20. And to Ethered alderman a sword of a hundred

mancuses.

21. And to the men that me follow, that I now at Eastertide fees gave, two hundred pounds: let them give to them, and divide them between, to each as to him to belong they shall judge; after the manner that I to them now have distributed.

22. And to the archbishop", a hundred mancuses, and to Esny bishop, and to Werferthe bishop, and to the [bishop] at Sherborne ".

23. Eke so let them distribute for me, and for mine father, and for the friends that he forethought for, and I forethink for, two hundred pounds; fifty to the Mass-priests over all mine kingdom, fifty to God's poor servants, fifty to the distressed poor; fifty to the Church that I at rest [rest at]. And I know not certainly whether fees [money] so much is, nor I know but that thereof more may be but so Iween [think]. If it more be, be it to them all common

value of which to commodities was very different from that of our modern pence and shillings. Mr. Turner supposes that two sorts of pennies were the only coins of the Anglo-Saxons above their copper coinage; and that all their other denominations of money (including the mancus) are to be regarded as "weighed or settled quantities of uncoined metal."

■ Ethelred, archbishop of Canterbury, who died anno 888.

Esne, bishop of Hereford, who died, according to Godwin, anno 885. Stevens and Willis place him a century higher. But, as a bishop Esne is here expressly mentioned as a legatee, and no other of that name occurs in the whole catalogue of bishops, this seems a full proof that Godwin is right in the point of chronology.

P Werferth was bishop of Worcester, a man of singular learning, and employed by Alfred in translating the Dialogues of Pope Gregory I. into the Saxon language. He died, according to some, anno 911; according to others, anno 915.

The bishop of Sherborne was Asser, the great friend and favourite of Alfred; he wrote the Annals of that monarch's reign down to the year 893. He died, according to the most probable accounts, anno 909, or 910. See Fra. Wise de vitâ et scriptis Asserii, §. 12. prefixed to his edition of Asser's Annals of Alfred.

that I fee [money] bequeathed have. And I will that my aldermen and my ministers there all together be, and this thus distribute.

24. When had I ere [formerly] in other wise written concerning mine inheritance, then I had more fee, and more relations, and had to many men the writings intrusted, and in [before] the same witnesses they were written. Then have I now burned those old [deeds] that I recover might. If of these any found should be, let it stand for nothing: for that I will that it now thus be with God's help.

25. And I will the men that land have, the words to list that in mine father's inheritance-writing stand, so as they firmest [soonest] may.

26. And I will, if I to any men any fee unpaid have, that mine relations that at least repay.

n

27. And I will the men to whom I my book-land bequeathed have, that they it not give from mine kin, over [after] their day, that it go unto the nighest-hand to me; unless of them any one bairns have; then it is to me most eligible that it go to that issue on the male side, the while that any of it worthy be. Mine elder father [grandfather] hath bequeathed his land to the spear-half, and not to the spindle-half. Wherefore if I have given to any female what he had acquired, then let redeem it my relations if they it while she is living have will: if it otherwise be, let it go after their day, so as we before determined have. For this reason I ordain that they it pay for, because they will

n The word' ofer' appears to have been omitted in the original.

6

• "Spere-healfe... spinl-healfe." The sexes are here denominated from the implements peculiar to their respective occupations; the male from the spear, the female from the spindle. Hence I think it probable that the word wæpened,' signifying also masculine, (though derived by the authors of our vocabularies from wæpen,' which they suppose to have been a Saxon word corresponding to the 'veretrum' of the Latins,) has its origin in the word 'wapen,' as it signifies arms; and it is therefore only applied to the male sex, as the particular weapon the spear was, because it was the sex that bore arms.

succeed to my [estate] that I give may, or to female hand, or to male hand whether I will.

28. And I beseech in God's name, and in his Saints', that of my relations none, nor of my heirs none, do obstruct none of the freedom P of those that I have redeemed. And for me the West-Saxon nobles as lawful have pronounced that I them may leave either free either or bond whether I will. But I for God's love, and for my soul's advantage, will that they be of their freedom masters, and of their will, and I, in God the living's name intreat that them no man do not disturb, neither by money-exaction, nor by no manner of means, that they may not choose such man as they will.

