BISHOP SIGHELMUS 



bitiously boasting, as though the sayd Isle had bene 

 under his jurisdiction. 



A testimonie of the sending of Sighelmus Bishop 

 of Shirburne, by King Alphred, unto Saint 

 Thomas of India in the yeare of our Lord 

 883, recorded by WilHam of Malmesburie, 

 in his second booke and fourth Chapter de 

 gestis regum Anglorum. 



Leemosynis intentus privilegia ecclesiarum, 

 sicut pater statuerat, roboravit ; & trans 

 mare Romam, & ad sanctum Thomam 

 in Indiam multa munera misit. Legatus 

 in hoc missus Sighelmus Shirburnensis 

 Episcopus cum magna prosperitate, quod 

 quivis hoc seculo miretur, Indiam pene- 

 travit ; inde rediens exoticos splendores gemmarum, & 

 liquores aromatum, quorum ilia humus ferax est, re- 

 portavit. 



The same in English. 



King Alphred being addicted to giving of almes, con- 

 firmed the privileges of Churches as his father had 

 determined ; and sent also many giftes beyond the seas 

 unto Rome, and unto S. Thomas of India. His mes- 

 senger in this businesse was Sighelmus bishop of Schir- 

 burne ; who with great prosperitie (which is a matter to 

 be wondered at in this our age) travailed thorough India, 

 and returning home brought with him many strange and 

 precious unions and costly spyces, such as that countrey 

 plentifully yeeldeth. 



A.D. 



883, 



[A second 



279 



