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

Capitulum quintum.

WILLIAM Rufus was crownede kynge in the feste of Cosmas and Damianus, Wulfstan bischop of Worcestre helpynge hym moche,

and Lanfrancus, whiche noryschede and made hym knyȝhte; whiche reignede xiij. yere, oon monethe excepte. Roberte the eldeste son of William, beynge with a grete hoste in Alemayne, herynge thereof returnede to Normandy; the halfe parte of whom, castells excepte, he putte in plegge to Henricus his broþer, to hire an hoste ageyne William his broþer; and londed at the laste at Hampton. To whom kynge William sende enbassiators, seyenge to hym "William youre broþer claymethe not hym kynge but under yow, and to reigne by yow, whiche be elder to hym and better; he usurpethe not the realme, but kepede hit in youre absence. Neverthelesse, he desirethe now, in that he is crownede, he may reigne under yow, payenge to yow þer|fore yerely iij. m^l markes, and wheiþer of yow lyve longer to possede bothe honors." Robert herynge this, condescende þerto, and returnede to Normandy, havynge noo thynge with him but feire promisses; ffor alle the noble men of the [messagers, γ. and Cx.] wolde, [Sic in MS.]

have erecte Robert to be kynge, Lanfrancus and Wulstan excepte. After that, Roger erle off Schropschire wastede the weste marches of Ynglonde with men of Wales unto Worcestre; whiche hoste was made feble and blynde by the preiers of seynte Wulstan, insomoche that the hoste was dispersede by a fewe nowmbre of men longynge to that bischop, and by a fewe men of the castell. This kynge William seenge allemoste alle the

Normannes to be conspirede ageynes hym, pleasede men of Ynglonde, promysynge to theym moore esy lawes, ȝiffynge licence to peple to hunte in his forestes. And so he inclinede to hym Roger Mowntegomerik, erle of Schrobbesbury; that doen he began to wexe cruelle ageyne his adversaryes, and occupiede the castells of Kente longynge to Odo, and takynge hym causede [folio 341b] hym to forsake Ynglonde; and segenge the cite of Rochestre, where alle the noble men of Ynglonde were allemost, toke hit. The body of seynte Nicolas was brouȝte to the cite of Barrus in Apulia. For when the Turkes destroyede the cite of Mirrea in this tyme, xxiiij. knyȝhtes of Barrus conveyede þider brouȝhte the boones of seynte Nicolas, swymmynge in oyle, unto theire cite. Urbanus the pope kepede a cownsaile at Claremownte in Fraunce, with Anselme prior Bectense, where hit was or|daynede that the howres of oure Lady scholde be seide dayly, and that servyce scholde be seide of her in Seturdayes. Willelmus de Regibus, libro quarto. Kynge William gate diverse castells

in Normandy by fals kepers thro corrupcion of money, lettynge also the kynge of Fraunce leste he wolde have ȝiffen helpe to Roberte his broþer as so Normandy was nowe with that oon broþer and with þat other untille that Robert hade geten Cenomannia, and kynge William diverse castells in Normandy. Then Henricus the thrydde broþer, thenkynge that thei did wronge to hym, occupiede the mownt of Michael, troublynge bothe his breþer oftetymes. Where hit happede in a day kyng William to goe furthe of a castelle with fewe men ageyne mony enemyes, and his horse sleyne under hym hongede by the legges a grete space, neverthelesse he was salvede, by the signe of his armes that he was not hurte. The knyȝhte whiche hade caste hym owte of the sadelle put honde to his swerde to have sleyne hym. To whom kynge William seide, "Sease, gloton, y am kynge of Ynglonde;" and anoon an other horse was brouȝhte to the kynge. Whiche sette on hym inquirede what man hit scholde be

that caste hym downe. The knyȝhte seide "Y am he that caste yow downe, but y supposede hit hade bene an other knyȝhte." To whom the kynge seide, "Now by the chere of Luke, y schalle luffe the better for that dede." When Henricus that oþer broþer was segede by kynge William and Robert Curtehose, in|somoche that he wontede water, he sende to Robert his broþer seyenge that hit was a wikkede thynge to denye water, which, is commune to every thynge mortalle; for hit is moore civile to fiȝhte with a multitude of knyȝhtes then with the violence of elementes; and then he suffrede his broþer to have water. Kynge William herynge þat skornede hym, seyenge, "Broþer Roberte, where lernede ye to use that crafte that ye scholde have victory of your enemyes ȝiffynge to theyme drynke." To whom Robert [folio 342a] seide "Luffe ye water moore þen youre brother, suffrenge hym to dye. If we loose hym, where schalle we have an other broþer?" Kynge William herynge that, dissolvede the sege, and toke bothe his breþer with hym into Ynglonde.