Twenty sulungs at Islingham, Kent, 764
King Offa of Mercia grants twenty sulungs at Islingham, Kent, to Bishop Eardwuld of Rochester, 764. Translation from Latin of Textus Roffensis, folios 123v-125r by Jacob Scott (pending review).
Campbell, no. 6. The text begins with a green display initial ‘R’ and is marked by a large, black cross in the left margin.
Transcription
123v (select folio number to open facsimile)
De æslingeham,
siue freondesberiam; + Regnante in perpetuum domino nostro iesu christo,
ac cuncta mundi iura iusto modera-
mine regenti, ego offa rex merciorum
regali prosapia merciorum oriundus atque omni-
potentis dei dispensatione eiusdem constitutus
in regem, considerans et recolens quod uas
electionis ueracissimis innotuit uerbis, quod
istis temporibus instarent tempora periculosa. Iccir-
co unus quisque de semetipso plenius poterit a-
gnoscere, quod quanto quis in hoc terreno ha-
bitaculo longiorem protraxerit uitam, tanto
ueraciora esse omnia quę olim antiqui ua-
tes implenda esse prędixerunt. Iccirco ne-
cessarium duxi ut pro intercessionibus plurimo-
rum pro uenia meorum delictorum et requie perpe-
tua adipiscenda animę meę, aliquid ex his
quę michi largitor bonorum omnium christus dominus do-
nare dignatus est, id est terram aratrorum
uiginti, in loco cuius uocabulum est aeslin-
gaham, quę etiam iacet ad occidentalem par-
tem fluminis meduuuaeian, contigua ipso
fluuio, cum uniuersis terminis suis ad eam
rite competentibus, cum campis siluis pratis pa-
scuis paludibus et aquis, sicut olim habue-
runt comites et principes regum cantiae, et
cum omni tributo quod regibus iure competit,
tibi uenerabili earduulfo sanctę hrofensis
ęcclesiae episcopo, libenter in perpetuum perdono.
Et hoc cum consensu et licentia archiepiscopi nostri
bregouuini, atque heaberhti regis cantiae,
et principum nostrorum, ut possidendi uel uenden-
di uel etiam tradendi cuicumque uoluerit
liberam per omnia habeat potestatem. Et quia pro ip-
sius terrę recompensatione aliquam partem pe-
cunię nobis fideliter libenter optulit, ad pro-
merendam non solum specialiter michi a domino pi-
etatem, sed indulgentiam delictorum totius gentis
nostrę humiliter dominicam exorantes clementi-
am, ut liberet nos a malignis spiritibus et
importunis et malis hominibus. Terminos uero
huius terrę ideo latius non scribimus, quia
undique ab incolis absque ullo dubitationis
scrupulo certi sunt. Quicunque uero sequen-
tium regum aut principum aut aliquis seculari
fretus potestate hęc nostrę definitionis scri-
pta irrita facere quod absit nisus fuerit,
sciat se in presenti uita domini benedictione
esse priuatum, et in nouissimo maledictione
subiacere, ut a consortio sit separatus
sanctorum et cum impiis et peccatoribus flammis
ultricibus esse damnandum, excepto si digna
satisfactione emendare curauerint quod
iniqua temeritate deprauarunt. Manente
hac cartula in sua nichilominus firmitate
quam propria manu sacro signaculo roborare
curaui, et testes ut subscriberent rogaui,
quorum infra nomina asscripta tenentur.
Scripta est autem haec cartula in ciuitate
dorouerni anno dominicę incarnationis dcclxiiii. indictione ii.
+ Ego offa rex merciorum supra scriptam donati-
onem atque emptionem signo sanctę crucis robora-
ui. + Ego bregouuinus archiepiscopus, iuxta pe-
ticionem clementissimi regis ante prędicti,
consensi et scripsi. + Ego heaberhtus rex
consensi et subscripsi. Coherent uero huic terrę
in commune saltu denberi iii. holanspic, et
lindhrycg, et pædanhrecg. + Ego botuuini
humilis abbas, consensi et subscripsi. + Si-
gnum manus esne. + Signum manus uhtredi. + Si-
gnum manus broerda. + Signum manus eadbaldi.
