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

Capitulum decimum.

DARIUS reignenge on a c. and xxvij^ti prouinces, Zorobabell, son of Salathiel, of grete familiarite with hym, movede hym

diuerse tymes afore that he was kynge to make a promyse to God of Israel that and if he were kynge, he scholde restore the veselles of the temple, and ȝiffe licence to theyme to reedifie the temple. Wherefore Zorobabel began to re|edifie the temple, Zacharias and Aggeus, prophetes, mouenge hym to that edificacion, seyenge that thei offendede ageyne Allemyȝhty God in that the howse of God was desolate, and thei inhabite other vile places. Schewenge to Zorobabel a signe of the displeasure of Godde, that thei did sawe moche corne and hade but litelle encrease. But the princes of Persides, lettenge the werke of þe temple, Zorobabel wente to Darius kynge, whiche was receyuede with grete honor of hym. Josephus, libro xj ^o. This kynge Darius proposede in the morowe to thre of his kepers thre thynges, promisenge grete ȝiftes to the best answerer amonge theyme; the question was, of a kynge, of wyne, and of a woman, whiche of these thre scholde be moste stronge? The firste man seide a kynge

to be moste stronge by this reason: A man is above alle other bestes; a kynge precellethe a man, for alle thynges be doen at his pleasure and commaundemente. The secunde man seide wyne to be moore myȝhty then man, seyenge that a man precellethe not other bestes but in the fortitude of [folio 134a] the sawle, but wyne precellethe the fortitude of the sawle, and makethe a man drunke. Zorobabel seide a woman to be moste of myȝhte, and by this reason; for women ȝiffe life to kynges, and to men that sette vynes and other norischenge, whiche commen to age, putte theire bodies in perelle for women. Zorobabel affermede hym to haue seene a concubine of a kynge to haue ȝiffen buffettes to hym, and sche laȝhenge the kynge to haue laȝhede, and sche beenge soory the kynge to haue beene soory. Neuerthelesse, he seide trawthe was the thynge moste stronge above alle other thynges; for these thynges visible thauȝhe thei be of pulcritude excellente, ȝitte thei be caduke and transitory; but trawthe is immortalle, immutable, and sempiternalle. The kynge, takenge a grete

pleasure in his communication, grawntede to hym licence to re|edifie the temple, takenge to hym his letters þat noo [Sic.] scholde resiste theire labore. Therefore thei began to labore soore in the secunde yere of Darius abowte the temple, finisch|enge hit in the vij^the yere, whiche was the xlvj. yere from the firste yere of kynge Cirus, in whom thei hade licence to reedifie the temple. And so the wordes of the gospelle be trewe that temple was reedifiede in xlvj. yere. That temple finischede, thei dedicate hit in the monethe of Marche. And this was the secunde dedicacion, for the firste dedicacion was in herueste in þe tyme of Salomon. The thridde dedicacion was made in wynter vnder Iudas Macha|beus. Petrus, capitulo 182. In this yere the fire of the temple, whiche was taken from the awter and hidde in a pytte, was founde brennenge. Also certitude is not hade of the arke of the testamente, how and when the Iewes didde

receyve hit. But and if the seyenge of Epiphanius be trewe, that arke schalle not be taken from that place where Ieremias the prophete putte hit vn to the day of iugge|mente. Aggeus and Zacharias, prophetes, diede in the monethe of Marche, after the complete reedificacion of the [folio 134b] temple of Ierusalem. Consules were made in this tyme, kynges expulsede from Rome, whiche were create as gouer|noures by oon yere ij. in nowmbre, that and if the oon were insolente, he scholde be restreynede by that other. Titus. The Romanes hade peace after the expulsion of Tarquinius a certeyne season, but, the space and tyme of xv. yere ypas|sede, a grete murmur and sedicion was hade betwene the gouernoures of the cite and the commune peple in his [Sic.]

manere folowenge. For the Romanes vsede this consue|tude, that men vsenge batelles scholde lyve of theire propre stipendies and goodes; but the Romanes myȝhte not fulle|fille that consuetude for continuacion of batelles. Where|fore thei borowenge moneye of the gouernoures, and not restorenge hit in the tyme prefixede, were imprisonede; wherefore the commune peple wente furthe from the cite by the space of iij. myles to the holy mownte. But peace was reformede at the laste in this condicion, that the peple scholde haue certeyne maistres ouer theyme, callede Tribuni, whiche scholde defende theyme ageyne the insolence of potestates.