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

Capitulum tricesimum quintum.

MANASSES the son of Ezechias began to reigne, whiche reignede on Iuda lij. yere. In the tyme of whom Sibilla Erophila was in the yle callede Samia, whiche was beryede at Nichomedia in Bithinia, callede afore Arthacus. Mida, the ryche kynge of Frigia, was sleyne þro the bloode of a bulle ydrunke. Manasses, that ylle kynge afore God, was taken in captiuite and brouȝte in to Babilon, after he hade made redde the weyes of Ierusalem with the bloode of pro|phetes, and after that Ysay was kytte with a sae of tree; whiche compuncte, thro penaunce and weipenge correcte his lyfe

after that. Men of Hebrew reherse that Ysaias putte furthe of the cite to be saede, nye to a welle callede Siloe, desirede water to drinke, which obteynenge not his peticion, God sende water in to his mowthe, and soe he diede, for Siloa is callede by interpretacion as sende. Also Ysaias afore his dethe preyede Allemyȝhty God that the citesynnes myȝhte haue water þer in the segenge of the cite, and the enmyes noone. Wherefore the citesynnes goenge to that place in the tyme of Ezechias kynge, hade water in that place. For which cause, in to a memorialle, the peple beryede him vnder that oke of Regel nye to Siloe. Iugges were ordeinede at [folio 121b] Athens in the stedde of kynges. Tullius Hestilius, the thrydde kynge of the Romanes, reignede xxxij. yere. Eutro|pius. This Tullius kynge vsede firste purpulle in that cuntre, whiche, kepenge peace a long season, ȝafe batelle ageyne Albanes and men callede Fedenates, and obteynede the victory of theyme; whiche was perischede at the laste with

the liȝhtenge in his howse. Augustinus, libro 3^o, capitulo xj^o. The chiefe place of that realme was amonge the Albanes, from the tyme of Ascanius vn to the tyme of Romulus, but after the construccion of that cite grete stryfe was movede betwene the Romanes and the Albanes of the name. Neuer|thelesse the ende of the contrauersy was translate at the peticion of the kynge of the Albanes in to iij. knyȝhtes of oon parte, and in to iij. of þat other parte; and so the name scholde tary with the cuntre of the three knyȝhtes, whiche were victores. Wherefore iij. men callede Oracius, borne at oon childenge, were chosen on þe parte of the Romanes; and in lyke wise of the parte of the Albanes thre breder callede Curiaci whiche didde sle tweyne of the Romanes in the firste meetenge of theyme to gedre. The thrydde Oracius, of the Romanes seenge hym allon, and to stonde in grete perelle, feynede hym to flee that he myȝhte hurte theim the raþer

folowenge hym by foly; and so he did sle firste oon, after that the secunde, and at the laste the thrydde. Wherefore the name remaynede with the Romanes. Then the suster of that Oracius, mariede to oon of that other men whom he hade sleyne, seenge here broþer to haue the victory, and here howsebonde ysleyne, vmbraydede here brother for the sleenge of here howsebonde. Wherefore this Oracius, hauenge indignacion þer of, did sle here also, where a grete dubitacion was movede amonge the Romanes wheþer he scholde be delyuerede for the sleenge of his suster in that passion, other elles wheder he scholde be putte to dethe. Neuerthelesse hit was condescende at the laste that a temple of concorde scholde be made at Rome for his delyueraunce. Titus. This Tullius Hostilius, occupienge batelle ageyne men callede Fedenates, desirede Methius kynge of the Albanes with hym, what for old consanguinite, what for luffe renuede after the [folio 122a] dethe of the thre men Curiaci by name; but Tullius Hostilius goenge afore wente to batelle, and Methius kynge of Albanes returnede from the felde. But this Tullius Hostilius, hauenge

the victory, toke Methius the kynge and drawede hym with horses; destroyenge that cite callede Alba, sende the rychesse and the peple to Rome. Archilocus and Simonides, excellent musiciones, were in this tyme. That cite callede Bisancium, now Constantinopole, was edifiede in Tracia. Amon the son of Manasses, after men of Hebrewe, reignede ij. yere, and after the lxx^ti interpretatores he reignede xij. yere; whiche lyvenge wickedely, was sleyne of his seruaunteȝ. Iosias the son of Amon, a childe hauenge viij. yere in age, began to reigne, which reignede on Iuda xxxj. yere. This childe in the iiij^the yere of his reigne, beenge that tyme of xij. yere in age, after Iosephus, correcte ylle werkes like an olde man; whiche herenge þe wordes of Deutronomy destroyede ydoles, and brente the boones of false prestes and of prophetes, and haloede Ester or Pasce; which was sleyne after that of Pharao Necaus kynge of Egypte. Whiche lefte after hym

iij. sonnes, Eliachim other Ieconias, Ioathas oþerwise callede Sellum, Mathanias other Sedechias. Anchus Marcius, the iiij^the kynge of the Romanes, son of the doȝhter of Numa, began to reigne, whiche reignede xxiij. yere. This Anchus Marcius, hauenge grete favor to Tarquinius Priscus, made hym tutor of his childere, but this Tarquinius remembrede that luffe symplely. Ieremias, the son of Helchias the bischop, began to prophecy xlj. yere a fore the euersion of the cite, that tyme excepte also in whom he propheciede in Egypte. The seide Ieremy see these iij. signes, a wande other a rodde wakenge, a potte succendede, and his braygirdle roten whiche he did hide nye to the water of Eufrates; whiche made also the trenes, that is to say, the lamentaciones of the dethe of Iosias kynge of Iuda. Also the prophetisse Olda and

Sophonias propheciede this tyme, of whom mencion is made in the bokes of Regum. Tarquinius Priscus, the v^the kynge of the Romanes, began to reigne, whiche reignede xxxvij. yere. This Tarquinius duplicate the nowbre of the cenatores, makenge pleyes, walles, and other necessary thynges for the [folio 122b] cite; which was sleyne at the laste by the sonnes of Anchus Marcius, his predecessor. Titus Livius. This Anchus Marcius dedde, Tarquinius sende his childer aweye falsely, that he myȝhte be made kynge, willenge Tullius his son in lawe to succede in the realme; wherefore the sonnes of Anchus Marcius conspirede with other schepardes his dethe. Wherefore those schepardes, feynenge a stryfe among theyme, appelede to that kynge for iuggemente; and when that kynge intendede oon of theyme, an other did slee the kynge. Ioathas, the myddel son of Iosias, after the dethe of his fader, his brother refusede, was made kynge of Iuda by the peple; whiche reignede þer iij. monethes, as from the kalendes

off Ianuare to the kalendes of Aprile; whom Pharao Nechao brouȝte in to Egipte with hym, and made Eliachim his elder broþer kynge and tributary to hym, callenge hym Ioachim in a signe of subiececion; whiche, reignenge a xj. yere, lyvede wrecchidely. For he didde slee Urias the prophete for the seyenge of the trawthe, ad [Sic.] inprisonede Ieremy the prophete, and brente the boke of Baruc.