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

Capitulum vicesimum quintum.

VICTOR the secunde succedid Leo the pope ij. yere and iij. monethes; whiche kepynge a cownsaile at Florence in Ytaly, deposed mony bischoppes for symony and fornicacion. Maria|nus. The noble duke of Northumbrelonde, Siwardus by name, contrivede the cuntre or londe of Scottes with ij. hostes, oon in the see, an other in the londe, by commaundemente of Edwarde kynge of Ynglonde, and expellede the kynge of Scottes, makynge

Malcolmus kynge þer, sonne of the kynge of Cumbirlonde. In whiche batelle the son of Siwardus was sleyne by a wounde in the foreparte of his body; thauȝhe he was soory for the dethe of his sonne, ȝitte he ioyede of the audacite and boldenesse of his sonne sleyne manfully. In whiche yere Wilsius bischop [folio 329a] of Lichefelde deide, whom Leofwinus, abbotte of Coventre did succede. Also in the yere, in the secunde fery of Ester at Wyndesore, kynge Edwarde sittynge at meite, hit happede a childe ministrynge to the kynge to have commen into the place with a pece for the kynge, and stomblynge with oon foote to have supporte hym with þat other foote, and spillede not the liquor. Godewynus the erle, perceyvynge þat, and lauȝhynge þerat, seide, "Oon brother hathe holpen another nowe." To whom the seide kynge spake, seyenge, "Soe in likewise Alfride my brother scholde have halped me if that Gode|wynus hade suffrede hym." The erle perceyvynge that he hade spoken wordes of waste, and movede the kynge of the dethe of his broþer, seide to the kynge, "My lorde kynge, as y perceyve that hit is schewede oftetymes to yowe that y scholde be a traytoure to yow, and to have conspirede into the dethe of youre broþer;" and takynge a morcelle of brede, putte hit into his mowthe, seyenge, "If y were gilty of his dethe, y prey God þat y do eite no moore brede;" and anoon he was dede; and Harald toke hym from the table at the commaunde|mente

of the kynge, and beriede hym at Wynchestre. ℞. Neverthelesse Marianus rehersethe that Godewinus the erle syttenge at the kynges table in the secunde fery of Ester at Wynchestre to be taken with a soden sekenesse, and to have died on the v^the fery; then the cowntes of Godewynus were ȝiffen to Harald, and the cowntee of Harald was ȝiffen to Algarus sonne of Leofricus the erle. Kynge Edwarde send in this yere Aldredus bischop of Worchestre to themperoure Henre the secunde, preyenge hym that his letters sende to Hungary he myȝhte have Edward, sonne of Edmund Irenside broþer to hym, to tary in Ynglonde with hym; for the kynge hade intendede to have made hym his successor. Neverthe|lesse the seide Edwarde commen to Ynglonde, diede at London in the thrydde yere folowynge, longe afore the kynge. That Edwarde was fader of Margarete qwene of Scottes, and of Edgare Adelynge; whiche Margarete was moder to David kynge of Scottes, and to Matilda qwene of Ynglonde, getyn of here by Malcolinus kynge of Scottes. Marianus. Kynge Edwarde exilede in this yere Algarus son of Leofricus with owte cause, whiche felowschippede to Griffyn kynge of Wales, wastede the province of Herdford, and toke the cite of Herd|ford, and brente the monastery, and did sle vij. chanons. But Harald the erle put theim to fliȝhte, and folowede theyme; never|thelesse

