Beed of Gift of North Nywantune to the Monastery of Wilton. 229 



viam ad rubrum volutabrum (1. stagnum ;) et sic ad Wodeiii fossam ; inde a 

 fossa ad spoluncaj portam (1. ostium) ; iude ad Dragstanain (lapidem sic dic- 

 tum ;) et sic ad Meosleagam (i. campura mucosum ;) a campo per viam boa- 

 riura iterum ad Heeselwillam.] 



"Acta est autem scriptio hujus kartulie, anno Dominicse incarnationis 

 DCCCC"'°.XXXIII''. Hiis consenticntibus testibus, quorum nomina subtus notata 

 sunt. Ego .^THELSTAN, rex Anglorum praefatam donationem indeclinabiliter 

 concessi. Ego Wulfhelm Dorobomeusis ecclesiae archiepiscopus consignavi. 

 Ego Alfeah, Wintoniensis ecclesiae episcopus consensi. J^odeed, episcopus. 

 Cenwald, episcopus. Wulfhtjn, episcopus. Odo, episcopus. .^^lfeah, 

 episcopus. BuKHEic, episcopus. .^lfwold, dux. Uhteed, dux. Odo, 

 minister. Wulfgae, minister. Sigeeed, minister. Eadmund, minister. 

 JElfeic, minister. Wulfsige, minister. .SIlfheee, minister. Wihtgae, 

 minister, .^ihelwold, minister, .^lfheah, minister, ^lfeed, minister. 

 WuLFMiEE, minister. Wulfgae, minister." 



Translation. 



"This is the Deed of Gift of Noeth Nywantune. 



"In the name of the High God, who governs every thing by His sacred 

 sway — the universe beneath and above the heavens. Now it is a wise desire 

 and care of all men, whilst they are in the enjoyment of the term of life 

 kindly granted them by the permission of God, to provide that the events of 

 their own time should be recorded, in order that their posterity might not 

 forget the wholesome enactments of their ancestors. Wherefore I .ffithelstan, 

 by the merciful ordering of the universal Creator, King of all English-bom, 

 and of all clans and sexes that dwell on every side, give and grant to the 

 monastery of Mary, the holy Mother of God, which is called Wiltune, a cer- 

 tain portion of land — ten manors namely, in the district called by its inhabi- 

 tants Nywantun by Avon Streme, and likewise five tracts of waste land near 

 the wood which is called Safernoc, in that district which, says Motenes, is 

 vulgarly called Ore, together with the plains, meadows, pastures, woods, and 

 all things belonging thereto, whether great, small, known or unknown — as an 

 eternal possession. But let the land be set apart from all secular business, 

 except the building of a bridge, or the erection of a citadel.* We order more- 

 over in the name of the Sacred Trinity that none of our successors may 

 invalidate this deed, either by bringing into force some former deed or by 

 any other subtle design : but that this deed may remain for ever in its present 

 condition unaltered and not mutilated. To those who consent to and uphold 

 this distribiition of land which I have made may there remain peace for ever. 

 But to those who oppose or try to violate it may the vengeance of punish- 

 ment [hereafter] overtake them, if [the rulers] correct them not with chastise- 

 ment in this world. Now in the territory of this state are the following 

 tracts of land : — 



" [ (1) In the first place starting at a ford on the Aven (a river of that name) 



• This is the usual clause exempting lands given to religious houses from all save the " Trinoda 

 necessitas"— expeditione, ponte, arce— i.«., helping the king in any war, building bridges, or forti- 

 fications for common good, 



VOL. XIX. — NO. LVI. X 



