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

Capitulum undecimum.

PASCHALIS the secunde succedid pope Urban xviij. yere, whiche was imprisonede, and his cardinalles also, in the xiij. yere off his office by the emperoure Henre the iiij^the, and myȝhte not be delyverede untille that he hade promisede fidelite to themperour, suffrenge hym to have the investitures of prelates with a rynge and a staffe, promysynge also that he scholde not excommunicate themperoure, of whiche thynges the pope did wryte to hym a privelege. But in the yere folowynge, a cown|saile hade at Rome, the pope dampnede the seide privilege in this maner: "I covette and holde alle holy scripture, the olde and newe testament, lawes, prophetes, gospelles, canons of apostles, alle cownsailes universalle, the decretts of bischopps of Rome, and that thei did holde, and that thei condempnede

y condempne and specially y dampne for ever, that privilege grawntede late to themperoure, whiche may be called rather a pravilege then a privilege." Willelmus de Pontificibus, tertio libro. William bischop of Dirhem dedde, the kynge ȝafe that seete to oon Walter, chapeleyne somme tyme to his fader, [folio 349a] a m^lli. receyvide afore; whiche compellede the monkes to eite in his halle, settynge afore theyme, olde meytes, and causynge feire women to ministre to theyme. In so moche that fewe did aryse from the table withowte a mocke; for and if a monke avertede his siȝhte from theym, he was callede an ypocrite, and if eny thynge myȝhte be perceyvede of myrthe in his cown|tenaunce he was callede dissolute. Neverthelesse this bischop hade grete lawde in that he causede the body of seynt Cuth|bert to be taken from the grave, and to be onornede with

fresche clothes and newe, and the hedde of seynte Oswald was founde betwene his armes. Osmonde bischop of Salisbrey diede in this tyme; also the water of the see arysynge thro Thamys in this yere drownede mony townes. The develle apperede visibly and expressede to men of the sodeyne dethe of kynge William. Willelmus de Regibus, libro quarto. Kynge William monyschede þerof sette not thereby. In whiche yere Hewe abbot Cluniacense see in a dreame kynge William brouȝhte afore God and condempnede, whiche thynge he schewede to Anselme. Also that kynge dreamed that he was lete bloode, and þat the bloode of hym obscurede and hidde the sonne, insomoche that he cryede, "Seynte Marye, seinte Mary!" and causede his chamberleynes to brynge lyȝhte, and not suffrenge theyme to departe aftirwarde from hym. And after that, the thrydde nones of Auguste, and in the yere of oure Lorde a M^l and a c., the xiij. yere of his reigne, and the xliiij^the of his age, William Rufus was woundede soore by Walterus Tyrrelle,

schotynge at a herte and sleenge þe kynge, and whiche man avoidede with owte eny persecucion. And so the kynge brouȝhte in a charyette to Wynchestre was beryede with in the bischoppes towre, whiche did falle in the yere folowynge. This kynge wolde not suffre eny cownsaile of bischoppes to be kepede in his realme, sellynge the honoures of the churche; whiche hade thre seetes of bischoppes in his hondes, or putte to ferme by hym, in the day of his dethe, as Cawnterbery, Wyn|chestre, and Salisbery, and xij. monasterys, for he thouȝhte to be the heire of alle men. Which denyede the tribute to Rome for cause þer was that tyme contencion betwene Urban pope

and Wibertus pope afore. Henricus, libro septimo. Thauȝhe this kynge was lyȝhte in his dedes, he was stable in his worde, insomoche that and if he hade promisede to a man goode or ylle, he scholde have be sure þerof. Neverthelesse, thauȝhe he was a covetous man, ȝitte he didde oon thynge in his lyfe worthy to be hade in remembraunce; for an abbot in Ynglonde dedde, ij. monkes gedrenge a grete summe of goodes wente to [folio 349b] the kynge for to be made abbot, takynge with theyme an oþer to brynge home thabbot electe. The monkes stondynge afore the kynge and promysynge grete ȝiftes, the kynge callede the thrydde monke to hym, inquirynge of hym what goodes he wolde ȝiffe to be abbot; the monke seide that he wolde not ȝiffe oon peny to be made abbot. Then the kynge seide, "Truly thow arte worthy to take on the that holy charge;" and so that monke was made abbotte.