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

Capitulum sextumdecimum.

MARCUS Antonius and Lucius Comodus, the sonnes of An|tonius Pius, regnede after theire fader xviij. yere. These tweyne were coniuncte by consanguinite, thauȝhe thei were [not is evidently omitted.] uterynes or childer of oon woman. For Marcus Antonius was sonne in lawe of Antonius Pius, and Lucius Comodus was sonne in lawe to Marcus Antonius; and of these ij. men the Romanes usede to have ij. emperoures. This Marcus An|tonius was not inflate with pride in eny wise, beenge of so sadde conversacion that he chaungede never his chere from his infancy for sorowe or ioye. Whiche hade moore pleasure to distribute his goodes and the clothes of his wife to his

knyȝhtes and men, after that he hade ȝiffen batelle to the Germaynes and to men of Sclavia, after that the commune treasure was doen and exspendede, rather then he wolde greve the senate other peple of his province. This Marcus An|tonius was not grevous, releschenge grete dettes to mony peple, and brente the tables of dettes longenge to hym in þe myddes of the cite, and moderate grevous lawes and constitutions with other of gretter moderacion. Egesippus the wryter of storyes was this tyme, whiche did wryte in Grewe of the destruccion of the cite of Ierusalem, the werke off whom Seynte Ambrose did translate. Praxedis the virgyne was this tyme, whiche beryenge the bodyes of mony holy peple, preiede allemyȝhty God that sche myȝhte departe from this worlde after theym in

haste, and that preyer was herde of allemyȝhty God. There was suche dethe and pestilence thro the worlde that the hoste of the Romanes was allemoste destroyede. Wherefore Marcus Antonius fiȝhtenge ageyne the Germaynes his adversaryes, and his men allemoste dedde for thruste, God ȝafe theym water [folio 220a] from hevyn, schewenge to his adversaryes thundres and lyȝhtenge. Gaufridus. Lucius, the son of Coillus, began to reigne in Briteyne abowte the firste of the reigne of Marcus Antonius. Gaufridus et Alfridus. Whiche sende letters to Eleutherius the pope, that they myȝhte receyve the feithe of Criste, whiche feithe of Criste receyvede, the Britones kepede un to the tymes of Dioclician themperour. Sother the pope succeded after Anicetus as ix. yere, whiche constitute that a myncheon scholde not towche the palles of the awter neither cense afore the awter, but that sche scholde use a wymple.

Eleutherius the pope succedede Sother xv. yere, whiche con|fermede that eny meyte scholde not be refusede of Cristen men that were resonable and hollesome to the body of man, and also eny man scholde not be deiecte withowte a lawefulle accusacion precedenge, seyenge that oure Savioure hade know|lege Iudas scholde betray hym and scholde be a thefe, but he was not deiecte from his degre, for he was not accusede. And so that he did amonge thapostelles abydede fre, for the dignite of his mistery. This Eleutherius sende Foganus and Damianus to Breteyne, at the peticion of Lucius kynge of hit, whiche baptiȝede the kynge and his peple, whiche ordeynede byschoppes and archebischoppes in the stedde of other ministres after the consuetude of Gentiles. And that feythe durede in this londe of Briteyne by ij^c. and xvj. yere, un to the tymes of Dioclician themperour, when Seynte Albane was martiriȝate.