[FOUNDATION OF EVESHAM.] ter, and how it finds its way into the records of Peterborough at all. Probably the latter fact may be accounted for by the mention of S. Peter in the clause of salutation. The chief importance of the document is the light it throws on the privileges of exemption which the monks wished it to be believed that they possessed. Whether a forgery or no, it shows that the framers of it had no thought of the extensive immunities afterwards claimed under the title of exemption. A.D. 706, or shortly before. Foundation of the Abbey of Eveshama. In nomine Domini nostri Ihesu Christi! Ego Æthiluueard subregulus, Osheri quondam Regis Uuicciorum filius, terram XII. cassatorum in loco quem dicunt Ambreslege, consentiente Coenredo Rege Merciorum, cum omnibus ad se pertinentibus rebus necessariis, hoc est, in siluis in campis, in captura etiam piscium quæ terræ illi adjacet, ubi sunt scilicet duo quod nostratim dicitur uueres, id est, alter ubi fontanus qui nominatur Ombresuuelle dirivatur in fluvium qui dicitur Saberna, alter qui est ad vadum qui nuncupatur Leverford, ad amplificationem ecclesiasticæ possessionis, pro redemptione animæ meæ et pro spe salutis æternæ, venerando Ecguuino Episcopo ad ecclesiam semper virginis Dei genetricis Mariæ quæ fundata extat in Cronuchomme, coram idoneis testibus libenter pro Domino largitus sum, eo quod ipse etiam prætio approbato a me conquirebat; ea dumtaxat conditione in præfata traditione a me composita in perpetuam libertatis possessionem; statuens de cætero ut ab omni publico vectigali, a victu, ab expeditione, ab opere regio sit libera, tantum ut æcclesiæ præfatæ beatæ Mariæ, hoc est fratribus ibidem servientibus, cuncta quæ in eo loco ad aptum et ad utilitatem pertinere possunt serventur; excepto eo, ut si quando in insula eidem ruri pertinente proventus copiosior glandis acciderit, uni solummodo gregi porcorum saginæ pastus regi concederetur: et præter hoc nulli, neque principi neque præfecto neque tiranno alicui, pascua constituantur; ut elemosina mea quam pro remedio animæ meæ libenter donavi, inviolata et inconcussa permaneat. Si quis autem donationem Christo a nobis traditam temptaverit infringere, confringat Deus regnum et potentiam ejus hic et in futuro sæculo, sitque pars ejus cum Juda infideli traditore. Si quis autem benivolo animo augere voluerit, augeat Deus partem illius cum fideli latrone qui meruit audire, "Hodie Mecum eris in paradiso." Hæc carta scripta est anno Dominicæ incarnationis DCCVI. Ind. IIII. [FOUNDATION OF EVESHAM.] Ego Ætheluueard subregulus hanc donationem meam confirmando signo sanctæ crucis munivi. Ego Cœnredus Dei dono Rex Merciorum, rogante me et obsecrante Ecguuino venerando Episcopo, eandem libertatis donationem telluris hoc est in Ambreslege, quam Ætheluueard subregulus Uuicciorum me concedente donavit æcclesiæ beatæ Mariæ, pro spe mercedis æternæ concedens donabo, et signo crucis Christi munio. Ego Berhtuuald Archiepiscopus hanc donationem confirmans subscripsi. Ego Eadda Episcopus consensi et subscripsi. Ego Tobias Episcopus consensi et subscripsi. Ego Nothberht Episcopus subscripsi. Ego Cuthberht comes Uuicciorum consensi et subscripsi. Ego Eoppa comes subscripsi. Ego Uuada subscripsi. [K. C. D., LVI., from MS. Harl. 3763, fo. 65 (an Evesham Cartulary of the 14th century); MS. Cotton. Vesp. B. XXIV. fo. 23 (a Cartulary of the 12th century).] A mass of fiction has been raised upon the one fact-all that is certain-that this monastery was founded about this time by Ecgwin, Bishop of Worcester. The earliest genuine authority, except the charter noted in the text, is a Life of Ecgwin, written in the 10th or 11th century, and known under the name of Brihtwold (see Macray's Chron. Evesham. Pref., p. xliii.; and Hardy, Cat. Mat., I. 415-420). The writer states, as quoted by Godwin from Capgrave, and corrected by Wharton (A. S., I. 470) from the MS. Life itself, that Ecgwin, having gone to Rome once in order to clear himself before the Pope from an accusation laid against him, went thither a second time in A.D. 709, with Kenred, and Offa King of Essex, and brought back with him from Pope Constantine a bull of privilege for his monastery of Evesham, which also directed Archbishop Brihtwald to hold a council in the neighbourhood of the monastery for the pur pose of consecrating it; and that accordingly such a council was held at Alne, no doubt Alcester, eight