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.

LODOWICUS, þe secunde sonne of Lotharius, after somme men reigned xv. yere, and after somme men xxij. yere, and was crownede of Sergius the pope, and hade ij. sonnes, Lodowicus kynge of Norykes, and Charls the grete or iunior; whiche vexede

of a spiritte in the presence of his fader confessede he was punyschede by that spirit in that he conspirede the dethe of his fader. Willelmus de Regibus, libro secundo. Iohn Scotte come to France in the tyme of this Lodowicus, and translate the bookes of Dionisius at the desyre of Karolus Calvus from Grewe into Latyne, and made a booke callede Perifision, of the division of nature. Whiche callede after that into Ynglonde by kynge Alurede, was sleyne with poyntells of childer whom he tauȝhte at Malmesbury. Seynte Edmund began to reigne on Este Ynglische men in this yere, and was sleyne in the xiii^the yere. Ethelwulphus kynge of Westesaxons died þe Idus of Ianuare, and beriede at Wynchestre; whom Ethelbaldus his eldest son did succede oon yere. And noo mervayl, for he maryede Iuditha, wife to his fader, ageyne the consuetude of holy churche, and was beryede at Shirburne. Martinus. Iohannes Anglicus,

borne in Magoncia, succedid Leo the pope ij. yere and v. monethes: but hit is seide that this pope was a woman, and [A woman was pope.] brouȝhte in yonge age from here cuntre to Athenes in the habite of a man by her specialle; where sche profite so gretely yn connynge in so moche that sche commynge to Rome hade noble auditors and disciples, to whom sche redde the arte tri|vialle. After that sche electe into pope by the favor of alle men, was gete with childe by her specialle; whiche not beynge in certeynte of the tyme of childynge, and goynge from the churche of Seynte Petyr to the churche Lateranense, was delyverede betwene the Collosee and Seynte Clement, and beryede þer afterwarde as hit is seide. And for cause that the pope levethe that weye hit scholde seme that he scholde do that for detestacion of that chaunce; and this pope is not putte in [folio 295b]

the nowmbre of other bischoppes of Rome for the kynde im|pertinente. The kynge of Bulgaria was converte to the feithe of Criste with his peple abowte this tyme; whiche was of soe grete perfeccion that he toke his realme to his eldeste sonne, and toke the habite of a monke. But his sonne ȝiffen to ydolatry, the kynge returnede to the worlde, and doynge grete persecucion to his son, toke hym and makynge hym blynde putte hym in prison; and so the yonger sonne made kynge, the fader returnede to his monastery, and toke that hooly habite. Ethelbertus succedid Ethelbaldus his broþer in the realme of Westesaxons v. yere. In the tyme of whom a grete hoste of the Danes robbynge Wynchestre were destroyede gretely by the dukes of the seide kynge or that thei cowthe take theire schippes. Benedictus the thrydde succedid Iohn the pope iiij. yere. Seynte Swithine bischop of Wynchestre diede in this tyme, whom Dunbertus did succede, of whom mervellous

thynges be redde. Nicholaus the firste succedid Benedicte the pope viij. yere, whiche was comparable to grete Gregory. In whose tyme seynte Cirillus thapostelle of men of Sclavia, bryng|ynge the body of seynte Clemente from Cersona, brouȝhte hit to Rome, and put hit in the churche of Seynte Clemente, where seynte Cirillus dyenge schewede mony miracles. Lodowi|cus the kynge of Fraunce willynge to leve his lawefulle wife for Waldrada a concubyne, whom he luffede moche of tendre age, Nicholaus the pope, at the instaunce of the breþer of the qwene complaynynge thereof, sende into Fraunce Arse|mus his apocrifary, whiche callynge a cownesaille of bischoppes, constreynede the kynge to take ageyne his wife, makynge a solemne protestacion that he wolde not take that oþer concu|byne. But the legate of Rome returnede, the qwene was refusede, and Waldrada was taken; wherefore the pope cursede Waldrada with alle men havynge communicacion with here. ℞. But Marianus rehersethe this of Lotharius, and not of

