; Wormald 1996, p. 123, on immunity.
Cnut cyncg gret ealle mine biscopas 7 mine eorlas 7 mine gerefan on ælcere scire þe æþelnoð arcebiscop 7 se hired æt Cristes cyrcean land inne habbað freondlice.
& ic cyðe eow þæt ic hæbbe geunnen him þæt he beo his saca 7 socne wyrðe 7 griðbryces 7 hamsocne 7 forstealles 7 infangenes þeofes 7 flymena fyrmðe ofer his agene menn binnan byrig 7 butan 7 ofer Cristes cyrcean 7 ofer swa feala þegna swa ic him to lætan hæbbe.
& ic nelle þæt ænig mann aht þær on teo buton he 7 his wicneras for þam ic hæbbe Criste þas gerihta forgyfen minre sawle to ecere alysendnesse.
& ic nelle þæt æfre ænig mann þis abrece be minum freondscipe.