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

Capitulum vicesimum tertium.

IN this yere, the xiij. kalendes of September, William kynge of Scottes, by the cownsaile of his noble men and of prelates, made homage to Henricus the secunde and kynge of Ynglonde at Yorke. Also the seide kynge of Scottes schewede by his [folio 362a] letters patent that he, his successours, and men of Scotlonde awe to make homage, ligiament, and fidelite to kynges of

Ynglonde as so ofte as thei were requirede; into a signe of whiche subjeccion the kynge of Scottes offrede his cappe and sadelle on the awter of seynt Petyr at Yorke; whiche thynges be kepede þer unto this tyme; also the gentillemen of Scottelande adjecte to with an othe that and if the kynge of Scottes brake his othe thei scholde ryse ageyne hym tylle that he scholde returne to his promisse and fidelite made. Whiche composicion pope Gregory sende redacte into a forme to the kynges of Ynglonde and of Scottes, commandynge that com|posicion to be observede. To the declaracion of þis subjeccion the kynge of Scottes come with his prelates to the parliamente off kynge Henricus at Northampton, and after that to Nor|mandy to kynge Henricus. The convente of Cawnterbery electe Ricardus, prior of theire place, to the archebischop of Cawn|terbery by licence of þe kynge; to whom Criste apperede in the xj^the yere of his presidency in a vision, seyenge to hym: "Thow hase dispende and wastede ylle the goodes of my churche, wherefor y schalle take the from this worlde;"

and so he dyede thro þat fere in the viij^the day folowynge. Kynge Henricus sende to Rome to be discharged of the pro|myse that he made to go the holy Londe, in this condicion, that he wolde edifye iij. monasterys in Ynglonde. Whiche monasterys he made in this wise; for the firste he expelled canons seculer from Waltham, and putte chanons reguler into that monastery. For the secunde he putte awey the myncheons of Ambresbery, and putte other myncheons of behynde the se in hit. And for the thrydde, he instaurede a place of the ordre Cartusiense at Wytham, nye to Salisbery. Also the seide kynge Henricus receyvede late in to his kepynge the doȝhter of the kynge of Fraunce, that he scholde marye her to Ricardus his sonne erle Pictavense. But in that he usede to synne with that mayde after the dethe of Rosa|munde, Ricardus his sonne refusede to mary with her. Wherefore the kynge was in purpose to have maryede that mayde to his wyffe, insomoche that he desirede Hugucion the

cardinalle to have commen to Ynglonde, and to have made specialle labor to hym to make a divorce betwene hym and Alienor his wife, that he myȝhte thro that mariage rejoyce [folio 362b] the favor of the kynge of Fraunce and prevayle ageyne his sonnes. After that a batelle lyke to folowe for the castelle of Radin, betwene the kynge of Ynglonde and the kynge of Fraunce, kynge Henricus desirede the doȝhter of the kynge of Fraunce to Iohn his sonne with the cowntes Andegavy and of Pictavia. But the kynge of Fraunce despisynge those letters sende theyme to Richarde his sonne, for whiche wrytynge a wikkede hate and a malicious was movede betwene the fader and þe sonne. Thundres to be mervaylede were herde on Cristemasse nyȝhte in this yere in Ynglonde, and a preste at Andover in Hampteschire with the lyȝhtenge in the myddes of the hoste, noon oþer man towchede, but hit semede that swyne did renne amonge theyme. A grete tem|peste of hayle consumede bestes, bryddes, and men in the nyȝhte of Mary Magdalen. Giraldus, distinctione sexta|decima. The body off kynge Arthure was founde this tyme

at Glaston, betwene ij. berialles of ston in the churche yerde, putte depe into the erthe in an holowe oke, and was translate into the churche and put into a beryalle of marbole, conteyn|enge in the seide olde beryalle a crosse of ledde havynge þis wrytynge in hit: "The noble kynge Arthure with Guenera his secunde wif lyethe beryede here in the yle Avalon." The boones of theyme were so distincte that ij. partes of the beryalle towarde the hedde contenede the boones of Arthure, and the thrydde parte towarde the feete conclusede the boones of his wife, where thre yelow heres of the same woman were founde noo thynge chaungede in coloure by moisture of the erthe. And a monke of that place takynge

theyme gredily in hys honde, thei were redacte sodenly into powdre. For this kynge Henricus herde oftetymes mynstrells of the Britons synge afore hym that kynge Arthure scholde be beryede depe in the erthe by the space of xv. foote in an holowe oke, for cause that he scholde not be founde liȝhtely by the Saxons enemyes to hym. Also hit is to be attended that the boon of the legge of Arthur, schewede to us at that tyme, excedede the boon of the legge of any man in this tyme by iij. fyngers, and the space betwene his browes con|tenede the palme of an honde in brodenesse. In the hedde of whom x. signes of grete woundes did appere, whiche semede to mete in oon, oon wounde excepte. Ierusalem was taken [folio 363a] and destroyede by the Saracenys. Lucius the thrydde suc|cedid pope Alexander iiij. yere and ij. monethes. In whiche yere Hew erle of Chestre diede at Leek, whom Ranulphus his sonne did succede xlvij. yere. Henricus the eldeste sonne of

kynge Henricus the secunde diede in this yere, whom a metricion dothe commende in this wyse:

"Omnis honoris honos, decor et decus urbis et orbis; Militiæ splendor, gloria, lumen, apex. Iulius ingenio, virtutibus Hector, Achilles Viribus, Augustus moribus, ore Paris.