29. And I will that they restore to the families' at Domerham their land-deeds and their free liberty such person to choose, as to them most agreeable may be; for me, and for Elfleda', and for the friends that she did intercede for, and I do intercede for.

u

30. And seek they also, with a living price, for my soul's health, as it be may, and as it also fitting is; and as ye me to forgive shall be disposed.

The latter part of this compound lif' is put for leaf:" and the whole world' cyrelif' is as much as to say, "arbitrii licentiam," that is, the liberty of disposing of themselves.

4 Alfred, having manumitted divers' theowas' and put them into the condition of ceorles,' desires that his heirs would not abridge them of that liberty, but leave them to choose such man for their landlord as they wished; which all ceorles,' by the Saxon constitution, might do.

The 'hiwas' of Domerham were the same sort of people as those of Chedder spoken of in a former note, namely, the 'ceorles' who occupied the tenemental lands there which they might relinquish when they pleased. And as they were entreated, in that instance, to choose Edward for their Lord, i. e. to continue to occupy those lands under him, as they had done under Alfred: so here, the heirs are required to leave those of Domerbam to choose such man for their landlord as they would; i. e. to continue to occupy those lands, or relinquish them, as they should think proper.

• Domra hamme,' the manor of Dummer, in the co. of Hants.

His eldest daughter.

"' Sec man.' "Let them seek," or make application to, viz. God.

* On cwicum ceape.' With a living price; viz. by prayer and intercession, and the usual offices of devotion.

II. KING ALFRED's Proverbs, GIVEN AT SHIFFORD A.D. 890.

From an ancient Anglo-Saxon Manuscript, formerly in the Cottonian Library, and quoted by Spelman in his Life of Alfred; but now supposed to be lost.

AT Sifford seten thaines manie,

Fele biscopes, and fele boclered,
Erles prude, cnihtes egloche.

There was erle Alfric, of the lage swuth wise;
And ec Alfred, Engle-hirde, Engle-derling.
On Engelond he was king: hem he gan leren
Swo hi heren mihten, hu hi here lif leden scolden.

ALFRED he was on Engelond a king wel swithe strong;
He was king and clerk: wel he luvede God's werk:
He was wise on his word, and war on his speche;
He was the wisest man that was on Engelond.

THUS qwath Alvred, Engle frofre,

"Wolde ye nu liben and lusten yure louerd, And he yu wolde wisen wiseliche thinges,

Hu

ye mihten werlds wurthscipe welden,

And ec yure soule samne to Criste."

Wise weren the cwethen the saide the king Alfred!
"Mildeliche I mune yu, mine dere frend, arme
And edilede luviende, that ye all drede yure
Drihten Christ, luviend him and licen; for he is
Louerd of Life; he is one God over all godnesse;
He is one blisse over alle blessedness;

He is one manne, milde maister; he one folce fader,
And frofre: he is one riht wis and riche king,
That him ne scal be pane noht of his will
Hwo him here on werlde wurthend and eth."

THUS Cwath Alvred, Engle frofre, "He mai no riht cing ben under Crist self, But he be boclered, and wis o loage,

And he hise writes wel icweme, and he cunne
Letres locen himselve hu he scal his lond
Lagelice helden."

THUS Cwath Alvred, Engle frofre :

"The erl and the atheling tho ben under the cing, The lond to leden mid lagelic deden.

Bothe the clerc and the cniht demen evenliche riht:

For after that the man soweth,

Thereafter he scal mowen;

And efrilces mannes dom to his ogen dure charigeth."

THUS Cwath Alvred, " The cniht behoveth

Ceneliche to mowen vor to werce the lond

Of hunger, and of heregong,

That the Chureche have grith, and the chirl be in frith,

His sedes to sowen, hise medes to mowen,

His plowes to driven to ure alre bilif.

This is the cnihtes lage, to locen that it wel fare, &c.

Translation".

AT Shifford sat thanes many,

Many bishops, and many book-learned [men],

Earls wise and knights awful.

There was earl Alfric, of the law so wise,

And eke Alfred, England's herd ['s-man], England's darling;
In England he was king; them he began [to] learn,
So him they might hear, how they their life should lead..

ALFRED, he was in England a king well so strong.

He was king and clerk: well he loved God's work.
He was wise in his word, and wary in his speech.

He was the wisest man that was in England.

2 As far as the original is given, I have translated it afresh, more literally than the version which Spelman has given. The remainder is Spelman's free translation.

B