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

Capitulum vicesimum secundum.

OCHUS, other Artaxerses, the xij^the kynge of men of Per|sida, reignede xxv. yere, in the tyme of whom Furius Canillus dedde, a grete pestilence infecte and corrupte soore mony of þe Romanes, in so moche that a depe place as helle was open in the myddes of the cite. At the laste, wicches seide that hit wolde not be schutte vn tille a man wolde falle in to hit willefully; wherefore Marcus Cursius, the ryder of þe

Romanes, felle in to hit voluntarily for the deliueraunce of the cite, and then that place was schutte. Then the Romanes ȝiffenge bataile ageyn the Frensche men wastenge Ytaly, Lucius Mallius callede a Frensche man to a singuler bataile, whom he did sle, whiche takenge the coler of golde from the necke of the Frensche man put hit abowte his necke, where|fore he was callede Lucius Torquatus and his successores after hym. ℞. This Torquatus, after Seynte Austyn De Civitate Dei, libro quinto, capitulo octavo decimo, did slee his awne sonne fiȝtenge for his cuntre, and hauenge victory, in that he did fiȝhte ageyne the commaundemente of his fader, leste þat more ylle scholde be in exemple of the empire contempte then of goodenesse in the glory of theire enmye sleyne. Philippus, kynge of Macedony, and fader putatiue of the noble conque|rour

Alexander, began to reigne, whiche reignede xxvj. yeres In the tyme of whom Demostenes the philosophre was. [folio 150a] Agellius. This philosophre Demostines resistede the legates of the Molosynes commen to Athenes, and disputede ageyne

theim in the firste day of theire commynge; but he was cor|rupte in the secunde day folowenge that he scholde not speke ageyne theyme. And when the matere awe to haue been discussede in the thrydde day, Demostines bownde a lytelle wolle abowte his necke, feynynge hym to have a passion callede the sqwinancy, and þerfore he myȝht not speke ageyne grete dogges. But a man stondenge by seide that he hade an infirmite callede argentinancia, as corrupte with silvyr. Then Demostines askede and inquirede of Aristodius, the auctor of fables, what summe of goode he hade to dispute. Then Aristodius answerede and seide, "A talente." Demo|stines seide, "Y hade more to be stille and to kepe silence." Valerius, libro septimo. Too men toke a grete summe of goode to a woman to haue hit in kepenge, commaundenge her that sche scholde not delyuer that summe to eny of theyme vn tille that thei come bothe to geder. A litelle season y-passede, the

oon of theyme come as by a fraude to the woman for the summe of moneye, seyenge that his felowe was dedde, whiche receyvenge the money of the woman, was gladde and departede. After that the other man come for his goode in a schorte season folowenge, askenge his money off the woman. This woman stondenge in grete trowble was verey soory, inquirenge cownselle of Demostines how that sche myȝte do in that mater. Then that philosophre Demostines savede and dely|uerede the woman from trowble, commaundenge that man to brynge his felawe, after theire desire, and the goodes scholde be restorede by the woman to theym. And for cause thei come not for the summe bothe too, the woman was delyuerede from her trowble. Ysidorus, libro primo, capitulo tricesimo primo. When that kynge Philippe lade sege to the cite of Athenes, he desirede to haue x. noble philosophres sende to hym, and he wolde returne from the sege of that cite. This [folio 150b] philosophre Demostines movenge the contrary, usede this fable. The wulfes promisede in a tyme luffe and frende|schippe to scheperdes in a season on this condicion, that the

schepardes scholde ȝiffe to theim there dogges, for whom alle the unkyndenesse was movede and caused. The schepardes makenge graunte þer-of, and sendenge furthe the dogges, the wulfes devourede alle the flocke, not oonly for meyte, but also for theire luste and malice. Soe in lyke wise Philippus, kynge of Macedony, scholde destroye sone the cite if that hit were vacuate and voide of discrete men. Ochus, kynge of Persida, did translate þe Iewery and Hircanny nye to the see Caspy. Dionisius the secunde was expulsede from Sicille by grete violence. Alexander, the noble conquerour, was borne this tyme in Macedony, and Dionisius was sleyne at the cite Sira|cusan. Lectrina, the poetresse, florischede this tyme, whiche expellenge Nectanabus obteynede Egipte vn to Ethioppe; neuertheles Ochus recurede the realme of Egipte, in whos tyme that realme was destroyede. The Romanes hade vic|tory of the Frensche men, in whiche fiȝhte a Frensche man callenge Marcus Valerius, a Roman, to a singuler stryfe, a raven come and sate on the riȝhte scholder of Valerius, in

whiche fiȝhte the seide Valerius obteynede the victory, whiche was callede after þat Coruinus, contynuenge by xxiiij. yere after that.