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

Capitulum tricesimum quartum.

Henricus sonne of the seide kynge was erecte anoon into kynge, havynge ix. yere in age, thro helpe of the bischoppe off

Wynchestre legate off the pope and of the erles of Penbroke and of Chestre. For Ranulphus erle of Chestre toke Lyncoln anoon ageyne Lodowicus, sleenge in hit mony men of Fraunce, wherefore the seide Lodowicus seenge his parte to decrease, takynge moneye for resignacion of his castells, and absolucion off the legate of the pope returnede to Fraunce. Clerkes drawynge to the seide Lodowicus loste theire benefices, other ells thei were sende to the cowrte of Rome for an absolucion. [folio 367b] Ranulphus erle of Chestre, accorded with Lewelinus prince of Wales, wente to Jerusalem, and the cite callede Daneta was taken by Cristen men. Abbottes of the blacke ordre come in this yere to Oxforde to trete firste of theire ordre. Kynge Henricus began a newe werke at Westemynstre, and Ranulphus erle of Chestre commyn from the Holy Londe edifiede the castells of Chartely, of Beeston, and the abbathy of Deulacresse of the white ordre, to the charge of whom he toke a tallage thro alle

his lordeschippe. The translacioun of seynte Thomas of Cawnterbery was made in this yere by Steven the archebi|schoppe, whiche grawntede hey and fyndynge from London to Cawnterbery to peple that solennite durynge. Also he causede in the day of the translacion wyne to distille by condites in diverse places in the cite; whiche spende so grete goodes in that solennite that unnethe the iiij.^the successoure to hym recom|pende for the dettes. Alexander kynge of Scottelonde maryede Johan, the sustyr of kynge Henricus. And also a grete huge wynde was in the feste of seynte Luke, commynge from the northe, depressynge howses and trees, and dragons of fyre and wikkede spirittes were seene to flye in the aiere at that tyme. A man was taken at Oxenforde in a cownsaile of bischoppes kepede þer, havynge woundes in his body lyke to the woundes of Criste, seyenge that he was redemer of man; whiche was cruci|fiede at Abbirbury by juggemente ȝiffen ageyne hym. John sonne of David erle of Scottelonde toke to his wife the doȝhter

of Lewelinus prince of Wales, as for a finalle concorde betwene Lewelyn prince of Wales and Ranulphus erle of Chestre, uncle to the seide John. John kynge of Jerusalem come into Ynglonde in this yere for helpe of the Holy Londe, and the noble men of Ynglonde grawntede to þe kynge wardes of theire heires and londes. Whiche grawnte was the begynnynge of moche sorowe, for after that the kynge toke the xv^the peny thro alle the londe. Freres Minors come firste into Ynglonde in this yere, by ij. yere afore the dethe of seynte Francisse. Gregorius the ix^the suceedid Honorius the pope xiiij. yere. This pope roborate the sentence of excommunicacion ageyne Frederyke the emperoure. This Gregory causede Reymunde to compile [folio 377a] v. bookes of the decretalles, excerpte of mony epistoles and decretalle constitucions. This pope segede in the cite of Rome by the emperoure, and perceyvynge the Romanes to be corrupte

with money of the emperoure, toke the hedes of Petyr and of Paule in his hondes, made a procession from the churche Late|ranense unto the churche of Seynte Petyr, and by that the hertes of the Romanes returnede to hym, and the emperoure departede from the cite. Steven archebischop of Cawnterbery diede in this yere, whiche did connotate the Bible at Paryse, expownede the bookes of Regum, dytede the lyfe of kynge Ricardus, and mony other noble werkes whom Ricardus We|chinschevede. [Sic in MS.] William Alvernense, a noble man in connynge, diede in this yere, levynge to his successours mony noble werkes, as Of the sacramentes, Cur Deus homo, and mony other com|mendable tretys. The bischoppe of London seyenge masse in the churche of Seynte Paule at London, so grete derkenesse of the sonne was in þat tyme, with a stynche intollerable, thundre

and lyȝhtnynge, that peple departede, levynge the bischop þer and his ministre. Kynge Henry did grawnte in this yere grete libertes and mony to men of Ynglonde, but he toke from theym the xv^the parte of theire goodes to recure his londes over see; whiche goynge over with a grete hoste profite but lytelle þer. William de Brwes put in blame for the wife of Lewelyn prince of Wales, was imprisonede and hongede; for whiche thynge grete discorde was movede betwene the kynge and the seide prince of Wales. Ranulphus erle of Chestre, of Lyncolne and of Huntyndon, dyede at Walyngeforde, and was beryede at Chestre in the chapitre of monkes with his progenitors, whom John Scotte succedid, sonne of his suster. This Ranulphus hade iiij. susters: Matilda the eldeste of þeym was maryede to David erle of Scottelonde, of whom the seide John come. Mabily the secunde sustyr was mariede to þe erle of Arundell. Agnes the thrydde suster was maryede to the erle of Derby. Hawisia the iiij. suster was maryede to Robert Quincy, erle of

Wynchestre. Kynge Henricus ordeynede an hospitalle off Seynte John withowte the este ȝate of Oxenforde, puttynge the firste [Sic in MS.] in hit. Ricardus archebischop of Cawnterbery dedde but late, seynte Edmunde of Abendon, that tyme treasurer of Salisbery, was successour to hym, whiche diede in the costes over see in the viij^the yere of his governayle, and was beriede at Pontiniacus in Burguigne, and translate in the viij^the yere [folio 377b] folowynge by the favor of the pope Innocencius þe iiij^the.