+ Signum manus berhtuualdi. + Signum manus
bobba. + Signum manus cec. + Signum manus huuit-
hyse. + Signum manus esne fratris eius. + Signum
manus badoheardi. + Signum manus egbaldi.
+ Signum manus suithhuni. + Signum manus
eangesli.
Translation
Concerning Islingham, and Frindsbury:
+ Reigning forever our lord Jesus Christ, and ruling all the rights of the world with just direction, I, Offa, king of the Mercians, sprung from the royal family of the Mercians, and appointed by the dispensation of Almighty God as their king, considering and recollecting that the vessel of election was made known by the truest words, that dangerous times were at hand in those times. For this reason each one will be able to acknowledge more fully of himself, that the longer he lived a longer life in this earthly dwelling, the more truthful are all the things which the ancient poets foretold of old would be fulfilled. For this reason I thought it necessary that for the intercessions of many to pardon my sins, and to obtain perpetual rest for my soul, some of those things which Christ the Lord, the Giver of all goods, deigned to bestow upon me, that is, the land of twenty plowmen, in the place whose name is Islingham, which also lies to the west part of the River Medway, adjoining to the river itself, with all its borders properly competent to it, with plains, woods, meadows, pastures, marshes, and waters, just as the earls and princes of the kings of Kent, and with every tribute which is available to kings rightfully, I willingly pardon you forever to the venerable Eardwulf, bishop of the church of Rochester. And this, with the consent and permission of our Archbishop Bregouini, and Heaberht, king of Kent, and our nobles, that he may by all means have the power of possessing, selling, or even handing over to whomsoever he wishes. And because he in return for his land some part of the money, willingly offered to us faithfully to merit not only the piety of our Lord, but the indulgence of our sins, we humbly beseech the Lord's clemency to deliver us from evil spirits and unreasonable and bad men. But we do not write the boundaries of this land at greater length, because they are assured on every side by the inhabitants without any scruple of doubt. But whosoever of the following kings, or princes, or any one relying on secular authority, has attempted to make these words of our definition invalid, God forbid, let him know that in the present life of the Lord he is deprived of the blessing of the Lord, and in his last curse, that he may be separated from the society of saints and with ungodly and sinners by the flames that they ought to be condemned by avengers, except if they had taken care to make amends with worthy apology, which they had slandered with unjust rashness. While this document remained in its stead, I nevertheless took care to strengthen it with a sacred seal by my own hand, and asked the witnesses to sign it, whose names are ascribed below.
This document was written in the city of Canterbury in the year of our Lord's incarnation 763. 2nd indiction.
+ I, Offa, king of the Mercians, validated the above donation and purchase with the sign of the holy cross.
+ I, Archbishop of Bregouinus, agreed and wrote it according to the request of the most merciful king before the aforesaid.
+ I, King Heabbert, agreed and signed. But they are bound together by this earth, and are bound together in a common forest, 3 Holanspic, and Lindhrecg, and Pædanhrecg.
+ I, Botuuini humble abbot, consented and subscribed.
+ Signed by the hand of Esne.
+ Signed by the hand of Uhtredi.
+ Signed by the hand of Broerda.
+ Signed by the hand of Eadbald.
+ Signed by the hand of Berhtuuald.
+ Signed by the hand of Bobba.
+ Signed by the hand of Cec.
+ Signed by the hand of Huuithyse.
+ Signed by the hand of Esne brother of Eius.
+ Signed by the hand of Badeherd.
+ Signed by the hand of Edbaldi.
+ Signed by the hand of Swithun.
+ Signed by the hand of Eangesli.