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

Capitulum sextumdecimum.

VITALIANUS was pope after Eugenius xiiij. yere. Þis pope sende to the churches of Yngelonde Theodorus tharchebis|cop, a monke Tharcense. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo vicesimo.

Men of the marches were imbute with the mistery of the feithe in the tyme of Weda, prince amonge þeim, and sonne of Penda. For this prince Weda maryede the doȝhter of kynge Oswy, by consente of Penda his fader, in this condicion, that he scholde be made a Cristen man, whiche thynge he did with goode wille, for Alfridus the son of Oswy maryede Kynburga his sustyr. Wherefore this prince Weda brouȝhte from North|umbrelonde with hym iiij. prestes, Ced, Adda, Becti, and Duina, that thei scholde preche to his peple. And Penda the kynge prohibitte not but that alle men scholde receyve the feithe of Criste that wolde. Honorius tharchebischop of Cawnterbery deide in this yere, and after a yere y-paste Deus|dedit succedid ix. yere, whom Ithamar the bischop of Row|chestre confermede. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro tertio. Benedictus Biscop, abbot, and the norischer of Beda the preste, and the ministre of kynge, refusede places and co|synnes for the luffe of Criste, and wente to Rome and com|mynge

ageyne wente þider into the v^the tyme, bryngenge mony bookes and relikes of seyntes to his monasteries, whiche were in the side of the water of Wire, beynge abbotte of theyme, and techynge Beda his welbelovyde while that he lyvede. Willelmus de Regibus, libro primo. Beda mer|velleuthe [Sic.] his discrecion and pacience; his discrecion in that [folio 271b] he brouȝhte to Yngelonde so grete plente of bookes and men of crafte, travaylenge allemoste in alle his age, in whiche travayle the luffe of the cuntre and elegancy voluptuous de|ceyvide his grevous labors. Also he mervaylede his pacience, that he beynge in possession of the monastery of Seynt Austyn of Cawnterbury, whereof he was made governour by the kynge of Kent, ȝafe place to Adrianus commynge to hit; also he suffrede an other abbot made in his absence at his monastery

of Wyre pacientely. Whiche vexede soore with the palsy, made the thrydde abbotte at his monastery in his lyfe. Penda the kynge of the Marches did sle in this yere Anna kynge of Este Ynglische men, in that he norischede Kenwalcus ageyne hym. Also Bothulphus thabbot made in this yere a monastery at the este of Lincoln, in a place called Ichao. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo vicesimo tertio. Penda the kynge of Marches was extincte this yere, with xxx^ti dukes, whiche come to Northumbrelonde to have sleyne kynge Oswy like as he did Oswalde his broþer, refreynynge not hym selfe for the contracte of matrimony betwene theyme and theire childre. Neverthelesse kynge Oswy offrede to hym grete ȝiftes that he scholde departe from his londe. Penda refusenge theyme, kynge Oswy seide: "If a pagan hathe noo knowlege to take oure ȝiftes, we schalle ȝiffe to hym suche þinges as he knowethe." Then kyng Oswy made a promyse to God þat he scholde make Alfleda his doȝhter a myncheon, and ȝiffe also xij. pos|sessions to the edificacion of monasterys to God, so that he

wolde sende to hym victory agenye Penda. In whiche batelle Penda was sleyne, with xxx^ti dukes, nye to a grete water þat tyme callede Wynwed, in the cuntre of Ledis, not ferre from Yorke, þauȝhe Penda hade iij. tymes so mony men in his hoste as kynge Oswy hade. Then Alfridus was with his fader, but Edwalde the son of Oswald, as a plegge to the wife of Penda, stode alarge from the felde to beholde thende. That victory schewede to kynge Oswy, he toke his doȝhter unnethe of iij. yere in age to Hilda þabbes of Hertiseye, to be tauȝhte, whiche sowndethe as the yle of Hertys, whiche governede after that þe monastery of Stremschalt, as the bosom of corne, callede now Whiteby, xxx^ti myle from Yorke, where Elfleda was governoure afterwarde. Then Oswy ȝafe þe possessions promised; vj. in the province of Deira, and vj. in the province [folio 272a]

of Bernicia, unto the edificacion of monasterys. Also he ȝafe to Weda his son in lawe þe realme of men of the sowthe marches; but Weda was sleyne by his wife after the thrydde yere of his reigne. After the dethe of whom, men of the Marches rebellynge ageyne kynge Oswy, erecte into theire kynge Wulferus, the sonne of Penda, whom thei hade kepede secretely, whiche made a Cristen man firste of þe kynges of the Marches toke to his wife Ermenilda doȝhter of Erusbertus kynge of Kente, by whom he gate Kenredus and Wereburga, havynge a glorious victory ageyne Kenwalcus kynge of Weste|saxons at Asshedun; subduynge also to hym the yle of Wiȝhte, whom he ȝafe to the kynge of Este Ynglische men, that he scholde be baptized, and he was godfader to hym, beryede at Lichefelde after the xvij^the yere of his reigne. Clodoneus reignede in Fraunce after Dagobertus his fader, xvj. yere,

