26
KING ALFRED'S WILL
þeowe swaðer ic wille. ac ic for godes lufan 7 for minne sawle þearfe. wylle ꝥ hy syn heora freolses wyrðe. 7 hyra cyres. 7 ic on godes lifiendes nama beode þæt hy nan man ne brocie. ne mid feos manunge. ne mid nænigum þingum. ꝥ hy ne motan [1] ceosan swylcne mann swylce hy wyllan.
7 ic wylle þæt man agyfe þam [2]hiwum æt domra hamme hyra land bec. 7 hyra freols swylce hand to ceosenne swylce him leofast sy. for me. 7 for ælflæde. 7 for þa frynd þe heo foreþingode. 7 ic foreþingie.
7 sec man eac on cwicum ceape ymbe minne sawle þearfe. swa hit beon mæge. 7 swa hit eac gerysne sy. 7 swa ge me forgyfan wyllan.
- ↑ Alfred, having manumitted diverse þeowas, and put them into the condition of ceorles, desires that his Heirs would not abridge them of that Liberty, but leave them to chuse such man for their landlord as they would: which all ceorles, by the Saxon Constitution might do.
- ↑ The hiwas of Domerham were the same sort of People with those of Chedder, spoken of in a former Note, viz. The ceorles who occupied the tenemental Lands there, which they might relinquish when they pleased. And as they were intreated, in that instance, to chuse Edward for their Lord i.e. to continue to occupy those Lands under him, as they had done
