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

Capitulum quartum.

EDWARDE the senior reignede after his fader xxiiij. yere, not so gretely instructe in connynge as his fadre, but moore glorious in chevallery. Whiche made newe cites, repairede olde, encreasenge his realme moore then his fader; for he toke the kynges of Scottes, of men of Cumbrelonde, and of men of Wales into dedicacion, and gate Estesexe, Northumbrelonde, and the Marches from þe Danes after the dethe of Elfleda, his sustir. This kynge gate of Egwina, his firste wife, Ethelstan, his firste sonne; and of Edgiva he gate Edredus and Edwinus, and vj. doȝhters, oon of whom he mariede to Otho themperoure, an oþer to Charls, kynge of the weste men of Fraunce, the thrydde to Schitericus, kynge of Northumbrelonde. Willelmus

de Regibus, libro secundo. Also he gate of Ethelwitha, the thrydde wife, Edmundus and Edredus, whiche tweyne reignede after Ethelstan their broþer, by succession; also he gate ij. doȝhters, seynte Edburga, a virgyn sacrate to God, beriede at Wynchestre, and Edgiva, a woman of beawte sovereigne, [folio 301b] mariede to Lodowicus kynge of Aquitanny. This kynge causede his sonnes to be instructe in the artes liberalle, and his doȝhters to the nelde and distaffe. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro secundo. Hit is rehersede of this virgyn Edburga, that when sche hade iij. yere in age her fader, willenge to prove wheþer sche scholde declyne to God or to the worlde, putte in oon parte of the chamber ornamentes of diverse possessions, and in that oþer parte chalices and vestimentes longynge to þe churche, and in an oþer parte broches and rynges. That yonge maide, brouȝhte to the chambre by here norische, was commaundid to chose of those þinge, and the yonge virgyn,

crepynge on the grownde, toke the chalices and vesture long|ynge to the servyce of Criste. Then the fader kyssenge hit, seide: "Go wheder God callethe the;" after that sche was made a myncheon. Benedicte the iiij^the succedid Iohn the pope iij. yere. Seynte Grimbalde, confessore, and somme tyme the maister of kynge Alurede, diede at Wynchestre in this yere. Plegmundus, archebischop of Cawnterbury, made vij. bischoppes, assignenge theym to theire seetes, þis yere; v. of theym to the cuntres of Westesaxons; that is to say, oon at Wynchestre, an other at Cornewaile, oon at Schirburne, oon at Welles, and oon at Cridington. Also oon at the Southesaxons, and oon at the Marches, in Dorkinga; for the pope Formosus cursede kynge Edwarde and men of Ynglonde for the wont|ynge

of bischoppes, lackynge þeim in Ynglonde by vij. yere. Brede wontede or faylede in Yrlonde this yere, for vermyn lyke to wontes were seene to descende from hevyn and to waste the cornes; but thei were eiecte thro preyer. Clito Ethelwol|dus, cosyn to kynge Edwarde, did ryse ageyne hym, and occupiede the cite off Wynburne, nye to Bathe, affermynge that he wolde be victor þere or he scholde dye. Neverthelesse he, takenge with hym a myncheon of the monastery of Wynburne in the nyȝhte, wente to the Danes of Northumbrelonde, ask|enge helpe of theyme. But kynge Edwarde folowede hym myȝhtely, in so moche that Clito, levynge Ynglonde, wente to Fraunce; and the kynge brouȝhte the myncheon with hym, and restorede her to here monastery. Neverthelesse Ethel|woldus come to Ynglonde ageyne þe same; [Sic in MS., yere being acci|dentally omitted.] whiche, ioynynge to hym þe Danes inhabitynge Este Ynglonde, entrede þe Marches, and destroyede the cuntre unto Crikelade, and after

that passynge Thamys, spoylede the cuntre unto Bradenestoke. But the kynge folowynge hym on the backe, robbede from the water of Owse unto þe grownde of seynte Edmunde, com|maundenge his men that noo man scholde remayne after hym; neverthelesse men of Kente, despisynge the precepte of the [folio 303a] kynge, and taryenge þere, were sleyne of the Danes, and mony of theym also, amonge whom Clito Ethelwoldus was sleyne. Wherefore the Danes, perceyvynge kynde [Sic in MS.] Edwarde to be invincible, toke pease with hym. Leo the v^the succedid Bene|dict the pope ij. monethes; for Christofor, his preste, put hym in prison, and occupiede his seete; but he was eiecte after the iiij^the monethe paste. Sergius the iiij^the, puttynge awey Chris|tofor the pope, succedid hym vij. yere; whiche beynge a cardinalle diacon, and reprobate by Formosus the pope, wente

to Fraunce, thro helpe of that cuntre made pope, causede, in a signe of vengeaunce, the body of Formosus the pope to be taken from the grownde, causenge hym to be heded and caste into the water of Tiber. But the body of the pope founde by fischers, was brouȝhte to the churche of Seynte Petyr, and the ymages of seyntes ȝafe venerable salutacion to hit. The cite callede Caerlegion, and nowe Westechestre, destroyede moche by the Danes, was repairede in this yere by Ethelrede, gover|noure of the Marches, and Elfleda his wife, and wallede newe, and made moore then it was afore by halfe parte, insomoche þat the castelle of hit, whiche was a grete space with owte þe walles, is now with in the walles. ℞. Kynge Edwarde made a castelle at Herdforde; and then the monastery Cluniacense was foundede by William the meke, prince of Burguyne, the firste abbot of whom was seynte Odo, the secunde seynte

Maiolus. The monkes of whiche place, after Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro quarto, were in the begynnynge ryche in the worlde, and bryȝhte in the religion of God. In whiche tyme Ethelredus and Elfleda his wife did translate the boones of seynte Oswalde the kynge from Bradeney to Glowcestre, where they made a monastery of Seynte Petre.