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

Capitulum quartum.

THAT kynge Cirus occupiede the monarchye of the este after the dethe of Darius, whiche was son adoptiue to As|suerus other Astiages, the seete of whom he putte in Persia, thauȝhe the realme of Medea was moore honorable. For men of Persia made Cirus kynge. This Cirus was son of the doȝhter of Astiages. Trogus, libro primo. This Astiages other Assuerus hade a doȝhter, thenkenge hym

to see in his slepe a vyne yspronge from the secrete mem|bres of his doȝhter, whiche spredde over the londe of Asia. By whiche dreame hit was seide by coniecture, that his doȝhter scholde haue a son, which scholde be lorde of Asia, and scholde expelle Astiages from his realme. Astiages dredenge this, mariede his doȝhter to a poore knyȝte, that a childe of nobilite scholde not be getten of his doȝhter. Whiche knowenge his doȝhter to be with childe, toke the childe to Arpagus to be sleyne; for he was secretary to the kynge. This Arpagus supposede that the realme scholde be after the gouernaile of a woman, wherefore he toke that childe to a scheparde longenge to the kynge, that he scholde sette furthe the childe in the wode. And when this scheparde hade sette furthe the childe, he tolde his wife þer of, whiche was delyuerede of a childe but in late daies a fore. Then sche preiede here howsebonde to brynge that childe, and to sette theire childe in the woode for hit.

The scheparde returnenge to the woode founde a bycche ȝiffenge mylke to the childe, and defendenge hit from wilde bryddes. Petrus, capitulo centesimo septuagesimo tertio. This scheparde brouȝhte this childe to his wife, whom sche norischede tenderly day and nyȝhte, callenge hit Spertacus, sowndenge after theire langage, a whelpe. This childe, en|creasenge in age was callede by his felawes with whom he vsede to play Cirus, whiche made a kynge amonge the childer in plaies correcte theim that rebellede ageyne hym, and punyschede theym soore. The faders to the other childer hauenge indignacion at that childe, made a com|pleynte to the kynge Astiages of the son of the scheparde. That kynge callenge the childe to hym and inquirenge the cause, the childe answerede boldly, seyenge that he did so to theym as theire kynge. The kynge beholdenge that childe, and perceyvenge signes of nobilite in hym, callede the scheparde, of whom he hade knowlege of the trawthe.

Wherefore Astiages toke this childe to Arpagus his secre|tary to norische, to whom he toke that childe to be sleyne afore, seyenge to hym that hit was the son of his schep|arde. But this kynge Astiages toke to the seide Arpagus to eite secretely his awne childe, in that he fullefillede not his commaundemente; and the kynge schewede to his secre|tary the other parte of his childe when he had eite well of his childe. Hit happede afterwarde that kynge Astiages toke a grete hoste to this Arpagus, to fiȝhte ageyne men of Persides, hym selfe remanent in Medea. Then this Arpagus hauenge in yre that wickede dede of the kynge, movede the hoste that thei scholde take Spertacus in to theire kynge, whom thei namede Cirus, as if he scholde say, thauȝhe Astiages wylle or nay, this Cirus schalle be his heire. Trogus, libro primo. After that the seide Ar|pagus sende to Cirus an epistole, what tribulacion and sorowe he hade suffrede for hym, and how he hade loste his sonne for his luffe, whiche epistole was sende in the bely

off an hare. This epistole redde, Cirus was monyschede in his slepe, that he scholde take that man to his felowe, to whom he ȝafe metenge firste in the morowe nexte folow|enge. Whiche mette in the morowe a man callede Sebaris, hauenge fetures on his feete, broken from prison, whiche vnlosenge hym, brouȝhte hym in his felawschippe to Per|sipolis, where he, callenge the peple to gedre, causede theyme to kytte downe a grete woode. And in the se|cunde day folowenge he made to theyme a ryalle feste, whiche perceyuenge theyme to be mery inquirede of þeim wheþer the labores of the day precedenge pleasede theyme better or the festes of that day þen presente. Then alle the peple cryede that the meites presente were more to theire pleasure. Then Cirus seide to theyme, "Men that wille obey men of Medea schalle haue the labore of ȝister day, and men that wille folowe me schalle haue suche festes." Þro þe whiche comforte peple did resorte to hym, and ordeynede a batelle ageyne kynge Astiages. Petrus,

capitulo 173^o. Astiages, dredenge this Cirus, desirede Darius, son to his sustyr, in to his son adoptiue; the batelle ybegunne, men of Persides that were with Cirus fledde. The wifes of men of Persides seenge that, schewede to theim theire membres secrete, seyenge, "Wille ye entre in to the wombes of your moders and be borne ageyne." The men of Persides ouercomme as with schame, returnenge ageyne to the felde, hade the victory. This Cirus ȝafe to kynge Astiages the realme of Hircanes while that he liffede, and to Darius, as brother to his moder, the realme of Medea, in hope that he scholde returne to hym. Petrus, [folio 130a] capitulo centesimo septuagesimo quarto. This Cirus her|enge the prophecy of Ysay, whiche was writen afore by a c and xx^ti yere, in these wordes, "Christo meo Ciro cujus apprehendi dexteram," loosede the captiuite of the Iewes in the firste yere of his reigne, abowte l^ti ml men, re|storenge

to theyme veselles of golde and of siluyr abowte the nowmbre of v.ml and ccc., and ȝafe to theyme licence to reedifie the temple in Ierusalem. Aggeus, a yonge man, mouenge the Iewes to hit specially, not a prophete at þat tyme; and Zacharias the prophete, whiche blessede Sala|thiel, callenge hym Zorobabel, whiche sowndethe as the maister of Babilon.