The English register of Oseney abbey / by Oxford, written about 1460. Ed., with an introduction and indexes, by Andrew Clark.

[186.]

1217. Decision of a suit be|tween Ose|ney and the rector of Great Tew, by papal commis|sioners, appointed 1216, Aug. 3, about pay|ment of small tithes at Little Tew, from which Oseney claimed exemption, and obtained it, on condi|tion of pay|ing 4s. yearly to Great Tew church.

TO all soones of owr holy modur the Church to þe which this present writyng schall come, Hugh ['H.' incorrectly EXPANed by the trans|lator. Henry Blount, abbot of Gloucester, 1212-24.] , By the grace of god Abbas of glowcetur [In MS. 'writynge shall come' follows, by dittography.] , G. prior of lantone; and M. [Maurice of Arundel, 1210-45.] Archedecun of Glowcetur, Euerlastyng helth In owr lorde. To all ȝowr knowlege we wulle hit come, we the maundement of owr lorde þe pope Honorye the iij. to haue i-take, In-to these wordes:—

Honorye, bisshop, seruaunte of seruauntes of god, to ȝowr [Read 'owr.'] i-loved soones thabbot of Glowcetur & prior of lantone and Arche|decun of glowcetur, of þ^e Diocise of Wircetur, helth & thaposteles blessyng. Owr Beloued Soones thabbot and Couent of Oseneye have Greuously i-playned to vs that owr worschipfull Broþer þe Bisshop of Couentre and summe prelates of churchis and mony oþer clerkes and lay-men of lincoln and Wircetur Diocise,

vppon these thynges they [Read 'that': 'qu[a]e.'] been i-ȝeve to þere monasterie By the weye of charite, þem and the same monasterie (agaynste þ^e priueleges of þ^e pope, and pardons, and ffredoms i-ȝeve of goode Deuocion of cristen men) grevyn mony-foldely and trowblyn. Whereof þay prayd vs mekely, þat to þem In such maner þynges we prouidyng, wolde whochesafe to þ^e same monasterie, vppon þes thynges þe which of þere goodes Ben alienyd vnlawfully and Distracte, by þe Benefete of Reuokyng to succurre. Wherefore to ȝowr Discrecion, By thaposteles writyng, [we] charge þat ȝe, not suffryng the Abbot and Couent aforesaide to Be greued agaynste þe tenour of þe pardouns and oþer fredoms of þem, þoo thynges, þe which of þe goodys of þe monasterie ȝe fynde i-alienyd In-to there hurt, or with-Drawe, ȝe labour [The English is dark because verbally following the Latin: 'studeatis ad ius et proprietatem ipsius [monasterii] legitime revocare.'] to ryȝght, and propurte of þem lawfully to reuoke, grevowres and vndewe aȝene-saiers by streitnesse which is con|uenient ȝe compellyng (Appellyng i-put A-Backe). And ȝif ȝe all may not Be at þese thynges [folio 40b] to Be Executid, tweyne of ȝow naþelesse execute þem. Þe date at peruse þe iij^o non. of Auguste, In þe ffirst ȝere of oure Bisshophoode.

Þerefore, By the auctorite of this maundement, þabbot and Couent standyng In owre presence By þere procuratour of þe oone partie, and W. person of þe church of More tywe (Also By A procuratour) of þe oþer, In whos procusies ['in quorum procuratoriis.'] whas i-con|teyned that þabbot and Couent of Oseney and þe foresaide person where to haue rate and sure what-so-Euer thyng þere procuratours wholde doo afore vs, or ['siue confitendo, siue cedendo, siue liti|gando, siue componendo.'] In knowlegyng, or In ȝevyngvppe, or In stryuyng, or In compownyng; þe procuratour of thabbot and Couent of Oseney purposid ['proposuit.'] agaynste þe pro|curatour of þe foresaide W. þat þe same W. whas ['nitebatur extorquere.'] Abowte to take Aweye fro þem vnryȝghtfully the smale tithis [of ['de nutrimentis animalium suorum.'] the nourishing] of þere Bestes at litull Tywe Abidyng, Where that ['where that' = whereas, when: 'cum.'] (By þ^e auctorite of here priuileges of the pope i-ȝeye to þem) fro þe ȝevyng of small tithis þey ofte to Be not partyng ['not partyng' is intended to render 'immunes.'] . This [Read 'The.']

which priuileges i-schewed afore vs, and of þe procuratour of þe saide W. i-say ['inspectis et intellectis.'] and vndurstande, þe same procuratour afore vs knowlegid hym-selfe noþyng to ['scire vel posse, de iure.'] knowe or to mowe of ryȝght to þe saide priueleges to Obiecte, or oony þyng to purpose, But þat thabbot and Couent aforesaide, after þe tenour of þe fore|saide priuileges, fro þe ȝevyng of þe smale tithis ofte to Be Dischargid or immune. Þerfore whe, with þe consaile of wise men sittyng with vs, syth to ryȝht disposicions noþyng of tarying ofte to Be browȝght, what ['cum.'] of þe Intencion of thabbot and of þe Couent of Oseney, what ['tum.'] By confession of þe pro|curatour of þe saide W., what ['tum.'] By the seyng of þe same priuileges, hit was i-schewid Euidently, þabbot and Couent aforesaide fro þe Axyng of þe saide W. vppon þe ȝevyng of þe smale [tithes] we wille þem to Be assoyled, puttyng silence to þe same W., sentencially Decreyng thabbot and Couent afore|saide to Be immune (or partles [Alternative rendering of 'immune.'] ) fro þe ȝeuyng of þe foresaidesmale tithis. And þe mynded Abbot and Couent, with goode-wille and of grace, to þe church of more Tywe, as longe as litull Tywe þay In þere hande helde, iiij. s. ȝerely, In the ffest of pentecost Euery ȝere at þe foresaide church to be i-payde, þey grauntid. And (at [Omit 'at.' 'Laste' = lest: 'ne. . .'] ) laste By lengh of tyme, or By malice of men, to be denyed or to be broke or also ['etiam.'] in Dowte hit may be callid, þoo þynges, þ^e which in owre presence Be doo by the auctorite of owr holy ffadur and lorde pope, In-to perpetuell memorye in|to this present writyng we haue i-turned, and the same with þe puttyng to of owr seelys we haue i-strenghtidh. Thes wit|nessis, et cetera.