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

Capitulum vicesimum.

IOHN þe xx^ti succedid Benedicte the pope ix. yere. In whiche yere Marianus the Scotte was borne, thro the labor of whom this presente cronicle was encreasede moche. Marianus. Men of Norway repellynge seynte Olavus theire kynge for his grete mekenesse, toke Canutus to theire kynge, whiche was sleyne wikkidly in the iiij^the yere folowynge. Roberte kynge of Fraunce diede in this tyme, whom Hewe his sonne did succede; in whiche yere also Canutus, levynge Denmarke, [folio 322a] wente to Rome, ȝiffenge regalle ȝiftes to seynte Petyr, and delyverede the scole of Saxons þer from every tribute. Also he ȝafe large almes in returnynge towarde Ynglonde, and redemede the passage of pilgremes in mony places with grete goodes, and releschede to the pope that the primates of Ynglonde were wonte to ȝiffe to hym for the palle, sendynge letters to the gentilmen of Ynglonde that they scholde correcte alle thynges to be correcte afore his commynge. Benedicte the ix^the succedid pope Iohn viij. yere; this pope was eiecte, and an oþer callede Silvestre subrogate; but that pope Silves|tre eiecte, Benedict þe pope was restorede. This Benedict made

pope but symple in connynge, made an oþer pope under hym to supplye his office; þat thynge displeasynge mony men, an other pope was made; and so hit was þat tyme that tweyne did stryve ageyn oon, and oon ageyne tweyne. Wherefore this conten|cion hade for that office a longe season, Henre themperoure, sonne-in-lawe and successour to Conradus, deposynge theyme, made the bischop Rambergense pope, whiche was callede Clemens, of whom Henre themperoure was crownyde, con|streynynge the Romanes to swere that thei scholde not electe the pope with owte his consente. And this pope Benedicte appered to a man after his dethe, in a monstruous similitude, with the tayle of an asse, and a hedde lyke as of a beere, seyenge to hym that he appered lyke as he lyvede afore. Roberte duke of Normandy diede in this yere at Bithinia, levynge his yonge son William his successour. Marianus. Canutus the kynge, a lytelle afore his dethe, made Suanus his sonne, as men supposed, geten by Elgiva, kynge of Norway in þis yere. But mony men say that Elgiva havynge noo childe by Canutus, feynede her as with childe, and hade the childe of a myncheon, brouȝte to here bedde, delyverede and brouȝhte into the worlde but newly afore, and caused Canutus to beleve that hit was his sonne. But Canutus made Hardeknutus kynge of the Danes

sonne of Emma, gemme of Normandy. Canutus the kynge diede at Septonya or Shaftesbury, and was beryede at Wyn|chestre, in the olde monastery. Henricus, libro sexto. This Canutus was seide to have done iij. noble thynges. The firste was that he mariede his doȝhter to Conradus themperour; the secunde was that he visitte Rome solennely, and come ageyne bryngynge with hym a grete parte of the holy crosse. The thrydde was that he commaunded in a tyme a cheire to be sette in the side of þe see, whiche commaunded the water [folio 322b] that hit scholde not towche his grownde, or make moyste the clothes of his lorde. But the water of the see ascendynge after the consuetude, and makynge moyste the clothes of Canu|tus, the kynge seide, "I wylle that mortalle men knowe the power of kynges to be veyne, and noo man to be worthy the name of a kynge, excepte hym to whom alle thynges be subiecte:" and after that day he bare noo crowne on his hedde, but putte hit on the hedde of the crucifix at Wynchestre. Canutus the kynge dedde, agrete altercacion was hade for the succession at the universite of Oxenforde, for Leofricus erle of Chestre, and other princes of the northe parte of Thamys, erecte into kynge Haraldus Harefote, son of Canutus and Elgiva, as hit was supposed, thauȝhe Godewynus laborede for Harde|knutus. Marianus. Mony men say this Haralde to have [Haraldi.]

bene the sonne of a sowter, and brouȝhte to Elgiva by gyle lyke as Suanus was. This Harald erecte into kynge, toke anoon the treasure of the kynge from Emma wife to Canutus, and expellede here from Ynglonde; whom the erle of Flaundres norisched tenderly. Ethelnothus archebischop of Cawnter|bery diede, and in the vij^the day folowynge, Ethelricus bischop of Wynchestre diede, whiche preyede God oftetymes that he scholde not lyve longe after Ethelnotus. Wherefore Edsius chapelayn of kynge Harald reioyced the seete of Cawnterbery, and Stigandus, an other chapeleyne, was made bischop of Wyn|chestre, and archebischop after Edsius. This kynge Harold diede at London after the iiij^the yere of his reigne, and was beryede at Westemynstre; after the dethe of whom gentylle men of Ynglonde sende, for Hardeknutus kynge of Denmarke, taryenge at Flaundres with his moder.