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

Capitulum secundum.

LODOWICUS Balbus reignede in Fraunce ij. yere. In the firste yere of whom the Danes saylynge from Warham towarde Excestre loste c. and xx^ti schippes by a grete tempeste. Never|thelesse a parte of theyme come to Cipenham, and occupiede

hit with the cuntre abowte hit, mony Ynglische men other made subiecte to theyme or expulsede from þat coste. In whiche tempeste kynge Alurede hade an incerteyne lyfe with fewe men with hym in the costes of Somersete, havynge noon exhibicion but by theire pray by huntynge or by fischynge. At the laste the felowes of kynge Alurede goen to fische, and he laborenge to solace hym in meditacion of Scriptures, a pilgryme come to hym askenge almes in the name off God. Then Alurede the kynge, extendynge his hondes up to hevyn, seide: "I ȝiffe lawde to my God, whiche hathe visite his poore knyȝhte by a poore man in this day, whom hit pleasethe to require that he hathe ȝiffen, and that he desirethe to restore with lucre." The kynge callede anoon his ministre, whiche hade but a litelle brede and a litelle wyne, commaundynge the halfe parte of hit to be taken to the poore man. The poore man thonkede the kynge, and departynge lefte noo stappes

of goynge after hym that cowthe be founde, and the bredde and wyne ȝiffen to the poore man were founde þer ageyne, and the men that wente to fische brouȝhte with theyme a grete multitude of fisches. The kynge beynge as in a dreame, and [Sic in MS.] man induede in pontificalles movede hym to luffe God, [folio 280b] to kepe riȝhteousenesse, mercy to poore men, and to schewe reverence to prestes, seyenge: "O my Alurede, Criste under|stondynge and knowynge thy conscience, puttethe an ende to thy grevaunce; myȝhty helpers schalle be with the to|morowe, thro helpe of whom thow schalle have victory of thyn enemyes." The kynge seide: "Who arte thow?" The oþer man seide: "I am Cuthberte, the pilgreme, to whom þow ȝafe almes ȝisterday, havynge remembraunce of the and of thy men. Remembre this when þow arte in prosperite." How kynge Alurede remembrede that pilgreme afterwarde, the liberte and possessions of the churche of Durham expresse at this tyme. Willelmus, libro secundo After that Alurede,

takynge an oþer habite on hym, come [Sic in MS.] the Danes in the maner of a ioculer, whiche perceyvynge alle thynge at his pleasure, come to Ethelingum, schewynge to his felawes the ydelnesse of his enemyes. Wherefore he, takynge his men with hym, made a grete murdre of the Danes, and in the nexte day folow|ynge [folio 299b] men of Wilteschire, of Somerseteschire, and of Hampte|schire come to hym, thro helpe of whom he made the towre Ethelingum, that is callede by interpretacion, the yle of noble men, nye to Selwoode, þat is callede the grete woode, in so moche that the moste noble men of theym taken to plegge, Alurede toke Guttrum kyng of þe Danes from the fonte, and namede hym Adelstan, with xxx^ti other noblemen. Wherefore the provinces of Este Ynglonde and Northumbrelonde were ȝiffen to that kynge Guttrum, whom he calle Gurmund. But

a man of Ethioppe chaungethe not lyȝhtely his coloure: that kynge Guttrum governynge those provinces in grete crude|lelite xj. yere, diede in the xij^the yere. The other Danes, not willynge to receyve the feithe of Criste, wente to the costes of Fraunce. That place Ethelingeseye is not an yle of the see, but hit is so inaccessible thro myres and waters, that hit may not be commyn to but by bootte or schippe, havynge in hit diverse kyndes of bestes of venery. Karolus Iunior, sonne of Lodowicus the thridde, reignede in Fraunce x. yere, whiche goynge from Alemayne, occupiede Ytaly a certeyne tyme, and was consecrate into themperour by Iohn the pope. In the tyme of whom the cuntre of Flaundres toke begynnynge as in worschippe, for Flandres afore was not of grete name, but hit was governede by forsters of the kynge of Fraunce. This

Charls refusede his wife for overhuge familiarite betwene hir and the bischop Vercellense, makynge an open protestacion that he hade never knowlege of hir. The qwene ioyenge hir to be callede a virgyn, as for the kynge takynge a libelle of repudy, of repulsion, [Sic in MS.] entrede a monastery. This Charls goynge from Fraunce towarde Ytaly, in the x^the yere of his reigne, was poysonede by a Iewe, Sedechias by name, at Alpes. ℞. As hit semethe this is the Charls that maryede Gilla, his doȝhter geten by his firste wife, to duke Rollo, grauntynge with hir the duchery of Normandy, by whom Rollo hade noo childe. Wherefore he maryede Popa, doȝhter of Guido the erle Sil|vanectus, by whom he gate Gerlota and noble knyȝhte Wil|lelmus Longa Spata, William longe swerde. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro secundo, in fine. Dunbertus, bischop of Wynchestre, dedde in this yere, kynge Aluredus made Dune|wulphus bischop, whom he founde kepynge bestes in tyme

of his tribulacion; but the kynge perceyvynge the capacite of his witte, put hym to the scole, made bischop of Wynchestre after that. Kynge Alurede repairede the cite of Shaftesbury in this yere, as hit is schewede by a grete ston in the chapitre of the mynchons þer, havynge wrytynge in hit accordynge [folio 300a] þerto. Martinus the pope succedid Iohn oon yere, whiche releschede the scole of Saxons from every tribute, at the in|staunce of kynge Alurede, and sende also a grete parte of the holy crosse to hym. Agapitus the pope did succede Martyne oon yere. In whiche yere the Danes commynge from Fraunce segede the cite of Rochestre, and made a towre ageyne the ȝates of the cite. But the citesynnes defended the cite untille that kynge Alurede commynge, and takenge the horses of the Danes, compellede theyme to flee, and they fledde that tyme ageyne to Fraunce, but men of Ynglonde toke xvj. of theire

schippes. The Danes entrenge the water of Sequana, segede the cite of Parise by oon yere. In whiche yere kynge Alurede repairede London, whom he toke to the kepynge of Etheldredus kynge of the Marches, and þen Ynglische men þat were dispersede come to kynge Alurede. In whiche tyme Alurede sende his almes to Rome and to Inde, and made ij. monasterys, oon of men at Ethelingisey, an oþer of women at Schaftesbury, where he made Ethelgof, his doȝhter, presidente. Adrian the thrydde succedid Agapitus the pope oon yere, whom Basilius succedid oon yere, whom Steven the pope did succede by vj. yere.