elmessan gesette ⁊ gefestnie ob minem erfelande et
mundlingham ðem hiium to cristes cirican ⁊ ic bidde ⁊ an
godes libgendes naman bebiade ðæm men ðe ðis land ⁊ ðis
erbe hebbe et mundlingham ðet he ðas god forðleste oð
wiaralde ende se man se ðis healdan wille ⁊ lestan ðet ic
beboden hebbe an ðisem gewrite se him seald ⁊ gehealden sia
hiabenlice bledsung se his ferwerne oððe hit agele se him
seald ⁊ gehealden helle wite bute he to fulre bote gecerran
wille gode ⁊ mannum uene ualete.

I, Luba, the humble handmaid of God, appoint and establish
these foresaid benefactions and alms from my heritable land
at Mundlingham to the brethren at Christ Church; and I
entreat, and in the name of the living God I command, the
man who may have this land and this inheritance at
Mundlingham, that he continue these benefactions to the
world's end. The man who will keep and discharge this that
I have commanded in this writing, to him be given and kept
the heavenly blessing; he who hinders or neglects it, to
him be given and kept the punishment of hell, unless he
will repent with full amends to God and to men. Fare ye
well.


§ 2.

The middle of the seventh century was a very dark period throughout the
West. The lingering rays of ancient culture had grown very faint in
France, Italy, and Spain. Literary production had ceased in France since
Gregory of Tours and his friend Venantius Fortunatus, the poet; in