64 The Life and Times of Aldhelm. 



be called the foundation-deed of the monastery^ — its first formal 

 endowment by Bishop Leotherius who held the See of Wessex from 

 672 — 676, — in the authenticity of which Wm. of Malmesbury has 

 shewn his belief by incorporating it into the text of his narrative.' 

 Both of these deeds, it is true, are marked by Kemble as of doubtful 

 authority, and Wright scruples not to throw out the opinion, that 

 possibly " all the charters of the foundation of Malmesbury Abbey 

 are forgeries, made perhaps after the Norman Conquest to be exhi- 

 bited as titles against the usurping spirit of the invaders." ^ That 

 they are originals no one pretends, but since the statements con- 

 tained in them are fairly consistent with known facts, are corrobo- 

 rated by other charters relating to societies with which Aldhelm 

 had no concern, and thoroughly agree with the uniform tradition 

 of Bishop Leotherius having been the founder of this Abbey, it 

 seems hard to deny them the character of being faithful transcripts. 

 As Wright's arguments are based on an expression used by Wm. 

 of Malmesbury, who, as we have seen, believed in the genuineness 

 of these deeds, and no doubt from them derived materials for the 

 history that he gives us of the first foundation of his monastery, 

 we seem, in yielding a general assent to the facts contained, or 

 implied in these charters, to be treading on as sure ground as those 

 who may come to a difierent conclusion. 



Accepting therefore as true, the statement that Aldhelm was 

 Abbot of Malmesbury in the time of Bishop Leotherius, (or about 

 672,) the date of his birth would, as we have already said, be pro- 

 bably about 640. This carries us back to a remote period in the 

 history of our country, when scarce thirty years had passed since 

 the death of Augustine, the head of the Italian mission from Gregory 

 the Great to England, and when, as is evidenced by the continual 

 conflicts waged in these parts for some fifty years afterwards, the 

 borders of the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia were but imperfectly 

 defined. The latter kingdom was as yet heathen ; * on Wessex the 



1 Kemble's Cod. Dipl., No. 11. 

 2 "Wm. of Malmesbury, Chron., B. i., c. 2. » Biog. Brit. Lit., p. 213. 

 * Tbus in a charter by King Ina, dated 725. (Cod. Dipl., No. 73) reciting 

 the privileges and estates belonging to Glastonbury, we have a remarkable 



