THE BISHOPRIC OF CORNWALL. 205 



among the Cornish Britans." "The Bishop's See continued at 

 Bodman till the year 981, when, that town and monastery being 

 burnt down by the Danes, the Bishop removed his See to St. 

 German's." * 



The Priory of Saint Petrock at Bodmin, thus destroyed by the 

 Danes, seems to have speedily risen from it's rums ; for it is men- 

 tioned thirteen years afterwards, in a Charter of Kmg Ethelred 

 in favour of Bishop Eldred and his Church in Cornwall, dated 

 994. The King, moved by the love of S. German and S. Petrock, 

 enfranchises the Bishopric of Cornwall from all Eoyal tributes 

 and compulsory burdens, and makes Bodmin Priory subject to 

 Bishop Eldred and his successors. This Bishop was probably the 

 first who sat at S. Germans ; and in consequence of the removal 

 of the See thither, and the rebuilding of S. Petrock's Priory after 

 its destruction in 981, the relations of the Bisho^nic to that Priory 

 doubtless required to be readjusted and finally settled. The fol- 

 lowing is the most important part of the instrument : — 



" Wherefore I (Ethelred) now make known to all Catholics, 

 that with the advice and permission of the Bishops and Princes, 

 and of all my Nobles, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and 

 the holy Confessor German, as well as the blessed excellent Pe- 

 trock, for the redemption of my sou.1, and for the absolution of 

 my sins, I have granted the Bishopric of Bishop Ealdred, that is, 

 in the Province of Cornwall, that it may be free, and subject to 

 him and all his successors; that he may govern and rule his 

 Diocese as other Bishops who are under my authority ; and that 

 the place and rule of Saint Petrock may be always in the power 

 of him and his successors : and thus that it may be free from all 

 Eoyal tributes, and released from the obligation of compulsory 

 works and penal liabilities, (but with the apprehension of thieves), 

 and from every secular burden, except only military service, and 

 that free it may perpetually remain." t 



* Borlase's Antiquities of Cornioall. — Ed. 1769, p. 378. 



f " Qua de re, nunc patefacio omnibus Catholicis, quod cum consilio et 

 licentia Episcoporum ac Principum, et omnium Optimatum meorum, pro 

 amore Domini nostri Jhesu Christi, atque Sancti Confessoris Germani, 

 necnon et Beati Eximii Petroci, pro redemptione animge meas, et pro absolu- 

 tione criminum meorum, donayi Episeopium Ealdredi Episcopi, id est, in 



d2 



