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

Capitulum quadragesimum quartum.

ANTONIUS puttenge from hym his wife and suster to the emperour, mariede Cleopatra the qwene of Egipte, to whom he ȝafe Araby. Whiche hauenge grete affeccion to reigne at the cite of Rome, movede here howsebonde to ȝiffe batelle to Octouian. This Antony, mouenge a ciuile batelle ageyne Octouian, was ouercommen in the londe of Grece. Petrus, 28^o capitulo. Herodes was not at that batelle, for he was sente ageyne the kynge of Araby thro meane of Cleopatra, that sche myȝhte be exaltede if eny of theym hade victory. Eutropius, libro septimo. This Antonius losenge the victory and fleenge in to Egipte, did sle hym selfe, and Cleopatra

folowede themperour Octouian, that sche myȝhte inclyne his herte to fullefille the pleasure of the flesche with her. Whiche preuaylenge not, was commaunded to kepenge, and brekenge from hit comme to the beryalle of Antonius here howsebonde, where sche, receyvenge a serpente, diede thro the venom of hit; after that Egipte longede to thempire of Rome. Petrus, capitulo 18^o. After that, Augustus did ampliate to Herode his realme, in that he made perviaunce for meytes and drynkes and oþer thynges necessary to themperour goenge vn to the [folio 191b] londe of Egipte. ℞. Wherefore mony men say the firste yere of the monarchye of Octouian to begynne in that yere, in that he reignede allon, whiche sayenge Bede on Daniel semethe to conferme. Marcus Terencius Varro, of xc. yere in age, diede this tyme in Rome. Virgilius Maro, the poette Mantuan, diede at Brundusius, the l^ti yere of his age, beryede

at the cite callede Neapolis. ℞. This Virgille, instructe in naturalle philosophy, vsede muche nigromancy. Of whom Alexander de Naturis rerum rehersethe mony meruellous thynges, rehersenge in this wise: When that Neapolis was vexede with a dedely pestilence of water leches, Virgilius caste in to a depe pitte a water leche of gold, whiche destroyede mony of þeim. After that, the water leche of golde taken aweye, the waterleches didde replete the cite of Neapolis with a multitude infinite, vn til þat the water leche made by [folio 184b] Virgilius was caste in to the pytte ageyne. Also hit is rehersed þer that Marcellus, the biscop of Neapolis, laborenge for to kepe flesche incorrupte by a longe season, kowthe not fynde that crafte, whom Virgille takenge causede that flesche to remayne incorrupte and fresche and of a goode sauoure by the space of v.^c. yere: y knowe not the name of the yerbe. Also

hit is seide that Virgilius hade a gardyn whom he heggede abowte with the aier, makenge to hit also a brygge of the aier, þro whom he wolde goe to oþer place. Also hit is seide that he made that place at Rome wherein the ymages of all places and provinces were sette and putte. Hugo Pisanus affer|methe this to be of the makenge of Virgille, and the Collosee also, of whom hit is expressede afore, libro primo, capitulo Roma. Policronicon, libro primo. Hit is seide Virgil, the poete Mantuan, to haue inquirede Marcellus Neapolitanus, son of the doȝhter of Octouian, whether he hade leuer haue a bridde instructe and made to take other bryddes or elles a flee that scholde destrye oþer flees. This Marcellus askede cown|selle of Octouian, which ȝafe to him cownselle that he scholde chose a flee whiche scholde dryve other flees aweye from the [folio 192a] cite of Neapolis, seyenge the commune vtilite to be preferrede

to the priuate vtilite. Varrus and Cucta, felawes to Virgilius, were commaundede to emende the bokes of Virgille callede Eneydos, on that condicion that thei scholde not adde eny thynge to theyme. Blessede Mary, the moder off Criste, was borne this tyme; the name of her fader was Ioachim, of the tribe of Iuda; and of her moders name, hit is openly declared in mony scriptures, Seynte Anne, the doȝhter of Ysachar of the tribe of Leui. ℞. Hit is to be attendede that Anna and Emeria were ij. sustyrs, after the sayenge of Seynte Ierom. Elizabeth, moder of Seynte Iohn Baptiste, was the doȝhter of Emeria. Seynte Anne was wedede firste to Ioachim, of whom he gate Mary the moder of Criste. After that sche was mariede to Cleophas, by whom sche hade Mary Cleophe, whiche was mariede to Alpheus, of whom came Iames the lesse, whiche is callede Alpheus, Symon Cananeus, Iudas, and Tad|deus, and Ioseph oþerwise callede Barsabas. Neuerthelesse Eusebius in his story ecclesiasticalle, libro 2^o, capitulo 2^o, rehersethe and seithe that Iacobus Minor or Iames the lesse

was the brother of Criste, son to Ioseph the howsebonde of oure lady Seynte Mary, whiche seyenge is not holden com|munely. Anna, the moder of Mary, was mariede in the thridde tyme to Salome, by whom sche hade Mary Salome, whiche was mariede to Zebedeus, by whom sche hade Iames þe moore and Seynte Iohn Evangeliste. But trewly the firste Mary moder of Criste, was mariede to Ioseph, brother to the fore|seide Cleophas. Gaufridus et Alfridus. Kymbelinus, þe son of Tenuantius, reignede amonge the Briteynes, whiche gate ij. sonnes, Guiderius and Aruiragus. Oracius the poete diede abowte this tyme at Rome, beenge lvij^ti yere of age, in the xxxvj. yere of Octouian and in the xl^ti yere of Augustus. Marcus Porcius Caton, felawe of Seneca the philosophre, vexede with the fever quarteyn, did sle hym selfe. Marianus, [folio 192b] libro 2^o. Seynte Iohn Baptiste was conceyved in the xli. yere of the reigne of Octouian, þe vij^the monethe, in September, the

xj^the moone, the viij. kalendes of October the v^the fery, whiche was borne after that ij.^e. and lxxv. dayes y-paste, in the vj^the fery, and so he was afore Criste in byrthe, in prechenge, in baptizenge, and in dienge; whom hit behovede to be made lesse, and Criste to be encreasedde. For sithe that cclxxvij. daies be deputede to women beenge with childe from the concevenge un to the childenge, whom Criste hade complete in the blessede wombe of his moder, thauȝhe alle women with childe atteyne not to that tyme. For after Seynte Austyn de Civitate Dei, libro quarto, capitulo sexto, Seynte Iohn Baptiste hade ij. daies lesse in the wombe of his moder. Also Seynte Iohn Baptiste was borne with decreasenge of lighte, and Criste with en|creasenge and multiplicacion þeroff. Also Seynte Iohn Baptiste was beryede withowte his hedde, and Criste was beryede with|owte diminucion off eny membre of his precious body.

Explicit Liber Tertius.