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

Capitulum tricesimum primum.

THEODOSIUS, the son of Gracianus, reignede with Valenti|nianus his uncle, after the dethe of his fader, a xj. yere; the

fader and moder of whom were monyschede in theire slepe to name hym Theodosius, whiche sowndethe ȝiffen to God; whiche wolde not ȝiffe batelle voluntaryly, and þen he hade victory. Historia tripartita. This Theodosius usede armes in the day, and to discusse the necessites of his subiectes, and attendaunce to study in nyȝhtes. This emperour was likenede to Traian, mylde and meke to alle men and to God, declinede soone to wrathe. Wherefore he was tauȝhte by a philosophre, that he felynge hym trowblede with a passion of wrathe scholde say xxiiij. letters softely, or that he did eny correccion, that the passion myȝhte avoide in that space. This Theodosius entrenge the qwhere of clarkes at Mediolanus to here masse, was prohibite to entre in to hit by Seynte Ambrose, un til that

he hade made satisfaccion for the dethe of xxx^ti knyȝhtes whom he putte to dethe in hastynesse at Constantinopole. Wherefore themperour doynge penaunce, made a statute that the sentence of princes doen and made on people scholde be differrede un to þe xxx^ti day by the executors. Victor, sonne of Maximus the tyraunte, was sleyne of Arbogastes. A childe was borne in the castelle Emaus abowte this tyme, divided [folio 239a] from the navelle upwarde, havenge ij. brestes and ij. hedes, with wittes dividede, in so moche that the oon slepynge or eitenge, that other did not eyte neither did slepe. Whiche lyvenge by ij. yere to gedre, oon lyvede, that other dedde by iij. daies afore. Valentinianus themperour, trowblede soore by Arbogastes, hongede hym selfe at Vienna in Fraunce. Where|fore Arbogastes made a man callede Eugenius emperour;

wherefore Theodosius inquirede of Iohn, an eremite at Égipte, of the victory of batelles afore Eugenius, whiche seide that he scholde be victor. ℞. Seynte Martyne diede abowte this tyme, the vertuous lyfe of whom, a preste callede Severus Sulpicius, of the cuntre of Aquitannia, did write; whiche was begylede in his age by the heresy of Pelagius, as Genadius libro suo de viris illustribus rehersethe. Wherefore he kepede silence after that un to his dethe, that he myȝhte amende thro silence the synne he hade doen thro speche. Archadius, the [Archadius.] sonne of Theodosius, reignede xiij. yere after the dethe of his fader, havenge thempyre of the Este, and Honorius his bro|ther thempyre of the weste. Claudianus the poete was in this tyme. Donatus, bischoppe of Epirus, did sle a dragon with [Of a dragon sleyne.] spyttenge in his mowthe, whom viij. yocke of oxen myȝhte unnethe drawe to the place where hit scholde be brente for in|fection

of peple. A grete cownsayle was hade in this tyme at Cartago. Martinus. Anastasius the pope succedede Siricius v. yere, whiche ordeynede that a man viciate of body scholde not receyve ordres, and that peple scholde stonde when the gospelle scholde be redde. Beda, libro primo, capitulo x^o. Pelagius movede his heresy abowte this tyme, thro helpe of [Of the heresy of Pelagius,] Iulianus, late deposede from the bischophode of Campania, seyenge the wille of man and arbitre to be sufficiaunte to deserve blisse withowte the grace of God; also that the synne of Adam infecte hym selfe oonly. Also he seide in|fantes to be borne in as grete innocency and withowte synne as Adam was afore the transgression, wherefore hit is not necessary that thei be baptizede that thei be savede from synne, but that thei be honowrede with the sacramente of adop|cion.

Ageynes whom Seynte Austyn and other grete clerkes laborede soore, but they myȝhte not correcte theym, as Prosper schewethe in his versus heroicalle. ℞. Mony men say this Pelagius to have bene a monke of the famose monastery of Bangor, beynge þat tyme x. myle from Chestre, in whom ij.ml [folio 239b] monkes were somme tyme, un til that Ethelfride, kynge of [Of a multi|tude of monkes in oon monas|tery.] Northumbrelonde, did slee the monkes at Chester. Innocencius Albanense, the pope, succedede Anastasius xiiij. yere; whiche ordeynede that peple sholde faste on Seturday, and to ȝiffe the kyssenge of pease at masse, and to ministre holy oyle to seke men. Also he condempnede Pelagius the heretike, and his werkes, and cursede Archadius themperour, in that he consente to the expulsion of Iohn Crisostom. For Eudoxia thempresse [Seynte Alexius confessor diede.] procurede his ejeccion, in that he prechede ageyne women pleyenge abowte the ymage of Eudoxia thempresse. Seynte

Alexius the confessor diede at Rome abowte this tyme, as Genadius, libro de viris illustribus, rehersethe. Ticonus, of the cuntre of Affrike, was in this tyme, whiche did write rules to the intelligence of scriptures to be entracede and founde, whiche be famose nowe amonge doctors.