Lodowicus. Etheldredus, the thrydde son by byrthe, succedid his ij. breþer in the realme of Westesaxons viij. yere. In the firste yere of whom a grete fleete of schippes of the Danes londed at Este Ynglonde, and taryede there in the wynter, compellede after that to take Yorke for theire defense. For [folio 296a] when that men of Northumbrelonde, thro the instinccion of the develle, hade expulsede theire kynge, and hade made Ella a tyraunte to theire governoure. Neverthelesse the malice of theyme swaged thro the dredde of the Danes, and takenge bothe theire kynges to theyme, ȝafe batelle to the Danes, whom they compellede to fle to the cite of Yorke, not wallede welle in that tyme. But then thei fiȝhtenge ageyne theyme indiscretely were devicte by þe Danes, and theire kynges sleyne, in so moche that men escapede toke pease with the Danes, and so the kynges of Northumbrelonde faylede. The Danes levynge the realme of Northumbrelonde in this yere, come to Snotyngham in the realme of the Marches, taryenge

there by oon yere. But Burdredus kynge of the Marches, and Etheldredus kynge of the Westesaxons, gedrenge a grete hoste, wolde have ȝiffe batelle to þeim, but the Danes, experte in batelles and werre, kepede the cite, and wolde not ȝiffe batelle to þeim, and so the kynges returnede, and the Danes returnede also to Yorke, where they taryede by oon yere. Adrianus the secunde succedid Nicholas the pope ij. yere. To whom Lodowicus the secunde and kynge of Fraunce did wryte, cursede but late afore by Nicholas the pope, that he wolde take hym to mercy. The pope did wryte ageyne in this maner: "If thow knowe thy selfe not gilty, comme to Rome; if thow be culpable do condigne penance." The kynge commynge to Rome, the pope inquirede of hym if he hade kepede þe preceptes of his predecessor, and the othe that he made; þe kynge and mony of his peple presente þer seide he hade observede theyme. Then the pope seide: "Hit behovethe yow to be communicate with us, that ye may be

ascribede to the membres of Criste from whom ye were departede;" and, þe masse complete, he communicate theym, seyenge: "If ye be not gilty, this communion be to yow in remission; and if ye be gilty, to dampnacion." And hit happede that noon of theym lyvede passede oon yere; and the kynge, taken with a soore fever, diede at a cite Plasencia, and a grete mortalite folowede amonge his peple. The Danes destroyede the cite Alcluit in this yere, and wente from North|umbrelonde to Tedforde in the este partes of Ynglonde, where thei taryede by alle þe wynter. In whiche yere Danes Hinguar [The Danes did sle seynte Edmund] and Hubba did sle seynte Edmund at Egglisdon. Willelmus de Regibus, libro secundo. And the hed of seynte Edmunde hidde in thikke places, spake to men sechynge hym, and seide after the langage of the cuntre: "Here, here, here;" where a wulf was founde clippende the hedde of seynte

Edmunde, whiche folowede mekely the peple commyn unto that place. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro secundo. Edwol|dus, broþer to seynte Edmunde, despisynge the worlde, after the dethe of his broþer, lyvede in Dorsetteschire as an heremite, contente oonly with brede and water, nye to a welle whom [folio 296b] seynte Austyn thro his preier causede to sprynge to baptize peple convertede to the feithe. Where a monastery was edi|fiede afterwarde of grete richesse, if the governoures of hit spende hit not on glotons, but on the servaunteȝ of God. But ambicion, a cosyn of covetise, hath chaungede so thynges in Ynglonde in oure tyme, that goodes ȝiffen liberally of fowndres and devowte peple to monasterys, be dispersed raþerthr o ryette of the governoures then spende to the lyfe and susten|tacion of the bretherne of theyme, and on oþer poore peple

and in hospitalite. But withowte dowte the ȝiffers of those goodes schalle not be defrauded of theire rewarde, for theire intencions be ponderate afore Allemyȝhty God.