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

Capitulum tricesimum secundum.

PTHOLOMEUS Philadelphius, the secunde kynge of men of Egipte, began to reigne, whiche reignede by xxx^tiviij. yere. Somme men reherse this Ptolomeus to haue hade victory of his awne fader, and to haue hade in his hoste cc. m^l of foote [folio 169a] men, xx^ti m^l of horse men, ij. thowsande of charietes, and cccc. elephauntes. Petrus, capitulo ducentesimo. This Ptholo|meus sende the Iewes taken and putte into captiuite vn to Ierusalem, takenge to the lordes of theym for euery man cxx.

dragmas of siluyr, whiche is xxxv. schilenges of oure moneye, sendenge precious veselles to Eleazarus, bischoppe of Ierusa|lem, by the cownselle of Demetrius, preyenge Eleazarus by discrete messyngers that he wolde sende to hym noble clerkes of the Iewes, that thei myȝte translate the lawe of Moyses owte of Hebrewe in to Grewe. Eleazarus sende to hym vj. men of euery tribe, lxxij. in nowmbre, but the consuetude of scripture is to omitte the litelle nowmbre if þat hit remayne after the grete nowmbre. These men be the lxx^ti interpretatores, whiche instructe lawe and psalmes of the cognicion of oon God, and gubernacion of theire realme, and translate prophecies, kepenge silence or spekenge similitu|dinary where eny thynge of the Trinite was in theire werke, leste that hit scholde seme theyme to haue taken iij. goddes to be worschippede. Also thei putte but oon name of God in the processe of Ysay, whiche was the angelle of grete

cownselle, leste that hit scholde seme theim to haue seide man to haue bee deificate, in whiche processe thei fownde vj. names of Godde. These noble clerkes finischede that laboure in lxxij^ti daies. But Seynte Austyn, de Civitate Dei, libro octavo decimo, capitulo 42^o, semethe to wille that the lxx^ti interpretatores were diuidede into diuerse chambres, and that thei alle accordede in oon. But Seynte Ierom semethe to vnderstonde that thei were alle in oon chambre, other elles that thei, diuidede by vj. daies, mette to gedre in the Sabbatte day, and combynede and compilede theire maters togedre. Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro suo octavo decimo. lxx^ti men of diuerse tribus, departede in diuerse celles at a cite callede Alexandria in Egipte, translate diuine Scripture owte of Hebrewe in to Grewe, not discordenge in eny thynge, neiþer in valoure of wordes, neither in ordre. And thawȝe þer were men that did translate owte of [folio 169b]

Hebrewe in to Grewe in the Newe Testamente, as Aquila Simachus, Theodocion, and the v^the edicion, the auctor of whom is ignorante, ȝitte the lxx^ti interpretatores be preferrede afore theyme. Mony men willenge to amende the interpretacion of the lxx^ti interpretatores by bokes of Hebrewe, hade noo audacite to detray that the lxx^ti inter|pretatores hade more then men of Hebrewe, puttenge signes þer callede obeli, to betokyn superhabundaunce. And thei made signes in the maner of sterres in the places where the lxx^ti interpretatores hade lesse then the men of Hebrewe, as to make briȝhte thynges defectiue. Ysidorus, Eth: libro sexto. This Ptholomeus hade lxx^ti bookes in his bible. Petrus, capitulo quinto decimo. Hit is sufficiaunte to speke at oon

tyme of diuerse translaciones. The lxx^ti interpretatores were afore the incarnacion of Criste by ccc. and xlj. yere. Also Aquila did translate in the tyme of Adrian the prince, after the Ascencion a c. and xxiiij. yere. After þat Simachus, by xxx^ti yere, did translate in the tyme of the prynce Seuerus. After þat viij. yere the v^the translacion was founde at Ierusalem, þe auctor of whom was not knowen. After that by xviij. yere Origenes did translate, with asteriscus and obelus, in the tyme of þe prince Alexander; after þat Origenes did translate hym selfe withowte þeim. Alle these men did translate from Hebrewe in to Grewe. But mony men did translate owte of Latyn in to Grewe. Neuerthelesse Seynte Ierom did translate laste owte of Hebrewe in to Latyn, whose translacion is obseruede allemoste, excepte the translacion in his psawter. Eutropius. The Romanes haue

doen a Punicalle batelle, or Cartaginense, ageyne men of Affrica, in whiche tyme the cite of Rome hade men in hit ij^c. m^l xcij. m^l ccc. and xxxiij^ti men, thauȝhe batelles seasede never þer from the edifienge of the cite of Rome un to that tyme. And the Romanes were victores by v. yere continually, wherefore the Romanes transferrede the firste batelle to men of Affrike, Marchus Regulus electe to be þe gouernoure of the Romanes and a consul; whiche toke firste theire schippes, [folio 170a] other drownede theyme, other elles causede the peple to flee. At the laste he ouercomne iij. dukes and gouernoures of men

of Affrike and theire hoste, and toke mony elephantes, and sende xxvij. m^l men taken in captiuite to Rome. After that he did sle a serpente at the water callede Bragada, the skynne of whom brouȝte to Rome was of a cxx. foote. Then men of Cartago deuicte desirede peas, whiche Marchus wolde not grawnte to theyme peas, but on soore condiciones, and also grevous. Men of Affrike attracte to theym Zanȝippus kynge of Lacedemonia, and hade victory of the Romanes, in so moche that xxx^ti m^l of theyme sleyne, Marchus Regulus was taken and putte in prison with v.^c. After that men of Affrike were deuicte bothe by see and londe, that ij.^c. m^l of theyme sleyne, and a c. and xxx^ti elephauntes taken, men of Cartago sende Marcus Regulus to Rome, desirenge the permutacion of theire men in captiuite. Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro primo. An othe made that Marchus Regulus scholde not [Sic.]

comme to Cartago ageyne, whiche Marchus seide that hit was not profitable to the commune vtilite to permute so mony noble men for oon olde man, makenge a protestacion that he wolde goe ageyn, and specially for this cause, in that he myȝhte not haue the auctorite of an honeste citesynne in Rome after his capituite. Men of Affrike putte hym in a streyte tre fulle of nayles, with his eien open, and the liddes of theyme fixede with nayles, and so thei causede hym to stonde and to wake vn to the that he diede. Petrus, capitulo sexagesimo octavo. Ptholomeus ȝafe batelle ageyn Anthiocus Theos, kynge of Siria, but after that thei were confederate, for Anthiocus mariede Beronica, the doȝhter of Ptholomeus, geten by Lao|dices his firste wife refusede from hym; whiche commenge

and obteynenge grace and fauor of her howsebonde poysenede hym. A peny of siluyr was made and institute firste in Rome aboute this tyme.