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

Capitulum decimum tertium.

THE peple of Rome made treason, seyenge that þei scholde be oppressede by the senate and consules, wherefore thei ordeynede to theyme tribunes as theire defensores ageyne the consules and the senate. Quintus Marius, a gouernoure [folio 138b] of Rome, expulsede from the cite wente vn to a certeyne peple callede Vulsci, whom he hade trowblede theyme soore in schorte space afore whiche desirenge of theyme helpe founde

grete socoure. Whiche goenge to the cite of Rome segede hit refusenge peace vn tille that his moder and his wife goenge furthe from the cite made a supplicacion to hym for the savegarde of the cite. Egipte wente from the kynge of Persida and wolde not be subiecte to hym. A woman callede Pompilia, taken at Rome in advowtery was beryede whicke in the erthe. Trogus, libro secundo. After the dethe of Pisistratus, the tiraunte of Athenes, oon of his sonnes raueschenge a virgyn by strenȝhte was sleyne by the brother of that virgyn oppressede. Then Hispias, son of Pisistratus, reioycenge that realme commaundede the sleer of his brother to be taken. Whiche man compellede by

diuerse kyndes of tormentes to reherse þe names of men consentenge þerto namede alle the frendes of Hispias, that tiraunte. And when Hispias had sleyne his frendes he inquirede of that man wheþer eny men consentenge to the dethe were in lyfe. The man answerede and seide, there was not oon man in lyve worthy dethe but he hym selfe. Men of that cite perceyvenge the discrecion and vertu of the yonge man, expellede Hispias that tiraunte from the cite of Athenes. This tiraunte Hispias wente anoon to the londe of Persida to kynge Darius, movenge hym to ȝiffe batelle ageyne men of Athenes. Orosius, libro secundo. This Darius instorede a batelle ageyne Anticirus, kynge of Sachia other of the Messagetes in that he did not wedde his doȝhter after that he hade recurede men of Assiria and of the cuntre off Babilon goen from his realme. This

kynge Anticirus metenge kynge Darius with lxx^ti c. m^l. of armede men, made theim lesse in nowmbre by lxx^ti m^l. Then kynge Darius returnenge from that cuntre made tame men of Macedonia and Ionynes, and ȝafe batelle to men of Athenes for cause thei schewede socour to the Ionynes. Whiche beenge [folio 139a] but ix. m^l in nowmbre come to mete kynge Darius with m^l infinite whiche were trawede of the peple now to be men and other while as bestes vnresonable in audacite and boldnesse. Trogus, libro secundo. Men of Persida losenge the victory, toke theire schippes, of whom mony were pureschede and mony were taken. To ȝiffe to eny man the firste lawde in suche a victory is an harde thynge. But trewly þer was a knyȝhte of Athenes, Cinegirus by name, whiche pursuede men of Persida in to the see where he did holde a myȝhty shippe gretely chargede with his ryȝhte honde

til that hit was kytte aweye. After that he toke holde with his lifte honde vn til that he hade loste hit. That honde loste, he didde holde the schippe with his teithe so that he fauȝhte as a wilde beste with his teithe. In whiche batelle ij. c. m^l. of men of Persida were sleyne and the tyraunte Hispias also. Darius, the kynge of Persida, diede soone after that tyme in the xxxvj. yere of his reigne levenge after hym mony childer; but Xerses his son as borne with in the realme reioycede hit after the dethe of Darius, his father.