Translation of the Old English translation of Pope Sergius's Bull for Malmesbury, ed. C. Rauer, 'Pope Sergius's Privilege for Malmesbury', Leeds Studies in English ns 37, Essays for Joyce Hill on her Sixtieth Birthday, ed. M. Swan (2006), 261-81.

(1) Pope Sergius, servant of the servants of God (...) Aldhelm (...) Malmesbury and his successors and (through) (...) respected monastery, (...) religious way of life (...), to the servants of God. Those things that are conferred and given (...) for free use and possession for living, not for sordid corruption, but for assiduity in good living and in God’s services they themselves, the monks, with particular dedication to serve without any reservation, are granted by bishops and God’s workers who shall observe God’s law (2) so that they (...), freed from the bond of all the human condition, as they are from all riches of secular function become clean and free as their monks’ vow and their (...) proclaims to them, that they devote themselves to God and concentrate on the service of Him alone, for whose great majesty’s dignity they are freed not only from the troublesome burdens of secular life, but likewise they are worthy of the greatest honour because of their love of the orthodox Rule. (3) Therefore your humility and your piety asks us that we should strengthen with apostolic privileges the monastery which is consecrated to St Peter and St Paul of famous memory, located at Meldum, that is otherwise called Maldumesburuh, situated and established in the province of the Anglo-Saxons and also a second monastery that is established in the same province towards the river which is called Fron in honour of the famous Baptist John is (...) This we do out of love for our superior St Peter (...) and our redeemer the saviour Christ saw fit (...) (?keys) for binding and unbinding in heaven (...) whose ministry and church we also enjoy and, God willing, keep in order and run, although we are unworthy and inferior. About these aforementioned churches we (?have ?learned) and heard many truthful report which to us (...) that you with foresight and wisely direct and guide (...) We readily grant therefore to your gracious humility according to your intentions. (4) We remind you brothers and urge that you be careful in God’s praises and vigilant in prayers, tenacious and persistent in abstinence and in chastity, to be devoted to deeds of hospitality and kindness, to persevere in obedience and Christ’s humility always as lovers and all unanimous with the virtuous true love, in being devoted to the spiritual commands and the rule of the holy elders, and to hold immaculately the right direction of the apostolic faith, (5) always to pay attention to good deeds, to be kind to the needy and pilgrims, to pay respect to the bishops and priests of the churches of God as they earn it, always to devote oneself to God, to love humility and poverty, in psalms and in spiritual hymns and in constant prayers to urge each other on in all of God’s commands. (6) And always be striving and growing from better to better and very earnestly, so that you look after the needs of your soul, and always to trust in the help of God (...) immaculate(?-ly), the chastity and sobriety of your body and soul (...) before the eyes of God, so that the inner man, which is the soul (...) by the grace of God’s power and also the outer, that is the [adjective] body, wins praise for good living and good repute. (7) Solemnly we decree and lay down with the present apostolic privileges to be fortified and (...) these aforementioned and venerable monasteries, because they [verb] and shall be our good deed of episcopal grace to those friends of God who keep his house, as we discussed earlier that they under the right judgement and protection of the same whom we serve, that of our superior blessed apostle Peter, and his holy church which we administer, as your goodness and piety asked us, there shall last with the help of God and St Peter now and forever. (8) They should certainly never ask for anything, neither bishops nor priests nor clerics of any ecclesiastical order, nor indeed appoint things, neither an episcopal seat in their church, nor even let the bishop sing mass there, unless he arrives there on the invitation of the abbot and the community. (9) If they have a need to ordain a priest or deacon for the need of the mass, and that without doubt, he should ordain without any payment under the judgement of God, so that all things pertain to the holy rule. If it should happen which is common to all men that the abbot departs from this life and it should come to that, that he be worthy of election, one should never turn away from the (...) by the congregation in common counsel, that him who they choose of the servants of God may be so steadfast that no (...) nor (...) come to the teaching of the monastic way of life (...), or destroy the monastery’s affairs for the lack of an abbot. (10) The bishop (...) who should be there in the neighbourhood, by our apostolic permission and superior judgement, (...) counsel thereto so that there be made an abbot. Now you brothers, these points are laid down thus if there is any bishop or priest of any order or lay rank he should not be so powerful that if he knows how to pervert these things or dare to destroy those which are here set out under God’s command and St Peter’s and also ours, he is to know himself guilty in the sight of God and separated from the communion of the healing body and blood of our lord the saviour Christ, (11) and he may also suffer the condemnation which Judas Iscariot betraying our Lord the Saviour Christ earned, and he may also be damned just like Ananias was and Zafira his wife by St Peter, the head of the apostles, and he may be condemned and delivered to terrible and to eternal misery unless he makes up for it first and improves. Life and salvation be ever and eternal bliss to those who keep these decrees and to those who command to keep them. (12) Signature of Æthelræd King of the Mercians. Signature of Ine King of the West Saxons. I, Aldhelm, brought to Ine the King of the West Saxons and to Æthelræd the King of the Mercians these privilegia that are privileges which the apostolic Pope Sergius wrote for the monasteries of the apostles St Peter and St Paul, and they agreed and they settled it so that whether there is peace or war between the Saxons and (Mer....) that the monastery be (...) in peace and those who (...)