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S 346

A.D. 889. Alfred, king of the English and the Saxons, and Æthelred, subregulus et patricius Merciorum, to Wærferth, bishop of Worcester; grant of land æt Hwætmundes stane in London, with commercial privileges. Latin

Archive:

Worcester

MSS:

1. London, British Library, Cotton Tiberius A. XIII, ff. 1-118, ff. 18r-19r (s. xi 1)

Printed:

Hearne, Heming, pp. 41-3; Thorpe, pp. 135-6; Earle, pp. 316-18; K, 316; B, 561

Translated:

Jones 1958, pp. 91-2

Comments:

Stevenson 1904, p. lxvi and n. 3, genuine; Lapidge 1993, p. 10 n. 25, ambitious Latin style which anticipates the charters of Æthelstan's reign; Kelly 1992, p. 13, genuine basis; Chaplais 1966, p. 15, on royal style (= 1981, XV, p. 15); Kelly, St Paul's, London, p. 16, Charter showing privilege of tax exemption granted to Worcester in the 9th century that had potentially been granted to London as early as the 8th century, p. 24, Charter showing continued influence of King Alfred of Wessex in London in the late 9th century, even after he returned it to Ealdorman Aethelred of Mercia; Whitelock 1975, p. 16, not free from suspicion but some genuine basis; Vince 1990, pp. 20-2, on topography; Keynes 1998, pp. 26 n. 119, 28; Dyer and Clarke 1969, p. 28; Whybra 1990, p. 34; Ekwall 1954, pp. 37-8, on place-name; John 1966, p. 45, on royal style; Pratt, Alfred, pp. 52 n. 60, 99, 175 n. 337, p. 106, on royal style, p. 176 n. 338, on Æthelred's prominence, p. 212, on royal assembly, p. 306, on trading privleges; Whitelock 1979, p. 77 and n. 6, authentic; Baker and Holt 1996, pp. 134-5; Gelling, ECTV, no. 212 (pp. 106, 188-9), authentic, Addendum pp. 188-9, discusses Dyson's suggestions; Keynes and Lapidge 1983, p. 227 n. 1, cited; Stenton 1971, p. 260 n. 2, some ancient formulas; Dyson and Schofield 1984, pp. 289, 296-301, 304; Harmer 1950, p. 341 n. 3, may well be authentic in substance, although spurious in its existing form; Gretsch, Intellectual Foundations, p. 342, on Latinity; Brooke and Keir 1975, pp. 346-7, of doubtful authenticity, possibly genuine in substance; Smyth 1995, pp. 373, 376; Dyson 1979, on topography, refers to land at Queenhithe, identical to property in CCC23 (S 1628); Dyson 1990, on topography

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    • Lunden . + Sedulo namque nonnullis et maxime per instantis vitæ turbidam discordiæ rabiem . in hac decrepita finis mundialis canitiæ contingere solet quod simplicem memorialis præcordii oculum turbines obliviose obscenitatis quatientes reverberant ; seu nebulæ neglegentiarum nubiferis deprivationum fuscationibus ; a recte possessionis jure radiantem . justitiæ Phoebum obnubilant ; quapropter necesse cuilibet homini . est . ut litteratoriis apicibus omnia atquisita . seu possessa . ob præsentium sive succedentium cantelam . quæ a catholicis vel heroicis viris cujuslibet persone majoris minorisve . potestatis Deo ejusque sanctis per celorum celsitudinem tradita sunt etiam testimonio et roboratione ipsorum firme rationis serie firmentur . rectoque caraxantis stilo in scedulis notentur ; Anno igitur postquam almifica cælestini luminis gemma per agrum virginalis pudicitiæ humano generi desiderabilis mistici spiraminis specimine enituit octingentesimo . octuagesimo nono . indictione . vii . cujus denique splendoris et gratiæ nobis jubare radiante ego Ælfred rex Anglorum et Saxonum et Æ∂elred subregulus et patricius Merciorum cum testimonio et licentia seu consensu senatorum episcoporum seu ducum utriusque gentis pro revelatione facinorum nostrorum et pro adquirenda deifice remunerationis requiæ Uuærfri∂o eximio Huicciorum antistiti ad æcclesiam Uueogernensem in Lundonia unam curtem que verbotenus adad antiquum petrosum ædificium id est æt Hwætmundes stane a civibus appellatur a strata publica usque murum ejusdem civitatis . Cujus longitudo . est . perticarum . xxvi . et latitudo in superiori parte perticarum . xiii . et pedum . vii . et in inferiori loco perticarum . xi . et . vi . pedum ad plenam libertatem infra totius rei sempiternaliter possidendum in ecclesiasticum jus conscribimus . et concedentes donamus . et intro urnam et trutinam ad mensurandum in emendo sive vendendo ad usum . sive ad necessitatem propriam . et liberam omnimodis habeat . et totius debiti . vel penæ fiscalis . vel publice rei . nisi ad dominium episcopi . ecclesie Uueogernensis quæ intus contingat absoluta persistat . Si autem foris vel in strata publica seu in ripa emtorali quislibet suorum mercaverit . juxta quod rectum sit thelon ad manum regis subeat quod si intus in curte predicto quislibet em'e'rit . vel vendiderit thelon debitum ad manum episcopi supra memorati reddatur . et semper quamdiu unde sacri baptismatis populi Anglorum sive Saxanum per fidem Christianæ religionis asspargentur . seu ipsorum auctoritatis dominio urbs Lundonia habilis subjaceat ad Uueogernensem civitatem subdita persistat . Contestamur et obsecramus uniuscujusque personas hominum presentium sive subsequentium . ut hoc nostrum donum inviolatum et integrum sicut presens pagina testatur permaneat . Si qui vero ut non optamus serpentino suggestionis demonice toxico inflati huius tramitis seriem in aliquo temptaverint foedare noverint se cum Anna et Zaphira herebica aeterne anathematis machera perforandos nisi prius digna satisfactione emendare maluerint . Haec autem sunt nomina illorum qui huic nostre donationi testes et consentientes fuerunt . et trophico sancte crucis vexillo roborantes propriis manibus subscripserunt . + Ego Ælfred rex Anglorum et Saxonum hanc donationem confirmans signo crucis subscribo . + Ego Æˇelred subregulus et patricius Merciorum hanc donationem . signo crucis subscripsi . + Ego Æˇelflæd . consensi . + Ego Uulfred . episcopus consensi . + Ego Alhard . episcopus consensi . + Ego Uuærfrid . episcopus . consensi . + Ego Deneuulf . episcopus consensi . + Ego Uulfsige . episcopus consensi .