none would neglect, neither for mine love nor for mine fear, that they the folk-right declare, lest any man quoth [say] that I mine kinsfolk, either elder, either younger, with wrong exclude. And they then all for right declared and quothed [said] that they no righter right conceive might nor in the inheritance-writing hear of. "Now it all delivered is there into thine hand wherefore thou it bequeath and give as [well to] a relation as to a friend, whether to thee liefer be.” And they all me thereon their pledge gave, and their hand-setting, that by their life, it no man never pervert in none other wise, but so as I it self should say at the next day.

6. I, Alfred, West-Saxon King, with God's grace, and with this witness, declare how I about mine inheritance will after mine day.

7. First, I give to Edward mine elder son, the lands at Strætneat', in Triconshire", and Heortigtune", and the book-land all that Leofheah holds, and that land at Carumtune, and at

The comparative of lief, liefer, more agreeable.

j Alfred being king at the time he made his will, it must have been made between A. D. 871, when he came to the crown, and A. D. 885, in which Bishop Esne, one of the legates therein mentioned, died.

I give the lands &c.] Alfred describes most of the estates which he devises, as 'land,' but in some places he uses the word 'ham.' The latter word (the origin of our home and hamlet) was used by the Anglo-Saxons for a house, farm, town, or village, and generally an abode or habitation. Somn. Dict.-Mr. Manning renders it ' manor,' meaning, it is presumed, an entire township; for the word manor, if not the thing, is of Norman introduction. But it is impossible to suppose that the numerous estates devised by Alfred to his two sons, as 'land,' did not comprehend manors in Mr. Manning's acceptation of the term. It is much more likely that land' and 'ham' were considered by him synonymous, and that he in fact possessed an entire township in most, if not all, of the places which he

mentions.

1 Probably Stratton in Cornwall.

m Doubtlessly Cornwall; it being but a small Saxon variation from Trigshire, as it was called by the British inhabitants. See Borlase's Cornish vocabulary.

n Perhaps Hardington in the co. of Somerset, as most of the lands here bequeathed are in that county or Wilts.

Cilfantune, and at Burnhamme, and at Wedmor, and I am a claimant to the families at Ceodre', that they him choose on the condition that we ere [formerly] expressed had; with the land at Ciwtune', and that that thereto belongeth. And I him give the lands at Cantuctune", and at Bedewind3, and at Pefesigge', and Hysseburn', and at Suttune", and at Leodride', and at Aweltune".

And all the Book-lands that I in Cent have, and at the Nether-Hisseburn, and at Ciseldene, give they to Wintan

▸ Chilhampton, co. of Wilts.

9 Burnham, co. of Somerset.

Wedmore, co. of Somerset.

Cheddar, co. of Somerset. These families were the ceorls or churls, who occupied the tenemental lands there. They were so far analogous to those who in the succeeding feudal times were called privileged villains, as that they could not be compelled to hold their lands against their own consent. Hence it was that Alfred had stipulated with them, on the ground of a requisition on his part, to choose Edward, his son, to be their landlord, i. e. to continue his Tenants, after he himself should be dead and gone. Chewton, co. of Somerset.

" Quantock, co. of Somerset. * Beduin, co. of Wilts.

y Pewsey, co. of Wilts.

Hussebourn, co. of Hants.

• There are so many places in England of the name of Sutton, that it is hard to say which of them is here meant; but, doubtlessly, one of those of this name in Somerset or Wilts.

Probably Leathered, in Surrey.

. Most probably Aulton in Wilts, which was given by some of his successors to the Cathedral of Winchester, Cart. 29 E. I. n. 54. For Aulton in Hants seems to have been given to that Church by Egbert, the grandfather of Alfred. Dug. Mon. i. 979. Yet Camden takes it for granted to have been Aulton in Hants; and following the printed Latin translation of the Will, says, that Alfred gave it to the keeper of Leodre. Edit. Gibs. p. 146.

d Nether Husse bourne in Hants; which was afterwards given by Edward to the Cathedral at Winchester.

e Chiseldon or Chistleton in Wilts; which was given to the old Foundation at Winchester for the present; but, as it seems, for the benefit of his intended New Minster, at that place, which appears to have been possessed of it in 4_Ed. III. Rom. 4. E. 3. m. 4. apud Tann. Notit. p. 156.

ceastre, on the condition that it mine father ere gave, and that mine sundry fee [estate] that I Ecgulf gave in trust at the Nether Hisseburn.

e

And the younger mine son that land at Eaderingtune', and at Dene, and at Meone, and at Ambresbury', and at Deone, and at Stureminster', and at Gifle", and at Cruærn”, and at Whitchurch", and at Axanmouth, and at Brancescumbe, and at Columtune', and at Twyford', and at Milenburn', and at Exanminster", and at Sutheswerthe, and at Liwtune, and the lands that thereto belong, that are all that I in Weal-district' have, except Triconshire.

e Ethelward.

f Adrington, co. of Somerset.

There are places of this name both in Hants and Wilts, as well as in many other counties. But I take it to have been in one of those two, as most of the estates here bequeathed lay amongst the West Saxons.

h East and West-Meon, co. of Hants.

