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

Capitulum quartumdecimum.

ADRIANUS Helius, son of the sustyr of Traian, reignede xxj. yere and x. monethes. This Adrian was erudite in the langage of Grece and of Latyn, also whiche made a bible [In the margin is: "I thinke he meante a librarie."] of mervellous werke at Athenes; a musicion, a phisicion, a peynter, a curious worcher also in metalles. Whiche com|maundede by his epistoles that Cristen men scholde not be condempnede withowte obieccion of cryme. This Adrian made mony lawes, neverthelesse he hade envy of the glory of Traian themperour, in so moche that he lefte Siria, Mesopo|tamia, and Armenia, whom Traian made subiecte to thempire; whiche wyllenge to leve Denmarke in lyke wise, was sleyne

by his awne frendes. This Adrian tamede the Iewes, beenge re|bellous, puttenge theym from Ierusalem, causenge other peple to inhabite hit, from whiche tyme hit was made that the place of the passion of Criste was within the walles of Ierusalem of the northe parte, whiche was afore withowte the walles. A noble philosophre was in the tyme of this Adrian, whiche kepede silence un to thende of his lyfe, and the cause of his silence folowethe. This philosophre beenge at study in Athenes, herde ofte of the instabilite of women, wherefore he returnenge home to the place of his moder as unknowen, [unkowen, MS.] attemptenge the constance of his awne moder by her servauntes thro grete ȝiftes ȝiffen to theyme. Whiche brouȝhte to bedde to his moder sche movede hym anoon to fullefille the pleasure of the flesche. To whom he seide, "Moder, hit is not conveniente that y [folio 218b]

scholde pollute that place from whom y come." His moder herenge that dyede anoon for sorowe and schame. This phi|losophre seenge and perceyvenge that his speche was the cause of the dethe of his moder, kepede silence un to thende of his life, in so moche that he, brouȝhte afore Adrian þemperour, wolde not breke his silence in eny wise, as hit may be schewede in the questiones whom he did write in his silence. Theles|forus the pope, borne in Grece, succeedede after the dethe of Sixtus, xj. yere. This pope institute the faste of Lente or of xl^ti dayes to be doen afore Ester, and that noo priste scholde synge masse afore thre of the clokke. Also he ordeynede that thre masses scholde be saide on Cristes day, [In the margin is: "Christemas called heertofoer Christ his daye, theerfoer it is no new-fangled terme."] with Gloria in excelsis. Eustachius, other Placidas, suffrede passion in þis yere with his wife and his childer. Fides, Spes, Caritas, and [men, Cx.]

Sapiencia moder to theyme, suffrede dethe at Rome. Adrian themperoure diede in Campania, of a swellenge, other a dropesye. Aquila, of the cuntre of Pontus, the secunde in|terpretator after the lxx^ti., was in this tyme. Yginus the pope succedede Thelesforus iiij. yere. This pope made a statute that noo metropolitan scholde condempne a suffragan but in the audience and siȝhte of conprovincialles and other bis|choppes and suffraganes.