he reconsilede the seide Algarus to the kynge, and made a newe walle to that cite of Herdforde. Marianus. Siwardus the noble duke of Northumbrelonde diede at Yorke of the flix, [folio 329b] and beriede at the monastery Galmanho, whom he made, causynge hym to be armede a litelle afore his dethe, and sit|tenge erecte, seide, "Hit semethe an erle to dye in this wise, and not lyenge like to an ox." The cowntee of whom was ȝiffen to Tostius, broþer of Haralde, for the sonne of the seide duke, Waltef by name, was but tendre of age; whiche governede that cuntre allemoste x. yere. Marianus. Hermannus bischop of Wilton or Ramesbury, desired of the kynge that he myȝhte chaunge his seete to Malmesbury abowte this tyme, and obteynede licence by grete instaunce. But the gentillemen of that cuntre not suffrenge hym to do so, he lefte that seete, and goynge over see was made a monke, contynuynge so thre yere, Aldredus bischop of Worcestre ministrynge in that tyme in his diocyse for hym. But in suche men hoote luffe of religion is made soone colde; the thre yere apaste he come to Ynglonde ageyne, for hit grevonde moche þe seide bischoppe, wonte of tendre age to obsequyes and delices, to wonte and leve theyme in age whom he hade expert in yowthe; and the rumor that the

erle Godewinus was dedde inflate his eieres, whiche were ad|versary to hym; and herynge also that the bischop of Schir|burne was dedde, thenkynge of longe tyme to have unyte that seete to his bischoprike by olde promisses of the qwene. Whiche seetes so unyte he kepede with thre cites unto the ix^the yere of William Conqueroure, whiche tyme he wente from Schirburn to Salisbery. Willemus de Regibus. Haralde and Tostius playenge in this yere afore the kynge, Haralde drawede his broþer Tostius by the hedde otherwise then game required, and wolde have throteled hym, but that he was taken awey. The kynge perceyvynge that, seide to men sittynge nye to hym that þer scholde [not is here wrongly inserted above the line.] be grete dissencion betwene this broþer, and the oon of theyme sle that other. This erle Godewinus hade to his firste wife the suster of kynge Canutus, of whom he gate a sonne, whiche rydynge on a horse insolentely was drownede in Thamyse, and his moder was sleyne with þe liȝhtenge. And noo mervayle, for sche havynge moony maydes made theym to be as commune women for lucre of goodes. After the dethe of whom Godewinus maryede an oþer woman, of whom he gate vj. sonnes, Suanus, Harolde, Tostius, Wilnotus,

Gurth, and Leofricus. Willelmus de Regibus libro secundo. A woman was in Berkeley abowte this tyme ȝiffen to ylle artes and craftes, whiche makynge a grete feste, and herynge a [folio 330a] dawe, whom sche hade noryschede tenderly, make moore noyse then hit was wonte to doe, began to chaunge in coloure, seyenge, "The plowe hathe commen this day to the laste forowe." That seide, a messynger come to her sayenge that her sonne was dedde, and alle his howseholde, by the fallynge of an howse. This woman wente to bedde, and sende for a monke and a myncheon, childer to her, whiche beynge presente, sche seide: "I am a woman usynge ylle artes by longe tyme, supposede to have bene salvede thro your preyers; neverthelesse I pray you nowe that ye wolde alleviate my tormentes, for sentence is ȝiffen of my sawle, and peraventure ye may kepe my body if hit be sawede in the skynne of an herte, and bynde hit with thre cheynes of yrne, putte in a beryalle of stone, the coverenge of the grave made sure also, and conglutinate with lede and yrne; and preye for me xl^ti nyȝhtes, and say masse by so mony daies. And if y lye soe by thre dayes, bery the body in the iiij^the day." But this laboure was made in veyne, for they preyenge in tweyne of the firste nyȝhtes the

develles come and brake liȝhtely ij. of the cheynes; and in the thrydde nyȝhte, abowte the crowynge tyme of cokkes, oon develle more terrible then other, and hier in stature, com|maunded the corse to aryse, the cheynes broken and durres of þe churche sodenly there with. That corse answerede and seide that hit myȝhte not aryse for bondes. The spirit seide thei were losede and so he, takynge the body with hym, sette hit on a blacke horse, the voice of whom was herde by iiij. myles. Whiche thynge as mervellous is not to be hade as incredible, for seynte Gregory rehersethe in his dialogges that the develles toke a wickede man owte of his beryalle in the churche, and the same thynge was schewede by Karolus Marcellus.