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

Capitulum tertiumdecimum.

SEYNT Birine the confessor sende from Honorius the pope to preche to Ynglische men, beynge in the see, and havynge remembraunce of certeyne thinges of his lefte in the haven wher he toke schippe, wente on his feete on the see and brouȝhte þe wrytynge to the schippe. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo sexto. This Birinus converte Kyngilsus kynge of the Weste Saxons, and baptizede hym at Dorcestre, Oswaldus beynge þer presente, whiche kynges ȝafe to seynt Birine that cite to the seete of the bischoppe, where he was beryede after the

xiiii^the yere of his bischoppehode; whiche was translate after|warde to Wynchestre, by Hedda, bischoppe þerof, into the churche of Petre and Paule. ℞. But the chanons of Dor|cestre say the contrary, affermynge that an oþer body was translate in the stedde of the body of seynte Birine, and the men makenge the translacioun to be deceyvede, ffor a tumbe of werke mervellous is seene to this tyme on the place of his firste sepulture at Dorcestre, whiche cite is from Oxenforde vi. myle at the sowthe of hit, betwene ii. waters Thame and Thamyse. Also hit is redde in cronicles that Kyngilsus kynge assignede alle the londe of vii. myles in a circuite to the construccioun of the bischoppes seete of Wynchestre, and to the sustentation of his ministres; but the kynge not fullfillenge this grawnte by the impediments of dethe, causede Kenwalcus his son to swere that he scholde performe his grawnte. Willelmus de Ponti|ficibus, libro ii ^o. That cite longede from that tyme to the bis|choppes [folio 264b]

of the marches unto the tymes of William conqueroure, and then that seete was translate unto Lyncolne. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo. Felix borne in Burguygne, familier with Sigebertus the kynge beynge in that cuntre in exile, come to Ynglonde with hym, and was the firste bischop at Donmic xvj. yere. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo decimo septimo. This Sigebertus made kynge after the dethe of Corpwaldus his broþer, ordeynede scoles in his realme lyke as he hade sene in Fraunce, assignynge maisters to informe the childer; whiche takenge the realme to Egricus his cosyn, was made monke in a monastery þat he made. But Penda the pagan kynge trow|blynge soor the realme, Sigebertus was taken from that mon|astery to make the knyȝhtes stronge, and so he was sleyne in simplicite, havynge a rodde in his honde, and allemoste alle his hoste also; whom Anna the son of Enus succeded in that realme, whom Penda did sle afterwarde. In the tyme of this Sigebertus a holy man, Furseus by name, come from Yrlonde

to the este province of Englische men, where he converte mony men and moche peple, or elles made theym moore stronge in the feithe. Whiche laborynge in soore sekenesse was monyschede by an angelle that he scholde applye hym to the ministery y-begunne, as to vigiles and preiers, makenge a noble monastery thro the helpe of þe kynge, nye to the see in a castelle callede Cimbbisburghe, wher he trowblede with langor was rapte from body to the blissede vision of angelles, wher he herde this sentence, "Ibunt sancti de virtute in virtu|tem." "Holy men schalle goe from vertu to vertu untille that Godde off goddes be seen in Syon." Whiche brouȝhte ageyne to his body, and brouȝhte furthe ageyne in the thrydde day foloynge, see not oonly the grete ioyes of blissede men, but also the peynes of men condempnede, and also grete stryv|ynges of wickede spirites by whom they laborede to lette holy men. And when he was on hie in the aier, he see iiii. fires in the aiere under hym, whom the angelle, his ductor or leder,

expownyde in this maner, seyenge, "These iiii. fires ar to con|sume the worlde, the firste is the fire of lesynge, for peple fullefille not þat thei promisede in baptyme. The secunde is the fire of covetise, for richesse be luffede more then God. The thridde is the fire of dissencioun, when a man is offen|dede withowte eny cause. The iiii^the is the fire of iniquite, when the superior dredethe not to oppresse his inferior." [folio 265a] Furseus seynge these iiii. fires as unyte, was afrayede and cryede. To whom þe angelle seide, "That thou hase not offended schalle not brenne in the; this fire schalle examyne the merites of every man." After þat Furseus commynge to a ȝate and fyndenge hit open, the develles caste a man to hym whom thei tormentede soore, where-thro the schulder of Furseus and cheke were brente. Furseus hade knowlege anoon of þat man, how he hade taken a clothenge of hym somme tyme, whiche clothynge the angelle and ducer of Furseus caste

into the fire. Then the develle seide, "Refuse not now that thow hase approbate afor; for like as thow hase receyvyde the goodes of synners, so in lyke wise thow awe to take parte of their peyne." To whom the angelle was contrarious, seynge that he toke not that clothynge for avarice, but for the salvacioun of his sawle, and then the fire seasede. The angelle seide, "That thow offendeste hase brente in þe:" wherefore Furseus, restorede to his body, bare allewey after that tyme the signe of brennynge in his cheke and schulder that he suffrede in his sawle. And after that tyme, when Furseus scholde telle this vision, thauȝhe hit were in the tyme of colde fforste, he wolde sweet for feere. At the laste Furseus levynge that monastery to Fullanus his broþer, takenge with hym Wul|canus was an heremite by oon yere. After that the province trowblede with the incursions of peple of Barbre, he saylede to Fraunce, whiche schewynge mony vertues þer, and dyenge,

was beryede at Perma. Severinus the pope succedede Hono|rius oon yere; after whom Iohn, the iiii^the pope of that name, succeded oon yer, under whom the Iewes were converte. Heraclius themperour, after noble victoryes, errede from the feithe thro the mocioun of Cirus, bischop of Alexandria, and of Sergius, bischop of Constantinopole and patriarke, and dyede in the dropicy, infecte with the heresy of Iacobites, whiche understonde ylle seynte Iames thapostle.