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

Capitulum tricesimum primum.

ABOWTE this tyme an holy preste of Fraunce, Fulco by name, come to kynge Richarde seyenge, "I say to the, kynge, on the parte of allemyȝty God that thou marye soone thy thre doȝhters leste that perelle falle to the." The kynge seide, "Thow lyes, ypocrite, I have not oon doȝhter." The preste seide, "ȝis truly, thow hase pryde, avaryce, and lecchery." Þhe kynge callynge the noble men of his palyce to him seide, "I ȝiffe my pryde to Templarys and Hospitalyryes, my covetyse to monkes of the ordre Cisterciense, and my lecchery to prelates of þe churches." Resus the prince of Wales diede in this yere, whom a metricion commendethe in this wise:

"Nobile Cambrensis cecidit diadema decoris, Hoc est, Resus obit, Cambria tota gemit.

Resus obit! non fama perit, sed gloria transit; Cambrensis transit gloria, Resus obit! Resus abest inimicus [invitus, MS.] adest, Resus quia non est. Jam sibi nil prodest Cambria, Resus obit! Decus orbis abit Resus, laus quæque tepescit, In gemitu vivit Cambria, Resus obit! Subtrahitur sed non moritur, quia semper habetur Ipsius egregium nomen in orbe novum. Grande decus tenet iste locus si cernitur ortus Si quis sit finis quæritur ecce cinis [folio 372b] Hic tegitur, sed detegitur, quia fama perennis Non sinit illustrem voce latere ducem. Excessit probitate modum, sensu probitatem, Eloquio sensum, moribus eloquium."

There was a crosse in the churche of Dirham in whom an ymage of the crucifixe was, whom mony peple honourede with grete veneracion. And when that ymage was putte downe to the erthe and compassede abowte with thornes, as other ymages were, in the sexte fery, the face off the seide crucifixe apperede with grete reddenesse lyke to brasse in a hoote fyre, and grete moisture come from the face of hit, and dropes felle from the eien of hit, and bloode and water come from the riȝhte pappe of hit, whom the ministres of the churche gedrede in holy vesselles with grete diligence. Innocencius the thrydde, or Lotharius, succedid Celestinus the pope xviij. yere iiij. monethes and an halfe. This pope made a booke of the misery of the condicion of man, and mony other constitucions. Also he dampnede the booke of abbot Joachim, whom he made ageyne Petrus Lumbardus, maister of the sentences, and Almaryke Carnotense with his erroneous doctryne. The emperoure dedde in this yere, the princes of Alemayne were at discorde, for somme of theym electe Otho to be emperoure, and somme princes electe Philippe broþer to Henricus the v^the and empe|roure. Neverthelesse the seide Philippe sleyne by treason, Otho was crownede into emperoure of Innocencius the pope in Fraunce; whiche ȝafe batelle anoon to the Romanes, and toke

the realme of Apulia of Frederyke, ageyne the wylle of the pope, wherefore he was excommunicate of the same pope. And in the iiij^the yere of his governayle the princes of Alemayne erecte Frederyke into emperoure, whiche hade a glorious victory ageyne Otho the emperoure. Widomarus sherif Lenionicense in the lesse Briteyne, subjecte and servaunte to the kynge of Ynglonde, founde in this laste yere of the reigne of kynge Richarde the firste a grete treasure of golde and sylvyr in his grownde, a grete parte of whiche treasure he sende to kynge Richarde. But kynge Richarde refusede hit, seyenge that he awede to have alle by ryȝhte of his lordeschippe; but that oþer man denyede þat. Wherefore the kynge come to sege the cas|telle of Caluz, whiche pertenede to the seide sheriffe, supposynge that the treasure hade bene there. Neverthelesse the ministres [folio 373a] of that schireffe and kepers of that castelle offrede hit to the kynge with goodes in hit, theire lyves and armor grawntede to theyme. The kynge commaunded theyme to goe into the castelle and defende þeyme lyke men; whiche goynge abowte that castelle with the duke of Brabancy to inquire the moste

unsure place abowte that castelle for his avauntage, a man Bertrandus Gurdon by name woundede the kynge soore in the arme with a crossebawe. That doen the kynge commaundede that castelle to be taken anoon, and that alle scholde be sleyne in hit, excepte the man that hurte hym, and so hit was. The seide kynge knowynge that he scholde dye, commaundede that man to be brouȝhte afore hym. To whom the kynge seide, "What hurte have y doen to the in my lyfe, that thow hase woundede me to dethe." That man seide, "Thow did slee my fader, my broþer, and wolde have sleyme me nowe also, wherefore y charge not what peyne y suffre sithe that thow schalle dye." Then the kynge commaundede that man scholde not be hurte in eny wise, and ȝafe to hym a c. s. of sterlynges; but after the dethe of the kynge the duke of Brabancy causede hym to be fleyede onlyve and hongede afterwarde. This Richarde kynge of Ynglonde dedde the

viij^the idus of the monethe of Aprile, his body was divided into thre partes, and beryede in thre places, of whom a metricion rehersethe seyenge in this wyse:

"Viscera Careolum, corpus Fons servat Ebrardi, Et cor Rothomagum, magne Ricarde, tuum. In tria dividitur unus, quia plus fuit uno, Nec superest uno gratia tanta viro."

An other metricion rehersethe in this wyse:

"Christe, tui calicis prædo fit præda Calucis: Ere brevi deicis qui tulit era crucis. Hic, Ricarde, jacet; sed mors si cederet armis Victa timore tui cederet arma tuis."

The epitaphy of the noble Ricardus cour de lyon:

"Acalus cecidit rex, regni cardo, Ricardus, Hiis ferus, hiis humilis, hiis agnus hiis leopardus. Casus erat lucis Caluȝ per secula nomen Ignotum fuerat, sed certum nominis omen Nunc patuit; res clausa fuit, sed luce cadente Prodiit in lucem per casum lucis ademptæ. Anno milleno ducenteno minus uno Ambrosii festo decessit ab orbe molesto. Pictavis exta ducis sepelis rea terra Calucis; Neustria tuque tegis cor inexpugnabile regis; Corpus das dandi sub marmore Fontis Ebrardi. Sic loca per trina se sumpsit tanta ruina Ejus vita brevis cunctis plangetur in ævis."

In the yere of oure Lorde God a M. cxcvj., erle John and Marthandeus not ferre from the cite Belvacense toke Philippe bischoppe of the same welle armede, and William Merlan with his sonne, and other peple as innumerable. And so the seide bischoppe was presentede to kynge Richarde, whiche was kepede in prison in his armoure. At the laste, the pope sende wrytynge to kynge Richarde, havynge grete mervayle that he kepede his wellelovyde sonne so in prison. Wherefore the kynge takynge the armor of the bischoppe in whom he was taken sende theyme to the pope, wrytenge in his epistole, "Beholde wheþer this be the coote of thy sonne or nay." The pope seenge that, laborede not after for hym, and soe the seide bischoppe was delyverede by a certeyne summe of goodes.