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

Capitulum vicesimum octavum.

OFFA kynge of the Marches diede, whom Egberte his son succedid oon yere; whom Kenulphus the meke man did suc|cede, son to Cuthbert, whiche gate, of Alfritha his qwene, Quendreda, Burgenilda, and Seynte Keneline. Willelmus de [folio 290b] Regibus, libro primo. This Kenulphus, a myȝhty man and vertuous, religious in his place, victorious in batelle, hav|ynge

successyve hate of Offa his predecessor ageyne men of Kente, ȝafe soore batelle ageyne men of that region, and brouȝhte in bondes Egeberte Pren [Sic in MS.] theire kynge, into the Marches. But this Kenulphus, after the edificacion of the monastery of Wynchcumbe, manumitte this kynge at the hie awter in the seide churche, xiij. bischoppes beynge presente and x. dukes. Also he restorede the dignite of the metropo|litan seete to Athelardus archebischop of Cawnterbury, and diede after the xxiiij^ti yere of his reignede, [Sic in MS.] and was beryede at Wynchecumbe, levynge Kenelmus to be his suc|cessor. The sonne did not schyne by xvij. daies abowte this tyme at Constantinopole, neither apperede, in so moche that men supposede that to have falle for the blyndynge and dethe of Constantyne. Alfridus. In this x^the yere of Brithricus dragons of fire were seene to flye in the aiere in Ynglonde,

whiche signe ij. pestilence folowede, a grete hungre, and perse|cucion or trowble of the Danes. Whiche entrede firste into Northumbrelonde, and after that into Lindesey; but the Danes were overcommen in that tyme, and constreynede to take theire schippes. Leo the iiij^the succedid Adrianus the pope xx^ti yere, whiche goynge in a tyme with letanyes to the churche of Seynte Petre, in the feste of Seynte Marc, he was made blynde and hade his tunge kytte awey by wikkede men. But God restorede to hym his syȝhte and the use of speche, in so moche that he spake withowte eny tunge. Whiche goynge to Fraunce to kyng Charls, brouȝhte hym to Rome; which toke vengeaunce on the adversaryes to þe pope, the pope makynge a purgacion of þinges obiecte to hym; and then he crownede Charls, and con|fermede hym crownede but late afore. Nichoforus afore re|hersede, sendynge Yrene emperesse of Grece unto exile entrede in to thempire, and reignede viij. yere. In whiche tyme

thempyr of the este faylede utterly. The body of Seynte Withburga, virgyn and doȝhter of Anna kynge of Este Yng|lische, suster to Sexburga, was founde incorrupte at Dirham, where sche was beryede, by lvj^ti yere folowynge here dethe. Kynge Charls was crownede this yere into themperour by Leo the pope, from whiche tyme thempire was translate from men of Grece to men off Fraunce, and after that to men of Alemayne. Giraldus, distinctione prima, capitulo xvij. For that trans|lacion [folio 291a] of thempire thauȝhe men of Grece were in defawte, thei have so grete envye to men of Latyne that thei withdrawede theym from the subieccion and obedience of the churche off Rome. Whiche monyschede by bischoppes of Rome that thei scholde returne to the unyte of the feithe, were wonte to wryte ageyne in this maner: "Ye withdrawede yow from us; þerfore we withdrawe us from yow." Willelmus de Regibus, libro secundo, et de Pontificibus, libro tertio. Brithricus, kynge of Weste|Saxons,

diede in this tyme by poysenynge thro his wyfe, whom Egberte, son of Alquimunde, and of the stoke of Ine, did suc|cede xxxvij^ti yere. This Egberte expulsede from his realme by Brithricus, wente to Fraunce, and, returnede to Ynglonde, tauȝhte the peple of his realme the actes of chevallery that he hade lernede in Fraunce, ordeynynge myȝhty and wiȝhte knyȝhtes, causenge his peple to use armes in the tymes of pease. Bernulphus, kynge of the Marches, havynge derision of his doctrine, sende to Egberte, kynge of Westesaxons, com|maundynge that he scholde do homage to hym. Neverthelesse, the hostes mette in somer at a place callede Claydon, in Hapte|schire or province, not lyke in nowmbre of men, for a m^l fatte men, overcommen raþer with swetynge then with batelle, come ageyne a c. lene knyȝhtes and men of Egberte. But Egberte prevaylynge in that batelle, unyte to his realme the realmes of

the marches of Kente and of Northumbrelonde, and toke Weste|chestre of the Britons, kepede by theym unto that tyme. After that, alle the noble men of the realme callede to Wynchestre, he was crownede kynge of alle Briteyne, where he com|maundede that from that day alle Saxons and Iutes scholde be callede Ynglische men, and that Briteyne scholde be callede Ynglonde. ℞. In this tyme, that is to say in that yere in whom Brithricus diede, after Marianus, Ethelmundus, under kynge of the marches, passynge his costes and commynge to Chimereforde, ȝafe batelle to Weofstanus, duke of Wilteschire, in whiche conflicte, a grete multitude of peple sleyne, men of Wilteschire hade the victory. But Seynte Alquimundus, martir, and son of Aluredus kynge of Northumbrelonde, commynge into the helpe of Ethelmund kynge of the Marches, was sleyne þer. The body of whom was brouȝhte firste to the White Monastery, and after that to Derby, into the northe churche of hit, edifiede in his name, where he is visitte moche of men of Northumbrelonde, by whom God schewethe mony

miracles. Willelmus de Regibus, libro primo. Albuinus, the noble doctor of Ynglonde, passede the see in this yere, whiche commynge to Fraunce made hit bryȝhte thro his doctryne, and brouȝhte the study to Parise that was translate somme tyme to Rome from men of Grece. This clerke Albuinus, after Aldelme [folio 291b] and Bede of Ynglische men moste excellente, departede from kynge Charls withowte eny possession of londes, other with|owte eny grete rewarde, to whom he hade redde logike, retho|ryke, and astronomye. Neverthelesse the kynge committe to hym the governaile of the monastery of Seynte Martyne at Turon, for the monkes of that monastery usede moche ryette. Oon monke perceyvynge the disposicion of his breþer, ij. angells entrede into theire dormitory, and extincte alle monkes of that monastery, the monke excepte that perceyvede theyme. And at the laste this Alcuinus diede at Seynte Paule de Cormoryke,

and restethe þer, where the fyndynge of iiij. monkes is ȝiffen dayly for his sawle. Blissede Giles thabbotte was abowte this tyme, whiche commynge to þe superior Fraunce by the monys|chynge of God, nye to the water callede Rodanus, where he lyvede firste lyke an ankre. Also Paulus the diacon of Rome, and writere of the storyes of the Longobardes, was in this tyme, whiche was attracte from the mownte Cassyne unto France at the desire of kynge Charls. Michael, a man of grete meke|nesse, was made emperoure amonge men of Grece, in the thrydde yere of whom the sonne faylede in his rysenge, and soone after that the emperoure was made a monke. A grete mortalite of oxen occupiede this tyme alle Europe, and specially Briteyne. Grete Charls, vexede with the fevers for the space of iiij. yere, diede at Aquisgrani the v^the kalendes of February, where he was beryede also. Marianus, libro tertio. In the laste yere of whom the brigge made at Magoncia, over the water of Rhenus, by the labore off x. yere, was so destroyede with ynne thre

howres that oon chippe of hit remaynede not above the water. Whiche thynge men seide Riculphus the bischoppe to have causede and procurede for rape and manslaȝhter usede þer in the nyȝhtes. And somme men ascribe that cause to a sodeyne chaunce.