[SYNOD OF ACLE.] æterna fieri verum constat; cum hiis transitoriis æterna mercari posse ex sacrorum voluminum testimoniis certum tenemus. Ideoque ego Offa, pia Dei prædestinante gratia Rex Mercionum necnon et in circuitu nationum, cogitavi in corde meo ut aliquid ex perceptione mundani regni ad libertatem æcclesiasticam, pro ereptione et remedio animæ meæ, libenter erogarem. Proinde, rogante et obsecrante me veneranda Cynedritha Regina mea, Ceolnodo honorabili abbati et ejus familiæ venerabili in æcclesia Sancti Petri Apostolorum principis et clavicularii regni cœlestis monasterialiter conversanti, in præfata æcclesia Deo servienti, pro me et pro Cynedritha Regina mea et pro Ecgfrido filio meo et filiabus meis Æthelburge abbatissæ et Æthelflede et Eadburge et Æthelsuuithe hoc privilegium libertatis, libenti animo, Dei instinctus amore, regia usus potestate, omnes terras et omnes villulas et possessiones, quas subregulus Fritheuualdus et abbas Ercenuualdus primi fundatores præfato monasterio dederunt et concesserunt, ego præfatus Rex concedo et confirmo; scilicet in omnibus monasteriunculis, terris, campis, silvis, pascuis, pratis, aquis, stagnis et rivulis. Hanc libertatem et omnia prædicta ad præfatum monasterium pertinentia, in sinodali conventu in loco qui nominatur Aecleah, et testes et consistentes hii fuerunt quorum nomina infra annotabo. Ego Offa Christo Domino concedente Rex, propriam libertatis confirmationem signo sanctæ crucis munio. Ego Cynedritha Dei dono Regina, huic libertati consentio. Ego Ecgfridus filius Regis subscribo. Ego Æthelburga abbatissa consensi. Ego Elfleda virgo consensi. Ego Eadburga virgo consensi. Ego Jambertus gratia Dei concedente Archiepiscopus, synodali collegio præsidens in loco qui dicitur Aecleah, cum consilio Episcoporum et abbatum et omnium qui simul mecum erant ibi, huic libertati et confirmationi consensi et subscripsi. Acta sunt hæc apud Aecleah, anno Incarnationis Christo DCCLXXX. septimo. [K. C. D., CLI., from MS. Cotton, Vitellius A. XIII. f. 31.] a The date of this charter depends for authority on the last clause, which may be a later addition; in which case the grant may belong to the following year. Surrey was at this time under the command, if not actually under the sway, of Offa, Kynewulf having been killed in A.D. 786; and Brihtric's marriage with Eadburga, who here signs as "virgo," being probably to be referred to A.D. 789. Although there is no decisive mark of forgery in the charter, the circumstantial details about the family of Offa are of a character not often introduced into charters, and inspire suspicion. With the genuineness of the charter would fall the only evidence for the occurrence of the synod. b Aecleah is unquestionably Ockley in Surrey; and whether the charter be genuine [SYNOD OF ACLE.] or not, it affords a strong presumption that the other councils of the Southern province, said to be held at Acleah, were held at the same place. A.D. 788. Grant of Offa to his "minister" Osberht of lands in Kent; made in an assembly of Bishops at Celchytha. [K. C. D., CLIII.] a This charter, printed by Kemble from the original at Christ Church, Canterbury, is imperfect; it is signed by Jaenbert as Archbishop; by Higbert as Bishop (probably having not yet received the pall); by Heardraed, Æthilmod, Cynebirht, Unwono, and Alheard, Bishops; the names of three other Bishops are mutilated; Ceolmund, who probably was the Bishop of Hereford who succeeded Esne, is another witness, but his title of Bishop is gone; and the names of five other witnesses with it. There is another charter of Offa dated in A.D. 788, in which Higbert appears as Archbishop for the first time (K. C. D., CLII.). It is a grant to Rochester, but does not bear evidence of being granted in a synod. The former charter seems to be good evidence of a synod held at Chelsea in A.D. 788. That a pall was sent for by Offa to Rome and given to Highert is certain from the letter of Leo III. (A. S., I. 460), and from the letter in which Alcuin begs that he may not be deprived of it (Alc., Ep. 60, ed. Froben). Both letters will be found below. A.D. 788. Synod of Aclech. RIC. HAGUSTALD., Hist. c. XVII.