Our Lord Jesus Christ reigning for ever. It is known by firm reason to almost all who pursue the study of wisdom, that, as the dangers of the present existence are threatening and the cares of evanescent things unexpectedly increasing, human knowledge of mortal affairs, vanishing like dew, fades away, and is at length given to oblivion, unless it is noted down before by some secure means, because the things which are seen here are not eternal but temporal, as the Apostle, inspired with speech of the Thunderer, says. Now, like a shadow, the corporeal things quickly flee; but the eternal glory stands more certain than all that is visible. On this account, I, Edward, by the gift of the grace of God, king of the English and of the other nations on every side, with the counsel and consent of my bishops and chief men, willingly concede to my faithful ealdorman Æthelweard by name certain portions of land situated in diverse places, namely Treraboe, Trevallack, Grugwith and Trethewey, in perpetual inheritance with all things duly belonging to them, fields, woods, meadows and fisheries, free from all royal dues except military service and the fortification of fortresses and maritime guard; and after he goes the way of all flesh, he is to leave at will the aforesaid land to whoever he shall wish. And this donation was done in the year 977 from the incarnation of our Lord, the fifth indiction, 66 concurrents, 28 epacts, in the seventeenth year of the cycle of nineteen years, in the second year of my reign; these witnesses consenting whose names are seen to be inscribed below.
Ðis ys seo landscaru to trefƿurabo ærist æt pollicerr ƿænne be þære dic and lang ƿeges þon of þa ƿege þon on þa lytlan dic on east healfe ƿeges to poll hæscen adun be þa broce to ryt cendeurjon þon be þam broce to carnuið bran to-deumaen coruan. þan on ⁊ lang ƿeges to cruc dænoc þanon to carrecƿynn ⁊ eft þanon to pollicerr. Ðis is seo landscaru to trefualoc ærest to þære dic þon fra dice adun to þa broce of þa broce to crousƿrach ⁊ lang ƿeges on þa dic þanon to mayn biƿ to cruc mur þanon to carn plicet ⁊ lang þære to þa broc þanon ⁊ lang stremes oð tnoƿ ƿret eft be þære dic. Ðis is seo landscaru to cruc ƿæð ærest æt nantbuorðtel ⁊
I, Edward, king of the English [confirm] this gift with the triumphal sign of the Holy Cross. I, Dunstan, archbishop, have confirmed. I, Æthelwold, bishop, testify. I, Ælfstan, bishop, have assented. I, Wulfsige, bishop, have agreed and subscribed. I, Ælfhere, ealdorman. I, Æthelwine, ealdorman. I, Brihtnoth, ealdorman. I, Leofwine, ealdorman. I, Ælfweard, king’s thegn, testify. I, Ælfsige, king’s thegn, testify. I, Leofwine, king’s thegn, testify. I, Brihtmær, king’s thegn, testify. I, Ælfgar, king’s thegn, testify. Whoever, therefore, shall eagerly desire to preserve, nay rather to increase, this our gift, may his life be prolonged and may he deserve to go after his death happily to the kingdom of the heavens. But if, which God forbid, anyone forgetting God and himself shall try to alter it, may he be anathema, and may he not live out half his days, and may he by no means see the glory of God with the choirs of angels in the land of the living.
