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

Capitulum vicesimum.

Eutropius. DIGNITES were chaungede amonge men of Rome; for x tribunes of cheuallery were create in the stedde of ij. consules, whiche hade the power of þe consulles, and then Rome encreasede gretely in richnesse; but that dignite endurede not longe. Diogenes the philosophre was abowte this tyme, whom Iohn seithe in his Policronicon, libro 7^o, to be the disciple of Anaximenes. But Seynte Austyn, De Civitate Dei, seithe that he was the disciple of Anaxagoras; and Seynte Ierom seythe, in his epistole ageynes Iouinian, that he was the disciple of Antistenes, whiche was the disciple of Socrates, whiche semethe to be trewe; for Seneca and Valerius seye that Diogenes was in the tymes of grete Alexander, with

owte there were mony men of that name, as were of that name Socrates. Ieronimus contra Iouinianum. This philo|sophre [folio 147b] Diogenes inhabite moche in the porches of temples, to merke and to knowe vices whiche contaminate vertu; whiche beynge in a tunne, seide hym selfe to have a moueable howse, for in the wynter he turnede the mowthe of the tunne towarde the meridien or sowthe, and in the somer in to þe northe. And so this philosophre Diogenes movede his place after the movenge of the sonne. Valerius, libro quarto, capitulo tertio. In a tyme grete Alexander, the myȝhty conqueror, comme to this philosophre sittenge in the tunne, movenge hym that he scholde desire somme thynge of hym. Then the philosophre seide, "Y desire that þou wolde stonde owte of the sonne, and lette hyt not to schyne in to myne howse." Whereof a proverbe was spronge, that kynge

Alexander myȝhte putte rather kynge Darius from his realme þen Diogenes from vertu. ℞. Seneca, libro quinto de beneficio, rehersethe that Diogenes was more myȝty and ryche then Alexander the conqueror, for hit was more that he wolde not take then þat kynge Alexander myȝte ȝiffe; and then kynge Alexander was rebukede in a maner, that he founde a man to whom he cowthe not ȝiffe eny thynge oþer elles take aweye eny thynge. Seneca, epistola 94^o et Ieronimus contra Iouinianum. This Diogenes berenge a cuppe of tree with hym where in he myȝhte drynke water, perceyvede a childe to drynke water of his holowe honde, and brake his veselle of tre, seyenge, "How longe schalle y be a foole, and berre a voide burthon; y perceyvede not to þis tyme that nature hade ȝiffen a instrumente whereof a man myȝte drynke;" and so after that tyme he vsede to drynke water of his holowe honde. This Diogenes goenge

in his age to beholde the actes Olimpicalle, was trowblede soore with the fevers; his frendes perceyvenge that wolde haue cariede hym with horses. To whom he seide, "Goe ye to the actes Olimpicalle, for this nyȝte shalle prove me other a victor other elles a man ouercomen; and if [folio 148a] y haue the victory of the fevers y schalle comme to the actes Olimpicalle, and if y haue not the victory y schalle goe to helle." But, as y suppose, he callede helle the state

of the sawle after the dethe of the body. Valerius, libro quarto, capitulo tertio. Aristippus seide to Diogenes wasch|enge herbes in this wise: "If thow woldest glose Dionisius the kynge thow scholde not haue nede to wasche these herbes." To whom he seide, "If thow wolde eite these wortes, thow scholde not glose kynge Dionisius." Seneca, libro tertio de ira. Diogenes pletenge afore a iugge, a man spitte in his face. To whom he seide, "I schal afferme alle men to be deceyvede hereafter that sey, thow hase noo mowthe." Policronicon, libro octavo. A man beholdenge Diogenes in a tyme, seide that he hade unchaste eien, wherefore the disciples of Diogenes wolde haue sleyne þat man as a lyer. To whom Diogenes seide, "Sease,

felowes, for y am so of nature as the man seithe, but y constreyne me by vertu." ℞. The poete Iuuenalis writethe, libro 4^to, satira prima, that Diogenes goenge in to an open place wepede, thenkenge and iuggenge alle thynges miserable that he see. But Democritus the philosophre laȝhede when he come in open places, iuggenge thynges y-seen as foly, and thynges not to be attendede. In libro de dictis philosophorum. A fowle man did schewe on a tyme to Diogenes his place ornate with riche apparaile, whiche Diogenes spitte in his face. The man inquirenge of hym why that he did so, Diogenes answerede and seide that he see noo thynge so fowle in his howse as his face. Also an inquisicion made of Diogenes why he suffrede his berde to grow, he answerede and seide that a woman hauenge a

berde is hade as a wonder. Tullius, libro primo de Tusculanis Quæstionibus. Diogenes afore his dethe com|maundede that he scholde be caste in to þe felde or in to the hille vnberiede; then his frendes seide that he scholde be devourede of bestes and of briddes. To whom he seide, [folio 148b] "Lay a staffe by me, that y may dryve the bestes and briddes aweye." Then his frendes seide to hym, "Where|to

scholde thou have a staffe when thow maiste fele noo thynge." Then Diogenes seide þe devourenge and terenge of bestes schalle greve litelle a man that may not fele hyt.