-Episcopatus quoque hujus (sc. Tilberti) anno octavo, et Dominicæ incarnationis DCC®LXXX®VIII°., Elfwaldus Rex Northanhymbrorum postquam decem annis regnavit, conjuratione facta ab ejus patricio Siga nomine, miserabili morte, undecimo kalendas Octobris, occisus est juxta murum in loco qui Cithlescester dicitur. Et regnavit Osredus, Alcredi regis filius, ejusdem Elfwaldi nepos, uno pro eo anno. Quo etiam anno, tertio kalendas Octobris, sinodus fuit in loco qui dicitur Aclech. [Ed. Raine, p. 38; ed. Twysden, c. 298; S., I. 305; W., I. 153.] a This synod is mentioned also in three MSS. (the later ones) of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in close connexion with the death of Elfwald, which is there placed in A.D. 789. Simeon of Durham, whose authority may be accepted as conclusive, places Elfwald's death in A.D. 788; but does not mention the synod. Richard of Hexham again, while giving Simeon's date, introduces the mention of the synod, with the additional particulars of the month and day. As Richard appears to have had access to the more ancient Northumbrian Chronicle from which Simeon drew his information, it is possible that we have here an extract from it; in which case the Aclech in question would be most probably the Northumbrian Acle, or Aycliffe in Durham. The omission of it by Simeon would furnish a presumptive argument against this, but the question would then arise as to the source from which the copies of the A. S. Chronicle derived it. Henry of Huntingdon places it in the sixth year of Brihtric, but still in the year of Elfwald's death. So that, on the whole, the balance is in favour of the Northern site. It would be a curious coincidence if two synods, one in the South and another in the North, were held in two consecutive years at two places of the same name; and thus our conclusion throws a little doubt on the genuineness of the synod of A.D. 787 as made known by the Chertsey charter. On the other hand, the existence of the Southern Acle as a place of synod is well ascertained, and if the Chertsey scribe had derived the date of his charter from the Chronicle, he must have put it in A.D. 789. The matter is of little importance except as a question of chronology. A. S. C., ad ann. [M. H. B. 337.] [SYNOD OF CELCHYTH.] A.D. 789. Synod of Acle3. And mycel sinod waes gegaderod æt Aclea. a See under A.D. 788. A.D. 789. Synod of Celchytha. I. Decision of a suit of inheritance between Heathored Bishop of Worcester, and Wulfheard son of Cussa. ✈ Sæculi namque labentis tempora velocius vento aerem tranant; ideoque omnes firmas statutiones seriæ litterarum adnotamus ne forte in posterum aliquis ignorantiæ avaritiæve ea decreta infringere præsumat quæ venerabilium virorum fiunt verbis confirmata. Anno Dominici Incarnationis DCCLXXXVIIII. indictione vero XII. qui est annus XXXI. regni Offan strenuissimi Merciorum regis factum est pontificale conciliabulum in loco famosa qui dicitur Celchy præsidentibus duobus Archiepiscopis Jamberhto scilicet et Hygberhto mediante quoque Offan Rege cum universis principibus suis; ibi inter alia plura aliqua contentio facta est inter Heathoredum Episcopum et Wulfheardum filium Cussan de hæriditate Hemeles et Dudaeb quod post obitum suorum nominarent ad Weogornacastre, hoc est Intanbeorgas et Bradanlege. Voluisset ergo Wifheardus illum agellulum avertere ab Ecclesia præfata in Weogornacastre cum ignorantiæ et insipientiæ [si potuisset. Tunc ille Episcopus] illum refutabat cum his testibus qui eorum nomina infra scripta liquescunt coram synodali testimonio. Et aiebat quod ei rectum non fieret ulli alio post se tradere præter et [antedi]ctam civitatem hoc est Weogrinacæstor. Et propter eorum prece et amore qui illam terram [adqui]sierunt et ad Ecclesiam prefatam dedissent illi senatores familiæ consentientes fuerunt ut illud custodiret et haberet diem suum. Tunc