The King's Peace, late 10th century
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The King's Peace, late 10th century
October 08, 2017
Pax (‘Peace’), anonymous, late 10th-century. Textus Roffensis, f. 38r. Translated from Old English and edited by Dr Christopher Monk.
This Old English version is unique to Textus Roffensis. This relates to physical boundaries or limits of the ‘King’s peace’.
Transcription
38r (select folio number to open facsimile)
Ðus feor sceal beon þæs cinges grið, fram
his burhgeate þær he is sittende, on feo-
wer healfe his. Ð>æt< is iii mila 7 iii furlang, 7
iii æcera bræde, 7 ix fota, 7 ix scæftamunda,
7 ix berecorna.
Translation
Thus far shall be the king’s peace1 from his city gate [or ‘gatehouse’] where he is seated, on its four sides. That is 3 miles, and 3 furlongs, and 3 acres, and 9 feet, and 9 spans, and 9 barleycorns.
Footnotes
1 OE grið, having the sense of a delimited area of sanctuary or protection.
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