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

Capitulum decimum quartum.

HENRICUS the iiij^the, sonne of Henricus the thrydde, began to be emperoure, whiche reignede ix. yere. This emperour put his fader in prison, where he diede; imprisonynge also Paschalis the pope, with his cardinalls; wherefore, as men suppose he diede withowte eny childer, thauȝhe he maryede to his wife Matilda, doȝhter of Henricus kynge of Ynglonde, unnethe of v. yere in age. A cownsaile was hade in [Sic in MS.] yere at London by Anselme, where a statute was made by grawnte of the kynge that noo seculer person scholde have investitures of prelates with a staffe and with a rynge. In whiche tyme Giraldus, archebischop of Yorke, made obedience to venerable Anselme, and after þat, the iiij^the idus of August, Anselme consecrate in oon day v. bischoppes at London, of Wynchestre,

of Salysbery, Oxenford, Herdford, and of Glamorgan. Kynge Henricus ordeynede in this yere that thefes scholde be hongede, and that halpenys and penys scholde be made rownde. Gi|raldus the archebischop of Yorke diede in this yere, whom Thomas did succede þer vij. yere. Kynge Henricus made a bischoppes seete at Hely, makynge Hereneus bischop of Bangor president þer; whiche ȝafe the towne of Spaldynge to the bischop of Lyncolne, in that he hade ȝiffen Cantebrigge to the bischoppe of Hely. Hewe abbot Cluniancese diede in this yere in Ester weke, after that blissede Mary, seynte Petyr and seynte Hillarius had apperede to hym. Willelmus de Ponti|ficibus, libro primo. Venerable Anselme diede at Cawnterbery in this yere, and anoyntede with bawme sende from hevyn was beryede on Scherethursday; and so the seete of Cawnter|bery [folio 351]

was vacante by v. yere. For the kynge made this excuse, seyenge that excellente clerkes reioycede that seete afore in the tyme of his predecessours, where hyt scholde not go owte of kynde in his tyme. This Anselme and [Sic in MS.] famose clerke, borne in the cuntre of Alpes, gretely instructe, and not fyndynge eny occasion how he myȝhte please his fader, fledde to Bectum in Normandy unto Lanfrancus. Whiche havynge xxvj. yere in age, was made monke under Herlewinus, abbot of þat monas|tery, and after thre yere y-paste, Lanfrancus made abbotte of Caane, Anselme was made prior Bectense under Herlewinus

abbot. Whiche ȝafe hym to grete abstinence by xv. yere, and to the informacion of yonge peple, seyenge oftetymes that he hade lever be in helle withowte synne then in hevyn with synne. This noble clerke Anselme, after that he hade bene prior xv. yere, Herelewinus dedde, he was electe to be abbot.

And after that kynge William Rufus laborynge in grete in|firmite callede venerable Anselme to hym, and ȝafe to hym the seete of Cawnterbery by consente of bischoppes. The seide Anselme refusynge hyt seide in this wyse: If Anselme as a meke schepe be cowplede to William Rufus as a wilde bulle, the plowe of the churche scholde not go ryȝhte for the in|equalite of the bestes in hit. Neverthelesse this holy bischop Anselme consecrate, and the kynge recurede of infirmite was worse then ever he was afore; his cownsellours movenge hym to vertu, he was wonte to say, "By the chere of Luke, my God schalle never have goode thynge of me for ylle;" not pleasede with eny ȝifte with owte hit were to his pleasure. Hit happede in a tyme this Anselme to have taken to hym for

a ȝifte v.c.li.; and that ȝifte refusede of the kynge, he distribute hit amonge poore peple. Diverse mervayles were seen in Ynglonde in this tyme, for þer was a grete movynge of erthe at Schrobbesbery, and the water of Trente at Notyngham was so dryede up that men myȝhte goe over hit with owte eny moisture. Also a blassynge sterre apperede in the monethe of Iunius by thre weekes contynually, and after that a scharpe wynter did folowe, grete hungre, dethe of men, moreyne of bestes, and fiȝhtynge of briddes. Kynge Henricus made the monastery of Hyde, with owte the walles of Wynchestre somme tyme, with ynne the walles. Henricus the iiij^the emperour of Alemayne, mariede Matilda, suster [Sic.] of kynge Henricus, at Magoncia, the viij. idus of Ianuary.