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

Capitulum vicesimum tertium.

IEPTE GALATIDES, son of an hoore of the tribe of Gad, was iugge in Israel vj. yere. In the firste yere off whom, Latinus the son of Fanus began to reigne in Ytaly, in whom he reignede xxxij^ti yere, from whiche tyme the realme of Latines toke begynnenge, and the name off the Lauren|tynes decreasede and faylede. Isidorus, libro octavo. Sibilla Eritria, Erifola by name, borne in Babilon, was in the tyme of Latinus, whiche seide to the Grekes Troy to be destroyede, and that the poete Omerus scholde write mony lesenges after|warde. But þer were x. Sibilles, amonge whom sche was putte the v^the in ordre, and is preferrede afore other. The firste of whom was callede Sibilla Persica. The secunde Sibilla Libica. The thrydde Sibilla Delphica, whiche was geten in the temple of Apollo afore the batelle of Troy, of the versus of whom Omerus toke mony and putte theyme in his werkes. The iiij^the was Sibilla Temeria, [Sic Harl. MS. for Cimmeria.] of Ytaly. The v^the was Sibilla Eritria, of whom we spake of afore. The vj^the was callede Sibilla Samia, of that yle callede Samos.

where sche was borne. The vij^the was callede Sibilla Cu|mana, borne in Campania, whiche brouȝhte to olde Tarqui|nius, kynge of the Romanes, ix. bokes of the decretes of the Romanes. The viij^the was callede Sibilla Ellespontia, borne in the cuntre of Troye, whiche was seide to haue bene in the tyme of kynge Cyrus and Salomon. The ix^the was callede Sibilla Frigia. The x^the was callede Sibilla Tiburtina, the wrytenges of whom be extollede in that thei didde wryte mony thynges of God, of Criste, and of other peple. ℞. Neuerthelesse Seynte Austyn semethe to expresse, De Civi|tate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo sexto decimo, that Sibilla Eritria was in the time of Romulus, of whom he seithe that sche did write mony thinges of Criste. Isidorus, libro octavo. That name Sibilla is a name of an office, not of a person, for hit is seide of this worde, scios, þat is, God, and bele, that is a mynde, and þerfore Sibilla is seide, a

woman hauenge the mynde of God. Wherefore like as a man prophecyenge is callede Vates, soe in lyke wise a woman prophecienge is callede Sibilla. In this tyme of Latinus the kynge, the Organautes seylede and keped the see, whiche was an occasion of the batelle of Troy, whiche was inducede in þis maner. Trogus, libro secundo. The realme of men of Athenes descendede to Egeus, after Nep|tunus, the successor of Erictonius, whiche gate of his firste wife a son callede Theseus. That wife dedde, he did wedde Medea, the doȝhter of the kynge of Colchos, of whom he gate a son callede Medus. Medea, dredenge Theseus when that he was commen to age, turnede ageyne to Colchos to here fader, with Medus here sonne. Theseus reignede at Athenes after Egeus his fader, whiche, goenge furthe with Hercules, hade the victory of the Amazones. Demophon, the son of Theseus, succedede in that realme, whiche ȝafe helpe to þe Grekes ageyne the Troianes. Trogus, libro 42^o. Pelias, [Peleas, Harl. MS. here and below.] kynge of Peloponense other of Thessalia, dredenge leste that the nowble man, Iason by name, son of Eson his brother, scholde entre in to his realme, movede Iason

to goe to the yle of Colchos to seche the skynne of golde, supposenge that by that laboure he seholde be pereschede other in the see other þro batelle on londe. Phrygius Dares, [Frigius, MSS. and Cx.] xxxij^ti. Wherefore Pelias made Argus to ordeyne ryalle schippes apte and pleasaunt to theyme. Petrus. The peple that were callede Argonautes, toke name of Argon, whiche were myȝhty men, gedrede of alle costes to go with Iason. Whiche londede firste in Frigia, Laomedon reignenge there in that tyme. Trogus. But Iason, expulsede from Frigia, come with his felowschippe to Colchos, and ouercome the kynge of hit, sleenge Egealius his son, and toke with hym the skynne of golde, and also Medea, the doȝhter of that kynge, and toke here to his wife, whom he refusede after|warde. But when that Iason was expulsede from Thes|salia by the sonnes of Pelias, and Medea his wyfe recon|silede to hym, with Medus here son, getten by Egeus kynge of Athenes, he gedrede a grete hoste and wente to that yle callede Colchos, and restored his fader in lawe vn to his realme, whiche was expulsede from hit, and brouȝhte to his realme mony oþer cites, in recompensation of the wronge doen afore. Phrygius Dares. After that Iason hade

made subiecte that yle of Colchos, desirede with hym Castor and Pollux, and Peleus of Scitia, and Thelamon of Sala|mina, with v. schippes entrede in to Frigia in the nyȝhte, and did sle Laomedon the kynge of hit, and wastede Troy, and toke awey Hesion the kynges doȝhter, whom he toke to Telamon [Thelamon, MSS. and Cx.] his knyȝhte, to be his wife, in that he entrede in to the cite of Troy firste. And when thei hade taken preyes at theire pleasure, Iason returnede with his felow|schippe towarde his cuntre. Priamus the son of Laome|don, herenge of that treason, made that city of Troy stronge, dressenge hit with ȝates and walles, and began to reigne in hit.