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

Capitulum vicesimum sextum.

CELESTINUS the thrydde succedid pope Clement vj. yere and viij. monethes, whiche crownede Henricus, the v^the, sonne of Frederyke the emperoure, in the secunde day of his coronacion

in this forme. The seide Henricus makynge an othe afore the churche durre that he scholde defende the churche and kepe the lawes and ryȝhtes of hit, and also restore to his powere þe patrimony of seynte Petyr, if eny patrimony were taken from hit. After that the pope sate in a noble cheire holdynge the crowne betwene his feete, and themperoure inclinenge his hedde, he putte the crowne on his hedde, and putte it from his hedde unto the grownde, with his feete. Whiche thynge was a token that the pope hathe power to make an emperoure if he deserve hit, and to depose hym if he do not his dewte. The cardinalles stondynge abowte toke the crowne up ageyne and putte hyt on his hedde. Richarde kynge of Ynglonde absente, William Longefelde bischop of Hely de|posede Hewe bischop of Dirham of alle honoure, and trowblede the bischop of Wynchestre and allemoste alle oþer bischoppes of the realme. Wherefore mony men disposede theyme to goe to compleynte to the kynge ageyne the commune tyraunte;

but the seide bischoppe had bene with hym afore, and commen to Ynglonde ageyne, or that other men wente towarde the kynge. But the bischop of Lyncolne commen after from the kynge, pursuede William bischoppe of Hely unto Lincolne, where a day was prefixede to answere at the castell of Tyk|hull. And when the bischoppe of Dirham was commyn to that place, the bischoppe of Hely seide to him, "I take þe not as oon bischoppe an other, but as a chauncellor a man havynge castells, untylle thow fynde suertes to restore the kynges castells." The malice of that bischop of Hely was made commune, in so moche that Iohn, broþer of the kynge, remembrenge the imprisonmente of Gaufride his broþer electe into the archebischop of Yorke causede by hym, and gedrenge a grete multitude of men in his provinces of Ynglonde and of [folio 367a] Wales, with mony other bischoppes chased that commune tyraunte from Wyndeshore unto the towre of London, and from thens to Dovore. Whiche beynge adredde that he myȝhte not escape, toke the clothenge of a woman on his habite, cover|enge

with a kerchief a grete parte of his face, walkenge by the see syde with a peace of clothe in his lifte arme, and holdynge an elne in the ryȝhte honde, as if he wolde selle clothe that he myȝhte avoide the cuntre by that meane; but at the laste he was taken in that he cowthe not behave hym selfe lyke a woman, and taken schamfully by the secrete membres. This seide bischop saylenge over see at the laste, the administracion of the realme was taken to the archebischop of Roone. The tyme of ver y-paste the kynges of Ynglonde and of Fraunce

come to Sicille, oon by londe, an other by water; where the kynge of Fraunce dissimilynge the trespasses of his peple deservede the name of a lambe. But kynge Ricardus levynge of moche thynge as nouȝhte deservede the name of a lyon, for kynge Richard did fiȝhte in Sicille and Calabre ageyne Griphones, and erecte a castelle of tre portatyve ageyne the cite Messana, with whiche instrument he toke the cite of Acon afterwarde. Where his moder the qwene brouȝhte to hym Berengaria, doȝhter of the kynge of Bavarria, a virgyn of noble beawte and of grete discrecion, whom kynge Richarde maryede unto his wife. The kynge of Fraunce commen into Siria, Ricardus kynge of Ynglonde taryede in the wynter season after hym a certeyn season, but he was not ydelle, but he sende to theyme vitells and made engynes. After that this noble Ricardus kynge turnynge to the cite of Ciprus loste ij. of his schippes þer, and thei were spoylede also by men of the cuntre of Ciprus. Richarde kynge of Ynglonde under|stondynge

that, thouȝhte to be satisfiede þerof, and folowede the kynge of Ciprus from cite to cite, untylle that he hade the kynge. The seide kynge of Ciprus mekede hymselfe to yolde hym to kynge Ricardus in this condidion, that he scholde not be not grevonde with cheynes of yrne. Kynge Ricardus grawnted þerto, but he putte hym anoon after in cheynes and feturs of sylvyr, and disposede that realme at his pleasure, and taryede þer alle the tyme of wynter. After that kynge Richarde turnynge ageyne to the cite of Acon, [folio 367b] toke a ryalle schippe longynge to the Saladyne chargede with grete goodes. This prince commen to Acon, a mater of dis|corde spronge betwene the kynges of Ynglonde and of Fraunce. For the kynge of Fraunce chalangede parte of the goodes that kynge Richarde hade geten in the yle of Ciprus, by the convencion made betwene theym in the cite Turonense. But kynge Richarde seide that convencion was made of goodes to be geten in the Holy Londe and ageyne the Saracenys. Another cause of discorde was, the kynge of Fraunce wolde

not leve eny thynge to the erle of Campany, beynge in grete necessite at that tyme, withowte the erle wolde have put Campany in plegge to hym. Then the erle seide, "Y have doen that was my dewte to do, now I schalle do that ne|cessite compellethe, þerfore y schalle go to hym that is moore redy to ȝiffe then to take;" and so the seide erle commynge to kynge Richarde was made ryche by hym. Also kynge Richarde favorede the parte of Guido kynge of Ieru|salem ageyne Conradus Marchio, kynge of Tirus, whom the kynge of favorede ageyne the kynge of Ierusalem. Never|thelesse kynge Richarde made haste to the cite of Achon, whiche was segede in veyne by ij. yere, ffor yngynes putte to that cite were brente with fyre of the Grekys, whiche cowthe not be extincte by water or eny other thynge. And the hoste of Criste men decreasede, what by dethe and discorde betwene the kynges of Ierusalem and of Tyre, and mony noble men were corrupte by money of the Saladyne.

Notes

• Sic.
• Sic.