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

Capitulum nonumdecimum.

BASSIANUS Antonius, the son of Severus, reignede after his fader as vij. yere. This Bassianus was callede Marcus Aurelius,

and Caracalla for a maner of clothenge þat he distribute at Rome, wherefore the bathes he made at Rome be callede Caracallane. This Bassianus was a man of wickede disposicion, ȝiffen moche to the luste of the flesche. ℞. In so moche that he mariede to hym Iulia the wife of his fader. Of the place of his dethe [folio 223a] auctores discorde, as hit is schewede afore. Galfridus et Alfridus. In the tyme of this emperour, a man of lawe bloode of Briteyne, Carausius by name, but prompte in cownsel, ob|teynede of the senate that he myȝhte kepe the costes of the see of Briteyn, whom men of Fraunce and Saxones grevede soore, whiche causede more grevaunce to the commune utilite then to the profite of hit. Wherefore he promisede the Britones that he wolde expelle the Romanes from theire costes so that thei wolde make hym kynge; whiche did sle Bassianus, and was governoure of that realme by vij. yere. For the Pictes, whom duke Fulgencius, broþer of the moder of Bassianus, hade brouȝhte from Sichia and other costes, corrupte thro the

ȝiftes of Carausius, lefte Bassianus in that batelle. This Carausius beenge victor in that batelle, ȝafe to þe Pictes a place to inhabite in Albania, where in thei taryede as mixte with the Britones. The senate of Rome perceyvenge the treason of this Carausius, sende Allectus with thre legiones of Romanes un to Briteyne, whiche ȝiffenge batelle to Carausius did sle hym, and reignenge in Briteyne by the space of thre yere, restorede that realme to the power of þe Romanes. Giraldus. Asclepiodotus the duke of Cornewaile was electe to be kynge for cause Allectus punyschede soore the Britones that supportede Carausius; wherefore Allectus was sleyne after the thridde yere of his reigne, with mony m^l of the Romanes, by Asclepiodotus made kynge of Briteyne at the cite of London. Gaufridus. And Gallus, the felowe of Allectus, segede longe in London, was sleyne at a ryver of hit calle Gallebroke after his name. This Asclepiodotus reignede in Briteyne by mony yeres un to the tymes off

Dioclician, and then Coelus the duke of Colchestre did slee [folio 223b] hym. Beda, libro primo, capitulo tertio, folowenge Eutropius, seithe this Asclepiodotus was a grete governoure of Rome; whom Giraldus and Gaufridus seythe to have be the duke of Cornewaile. Eutropius. Opilius Macrinus reignede in thempire after Bassianus oon yere, sleyne with his sonne at Archelaides. Calixtus the pope succeded Zephirinus as v. yere; whiche ordeynede the observaunce of iiij. tymes for the grete habundaunce of frutes; whiche made a seyntuary in the cite of Rome, in the way callede Via Appia, to bery the bodies of martires, whiche is callede now the wey of Calixtus. Marcus [Marcus Aurelius.] Aurelius Antonius, the son of Bassian as men supposede, reignede ij. yere; whiche oversckippede not eny kynde of lecchery, sleyne at the laste in batelle.