Twenty sulungs at Islingham, and the right to pasture swine in four districts, 761-764
Sigered, king of half Kent, grants to Bishop Eardwulf of Rochester twenty sulungs at Islingham, and the right to pasture swine in four districts, 761-764; confirmed by Eanmund of Kent. Translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, folios 125r-126v by Jacob Scott (pending review).
Campbell, no. 8. Note how ‘-di regis’ is squeezed vertically into the right margin.
Transcription
125r (select folio number to open facsimile)
Item de aeslingeham.
+ IN nomine domini dei saluatoris nostri iesu christi. Quan-
uis parua et exigua sint quę pro ammissis of-
ferimus, tamen pius omnipotens deus non quantitatem
muneris sed deuotionem offerentium semper in-
quirit. Qua de re ego sigeredus rex dimi-
dię partis prouincię cantuariorum, tam pro ani-
mę meę remedio quam pro amore omnipotentis
dei, terram aratrorum xx.ti quę appellatur aes-
lingaham tibi reuerentissimo episcopo earduul-
fo sanctę hrofensis ęcclesię, cum uniuersis ad se
pertinentibus, campis siluis pratis pascuis pa-
ludibus et aquis et cum omni tributo quod regibus
inde dabatur in potestatem cum consilio et con-
sensu principum meorum libenter in perpetuum perdo-
no, ut possidendi uel habendi siue uen-
dendi uel etiam tradendi cuicumque uolu-
erit liberam per omnia habeat potestatem.
Sane quia cauendum est ne hodiernam dona-
tionem nostram futuri temporis abnegare
ualeat, et in ambiguum deuocare pręsump-
tio, placuit michi hanc paginam condere,
et una cum cespite terrę praedictę tradere tibi,
per quam non solum omnibus meis successoribus re-
gum siue principum, sed etiam michi ipsi penitus
interdico, ne aliter quam nunc a me constitutum est
ullo tempore de eadem terra quippiam agere
audeant. Quod si qui forte obseruare negle-
xerint, et absque digna satisfactione praesentis
uitę impleuerint infelices dies, audiunt
uocem ęterni iudicis sub fine mundi dicentis
ad impios, discedite (a me) maledicti in ignem ęter-
num qui pręparatus est diabolo et angelis eius.
Qui uero curauerint custodire, nichilque inro-
garint aduersi, audiunt uocem clementissi-
mi arbitri inquientis ad pios, Venite bene-
dicti patris mei percipite regnum quod uobis
paratum est ab origine mundi. Adiectis iiii.
dænberis in commune saltu, hoc est uueald
se uuestra, billincgden, cealcbyras, meosden,
rindigsel. + Ego sigeredus rex hanc dona-
tionem a me factam signum sanctę crucis propria
manu scribendo firmaui coram bregouuino
archiepiscopo. + Ego bregouuinus archiepiscopus ad pe-
ticionem donatoris ante praedicti consensi et
subscripsi. + Signum manus hereberhti ab-
batis. + Signum manus baere abbatis. + Signum
manus bruno abbatis. + Signum manus aescuualdi
presbiteri. + Signum manus ecghaldi comitis
atque prefecti. + Signum manus ealdhuuni. + Sig-
num manus esne. + Signum manus badohardi.
+ Signum manus aethelnodi. Confirmatio eanmundi regis
+ Ego eanmundus rex hanc piam donationem
supra scriptam propria manu roborandam
hoc signaculo sanctae crucis expressi, in loco
cuius uocabulum est godgeocesham, presente
uenerabili archiepiscopo bregouuino et consen-
tiente, consilio quippe atque consensu omni-
um optimatum et principum gentis cantuari-
orum. + Ego iaenberhtus abbas consentiens
testis affui et subscripsi. + Ego huuaetred
abbas consensi et subscripsi. + Signum manus
egesnoði. + Signum manus balthhardi. + Si-
gnum manus aldhuni. + Signum manus uda.
+ Signum manus puda.
Translation
Similarly concerning Islingham:
+ In the name of the Lord God our Savior Jesus Christ. Although the things we offer for those who are lost may be small, yet the pious Almighty God always inquires not for the quantity of service but the devotion of those who offer them. For this cause I, Sigered, King of half the province of Kent, both for the relief of my soul and for the love of the Almighty God, the land of twenty plowshares, which is called Islingham, to you most reverend Bishop Earduulf, of the holy church of Rochester, with all things that pertain to them, in plains, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, and waters, and with every tribute which was given to kings I freely pardon them forever, with the advice and consent I willingly pardon my children forever, so that to whomsoever he may have the power of possessing, or of selling, or even of handing over, to whomever he so wishes, he has liberty in all things.
Certainly, because we must take care that he may not be able to deny the present day our gift of the future, and to call its presumption into ambiguity, it has been decided for me to build this page, and to deliver it to you along with the turf of the above land, through which not only to all my successors, kings, and princes, but also to me altogether I forbid that they should at any time dare to do any thing of the same land as it has now been established by me. But if they who perchance have neglected to observe, and have filled the unhappy days of this life without worthy apology, they hear the voice of the eternal judge at the end of the world saying to the ungodly; “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels”.
But those who take care to guard and inflict nothing against us, hear the voice of the most merciful arbiter saying to the pious, “Come, you blessed of my father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world”. The addition of iii. Dænberis will be placed in the common forest, that is, your weald is yours, Billincgden, Cealcbyras, Meosden, Rindigsel.
+ I, King Sigered, signed this gift made by me with my own hand, in the presence of Archbishop Bregouinus.
+ I, Archbishop Bregounus, agreed and signed it at the petition of the donor before the aforesaid.
+ Sign of the hand of the Abbot hereberht.
+ Sign of the hand of Abbot Baere.
+ Signed by the hand of Abbot Bruno.
+ Signed by the hand of Escuwald the priest.
+ Sign of the hand of Count Ecghaldi and his prefect.
+ Sign of the hand of Ealdhuuni.
+ Sign of the hand of Esne.
Signed by the hand of badohard.
+ Signed by the hand of Ethelnodus. Confirmation by King Eanmund:
+ I, Eanmundus, the pious gift written above is to be strengthened in my own hand, reproduced with this seal of the holy cross, in the place of which the name is Godgeocesham, in the presence of the venerable Archbishop Bregouinus, with the advice and consent of all the nobles and princes of the Kentish nation.
+ I, Abbot Jaenbert, a consenting witness, was present and subscribed.
+ I, Abbot Huuaetred, agreed and subscribed.
+ Sign of the hand of Egesnodi.
Signed by the hand of Balthhardi.
Signed by the hand of Aldhuni.
Signed by the hand of Uda.
Signed by the hand of Puda.
