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

Capitulum vicesimum octavum.

PEASE made betwene kynge Richarde and the Saladyne for iij. yere, Hubertus bischop of Salisbery wente for the kynge and for hym selfe to the holy sepulcre, and seide masse þer; and returnynge from þens with the kynge to the yle of Ciprus;

kynge Richarde sende from that cuntre ij. qwenes, his moder and his wyfe, with alle his hoste allemoste, unto Sicille, and the kynge hym selfe londed with a fewe peple with hym in the partes of Histria betwene Aquileia and Venyce. Whiche taryenge prively in those costes a lytelle season was taken and knowen by delicate meytes bouȝhte by his men for hym, and was brouȝhte to the duke of Austrye. The kynge of Fraunce havynge knowlege þerof, movede liȝhtely Iohn, broþer to [folio 369a] kynge Richarde, ageyne hym, and the emperoure of Alemayne. Wherefore themperoure promisynge to the duke of Austrye the thrydde parte of the proventus and rawnson, hade kynge Richarde delyverede to hym, whom he put in prison in a place callede Trivalles, where Aristotille seythe hit is goode to a man to sle his fader, havynge the signe of the crosse on hym. Whom he brouȝhte furthe abowte Palmesonneday,

afore a grete multitude of noble peple to answer to thynges obiecte. This noble prynce did answere so to thynges obiecte with a glade contenaunce that the emperoure was not movede to mercy oonly, but also he schewede grete reverence to the kynge. In whiche tyme William bischop of Hely come to the kynge, thenkynge by his laboure made to visitte hym, and thro his glosynge, to have obtenede the favor of the kynge. Neverthelesse he hade suche comfort of the kynge as he hade deservede, and so he departede to Fraunce. But Hubertus commynge to Sicille for the kynge, was directe to the realme of Ynglonde for savegarde of hit, and for to provide for the re|demption of the kynge. Whiche commyn into Ynglonde was electe into the archebischop of Cawnterbery by the monkes of Cawnterbery and oþer bischoppes of the realme, schewynge not crudelite to theym lyke to Baldewyne. Of whom hit is to be mervaylede that he, made from a monke of the ordre Cister|ciense

an abbot, after that bischop of Worcestre, and metro|politan afterwarde, that he wolde have derogate the monkes of Cawnterbery privilege of the eleccion of the metropolitan, and wolde have causede seculer prebendaryes to have reioycede the privilege of eleccion. After that kynge Richarde was

delyverede from prison, contynuede by oon yere and iij. monethes, in the monethe of Ianuary, for a c. M^lli. of silver to be payede for his redempcion, the bischoppes of Roone and of Bathe lefte in plegge for a parte of that summe not payede. For whiche redempcion alle libertes, privileges, and immunites depressede of eny person or place, alle the wolles of white monkes and of chanons was taken, the rynges of prelates, vesselles of silver, crosses, chalyces, and the towmbes of seyntes were abrasede and meltede for the redempcion of that kynge. Kynge Richarde taryenge in Swina in Flaundres other for [folio 369b] wynde other for regalle vesture allemoste ij. monethes, was

alle moste taken ageyne, for the emperoure was soory that he hade suffrede hym to departe, as kynge Pharao was somme tyme for the dimission of the childer of Israel. Neverthelesse kynge Richarde londed at Sandewiche in the monethe of Marche, and taryenge a lytell season at London, wente after that and toke the castells of Notyngham and Tikhull longynge to his broþer Iohn, imprisonynge the men founde in theyme, and deposede Iohn his broþer of alle his honor as a fals man and unkynde, by cownsaile of the gentylle men of the londe. And so the kynge kepede Ester at Hampton, and was crownede at Wynchestre as a newe kynge in the v^the yere of his reigne, askynge after that solennite doen, as by reason of a commende, what thynge that he hade ȝiffen afore or solde every title and instrumente made þeron beynge voyde. Whiche kynge taryenge but a certeyne season, saylede to Fraunce to venge hym on the kynge of that cuntre, and so thei fiȝtenge soore in diverse

tymes, pease was grawntede for oon yere to kynge Richarde to amende his ordinaunce and to fortifye his hoste. Iohn broþer to kynge Richarde beynge with the kynge of Fraunce ageyne his broþer, and his goodes and power decreasede, was refusede of the kynge of Fraunce. Neverthelesse he was restorede to kynge Richarde by the meanes of Alienor, moder to hym, pro|mysynge to be tru to his brother after that tyme.