S 440

A.D. 938. King Athelstan to Ælfheah, minister; grant of 16 hides (mansae) at Pitminster, Somerset, in return for 200 staterae of gold and silver. Latin with English bounds.

Archive: Winchester, Old Minster

MSS: BL Add. 15350, 29r-30r (s. xii)

Printed: K 1117; B 729; Pierquin, Recueil, pt 3, no. 94.

Comments: Stevenson 1914, p. 692 n. 16, doubtful or spurious; Grundy, Somerset, pp. 30-4, on bounds; Drögereit 1935, p. 380 n. 1, spurious; Finberg, ECW, no. 439, authentic; Hart 1970/1, p. 27 (no. 54), authentic; cf. S 475.

Þis is ðæra sextunæ hyda land boc æt Pipingmynstræ þe Eðælstan cing gæ bocodæ Elfheagæ his þægnæ on ece yrfæ .

Regnante imperpetuum altissimo rerum creatore domino nostro Jhesu Christo . Qui sua ineffabiliter potentia . omnia ab arce polorum cosmi climata disponit . atque gubernat vicesque temporum . hominumque mirabiliter discernens terminum in certum predestinatum omnibus a se formatis prout vult imponens .

Quapropter ego . Æðelstanus . divina favente clementia rex Anglorum et æquæ totius Britanniæ orbis curagulus preelectus . meo fideli ministro . qui usitato onomate nuncupatur . Ælfheago . aliquam juris mei particulam . xvi . videlicet mansas in æternæ hereditatis stipendium libens concedo in illo loco ubi vocitatur . Pipingminstre . pro ejus amabili subjectione atque subpeditationis obedientia quam michi meisque semper incessabiliter monstravit et etiam pro ipsius placabili pretio quod michimet dedit ut huius syngraphi adipisceretur firmationem . ducentas scilicet auri cocti et purissimi argenti stateras . Idcirco ergo ob nostræ huius donationis perpetuam stabilitatem et indiscussam confirmationem . et ob futurorum cautelam . ne quisquam unquam subsequentium hoc ipsum nostræ bonitatis emolumentum aliquomodo avertere sive imminuere audacter presumat apicum caracteribus liquide inserere curavimus . quia sepissime contingi solet in sanctionibus procerum et in edictis priscorum . ut quod scedularum certa impressio minime caraxatum retinet . illud futura ac subsequens prosapia . partim temeritatis audacia partim ignorantiæ negligentia prave pervertat . quod antecedens generatio justa dijudicatione sanctierat . Habeat itaque atque gratanter perfruatur predictus meus minister prefata possessiuncula quamdiu vita sibi comes fuerit . et post presentis vite cursum peractum posteritatis suæ successoribus cuicunque voluerit derelinquat ceu supra diximus in æternæ heredita'ti's portionem . Maneat etiam hoc ipsum rus cum omnibus utilitatibus sibi justa addicatione pertinentibus tam in minimis quam in maximis rebus ab omni humane servitutis jugo perpetua libertate jocundum . tribus semotis causis a quibus nullus nostrorum poterit expers fore id est generalis expeditionis necessaria societate . ac pontium urbiumque jugi assolidatione .

Qui autem hoc quod nos nostro concessimus fideli multiplicando augere satagerit . centenam a Christo recipiat mercedem et sempiternæ gloriæ coronam . Si autem quod nusquam contingere cupimus . quisquam repertus fuerit diabolico perflatus anhelitu . qui hoc fraudulenter avertere vel permutare in aliud quam nunc constituimus studuerit . sciat se absque dubio in huius vitæ labili stadio maledictionis cyrographo constringi . et in tremendo justissimi judicis libramine æternali dampnatione trucidari cum Caipha et Pilato cæterisque ipsorum sodalibus . qui in ima inferni trucidantur voragine cecis adusti flammis . ni ante obitum pleniter penitendo emendaverit quod deliquit .

His giraminibus villa prescripta in circuitu gyrari ac se concludi contemplatur .

Ðis synd þæra . xvi . hida land ge mere to Pipingmynstre . Ærest of searrescumbes heafde west on ðone herepað swa west and lang herepaðes . þæt hit cume on easteweardne . ac beara . þæt norð on gerihte of ac beara weste weardan on þæs biscopes gemere on bennancumb . Swa dun æfter þæs biscopes gemere on bennancumbes ford . þæt hit cumð be norðan fyrs leage swa of norðen wardre fyrsleage . On bennancumbes broc . þæt up on gean stream east en tucheles mor . of þam more on ge rihte on heardan geat . Of þam geate on hagan on deopan ford . Of þam forda on þæ rihte land sceare adun on sciteres stream . Of þan streame on gerihte on witan stan on þæt ge beare norðe wearðne . Ðanon on readan ford . Of þam forda east on þone herepað . Of þam herepaðe suð þæt on langan ham . Of þam hamme þanon binnan euisc on gregan stan . Of þam stane on lind oran . Of lind oran on þone ealdan hagan on wealdenes weg . Of þam wege upp an dune on hringwoldes beorh . Of þam beorge west and lang dune on wiðisled to henna þorne . þanon west on ða ealdan dic . þonne sume hwile and lang þære dice . 7 þænon norð ofer wiðan cumbe . þæt east on fearres cumbes heafd .

Acta est hec prefata donatio . Anno ab incarnatione domini nostri . dcccc xxx viii . Indictione . xi .

Ego Æðelstanus rex tocius Brittanniæ prefatam donationem cum sigillo sanctæ Crucis confirmavi .
Ego Wulfhelm Dorovernensis æcclesiæ archiepiscopus ejusdem regis donationem cum tropheo agiæ crucis consignavi .
Ego Ælfheag Wintoniensis æcclesiæ episcopus triumphalem tropheum agie crucis impressi .
Ego Ðeodred Lundoniensis episcopus consignavi .
Ego Cenwald episcopus predictum donum consensi .
Ego Wulfun episcopus consensi .
Ego Oda episcopus confirmavi .
Ego Wulfhelm episcopus consignavi .
Ego Burhgric episcopus consensi .
Ego Eþelgar episcopus roboravi .
Ego Alfwold dux .
Ego Vthred dux .
Ego Oda minister .
Ego Wulgar minister .
Ego Ælfric minister .
Ego Eadmund minister .
Ego Wulfsige minister .
Ego Ælfhere minister .
Ego Withgar minister .
Ego Æðelwold minister .
Ego Æðereð minister .
Ego Wulfmer minister
Ego Ælfred minister .
Ego Wulfgar minister .
Ego Ælfsige minister .
Ego Ordeah minister .
Ego Sigulf minister .
Ego Adelstan minister .
Ego Eadric minister .