miles from Evesham, at which both Brihtwald and Wilfrid "Archbishop" of York were present. So far there seems to be no reason to doubt the story, except the late date of the authority, and the uncertainty how far the writer may have drawn his information from the fictitious documents to be next mentioned. The narration is given at length in the Chronicle of Evesham, and in a pretended charter of Ecgwin himself, given there, pp. 17-20. There was most likely a traditionary story which, on the one hand, the biographer embodied in his Life; while, on the other, it had served as a basis for the forger of the charters before his time. Bede takes Kenred to Rome, but knows nothing at all of Ecgwin. Florence is too late to be of authority where it is probable that a story, known now to be fictitious, already existed to [FOUNDATION OF EVESHAM.] mislead him. He does say that Ecgwin went to Rome and brought back a privilege from Constantine, but that is all. There existed, at the same date with the biographer, and in addition to this genuine charter, at least ten charters relating to the foundation of the abbey, embodied in the Cartularies of Evesham and Worcester; and all, without any exception, certainly forged before the biography was written and besides them two letters or bulls of Pope Constantine, also spurious; all which are founded upon the same story with Brihtwold's, with the addition of (1) a vision of the Blessed Virgin as the cause of the foundation of the monastery in the particular spot; and (2) the resignation of his see by Ecgwin, on his return from Rome, in order to become abbot of Evesham; which last is a manifest untruth in point of fact, contradicted by genuine charters of a later date (see, for example, K. C. D., LXVII., A.D. 716 or 717); but which may be compared with the similar story told of S. Erkenwald (see above, p. 161). In the 13th century, however, a further edifice of pure fiction was raised upon the same foundation: Conrad of Ursperg, in his Chronicle, transfers the English council from "Alne" to London, invents a legate Bonifacius (confused with S. Boniface who was a legate of the Pope forty years later), and a command of the Blessed Virgin to Ecgwin in his vision to erect her image in the church of Evesham; and asserts the business of the council to have been the sanctioning, in compliance with the legate's authority, of the erection of images in churches, and a decree that the clergy should put away their wives. All which, through the pages of Bale and of the Magdeburg Centuriators, figures as a council of London in A.D. 713 or 714, in Wilkins, I. 72, 73. A list of the charters, from Kemble, is given below, with the spurious bulls of Constantine, printed in Wilkins, and the account of the possible council of Alcester or Alne; all which may be said to constitute the first stage of the fiction, and which possibly contain a grain of truth. The council of London, as an absolute falsehood, is omitted altogether. APPENDIX TO THE EVESHAM CHARTER. 1. List of the Spurious Charters granted to Evesham Abbey. I. Grant of Fladbury, by King Ethelred, A.D. 692 or 693, with the exchange of it for Stratford on the part of Bishop Ecgwin. [K. C. D., XXXIII., from a Worcester Cartulary of the 11th century; and compare the great foundation Charter in the Chronicle of Evesham, ed. Macray, p. 18.] II. Grant by Ethelric of the Hwiccas, to Ecgwin, for Evesham, A.D. 706. [K. C. D., LVII.; and see Chron. Evesham. p. 18.] III. Grant by Waldhere, or Balthere, the priest, to Ecgwin, for Evesham, A.D. 706. [K. C. D., LVIII.; see Chron. Evesham. p. 72.] IV. Grant by Kenred of Mercia, to Ecgwin, for Evesham, A.D. 708. [K. C. D., LIX.] V. Another grant by the same, A.D. 709. [K. C. D., LX.] VI. A grant by Kenred and Offa, to Ecgwin, for Evesham, made at Rome, and confirmed by Pope Constantine (S., I. 209, 210; W., IV. App. 748, 749), A.D. 709. [K. C. D., LXI.; Mon. Angl. II. 15.] [FOUNDATION OF EVESHAM.] VII. Grant of Ceolred of Mercia, to Ecgwin, who had resigned his see and retired to Evesham on his return from Rome, A.D. 710. [K. C. D., LXII.] VIII. Charter of Bishop Ecgwin, reciting the lands given to his monastery, A.D. 714. [K. C. D., LXIV., a modern copy; S., I. 211; W., IV. App. 749; and in the Chronicle of Evesham, pp. 17-20, very much expanded and interpolated so as to include most of the legendary history.] IX. Grant of Ethelbald of Mercia, to Ecgwin, for Evesham, A.D. 716. [K. C. D., LXV.] X. Another of the same, A.D. 716 or 717. [K. C. D., LXVIII.] 