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

Capitulum tricesimum secundum.

Ioathan, the son of Ozias reignede on Iuda xvj. yere. In the firste yere of whom Phacee, the son of Romelias, reignede in Israel xx. yere. In the firste yere of Ioathan, after Iosephus and Beda, after cccc.vj. yeres after the takenge of Troye, the firste actes Olimpicalle, vnder Esi|olus, gouernoure of men of Athenes; in whiche acte Core|bus, a man of Athenes, was firste victor. Hugucio. Olimpus is the name of an hie mownte in the londe of Grece at Athenes, namede so for the amenite and myrthe usede þer, whiche be exercisede in euery v^the yere, and that space is callede Olimpias, whom Isicus, the son of Praxonides, institute firste. ℞. Whiche Olimpias began

in the solstice of wynter, when men of Grece begynne theire yere. Hugucio, capitulo Olimpus. The actes and disportes Olimpicalle were institute to the honore of Iu|biter, under that hille Olimpus, in whiche actes the victor [folio 118b] scholde haue what thynge he wolde desire, and that acte was doen in every v^the yere, leste hit scholde be forgeten if hit were deferrede, and that hyt scholde not be more ofte exercisede, leste huge exspence scholde greve theyme. Teglatphalazar, kynge of Assiria, ascendede in to Israel, wastenge the region ouer the water of Iordan, whiche, takenge ij. tribes and an halfe of Israel in captiuite, brouȝhte theyme with hym in to Assiria, whiche was the begynnenge of captiuite of the x. tribes. Polic., libro octavo. This kynge of Assiria was of v. names, after Seynte Ierom, that is to say, Salmanazar, Sennacherib, Phul, Teglatphalazar, and Sargon, þerfore hit is not to be meruaylede, thauȝhe this kynge be expressede in diuerse names in diuerse stories. ℞. Other men wylle that these be diuerse names of diuerse kynges, whiche reignede after

Sardanapallus, folowenge by succession, as Arbases, Phul, Teglatphalazar, Salmanazar, Sennacherib, Assargon, Sargon. After whom, grete kynges, Merodac and other, reignede in Babilon, vn to Balthazar, vn til Darius and Sirus did trans|late that realme to men of Persia. Wherefore kynges of Assiria, after the laste Sardanapallus, intendenge to recure the dignite of that realme, ȝiffenge grete batelles to peple of ferre costes, put the x. tribes of Israel in captiuite, reignenge vn to the tymes of Ezechias, kynge of Iuda, when Sennacherib, fleenge from Iuda, was sleyne of his awne childer in the temple.