Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 4.djvu/325

 9- s. iv. NOV. *, 383 NOTES AND QUERIES. history tells us that it was destroyed by the Danes in the ninth century, but that its charters were preserved by some unexplained means (i. 47, 120). If this was so. it is curious that the early charters should have been replaced by the late forgeries given in the chartulary. Amongst them is no charter of Ceadwealla, and the form in which the boundaries are given in Eadred's charter is conclusive proof that they were not derived from a seventh-century charter. If they had been they would have been in Latin, and would have been much briefer, most probably restricted to one feature on each of four sides, after the manner of the late Roman private deed, the origin of the O.E. royal diploma. 80 far from the boundaries going back to Ceadwealla, it is plain that they are not so old as Eadred's time, for the charter contain- ing them is obviously a post-Norman forgery. The words "fratrumqueinibi Deo set1 vientmm" are alone sufficient to prove this. No genuine O.E. charter introduces the boundaries as they are brought in here : the anathema comes from the chancery of Eadgar ; and the mention of so many estates in one charter is foreign to the O.E. usages. It was the con- tinental " pancharta," not the O.E. diploma, that suggested this forgery. The land con- veyed by it is included in the 956 charter, which would have been unnecessary if the 955 one were then in existence, for these O.E. diplomas, being grants in perpetuity, did not require, like the imperial constitutions or later English charters of privileges, confirma- tion from each succeeding monarch. The rest of MR. SHORE'S case is equally un- substantial. If he is right in his main con- tentions, we should have the curious result that the " Ceadwealla" boundaries, which are expressly said to relate to Abingdon, really relate to the country north of Bromcomb and Bagley, and exclude Abingdon entirely.* Many of his identifications consist of arbi- trarily imposing the old name upon some modern place of an entirely different name, or of impossible explanations of the O.E. portstrajte " obviously contain a gloss " to Abben- dune," identifying the port street as the one leading to Abingdon. It is contrary to the O.E. system to make such a jump as this from the head of Brom- comb to Abingdon without stating some intermediate features, and then a similar big jump back again. Nor is it easy to translate the passage as meaning that the boundary ran down the port street to Abingdon and then back again along the port street to Higweg and Ecgunes wyrS. Moreover, towns or villages are not thus referred to in boundaries, which SDecify some nart of the town, generally its boundaries, as being impinged upon. names. Thus " Geafling lacu " is explained as meaning " fork - shaped channel," and MR. SHORE identifies this latter imaginary feature, and then uses it as an argument. Bacgan broc is identified with Backer Lake in Oxford, which is certainly not the form that we should expect the name to assume. It is quite wrong. The 956 boundaries show that the Bacgan broc was connected with Bagley Wood by a line of tree-roots (a be wyrtwalan), and was, as I said, "obviously in the vicinity of Bagley." To accept MR. SHORE'S identification, we must believe that this line of tree-roots ascended the Thames for a couple of miles and then crossed to the other bank ! This evidence as to the position of this brook is further proof that the bound- ary went south from Cearwylla, whatever that was, and therefore away from Oxford and Oseney. Notwithstanding this. MR. SHORE confidently declares that by " following Cead- walla's instructions we cannot get anywhere else " than to Oseney. The evidence as to the direction of the boundaries founded upon the current of the Thames he endeavours to meet by saying that they do not "anywhere tell us to go 'with the stream of the Thames.' " The expression is "along the lake or brook out into the Thames ; thence forth with the stream." This in old as in modern English means, and can only mean, " with the stream of the Thames." He then endeavours to prove that " with the stream," which occurs twice, refers to a momentary reversal of the direction in order to encircle an island. No island is in question in the second instance. We have a confident statement that the boundaries proceed con- stantly "up by the stream." MR. SHORE ascribes to the O.E. " up be streame " this modern meaning, but is doubtful whether it had this signification. In these phrases "up" is frequently a synonym of " forth," " for- wards." In these Cead wealla boundaries " up be streame" is parallel with "forS mid streame " in the passage relating to Geafling Lacu, unless we adopt the unlikely assumption that the line ascended the stream and then doubled back on itself, an assumption that is also excluded by the evidence of the direction pursued by the boundaries. It is therefore certain that, as I said, Eoccenford was at Abingdon, and "has nothing in the world to do with Oxna-ford, ' the ford of Oxen.'" W. H. STEVENSON. THE POULTRY (9th S.iv. 228).—The poulterers, says Stow, were in his time, 1598, " but lately departed from the Poultry into other streets, as lately into Grasse [GracechurchJ Street,
 * The words " ongerihtum to Abbendune to J>asre