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

Of the bischoppes of the Marches. Willelmus.

HIT is to be attendede, that like as the impire of the Marches was moste large, so hit was diuided in to moste [folio 72b] bischopes. And specially in the tyme of kynge Offa, [of Offa, Harl. MS., by a cleri|cal error, it is to be hoped.] whiche reignenge in the Marches by xl. yere, transferrede the honor from Caunterbery to the chirche of Lyncolne, Adrian the pope grawntenge that priuilege. Where there was oon bischop oonly, at Lichefelde, to the prouince of Marches and of Lyndesfarne, [Lindeseye, MS. (first hand.)] in the firste yeres of Cris|tianite, in the tyme of kynge Wulfarius; Duina was firste, Celat the secunde, bothe Scottes, Trunhere the thrydde, Iarumannus the iiij^the, Cedda the v^the. But Theo|dorus archebischop, after the deathe of Seynte Chadde, ordeynede Wynfrede, dekyn of Seynte Chadde, in the tyme of Ethelrede, brother of Wulferus, whiche was deposede for cause of a certeyne inobediency, makenge Sexwulphus byschop þer, abbot of Medehamstede, whiche is callede now Petrusborough. But after the iiij^the yere of Sexwulphus, Theodorus, tharchebischop, ordeinede v. byschoppes to

the prouince of the Marches, that is to say, Bosel at Wir|cestre, Cudwyne at Lichefelde, Sexwulphus at Chestre, Ethelwyne at Lindesey, at a cite callede Sedeneia. Takenge also Eata, monke of the monastery of Seynte Hilda at Whitby, made hym byschop at Dorchestre, nye to Oxforde, whiche was callede that tyme Dorkynga. And so the seete of Dorchestre, whiche pertenede to the Weste Saxones in the tyme of Seynte Biryne, longede to the Marches from the tyme of Theodorus tharchebischop. Sexvulphus dedde, Hedda succeded at Lychefelde; and Wilfride, chasede from Northumbrelonde, succedede at Legecestre, now namede Chestre; neuerthelesse Alfride, the kynge of Northumbre|londe, dedde within the space of ij. yere foloenge, Wilfride returnede to his propre seete Haugustaldense; and so Hedda was bischop bothe of Lichefelde and of Chestre. After whom Albinus other Wor. After whom thre succeded, that

is to say, Torta at Chestre, Witta at Lichefelde, Eata re|maynenge at Dorchestre; the seete of whom bischoppes of Lindeseye occupiede by ccc.liiij^ti yere, vn tylle that Remi|gius [folio 73a] transferrede that seete to Lincolne, in the tyme of kynge William the firste. But Leofwinus byschop, con|ioinede bothe the chirches of Chestre and Lindesey to gedre in the tyme of kynge Edgare, while he lyvede.