2. Letters of Pope Constantine. (Spurious.) I. A.D. 709. Letter of Constantine to Archbishop Brihtwald respecting the vision of Ecgwin, the holding a Council near the spot, and the Consecration of the Monastery. CONSTANTINUS EPISCOPUS SERVUS SERVORUM DEI Brithwaldo Brittanniarum primati salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Venerabilem virum Ecgwinum Episcopum, quem bis tua fraternitas ad apostolicam sedem misit, etiam nunc secundo manipulis justitiæ refertum tibi remittimus, monentes quatenus sic suos effectus adjuvando prosequaris, sicuti illum a Deo incepisse et in via Dei cucurrisse cognovisti. Porro de visione illa, immo aperta ostensione, qua se beata Virgo Maria ei manifestavit æque ita certum esse teneamus quemadmodum de viri bonitate non dubitamus. Denique vigilantiam tuam admonemus quatenus illis in partibus in quibus manifestatio habita fuisse refertur, concilium totius Angliæ cogas, Episcopos sacrique ordinis religiosas personas illuc convenire facias, optimatesque regni cum proceribus suis adesse præcipias. Quibus in nomine Domini congregatis denunciamus quod duo Reges Angliæ Kenredus et Offa cum quibus jam dictus Episcopus ad limina apostolorum venit, in loco ostensæ visionis plurima de suis beneficiis in præsentia nostra regia libertate donata et apostolica auctoritate confirmata contulerunt, quatenus ibidem congregatio monachorum secundum regulam memorandi patris Benedicti, quæ minus in illis partibus adhuc habetur, possit instaurari et indesinenter Christo famulari. Ipsas autem donationes et beneficia præfati reges in ipsorum privilegio nominatim determinaverunt et a nobis corroborari fecerunt. Igitur, frater dilecte, quoquomodo Christus annuncietur lucrum [FOUNDATION OF EVESHAM.] Christi inquire, opus Christi exerce, promulgatisque in concilio undique sententiis tum a Deo ostensæ visionis, tum apostolicæ auctoritatis, tum regiæ libertatis et donationis, tum tui ipsius clerique et populi assensus et favoris, constitue ovile Christo, Divinitus ostensum, apostolica auctoritate fultum, regia libertate donatum, cleri et populi benedictione sancitum. Tibi autem et successoribus tuis, memorato Episcopo Ecgwino assentiente, curam animarum ejusdem ecclesiæ præcipue injungimus, ut si, quod absit, aliquo diaboli impulsu quisquam pervasor aut tyrannus sacrum locum minuere aut impugnare præsumpserit, tibi a Deo concessæ potestatis sententia et anathematis percussus verbere, complere non audeat; si quid vero sinistræ partis inibi compertum fuerit oriri, auribus summi pontificis patriæ potius deferatur quam per alicujus occultam sententiam sanctus locus depravetur injuste. Ipsum ergo locum quem regia potestas regiæ libertati donavit et nos auctoritate Dei et sanctorum apostolorum et nostra donamus, ut nullus cujuscumque ordinis homo hoc quod constituimus depravare aut minuere præsumat. Qui hoc destruxerit aut male contaminaverit, sit ille maledictus. Qui vero conservaverit et adauxerit, benedictionibus repleatur. Scripta est hæc epistola anno Dominicæ Incarnationis septingentesimo nono in ecclesia Salvatoris Lateranensi, præcipiente et confirmante Constantino apostolicæ sedis antistite, astantibus et confirmantibus Regibus Angliæ Kenredo et Offa, rogante venerabili viro Ecgwino Episcopo coram Archiepiscopis et Episcopis et principalibus et nobilibus diversarum provinciarum, cunctis clamantibus et dicentibus, “Quicquid in hac constitutione vestra sanctitas exercet, laudamus, concedimus et confirmamus.” Ego Constantinus Romanæ sedis Episcopus per signum sanctæ crucis has donationes et libertatem confirmavi. Ego Ecgwinus humilis Episcopus confirmavi. Ego Rex Kenredus corroboravi. Ego Rex Offa consensi. [Chron. Abb. de Evesham., ed. Macray, p. 171; Mon. Angl., II. 14.] II. A.D. 713. Second Letter of Constantine to Archbishop Brihtwald, desiring his protection for the Abbey of Evesham. CONSTANTINUS EPISCOPUS SERVUS SERVORUM DEI Britwaldo Brittanniarum primati salutem et apostolicam benedictionem. Divina dispensatione ad hoc promoti ut apostolica auctoritate paci Ecclesiarum insistamus, tuæ fraternitati denunciamus quatenus Ecclesias Dei per Brittaniam dispositas tua ipsius et sanctorum apostolorum auctoritate protegas, ne quis pervasor cujuscunque ordinis a Deo et nobis constituta privilegia subruat. Inter |