previously had been nuns: he bought then many villages of the king, and made it very rich. After that cams bishop Ethelwold to the minster which was called Medeshamstede, which formerly had been destroyed by heathen men: he found nothing there but old walls and wild woods. There found he, hidden in the old wails, writings that abbat Hedda had erewhile written, how king Wulfhere and Ethelred his brother had built it, and how they had freed it against king and against bishop, and against all secular services, and how the pope Agatho had confirmed the same by his rescript, and the archbishop Deus-dedit. Then caused he the minster to be built; and set there an abbat, who was called Adulf, and caused monks to be there where before was nothing. Then came he to the king, and caused him to look at the writings which before were found; and the king answered then and said:
"I, Edgar, grant and give to-day, before God and before the archbishop Dunstan, freedom to St. Peter's minster, Medeshamstede, from king and from bishop: and all the villages which lie thereto; that is to say, Eastfield, and Dodthorp, and Eye, and Paston. And thus I free it, that no bishop have there any command, without the abbat of the minster. And I give the town which is called Oundle, with all which thereto lieth, that is to say, that which is called 'the Eight-hundreds,' and market and toll, so freely, that neither king, nor bishop, nor earl, nor sheriff, have there any command, nor any man except the abbat alone, and him whom he thereto appointeth. And I give to Christ and St. Peter, and through the prayer of bishop Ethelwold, these lands; that is to say, Barro, Warmington, Ashton, Kettering, Castor, Eylesworth, Walton, Witherington, Eye, Thorp; and one moneyer in Stamford. These lands, and all the others that belong to the minster, them declare I free: that is, with sack and sock, toll and team, and infangthief; these rights, and all others, them declare I the shire of Christ and St. Peter. And I give the two parts of Whittlesey-mere, with the waters and with the wears and fens, and so through Meerlade straight to the water which is called Nen, and so eastward to King's-delf. And I will that a market be in the game town, and that no other be between Stamford and Huntingdon. And I will that the toll be thus given: first, from
