29
S 629

King Eadwig grants one hundred hides (mansae) at Brokenborough, Wiltshire, to the monastery at Malmesbury. A.D. 956

Archive: Malmesbury

Altus positor omnium ex nihilo rerum ante omne tempus angelos condidit et informem materiam qua Adam prothoplastus in Eden primo formatus apparuit, sed culpa inibi nacta extimplo pulsus in hac erumpnosa terra mortem minatam tulit. Que adhuc in suis posteris cum labore et dolore usque ad calcem uite proth dolor ineuitabilis heret, et quod peius eadem quoque culpa quasi per debitum ad operandam extunc naturaliter nequam omnis inire constrinxit. At ubi uenit plenitudo temporis cum nec leuita nec sacerdos subuenire sufficerent, samaritanus tandem semiuiui id est generis humani sua gratia dignatus est misereri. Nam leuiathan saltem adhuc Iordanem expectans tunc ore aperto uorabat. Hoc igitur soli sapientie dediti et maxime religiosissimi uiri summopere intelligentes amena a paradysi perdita gemunt, suspiria trahunt, ululant, plangunt turpe miserumque uiuere suum. Ac 'quemadmodum ceruus desiderat ad fontes aquarum', ita ambiunt corpore solui, sua largiri festinant inuisibilia immo certa comparando. At contra, stolidi stulti aliena ambiunt, in inueniendo mille artes exercent, mentiuntur, periurant, rapiunt, furantur.
Quapropter ego Eadwi, largiflua summitonantis rex Anglorum et totius Britannie prouinciarum prouidentia, templa diuina redintegrare dispono. Monasterio siquidem Maldumesbyrig nomine, in honore Aldelmi paternique aliorumque sanctorum quorum reliquie ibidem uenerantur, .c. mansas in Breokeneberga in hereditatem concedo perhennem. Primo uidelicet anno regni mei, .dcccc. uero .lvi. ab incarnatione dominica, indictione .xiiii., optimatibus nostris adstipulantibus.
+ Ego Eadwi nutu Dei omnipotentis rex totius Britannie hoc donum adfirmo cum titulo sancte crucis.
+ Ego Oda archiepiscopus corroborando consigno.
+ Ego Eadgar indoles annuo.
+ Ego Alf<s>ige episcopus adquiesco.
+ Ego Osulf episcopus orno.
+ Ego <Wulfsige> episcopus adpono.
+ Ego Cynwold episcopus noto.
+ Ego Oscutel episcopus testor.
+ Ego Cynsige episcopus faueo.
+ Ego Ælfwol<d> episcopus consentio.
+ Ego Daniel episcopus sub<sc>ribo.

+ Æþelstan dux
+ Æthel<s>ige dux
+ Eadmund dux
+ Æþelstan dux

+ Ælfhelm minister
+ Ælf<s>ige minister
+ Æþelgerd minister
+ Ælfwine minister

Quisquis amodo hoc nostrum decretum conseruare immo augere sponte desiderauerit, multiplicentur dies illius et post obitum transire mereatur ad regna polorum. Sin autem, quod absit, et Deum et semetipsum obliuiscendo, aliquis mutare uoluerit, dies eius non dimidiauerit et gloriam Dei cum choris angelorum nequaquam uideat in terra uiuentium, sed suum auctorem diabolum sequatur in infernum 'ibi est fletus et stridor dentium'.

Edition: Charters of Malmesbury Abbey, ed. S. E. Kelly, Anglo-Saxon Charters 11 (Oxford: Published for The British Academy by Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 227-9 (no. 29). For apparatus criticus see ibid., p. 229, and for a detailed commentary see ibid., pp. 229-31.

The Heavenly Creator of all things made the angels from nothing before all time and before the shapeless material whereby Adam, the first-created man, appeared formed first in Eden, but there with the birth of sin, forthwith driven out, he carried threatened death into this distressful earth. This still persists amongst his descendants with labour and sorrow right up to the end of life, o inevitable sorrow! And what is worse, also from the same sin, as if as a debt, everyone was thereafter constrained by nature to enter into doing harm. But when the fulness of time comes, when neither Levite nor priest suffices to help, at length a Samaritan has deemed it worthy to take pity on the half-dead man, that is, the human race, with His Grace. For the Leviathan at least, still waiting at the Jordan, was then devouring with an open mouth. Therefore, those alone who are dedicated to wisdom, and especially very religious men, groan exceedingly, perceiving the pleasures that have been lost from Paradise, sighing, wailing, lamenting their disgraceful life and their misery. But, 'as the hart panteth after the water brooks', so they seek to gain release from the body; they hasten to bestow their own things by buying invisible, nay indeed, certain, things. But on the other hand, stupid and foolish men strive for unsuitable things; they employ a thousand stratagems to find them; they lie, bear false witness, plunder, steal.
Wherefore, I, Eadwig, by the bounteous providence of Highest Thunderer [i.e., God] king of the English and of the provinces of the whole of Britain, am determined to restore the divine temples. Indeed, to the monastery by the name of Malmesbury, in honour of its head, Aldhelm, and of the other saints whose relics are venerated there, I grant as a perpetual inheritance 100 hides at Brokenborough. In the first year of my reign, 956 from the Lord's incarnation, in indiction 14, with our magnates assenting.
+ I, Eadwig, with the approval of Almighty God king of the whole of Britain, confirm this gift with the mark of the holy cross.
+ I, Oda, archbishop [of Canterbury], in confirming mark with the sign of the cross.
+ I, Edgar, son, affirm.
+ I, Ælfsige, bishop [of Winchester], acquiesce.
+ I, Oswulf, bishop [of Ramsbury], adorn.
+ I, Wulfsige, bishop [of Sherborne], add to [it].
+ I, Cenwald, bishop [of Worcester], note.
+ I, Oscytel, bishop [of Dorchester], witness.
+ I, Cynesige, bishop [of Lichfield], favour.
+ I, Ælfwald, bishop [of Crediton], agree.
+ I, Daniel, bishop [of Cornwall], subscribe.

+ Æthelstan, dux
+ Æthelsige, dux
+ Edmund, dux
+ Æthelstan, dux

+ Ælfhelm, minister
+ Ælfsige, minister
+ Æthelgeard, minister
+ Ælfwine, minister

Anyone who henceforth might desire to preserve�nay, rather, voluntarily increase�this decision of ours, may his days be multiplied and after his death may he deserve to cross over to the kingdom of heaven. But, however�God forbid!�anyone, by forgetting both God and himself, who wishes to change [it], may he not live half his days and never see the glory of God with the choruses of angels living on earth, but may he follow his leader, the Devil, into Hell: 'There is wailing and gnashing of teeth'.

Translation: David A. E. Pelteret.