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The appearance and experience of facts tells us that the lives of mortals are perilous and bounded by numberless danger, so that that which we thought we held and possessed before, disappears dreadfully and suddenly in a moment. Therefore it is for each and every one to study carefully that, so long as the allotted span of time granted by the will of God continues, they may not pass through their allotted days without bearing fruit of the good things of the spirit. Wherefore I, Offa, in God's name king of the Mercians, at the suggestion of Abbot Maginarius through his envoy Nadelharius, concerning that land which is called London, where two years ago two brothers Angonwala and Sigrin gave of their own free will all their belongings to the holy blissful martyr Dionysius, who is in France, and his associates; I also grant from this day, and wish this grant to stay forever, all the dues which I should lawfully receive and have hitherto retained for my own purposes, whether in gold, or in silver, or in other returns, all this I grant from love of God Almighty and reverence for the holy martyrs Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius, to the aforesaid Abbot Maginarius and the holy brotherhood of monks, or their successors, in that same far-famed monastery, which has been built in Gaul in honour of those same martyrs; with free and devout mind and with the agreement of my noblemen, so that from this day hence neither I, nor my successors, nor any worldly potentate may on any pretext whatsoever demand or receive any return therefrom, but that in my time and the time of my successors it may by the favour of god remain absolutely and completely in the power of the aforesaid abbot and monks. In addition, I and my noblemen sitting in concourse unanimously praise and confirm the grant made, with the due attestation of witnesses, by our friend and faithful dux Beorhtwald and his brother Eadbald, of his seat called Rotherfield, which is in the region of Sussex on the river Ouse, and of the harbour on the sea, Hastings and Pevensey, some time ago to the holy martyrs, because at his prayers they had cured the aforesaid dux of a very serious illness which had overtaken him; (and this we did) at the request of them and of the aforesaid abbot. If anyone attempts to detract from or violate or infringe this our decision confirmed at our wish and made to the holy martyrs for the love of God and for our well-being, may he be overtaken by this curse, 'Go accursed to eternal fire'. But whosoever shall save or assist it, may he live forever with the saints of God. in order that this may have more binding power, we have signed it with our own hand, and made on it the impression of our ring.
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