whiche causede the arme of Seynte Dionise to be kytte awey, by the instigacion of the develle. And Seynte Wandrigesilius thabbot deide in this yere. Paulus, libro sexto. Grimmaldus perceyvynge Bertaricus his knyȝhte to have fledde to the kynge of Hunes, Cacanus by name, sende to kynge Cacanus seyenge that he scholde leve Bertaricus, or elles he scholde not have pease with the Longobardes. Bertaricus herynge that fledde to Ytaly, and was reconsilede to Grimmaldus the kynge by the labor of Hunulphus, his tru frende. Then wickede men seynge that Bertaricus was taken to grace, seide to the kynge that he wolde be expulsede from his realme with owte Bertaricus were sleyne. That herde the kynge sende men to kepe his place þat he scholde not escape in eny wyse. Hunulphus his frende, perceyvynge that, made Bertaricus to take the clothes of his bedde, and to bere theyme on his necke,

smytynge hym with his fiste; and so Hunulphus bryngynge Bertaricus from his place, sende hym over the walles of the cite by a rope, and so he wente to Fraunce. This Hunulphus inquirede of men kepynge the place off Bertaricus that he scholde not escape, why he did smyte his servaunte soe, seide, "My wickede servaunte wolde have made my bedde in the chambre of drunken Bertaricus, and in that he displeasede me, y make hym to brynge the clothes home ageyne." And soe [Sic in MS.] kepynge the howse of Bertaricus deluded, and fyndynge [folio 272b] the servaunte of Hunulphus knowynge of that dede, drawynge hym by his hedde brouȝhte hym to the kynge. And thauȝhe that sentence of dethe was ȝiffen ageyne Hunulphus and his servaunte, the kynge mervaylynge that fidelite ȝafe to theym choyce wheþer they wolde tary and dwell in his cowrte, or to go to Bertaricus his frende; then thei takynge theire goodes

wente to Bertaricus. Egfridus, sonne of kynge Oswy, maryede Seynte Etheldreda in this yere; whiche was maryede afore to an erle, Totbertus by name; whiche contynuede in virginite thauȝhe sche was mariede twyes; and movede to the luste of the flesche, departede after from Egfridus, and wente to þe monastery callede Elig, and made abbesse, ȝafe grete resplend|ence thro miracles. Hunarius the prince of Saracenys made a newe temple in Siria abowte this tyme, whiche churche is seene now in Ierusalem, where the Saracenys do prey. Beda, libro quarto, capitulo primo. Ercobertus the kynge of Cawn|terbury deide þis tyme, whom Egbertus his son succeded ix. yere. Deusdedit tharchebischop deide in this yere, wherefore Wighardus was sende to Vitalianus þe pope, by consente of the kynges of Kente and of Northumbrelonde, that he myȝhte be ordeynede archebischoppe of Cawnterbury. Whiche dedde by a grete pestilence reignynge in that tyme, þe pope or|deynyde [A grete pestilence.]

Theodorus, monke, to be presidente of the churches of Ynglonde. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo xxvj^to. In whiche yere a grete pestilence reignede in Britayne, begynnynge in þe sowthe partes, in whiche tyme hit happede that is re|hersede of Egbertus the monke. This Egbertus perceyvynge [¶ Nota.] hym lyke to dye, wente from his bedde secretely in the morowe, preyenge God with an herte contrite that he wolde not suffre hym to dye untyl that he hade doen satisfaccion and penaunce for his synnes doen by hym in his yowthe, promittynge if he myȝhte escape þat pestilence, þat he wolde dye in goynge pilgremages, and that he scholde say dayly the sawter besyde his quotidian servyce if he were not seke, and that he scholde faste in every weke oon day with the nyȝhte withowte eny meyte. This doen he wente to bedde, and thro the movynge and sownde of hit an oþer broþer to hym laborenge in the pestilence awakede and seide to him,

"Egebertus, what hase thow done; y supposede þat we tweyne scholde have goen to gedre to reste, neverthelesse that þou desireste is grawntede to the;" wherefore the felawe of Egbertus dedde, he lyvede after unto þe xc. yere of his age, puttenge moore to his promisse made afore to faste in thre [folio 273a] tymes of the yere, as in Advente, in Lente, and afore Pente|coste, xl^ti daies continually, contente with brede and mylke, þe beste of the mylke taken awey. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo xxiiij.