Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden maonachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century.

Of the byschoperyches and seetes. Capitulum quinqua|gesimum secundum.

Alfridus. There were thre seetes of archebyschoppes in Englonde in the tyme of Lucius, kynge of Briteyne, firste kynge y-baptizede, that is to say, at London, at Yorke, and [folio 70b] at Caerhurrt, [Doubtless an error for Caerhusc.] the Cite of Legiones in Glomorgan; to whom xxviij^ti bischoppes were subiecte, callede flamines. And to the metropolitan of London alle the cuntre of Corne|waile and alle Englonde was subiecte vn to the floode of Humbre. Alle Northumbrelonde, from the water of Hum|bre, with alle Scottelande, was subiecte to tharchebischop of Yorke; and alle Wales was subiecte to the byschoppe of the Cite of Legiones, where that tyme were vij. bischoppes, and now Wales is made nowble with iiij. suffraganes, whom the floode of Seuerne dividede that tyme from Englonde. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo. But thawȝhe blessede Gregory grawntede thro his priuilege the seete of tharchebisschoppe to be at London; neuertheles Seynte Austyn, sende from hym in to Englond, after the dethe of Blessede Gregory caused tharchebischoppe seete to be removede from London to Canterbery, thro helpe of

kynge Ethelberte and of the citesynnes of Canterbury, where hit remanethe to this tyme presente. But that a certeyn season folowenge, kynge Offa, contrarius to men of Canterbury, removede the honor of the primate from theym, thro the priuilege graunted by Adrian the pope, vn to the chirche of Lichefelde, as for his tyme; whiche honor was restorede ageyne in the tyme of kynge Ken|ulphus. The honor of the chirche off Yorke hathe con|tynuede there from the begynnenge of hit vn to this tyme presente; thauȝhe Scottelonde withdrawede hit from the subieccion of hit in processe of tyme. Giraldus in Itinerario, libro secundo. The seete of the metropolitan was translate from the Cite of Legiones vn to Meneuia, at the weste of Sowthe Wales, sette on the see of Yrlonde, in the tyme of Seynte Dauid, vnder kynge Arthure; from the tyme of whom vn to the tyme of Sampson the bischop xiij^ti archebischoppes were þer. At the laste an infirmitie reignenge in Wales, whiche was callede the iawndres, Sampson the bischoppe, takenge with hym the palle, wente

to Briteyne Armorike, from whiche tyme vn to the daies of kynge Henry the first, kynge of Englonde of that name, xxj^ti bischoppes kepede residence at Meneuia, wontenge a [folio 71a] palle, other for slawethe, other for pouerte. Neuertheles vn to that tyme the byschopes of Wales were wonte to be consecrate of the bischop of Meneuia, whiche is callede Seynte David, and that bischop of other suffraganes of Wales, noo profession other subieccion made to eny other chirche. But other bischoppes succedenge receyvede con|secracion of the bischop of Canterbery, thro the com|maundemente of the kynge. In the inuestiture of whom, in a signe of subieccion, Bonefacius, archebischop of Can|terbery, in the tyme of kynge Henrye secunde, firste of alle byschoppes of Caunterbery songe masse solenly in euery cathedralle chirche of Wales. ℞. But now in this tyme there be only ij. primates in Englonde, whiche be of Caunterbery and of Yorke. Caunterbery hathe xiij. bi|schopes in Englonde subiecte to hit, and iiij. bischoppes in Wales. And Yorke hathe but ij. suffraganes subiecte to

it oonly, whiche be suffraganes of Carduliense and of Durem, of the successiue institucions of whom somme thynges ar to be seide here by ordre. Where fore hit is to be aduer|tede that bischoppes, in the primitiue chirche of Englonde, were wonte to haue theire seetes in meke places, apte to contemplacion and deuocion, but hit was commaundede by a decrete of canon, in the tyme of William Conquerour, that the seetes of bischoppes scholde be translate from townes to cites. Where hit was hade that the sete of Dor|chestre was chaungede to Lyncoln, and of Lichefelde to Chestre, of Tedforde to Norwiche, of Shirburne to Excestre, of Seliense to Chichestre. Of the bischoppes of the Sowthe. [This is wrongly numbered Cap. 52 in Harl. MS.; the division of the chapter having been already made conformably to the Latin text.] The bischoppe of Rochestre, whiche hathe noo peresche, but [is] chapelayn of tharchebischop of Caunterbury, from the begynenge of the institucion made by Seynte Austyn bishop of Canterbery, chaungede not the seete of hit vn to oure daies. The bischop of Chicestre, whiche hathe goue|naile [folio 71b] oonly of the Sowthe Saxones and the yle of Wiȝhte,

kepede somme tyme residence at Selesey, in the tyme of Theodorus tharchebischop, where hit contynuede vnder xx^ti bischoppes from the firste, Wilfridus, vn to the laste, Stigandus, by ccc.xxxiij^ti yere. At the laste Stigandus, thro the commaundement of William Conqueroure, did trans|late that seete of Selesey to Chichestre.