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

Capitulum tricesimum tertium.

ACHAZ, the son of Ioathan, reignede on Iuda xvij. yere. In the iiij^the yere of whom the cite of Rome was edifiede in the mownte Palatyne of ij. breþer Remus and Romulus,

xj. kl. of Maii, the vij^the Olimpias begynnenge; from whiche yere the reigne of Romulus began, and is accomptede; whiche reignede xxxix. yere. Martinus. Neuerthelesse hit is redde other men to haue reignede in Ytaly abowte that place longe a fore that tyme as Ianus, Saturnus, Pi|cus, Flauius, Latinus, whiche reignede vn to Eneas, abowte cc. yere. ℞. After that hit was reignede in Ytaly from Eneas vn to this Romulus, vnder xvij. gouernoures, abowte [folio 119a] ix^c. and xxxij. yere; and after that, from the edifienge of the cite of Rome vn to the laste yere of Tarquinius the prowde man, hit was reignede in Rome, vnder vij. kynges, abowte cc.xliij. yere. And after that the ordeinede con|sulles vn to the tymes of Iulius Cesar, as by cccc.xliiij. yere. Eutropius. Romulus reignenge, Remus his brother was sleyne of Affabius a duke of Romulus. Titus Liuius.

Sythe Remus and Romulus were bere of oon byrthe, as of oon age, they were determinate that the mater movede, whiche was, wheder of theym scholde be gouernoure of that cite of Rome made by theyme, scholde be finischede by the syȝhte of bryddes. Whiche goenge in to the mownte Auentyne, vij. gripes apperede firste to Remus, and after that xiiij. to Romulus, either of þeym stryvede to haue the more nowble siȝhte, Remus for cause he see the firste, and Romulus in that he see so many moo; and so Remus was sleyne in that contencion. Martinus. The oppinion of commune peple testifiethe that Romulus [Of course an error for Remus.] diede afore thro lepenge the walles of Rome. Eutropius. Romulus callede men of that cuntre firste Romanes, refusenge the name of Latynes, and that cite Rome, after his name, whom he edifiede, whiche gedrenge peple abowte, electe an c. of the seniores, after the cownselle of whom he scholde dispose alle thynges, whom he callede senatores, namenge

theyme as faders, for theire age and grete discrecion, com|maundenge theire names to be writen w^t letters of golde. Titus Livius. And when Romulus hade gedrede to this cite a grete multitude of gilty men and fugitiue schepardes, and of contempte persones, women of nye cuntres to theym wolde not marye with theym for the ignobilite of persones. Romulus perceyvenge þat, desirede peple of that coste nye to hym to beholde a disporte, and when the virgynes of that cuntre were commen in to the cite they were taken. Amonge whom Thalasso was feireste, whiche was mariede to a gouernoure of the Romanes. ℞. Augus|tinus [folio 119b]

de Civitate Dei, libro 3^o, capitulo xj^o, towchethe that Titus Liuius rehersethe how grete batelle was contynuede longe betwene the Romanes and the Sabynes for the takenge of theire doȝhters. Neuerthelesse the wifes of the Romanes, and doȝhters to the Sabynes, at the laste in tyme of batelle wente betwene the hostes with theire childer, wepynge and pullenge the heire from theire heddes, and so procurede peace, that the kynges scholde reigne to gedre, but the name of the realme tariede amonge the Romanes. Eutropius. Whereof a consuetude was taken that euery Roman was of ij. names. Titus Livius. But Tatius, kynge of the Sabynes, was sleyne soone after that, Romulus consentenge to hit, whiche may be schewede in that he ȝafe grete liberte to the men that did slee hym. ℞. Titus Liuius rehersethe, and other moo, þat as Romu|lus nowmbrede his peple at a marras callede Capra, where he was coverede with a clowde, and apperede not after. But Seynte Austyn, De Civitate, libro 3^o, capitulo 13^o, re|hersethe

that he was brente with the lyȝhtenge, other elles somme of the Romanes have wryten he was dilacerate and rente of his awne senate for his grete crudelite. And Iulius Proculus, subornate by the Romanes, seide Romulus to haue apperede to hym, commaundenge the Romanes that he scholde be honorede as for a God, and calle hym Quirinus, in that he usede a spere, whiche is callede quiris in the langage of Sabines. And after that the knyȝhtes of the Romanes were callede Quirites. The Romanes were lette in this maner that thei did not sle the senate for the dethe of Ro|mulus. Augustinus, De Civitate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo quarto decimo. Tales Millesius, the firste of the vij. wise men, was in the tyme of Romulus. Plinius, libro secundo. This Tales Millesius serchede firste amonge the Grekes philosophy, the causes of heuyn, and the strenȝhte of thynges naturalle, whiche science he distribute after to

the peple in iiij. destincciones, as in to Arsmetrike, Geo|metry, Musike, and in to Astronomy. Polic., libro 7^o. That philosophre and diuine, serchenge the natures of [folio 120a] þinges, seide afore the defawtes of the son and of the moone, trawenge that humor was the begynnenge of alle thynges, whom men say to haue lyvede vn to the lviii^t Olimpias. Augustinus, libro octavo. Whom Anaximenes herde ȝiffenge the causes of thynges to the aiere, whose disciple Anaxagoras was, whiche vnderstode þe wille of God to be the maker of alle thynges, whiche tauȝhte Archelaus, maister to Socrates, whiche was the maister of Plato. Augustinus, De Civitate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo 25^o. Other vj. philosophres were in the tyme of the transmigracion of the Iewes, levenge noo wrytenge after

theyme, whiche informede men in honeste of maneres and in vertues, the names of whom folowe: Pitacus Miletene, Salon of Athenes, Chilon of Lacedemonia, Piriadrus of Corinthus, Cleobulus of Lidia, Bias Pienus. Valerius, libro 4^o, capitulo primo. Fyschers solde in a season, in the tyme of Tales Millesius, theire drauȝhte, in whom thei founde a table of golde, where of a contencion was movede, the fischers seyenge thei solde but the fische. But the philosophres seide thei boȝhte the fortune of theire takenge, whiche askede of Apollo Delphicus cownsaile in that matere. Then Apollo ȝafe in iuggemente that hit scholde be taken to the moste discrete man of theyme, whiche was ȝiffen to Salon, and he sende hit to Bias, and Bias sende hit to Pitacus, and so at the laste hit was sende to Salon ageyne, and then Salon did consecrate hit to Apollo. Ozee, the son of Hela, did sle Phasee kynge of Israel, and reignede for him ix. yere. Mida, the ryche kynge, didde reigne this tyme in Frigia.