Archiepiscopus simul cum universis provincialibus Episcopis ita finem composuerunt et reconciliaverunt ; ut Wulfheardus terram possideret tamdiu viveret et postquam viam patrum incederet sine aliqua contradictione [illuc ad] Weogornense Ec[clesiæ] terras atque libellus cum semetipso redderet [ubi corpora requiescunt Hemeles et Dudæ.] Ego Offa Rex Merciorum consentiendo imposui. VOL. III. Hh Ego [SYNOD OF CELCHYTH.] Jamberht Dei gratia Archiepiscopus consensi et subscripsi. Ego Ego Ego Heardred Ego Unwona Episcopus consensi. Ego Heaðored Episcopus consensi. Ego Ceol mund Episcopus. Ego Ædelmod Episcopus. Ego Cyne Ego Boduine Ego Wlfheard berht . . . presbyteri. Signum Alhmundi presbyteri. Signum Æðelhardi presbyteri. Signum Bynnan. [K. C. D., CLVI., from MSS. Cotton, Tib. A. XIII., Nero E. I., Harl. 4660; Mon. Angl., I. 587.] II. Two grants of Offa to Rochester, dated at Celchyd. [K. C. D., CLV. CLVII.] a The evidence for this assembly rests on these three charters; and may be regarded as sufficient, for the agreement between the Worcester and Rochester cartularies is sufficient to afford mutual confirmation, while the variations in the attestations may be regarded as conclusive against collusion. All the Bishops who attest the Worcester charter attest one or other of the Rochester ones, except Ethelmod of Sherborne, Heathored of Worcester, and Ceolmund of Hereford: on the other hand, the names of Weohthun of Selsey, Alheard of Elmham, and Eadgar of London appear in the Rochester charters, and not in the Worcester one: but all these Bishops, so far as can be ascertained from other evidence, were alive at this time. And the same remark applies to the other attestations, mutatis mutandis. b The subject of the inheritance of Hemele and Duda was brought up again at the council of Clovesho in A.D. 803, and this agreement was confirmed; see below, under that year. Of the Rochester charters, which have no ecclesiastical importance, the first (K. C. D., CLV.) is a grant to Bishop Weremund of land for the enlargement of the monastery at Rochester. It is attested by Offa and Egferth, Kings; by Jaenbert and Higbert, Archbishops; by Ceolwulf of Lindsey, Heardred of Dunwich, Unwona of Leicester, Kynebert of Winchester, Alheard of Elmham, Weremund of Rochester, Eadgar of London, and Weohthun of Selsey, Bishops; several abbots and others. The second (K. C. D., CLVII.) is a grant of lands at Bromgeheg, or Bromley, attested by the same Bishops with the exception of Weohthun and Weremund. A.D. 766 x 791. Synod under Jaenbert, in which a complaint is made of the injuries done to Christ Church, Canterbury, by the detention of an estate granted by Ethelbald King of Mercia. CONC. CLOVESHO, A.D. 798. *** Item Bregwinus et Janbertus Archiepiscopi, per singulas synodos suas, questi sunt de injuria æcclesiæ Salvatoris illata. [K. C. D., MXIX.; W., I. 162.] [ETHELHEARD ARCHBISHOP.] XIV. ETHELHEARDa, A.D. 791 b–805. ["Æthelheardus gratia Dei humilis Sanctæ Dorobernensis ecclesiæ Archiepiscopus " (K. C. D., MXXIV.). "Æthelhardus larga Omnipotentis Dei gratia annuente Dorobernensis ecclesiæ metropolitanus" (K. C. D., MXIX.). "Athilheardus metropolitana civitatis in Dorobernia Archiepiscopus" (K. C. D., CLXXXIX.).] A.D. 791. Elected, in the year of his predecessor's death (A. S. C., Flor. Wig., A.D. 793. Consecrated July 21 (Flor. Wig., M. H. B. 546) ©. Traditional date of the A.D. 794. Council of Frankfort. Synod of Clovesho (K. C. D., CLXIV. CLXVII.). A.D. 796. Death of Ethelred King of Northumbria, April 29: of Offa King of Mercia, A.D. 798. Council of Pincanhalh (Sim. Dun., M. H. B. 670). Fall of Eadbert Præn (Sim. A.D. 799. Synod of Celchyth (K. C. D., MXXXIV.). A.D. 801. Council at Celchyth (K. C. D., MXXIII.). Visit of Ethelheard to Rome. A.D. 802. Settlement of the dispute between Canterbury and Lichfield by the Pope. MXXIV.). A.D. 804. Synod at Acle (K. C. D., CLXXXVI.). Death of Alcuin (Ann. Petaviani, A.D. 805. Grant of land by Ethelheard to Christ Church, Canterbury (K. C. D., |