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

[35.]

About 1163. Confirma|tion to Ose|ney, by archbishop Thomas Becket, of St. George's church and its property, as in no. 26. Anathema against violators.

THOMAS, By the grace of god Archiebisshop of Cauntur|berye, and of all Inglonde primate, and popis legate, to all true men of our holy modur the church þorowgh Inglonde beyng, both now and to be, both clerkes and laye men, helth and blesshyng. Of the office i-committid to vs, to þe peticions which we knowe to perteyne to þe Encresyng of religion, lyȝht ['Admonemur . . . facilem ac benignum prebere assensum.' Notice how the slavish following of the Latin order darkens the English. 'We be "constered" . . to grant light and benign assent' is meant.]

and benynge to graunt assent we ben constered. Wherefore of our most dere soonys (chanons, that is to say, of Seynte marye of Oseney) we ['piis postulationibus annuentes.'] grauntyng to þere meke axinges, graunte, and with this present writyng in-to perpetuell almes conferme, to them and to þe monasterj, in the which þey ben i-ȝeve to goddis seruice, the church of Seynte George þ^e which is i-sett in the castell of oxonforde, with all tenauntries and possessions and with all thynges to þe same church perteyning, In tithis In londis In men In fredoms and in all other rentes, as our worschipfull broþer [Robert [Added from the Latin.] ] bisshop of lincoln to þem grauntid, with þe wilfull ['unanimi consensu.'] consent of þe Kyng and of the Aduocates of the same church, and with his charter confermed, þe which with owr hyes we saw, and as his charter witnessith. Of this our confirmacion trowblers we denunce the perell of dampnacion to be wyȝthe them, And to the kepers of hit goddis blesshyng and our haue. ffare ye well.