A literal translation of the Saxon chronicle

by Unknown

956.

This year Wulstan Archbishop of York died; and this year Prince Edgar received the kingdom of Mercia.

957.

This year King Edwy died on the calends of October, and his brother Edgar took to himself the kingdom of Wessex, as well as Mercia and Northumberland; he was then 16 years old.—There was prosperity in his days, and God gave him to abide in peace so long as he lived, and he, as it beseemed him, strove to merit this favour. He every where exalted the glory of God, and he loved the laws of God, and attended to the peace of the people, more than any King before in the memory of man. And God also shewed him favour, so that Kings and Earls willingly obeyed him, and submitted to that which he desired, and without opposition he ruled all things according to his own pleasure. He was greatly honoured throughout the nation because he willingly gave honour to the name of God, and he often meditated in the law of God, and exalted the glory of God far and wide, and he always took wise counsel for his people before God and before the world. Yet was he guilty of one great sin, in that he loved the vicious habits of foreign nations, and established heathenish customs in this land, and invited hither outlandish and mischievous people: but God grant that his good actions may have outweighed his misdeeds, to the salvation of his soul in the last day. This year he sent for St. Dunstan and gave him the bishoprick of Worcester, and afterwards that of London.

961.

This year the good Archbishop Odo died, and St. Dunstan[AP] received the Archbishoprick of Canterbury. This year the King’s kinsman Ælfgar died in Devon, and his body lieth at Wilton. And King Sigeferth killed himself, and his body resteth at Winborn. And this year there was a great pestilence among men, and a great fever in London, and Paul’s monastery was burned and was rebuilt the same year. This year the priest Athelmod went to Rome, and he died there on the 18th of the calends of September.

963.

This year the Deacon Wulfstan died, on Childermas-day, and after this died Cyric the Priest. The same year the Abbot Athelwold received the Bishoprick of Winchester, and was consecrated on a Sunday, the vigil of St. Andrew. The second year after his consecration be founded many monasteries, and he drove the clergy out of his bishoprick because they would observe no rule, and he placed monks in their room. He founded two abbeys, one for monks, the other for nuns, both in Winchester. Afterwards he went to King Edgar, and desired of him that he would give him all the monasteries which the heathens had destroyed, for that he would restore them; and the King willingly granted his request. And the Bishop came first to Ely, where. St. Ætheldrith lieth, and he caused the monastery to be rebuilt, and he gave it to one of his monks named Brihtnoth. He consecrated him abbot, and he established monks there to serve God, whereas the place was formerly inhabited by nuns, and he bought many small estates of the King, and made it very rich. Afterwards Bishop Athelwold came to the monastery that is called Medeshamstede, which had been destroyed by the heathens, and he found nothing there but old walls and wild woods. He found also hidden in the old wall the records which the abbot Headda had formerly written, how King Wulfhere and his brother Æthelred had built the monastery, and had made it free of the King, of the Bishop, and of all earthly service; and how the Pope Agatho had confirmed this with his rescript, and the Archbishop Deusdedit also. He then caused the monastery to be rebuilt, and he appointed an abbot whose name was Aldulf, and he peopled that place with monks, which was before a wilderness. Then he came to the King, and caused him to look at the writings which had been found, and the King then answered and said, “I King Edgar, before God and in presence of the Archbishop Dunstan, do this day grant to St. Peter’s monastery of Medeshamstede, freedom from subjection to the King and to the Bishop, and do endow it with all these adjoining villages, to wit, Æst-feld (Eastfield), and Dodes-thorp (Dasthorp), and Ege (Eye), and Pastun (Paston). And I so make it free, that no Bishop shall have any authority over it, but the abbot of the monastery alone. And I give the town called Undela (Oundle) with all the land belonging to it, which is called the Eahte hundred, with the markets and tolls, so freely, that neither the King, nor the Bishop, nor the Earl, nor the Sheriff of the county, shall have any power there, neither any man, excepting the abbot alone, and those whom he may appoint thereto. And at the request of Bishop Athelwold, I give these lands to Christ and to St. Peter, to wit, Barwe (Barrow or Berk, Rutland), Wermington (Warmington, Northamptonshire), Æsctun (Ashton, near Oundle?), Kettering, Castra (Castor, Northamptonshire), Egleswurthe (Ailesworth), Walton, Withringtun (Werrington), Ege (Eye), Thorp (near Kettering); and I empower them to have a moneyer at Stamford. And I herewith assign to Christ and to St. Peter the sac and soc, toll and team, and infangentheof, and all other rights attached to the lands, and to others belonging to the monastery. And I give two parts of Witlesmere (Whittleseymere) with the waters, the wears, and the fens, and so on through Merelade unto the river which is called the Nen, and so eastward to Cyngesdælf. And it is my will that a market be held in that town, and that there be no other betwixt Stamford and Huntingdon; and I will, that the toll should be given thus: first, from Witlesmere as far as the King’s toll of Northmannes-cross (Normancross) hundred and again on the other side, from Witlesmere through Merelade unto the Nen, and thence as the water runneth to Croyland, and from Croyland to Must, and from Must to Cyngesdælf and to Witlesmere. And I will that all the exemptions and all the privileges granted by my predecessors stand good and I subscribe to this, and do confirm it with the cross of Christ.” Then Dunstan the Archbishop of Canterbury answered and said, “I confirm all that has been said, and I will that all things which thy predecessors and mine have, granted should stand; and whosoever breaketh this grant, to him give I the curse of God, and of all the saints, and that of every consecrated head, and my curse also, unless he come to repentance I also give to St. Peter my surplice, stole, and vestment for the service of Christ.” “I Oswald Archbishop of York do ratify all these words with the sign of the holy cross on which Christ suffered.” “I Bishop Athelwold bless all who; do observe this, and I excommunicate whomsoever breaketh it, unless he come to repentance.” There were present also the Bishops Ælfstan and Athulf, and the Abbots Escwi and Osgar and Æthelgar, and the Aldermen Ælfere, Æthelwine, Brihtnoth, and Oslac, with many other great men, and they all confirmed this grant, and subscribed thereto the cross of Christ. This was done 972 years after the birth of our Lord, and in the 16th year of the King’s reign. Then the Abbot Aldulf bought many lands, with which he endowed the monastery; and he remained there till the death of Oswald Archbishop of York, on which he was chosen to succeed him. And another Abbot was immediately chosen out of the same monastery; his name was Kenulf, and he was afterwards Bishop of Winchester. He first built the walls round about the monastery, and he gave it the name of Burch, whereas it had before been called Medeshamstede. He remained there until he was nominated Bishop of Winchester, and then another Abbot, whose name was Ælfsi, was chosen out of the same monastery. This Ælfsi was Abbot there fifty years; he took up St. Kyneburh and St. Kynesvith who lay at Castra (Castor), and St. Tibba, who was buried at Rihala (Ryal or Ryehall, Rutland), and he presented all these relics to St. Peter in one day, and he kept them whilst he remained there.

964.

This year King Edgar drove the priests of Winchester out of the old monastery, and out of the new also, and out of Ceortesige (Chertsey), and out of Middel-tun (Milton Abbey, Dorsetshire), and placed monks in their room. And he made Æthelgar Abbot of the new monastery, and Ordbryht Abbot of Chertsey, and Cyneweard of Milton.