1 Ambresbury, co. of Wilts.

k Down, co. of Dorset, or Devon.

1 Sturminster, co. Dorset.

m Gidley, co. Devon.

n Crewkerne, co. Somerset.

• Whitchurch, co. Hants.

par Axmouth, Branscomb, Columbton, co. Devon.

Twyford, co. Hants.

t Milbourn, co. Dorset or Somerset.

u Axminster, co. Devon.

Of this I find nothing.

Litten, of which name there is one in Dorset, and one in Somerset. "ON WEALCYNNE." The author of the printed translation has rendered this "sub cœlo;" as if Alfred had meant to say, 'under the Welkin.' But besides that this word is always written, in the Saxon language, 'weolcen', 'wolcen', or 'welcn,' the very termination, cynne,' naturally refers us to some district. The only question is, what that district was? Now the Britons, who retired into the West of England, were called by our Saxon ancestors, 'wealas,' and their tribes, 'weala cynne,' i. e. 'Britannorum gentes.' The word indeed is, at present, retained in the name of those only who retired to the extremity of the island; who are to this day called Cornwealas.' But this does not preclude the possibility of its having formerly extended further. And the prefix, Corn,' applied to one set of the 'wealas', seems to imply that there were other 'wealas' besides these, and bordering on them. Accord

And mine eldest daughter', the ham at Welewe.

b

And the midmost at Cleare, and at Cendefer".

And the youngest, the ham at Welig', and at Esctune", and at Cippanhamme".

And Æthelme', mine brother's son, the ham at Ealdingburn*, and at Cumtune', and at Crundell", and at Beading", and at Beadinghamme°, and at Burnham, and at Thunresfeld, and at Esceng'.

ingly I suppose that, by a latitude peculiar to common speech, the inhabitants of Devon, or even of Somersetshire, might be called 'wealas' also: and that, therefore, when Alfred had bequeathed his estates in these parts, he finished with saying, 'that sind ealle the ic on weal-cynne hæbbe butan Triconscire:' i. e. as we should express it now, "which are all I have in the West of England except in Cornwall." And, as a proof of this, it is observable, that none of the lands hereafter lequeathed are farther west than Wiltshire.

z Ethelfleda.

a Wellow, co. of Hants.

b His 'midmost daughter' was Ethelgeda, the Nun.

King's Clere, co. of Hants.

• Probably one of those places in Hampshire which still bear this addition to their name, viz. Preston Candever, Chilton Candever.

e His youngest daughter was Elfrida, who married Baldwin II. earl of Flanders, and dying on June 7, 929, was buried in the monastery of St. Peter at Ghent.

1 Willey, co. of Wilts.

Ashton, co. of Wilts.

Chippenham, co. of Wilts.

Æthelm, the eldest son of King Ethelbert, elder brother of Alfred. * Aldingbourn, co. of Sussex.

↑ I take this to have been the manor of Thunderfield, in the parish of Horsey, near Reygate in Surrey, where was formerly a castle of considerable strength.

Probably Eashing in the parish of Godalming in Surrey, the manor of which also belonged to Alfred.

And Athelwolde, mine brother's son, the ham at Godelming, and at Gildeford", and at Stæning*.

And to Osferth' my cousin, the ham at Beccanlea, and Hritheranfeld, and at Dicceling, and at Suthtune, and at Lullingminster, and at Angmæring, and at Felhhamme', and the lands that thereto belong.

And to Ealhswith, the ham at Lamburn", and at Waneting', and at Ethandune*.

17. And to mine two sons a thousand pounds, to each five hundred pounds.

18. And to mine eldest daughter, and to the midmost, and to the youngest, and to Ealhswithe, to them four, four hundred pounds, to each a hundred pounds.

19. And to mine Aldermen', to each a hundred mancuses, and to Æthelm, and Athelwolde, and Osferthe, eke so.

The youngest son of King Ethelbert, who died in arms against his cousin Edward, the son and successor of Alfred, anno 905.

ta Godalming and Guildford, both in Surrey.

y Who this Osferth his cousin was I cannot find out.

zab Beckley, Rotherfield, and Dichling, all in Sussex.

e def Sutton, Lullington, Angmering, and Felphame, all in Sussex. Ethelswitha, the wife of Alfred, and daughter of Ethelred the Great, earl of Mercia. She survived.

hi Lamburn and Wantage in Berks, at the latter of which places Alfred was born.

* Edingdon, near Westbury in Wilts, where Alfred defeated the Danes in 878.

The king's aldermen were his Justices itinerant, and other great officers of his own appointment.

m Mr. Manning says, the " mancus was about 7s. 6d. of our present currency." This may be correct; but the precise grounds of every valuation of ancient money in modern currency should be stated. Mr. Turner, in his History of the Anglo-Saxons, vol. ii. p. 493. (6th. edit.) quotes a passage from Elfric, which asserts, that five pennies made one shilling, and thirty pennies one mancus. This, as he observes, would make the mancus six shillings,' which is not very far from its value in present currency,' according to Mr. Manning's calculation. But it must be recol. lected, that these were Anglo-Saxon pennies and shillings, the relative