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

Capitulum tricesimum secundum.

HONORIUS reignede with Theodosius son of his brother, after the dethe of Archadius, xv. yere. This emperoure was a man of grete mekenesse, whiche rebukede of his knyȝhtes in that he did not slee men rebellenge to hym, answerede in this maner, seyenge, "Wolde God that hit were possible to me to restore dedde men to lyfe." Eutropius, libro nonodecimo. The hoste of the Gothes was sleyne in Tuscia, and Ragadaisus the governour of theym taken, whiche come with ij. m^l Gothes, makenge a promyse to do sacrifice to his goddes, in whiche

congression suche a multitude of men was taken, that mony men were solde for a lytelle money in the maner of bestes. After Alaricus a Gote [Sic in MS.] commenge from Affrike and entrenge Ytaly, desirede of Honorius to have an habitacion for hym and his peple, whiche grawnte to hym a place in Fraunce. Whiche goenge to Fraunce was hurte soore on Ester day, and mony men of his hoste, of ij. dukes longenge to Honorius; whiche gedrenge his hoste hade victory of his enemys. After [folio 240a] that he returnede to Rome, destroyenge cites and townes in the weye with fyre, takenge also the cite of Rome and bren|nenge hit, grauntenge lyfe to men and peple takenge sanctuary, so that he myȝhte take his prey withowte effusion of blode. Paulus, libro ij. And so Rome was taken of the Gothys and [Alaricus toke Rome.] broken in the m^l c. lxiiij. yere from the edificacion of hit. From whiche [Sic in MS.] of Rome taryede in the este partes, and the

Romanes seasede to reigne in Briteyne, whiche had reignede in hit from the tymes of lulius Cesar as by cccc. and lxx^ti yere. Eutropius. Alaricus departede from the cite of Rome in the thrydde day after that he had entrede in to hit, wastenge þe provinces nye to hit, whiche goenge to Cicille, diede soone. Wherefore the Gothes returnenge thro grete laboure the water [Alaricus was beryede in the water.] Basente, beryede theire kynge Alaricus with grete richesse in the myddes of that water; that doen, the water hade his propre course. After that þei made Attulfus kynge, cosyn to the seide Alaricus, whiche returnenge to Rome toke the goodes they myȝhte fynde, and the clere and noble places of the cite, whiche cowthe not be brente with theire enemyes, were destroyede by the liȝhtenge, and hit was schewede for the [Of the correccion of God for synne.] blasfemye of God reignynge in that cite, and the honour of God was refusedde. Also the Gothes takenge Galla Placida,

doȝhter of Theodosius, and sustyr of Honorius, mariede here to theire kynge, whiche thynge causede grete profite to the cite, for sche causede theyme to leve Rome, pease made afore with the Romanes, and to goe to Fraunce. The bodies of Steven and of Gamaliel were schewede by revelacion by Lucianus, a [The revela|cion of the bodyes of Seynte . . . of Gama|liel, and of . . . The miss|ing words have been cut away in the binding of the MS.] preste of Ierusalem. Seynte Austyn sende Orosius, his disciple, abowte this tyme to Bethlem to Seynte Ierome, for to be in|structe in diverse reasons of the sawle, for Seynte Austyn was makenge a booke of the begynnenge of the saule that tyme. But Orosius goenge to holy places brouȝhte the boones of Steven and of Gamaliel to partes of the weste. Then Honorius made Constancius a Cesar, to whom he mariede his suster Galla Placida, coplede afore to Attulphus, of whom Constan|cius gate Valentinianus, whiche occupiede thempire longe afterwarde. Zozimus the pope succeded Innocentius ij. yere [folio 240b] and vj. monethes; whiche ordeynede that a servaunte scholde

not be a preste, and that a preste scholde not be a taverner, and that the serge scholde be blissede on Ester eve. Bonifacius the pope succedede Zozimus as iiij. yere. The dethe of Maximus the tyraunte knowen, and also of Constantine, Guanius and Melga, rehersede afore, takenge with theym Scottes and men of Norway, trowblede theym soore that were in Briteyne from see to see. Wherefore the Britones sende to þe Romanes [Of the misery of Britones.] askenge helpe, promisenge to theym continualle subieccion; to whom a legion of knyȝhtes was sende from Honorius, whiche hade victory of Guanius and Melga. Whiche tauȝhte the [Of a walle in Yng|londe.] Britones to make a walle for the defense of the cuntre betwene ij. armes of the see. That legion of the Romanes returnede to Rome, men of those costes not experte in that arte made a walle of stones and of turfes to noo profite to theym, from a

place callede Penulton un to the weste, un to the cite of Alcluit. But the enemyes to theyme commenge by schippe, wastede the cuntre, destroyenge the walle, takenge mony prayes. Wherefore an other legion was sende from Rome to the Bri|tones, whiche havenge victory of theire enemyes, made a walle of stones havenge viij. feete in brede and xij. in altitude from see to see, betwene the cites where Severus made a walle somme tyme. Wherefore they movede the Britons to use armoure, in that the Romanes hade grete werre with other cuntres, and seyenge þerfore they myȝhte not comme to helpe þeym. Wherefore the Britones made a large walle havenge diverse towres of defense after the sides of the ocean where

they supposede theire enemys to londe. The Romanes toke leve of theym not intendenge to returne to that cuntre. The Romanes returnede, the Scottes and Pictes commynge owte of caves clothede as in skynnes of bestes, like to vermyn in a feyr hoote day, wastenge the costes of Briteyne, sleenge the kepers [The dethe of the Bri|tons.] of the walles, and the inhabitatores of that cuntre. Celestinus the pope succeded Bonifacius x. yere; whiche ordeynede that this psalme, Iudica me, Deus, scholde be seide afore masse, and

that the grayle and offertory scholde be seide afore the sacrifice. This pope sende Seynte Patrikke the firste in to Yrlonde, and Palladius, þe diacon of Rome, to converte þe Scottes, in the ix^the yere of his bischoppehode. In the iiij^the yere of whom, thro helpe of Theodosius themperour, and of Cirillus the [folio 241a] bischoppe Alexandryne, a grete cownsayle off ccc. bischoppes was halowede at Ephesus ageyne Nestorius the heretike. Seynte Ierome the preste, þat was borne at Bethleem, diede [Seynte Ierom dyede.] þer in this tyme, havenge xc. and vj. yere in age. In whiche tyme themperour sende an hoste to Hispeyne ageyne the Wandalynges, whiche hade noo victory for cause themperour hade amovede Bonefacius the noble knyȝhte from his company. Whiche goenge to Affrike was cause of grete hurte to the cite of Rome.