that kings and eorls for God and for the world, A.D. 959. This year Eadgar sent after St. Dunstan, and gave him the bishopric at Worcester; and afterwards the bishopric at London. A.D. 960. A.D. 961. This year departed Odo the Good, archbishop; and St. Dunstan succeeded to the archbishopric. 3 A.D. 962. This year died Aelfgar, the king's kinsman, in Devonshire, and his body rests at Wilton. And king Sigferth killed himself, and his body lies at Wimborne. And then, within the year, there was a great mortality, and the great fever was in London; and Paul's minster was burnt, and that same year was again built up. In this same year Athelmod the mass-priest went to Rome, and there died, on the 18th of the kalends of September [15th Augt.]. 5 A.D. 963. This year died Wulfstan, the deacon, on Childermass-day [28th Dec.], and after that died Gyric, the mass-priest. "In this same year abbat Athelwold succeeded to the bishopric at Winchester, and he was consecrated on the vigil of St. Andrew [29th Nov.]: it was Sunday that day. In the year after he was consecrated, then made he many minsters, and drove the clerks out of the bishopric, because they would not observe any rule, and he set monks there. He made there two abbacies; one of monks, one of nuns; all which was within Winchester. Afterwards then came he to the king, Eadgar, and begged of him that he would give him all the minsters which heathen men had formerly broken down, because he would restore them: and the king cheerfully granted it. And then the bishop came first to Ely, where St. Aetheldrith lies, and 1 F. and inserted in A. in continuation after A.D. 958. 2 F. and inserted in A. 3 A.D. 961, G. 4 This year does not occur in B. C. D. E. F. 5 This first sentence not in E. F. The remainder of the year from G. B. C. D. have not this sentence. caused the minster to be made: then he gave it to one of his monks, who was named Brihtnoth. He then consecrated him abbat, and there set monks to serve God where previously had been nuns : he bought then many villages of the king, and made it very rich. After that came bishop Athelwold to the minster which was called Medeshamstede, which formerly had been destroyed by heathen men: he found nothing there but old walls and wild woods. There found he, hidden in the old walls, writings that abbat Headda had erewhile written, how king Wulfhere and Aethelred his brother had built it, and how they had freed it against king and against bishop, and against all secular services, and how the pope Agatho had confirmed the same by his rescript, and the archbishop Deusdedit. Then caused he the minster to be built; and set there an abbat, who was called Aldulf, and caused monks to be there where before was nothing. Then came he to the king, and caused him to look at the writings which before were found; and the king answered then and said : "I, Aedgar, grant and give to-day, before God and before the archbishop Dunstan, freedom to St. Peter's minster, Medeshamstede, from king and from bishop; and all the villages which lie thereto; that is to say, Aestfeld, and Dodesthorp, and Ege, and Pastun. And thus I free it, that no bishop have there any command, without the abbat of the minster. And I give the vill which is called Oundle, with all which thereto lieth; that is to say, that which is called the Eight-hundreds, and market and toll, so freely that neither king, nor bishop, nor earl, nor sheriff, have there any command, nor any man except the abbat alone, and him whom he thereto appointeth. And I give to Christ and St. Peter, and through the prayer of bishop Athelwold, these lands; that is to say, Barwe, Wermingtun, Aesctun, Ketering, Castre, Egleswurth, Waltun, Witheringtun, Ege, Thorp; and one moneyer in Stamford. These lands, and all the others that belong to the minster, them declare I free: that is, saca and socne, toll and team, and infangthief; these rights, and all others, them declare I free to Christ and St. Peter. And I give the two parts of Whittlesey-mere, with the waters and with the wears and fens, and so through Merelade straight to the water which is called Nen, and so eastward to King's-delf. And I will that a market be in the same town, and that no other be between Stamford and Huntingdon. And I will that the toll be thus given first, from Whittlesey-mere all as far as the king's toll of Norman-cross-hundred, and then back again from Whittleseymere, through Merelade, straight to the Nen, and so as the water runneth to Crowland, and from Crowland to Must, and from Must to King's-delf, and to Whittlesey-mere. And I will that all liberties, and all the remissions that my predecessors have given, that they stand; and I sign and confirm it with Christ's rood-token." : Then Dunstan, the archbishop of Canterbury, answered and said: "I grant that all the things which here are given and spoken of, and all the things which thy predecessors and mine have conceded, those will I that they stand; and whosoever this breaketh, then give I him the curse of God, and of all saints, and of all ordained heads, and of myself, unless he come to repentance. And I give, in acknowledgment, to St. Peter, my mass-hackel, and my stole, and my ' reef,' for the service of Christ.' "I, Oswald, archbishop of York, assent to all these words, by the holy rood which Christ suffered on." "I, Athelwold, bishop, bless all who shall observe this; and I excommunicate all who shall break this, unless he come to repentance." Here was Aelfstan bishop, Athulf bishop, and Escwi abbat, and Osgar abbat, and Aethelgar abbat, and Aelfere the ealdorman, Aethelwin the