(Vol. viii., p. 76.)
This inscription is not "in Earl Bathurst's park," as your correspondent A.
SMITH says, but is in Oakley Woods, situated at some three or four miles'
distance from Cirencester, and being separated and quite distinct from the
park; nor is the inscription correctly copied. Rudder, in his new _History
of Gloucestershire_, 1779, says:
"Concealed as it were in the wood stands Alfred's Hall, a building that
has the semblance of great antiquity. Over the door opposite to the
south entrance, on the inside, is the following inscription in the
Saxon character and language [of which there follows a copy]. Over the
south door is the following Latin translation:
"'Foedus quod Ælfredus & Gythrunus reges, omnes _Anglia sapientes, &
quicunq_; Angliam in_c_olebant orientalem, ferierunt; & non solum de
seipsis, verum etiam de nat_i_s suis, ac nondum in lucem editis,
quotquot misericordiæ divinæ aut regiæ vel_i_nt esse participes
jurejurando sanxerunt.
"'Primò ditionis nostræ fines ad T_h_amesin evehunt_u_r, inde ad Leam
usq; ad fontem ejus; t_u_m recta ad Bedfordiam, ac deniq; per Usam ad
viam Vetelin_g_ianam.'"
I copy from Rudder, with the stops and contracted "et's," as they stand in
his work; though I think the original has points between each word, as
marked by A. SMITH.
The omissions and mistakes of your correspondent (which you will perceive
are important) are marked in Italics above.