ealdorman, Brithnoth; Oslac the ealdorman, and many other great men and all assented to it, and all signed it with Christ's cross. This was done after the birth of our Lord nine hundred and seventy-two years, of the king's reign the sixteenth year. 66 Then the abbat Aldulf bought lands, numerous and many, and then greatly enriched the minster withal; and then was he there so long as until the archbishop Oswald of York was dead,' and then he was chosen archbishop. And then, soon, another abbat was chosen of the self-same minster, who was called Kenulf: he was afterwards bishop at Winchester. And he first made the wall about the minster then gave he that to name Burch," which before was called Medeshamstede he was there until he was appointed bishop at Winchester.2 Then another abbat was chosen of the self-same minster, who was called Aelfsi: Aelfsi was then abbat, from that time, fifty years. He took up St. Kyneburh and St. Kyneswith, who lay at Castre, and St. Tibba, who lay at Rihall, and brought them to Burch, and made an offering of them all to St. Peter in one day; and preserved them all the while he was there. : A.D. 963. This year, by king Eadgar, St. Aethelwold was chosen to the bishopric at Winchester. And the archbishop of Canterbury, St. Dunstan, consecrated him bishop, on the first Sunday of Advent; that was on the 3d of the kalends of December [29th Nov.]. A.D. '964. This year king Edgar expelled the priests at Winchester from the Old-Minster and from the New-Minster, and from Chertsey, and from Middleton, and filled them with monks; and he appointed abbat Aethelgar abbat to the New-Minster, and Ordbriht to Chertsey, and Cyneward to Middleton. A.D. 964. This year were the canons driven out of the Old-Minster by king Eadgar, and also from the New-Minster, and from Chertsey, and from Middleton; and he appointed thereto monks and abbats: to the NewMinster Aegelgar, to Chertsey Ordberht, to Milton Cyneward. A.D. 965. In this year king Eadgar took Aelfythe [Aelfthrythe?] for his queen; she was the daughter of Ordgar the ealdorman. A.D. 966. This year Thored, Gunner's son, ravaged Westmoreland. And that same year Oslac obtained an ealdordom. A.D. 967. A.D. 968. In this year king Eadgar ordered all Thanet-land to be ravaged. A.D. 969, 970. A.D. 971. "This year died archbishop Oskytel: he was first 1 Namely, in A.D. 992. 4 This year is blank in B. C. D. E. 7 From D. F. 2 In A.D. 1006. 5 From F. 8 From D. 3 From E. 6 From D. • From B. C. consecrated bishop of Dorchester, and afterwards of York; by favour of king Eadred, and of all his witan, he was consecrated archbishop; and he was a bishop twenty-two years; and he died on the mass-night of All-Hallows [1st Nov.], ten days before Martinmass, at Thame. And abbat Thurkytel, his kinsman, carried the bishop's body to Bedford, because he was then, at that time, abbat there. A.D. 972. 'This year died Edmund the etheling, and his body lies at Rumsey. A.D. 3972. This year Eadgar the etheling was consecrated king at the Hot-baths, on Pentecost's mass-day, on the 5th of the ides of May [11th May], the thirteenth year since he had obtained the kingdom; and he was then one less than thirty years of age. And soon after that, the king led all his ship-forces to Chester; and there came to meet him six kings, and they all plighted their troth to him, that they would be his fellow-workers by sea and by land. a thousand run out when this befel. And to himself, Eadmund's nine and twenty, (guardian 'gainst evil works,) years in the world when this was done, and then in the thirtieth, was hallowed as ruler. A.D. 974. A.D. 975. the joys of earth, Eadgar, of Angles the king, this wretched life. those who erewhile were when the youth departed, And then his son succeeded 970, D. E. 971, G. Erased from A. to the kingdom, a child unwaxen, of earls the prince. whose name was Eadweard. to whom was Cyneweard name. widely and every where, the glory of the Lord laid low on earth: many were expelled, sage servants of God; that was much grief to him who in his breast bore a burning love of the Creator, in his mind. Then was the Source of wonders too oft contemned; the Victor-lord, heaven's Ruler. The men his law broke through and then was eke driven out, the beloved hero, Oslac from this land, o'er rolling waters, o'er the gannet's-bath; the hoary-haired hero, wise and word-skilled, o'er the waters' throng, o'er the whale's domain, of home bereaved. And then was seen, high in the heavens, a star in the firmament, which lofty-souled men, sage-minded, call widely, cometa by name; men skilled in arts, wise truth-bearers. Throughout mankind was the Lord's vengeance widely known, famine o'er the earth. That again heaven's Guardian, bettered, Lord of angels, gave again bliss to each isle-dweller, through earth's fruits. A.D. 975. The 18th of the ides of July [8th July]. Here Eadgar died, ruler of the Angles, West Saxons' joy, and Mercians' protector. Known was, widely throughout many nations, this offspring of Eadmund, o'er the gannet's bath. Kings him widely honoured far, bowed to the king, as was his due by kind. No fleet was so daring, nor army so strong, that 'mid the English nation took from him aught, the while that the noble king ruled his throne. And this year Eadward, Eadgar's son, succeeded to the kingdom; and then soon, in the same year, during harvest, appeared "cometa," the star; and then came in the following year a very great famine, and very manifold commotions among the English people. And at that time also was Oslac, the great earl, banished from England. The date is from D. E. F. |