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

Capitulum septimum.

A COWNESAILE hade in this yere at the cite Turon in Fraunce, pope Urban movede the weste partes of the worlde to the subsidy of the Holy Londe. Wherefore Henricus the thryd emperour, Reymund the erle of Seynte Gyle, Boamundus of Apulia, merkede with the signe of the crosse, saylede unto the arme of Seynte George, with whom were ij^c. m^l of Cristen peple; and so the Holy Londe was recurede þen, and the spere of Criste was founde by revelacion of blissede Andrewe made to a chorle. With whom Robert duke of Normandy wente, makynge accorde with kynge William Rufus his broþer, to whom he hade put Normandy in plegge for x. m^l li for whiche thynge kynge William receyvyd a gret tribute of Ynglische men temperalle and spiritualle. Malcolinus kynge of Scottes robbede Northumbrelonde, wherefore kyng William toke with hym Robert his felawe, whose schippes were drownede and his hoste pereschede for hunger and colde. Neverthelesse,

pease was reformede by the seide Robert in this condicion, that Malcolinus scholde make obedience to kynge William lyke as he did to his fader, and pay to the seide kynge William xij. m^l li of golde yerely, and yelde xij. cites in Ynglonde. A huge wynde and stroke of lyȝhtynge pereschede the towre of the churche of Wynchecumbe in this yere, and persede thro the walle, castynge downe the hedde of the crucifix into þe erthe, brekynge the ryȝhte parte of hit; hurtenge also the ymage of oure Lady nye to the crosse; and then an ylle favoured smoke replete that churche, untille that the monkes, takynge holy water, and diverse relikes they hade with ynne [Sic in MS.] þeim, goynge with procession, songe the letanye. Also a whirlewynde destroyede moo then vj.^c houses at London, sleynge ij. men in the churche of the Arches at London, where a parte of that churche felle in to the grownde, insomoche that unnethe a

sixthe parte of hit apperede above grownde. Also a grete wynde putte aweye the coverynge of the churche of Salisbury, in the v^the day after hit was dedicate by seynte Osmunde. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro quarto. Remigius bischop, whiche hade translate but late the seete of Dorchestre to Lyncoln, intended to have dedicate a churche þer, whom he hade edifiede. But Thomas archebischop of Yorke resiste hym, seyenge that place to be in his paresche. Neverthelesse, kynge William receyvynge certeyne goodes ȝiffen to hym prively by Remigius, commaunded allemoste alle bischoppes of Ynglonde that they scholde mete at his churche in the idus of Maii, and dedicate hit; but the seide Remigius diede in the secunde day afore the consecracion. Robert bischop of Herdeford wolde not come, for he hade knowlege, by certeyn inspeccion of sterres afore, that dedicacion not to procede in the life of Remigius. Robert Bloet succedid Remigius, a man ȝiffen moche to

lechery; fulfyllynge but slawely the dedicacion of þat churche; whiche beynge at Wodestoke, and departede from the presence of the kynge, hade his bowells taken owte from his body. The bowelles off whom were beryede at the monastery of Evysham, [folio 344a] whiche he made, and the other partes were beryede at Lyncoln, where the kepers of the churche were trowblede moche untille that place was made clene by preiers. Kynge William goynge in this yere to the costes of Northumbrelonde, repairede the cite of Caerliell, makynge a castell in hit. Henricus, libro sexto. But thauȝhe kynge William ȝafe to venerable Anselme the seete of Cawnterbery in this yere, he receyvyde not eny summe of goode longynge to that office untille that he hade paiede the tribute commaunded by the kynge. In lyke wise he saide the seete of Lincolne to be subiecte to the churche of Yorke untylle that Robert Bloet hade paiede v.^ml marke to the kynge. Roger erle of Shrobbesbury diede in this yere,

whiche lyenge in his bedde in his laste dayes, was made a monke, whom Hewe his sonne did succede. A grete inunda|cion of water was in this yere, and after a grete froste, inso|moche that waynes and cartes myȝhte passe over waters, in the dissolvynge of whom mony brigges were broken. Rees kynge of Wales was sleyne in fiȝhte nye to Brechnoc, and so kynges seasede in Wales. Malcolinus kynge of Scottes mette William kynge of Ynglonde at Gloucestre, in the feste of seynte Bar|nabas, to accorde with hym; but thei departede with malice. For William kynge of Ynglonde wolde that Malcolinus kynge of Scottes scholde comme and make obedience to hym in what place of Ynglonde he scholde assigne to hym. But Malcolinus refused þat, seyenge that he awe not to make obedience to

hym but in the costes of bothe the realmes, where hit was usede to be made. In which yere Malcolinus, and Edwarde his firste son, were sleyne in Northumbrelonde, with mony moo, in the day of seynte Bricius, by the knyȝhtes of Robert erle. Margarete, qwene of Scottes, and the worschipper of God, herynge of theire dethe, was so sory that sche diede in the thridde day folowynge, as sche hade preyede to Allemyȝhty God. That qwene dedde, the Scottes erecte into theire kynge Dunwal|dus, broþer of Malcolinus; but Duncanus, son of Malcolinus, thro helpe of kynge William, reioycede the realme of Scotte|lande, and expulsede Dunwaldus. Willelmus de Pontificibus. Hit was schewede in a tyme to this Malcolinus that oon of his gentillemen hade conspirede his dethe. The kynge com|maunded [folio 344b] that man to kepe silence, and also he kepede silence hym selfe unto the commynge of that traytour. The kynge perceyvynge that he was commen, commaunded alle the hunters to be redy with theire dogges, and so the peple goynge

to hunte, the kynge wente with that traytour unto a brode pleyne, compassede abowte with a thikke woode, in the myddes of whom was a litelle hylle. They tweyne beynge þer allon, the kynge seide to hym: "Now we tweyne be here with lyke weppyn and horses; there is not eny man that seethe us, neiþer for to helpe us; if thou be a man, fullefylle thy purpose nowe; I knowe not when þow may do hit better. For to ordeyne poyson is a properte of a woman; if thow ymaginede to slee me prively it is a signe of a cowarde, and noo man; þerfore prove nowe thy manhode." That knyȝhte felle downe anoon to his feete, made promyse to the kynge of fidelite, fyndynge certeyne suertes þerof; and after that tyme he was tru knyȝhte to the seide kynge. Venerable Anselme,

abbot Bectense, come to Ynglonde from Normandy in this yere, at the instaunce of Hewe erle of Chestre, for thre causes: the firste was that he myȝhte helpe monasterys, whom he hade founded in Ynglonde, from a soore tribute of the kynge; that he myȝhte visitte also Hewe the erle of Chestreschire, beynge seke that tyme; and also that he myȝhte make a monastery at Chestre. In whiche monastery he made Ricardus his chapeleyne the firste abbote, chaungynge that place of seculer canons into monkes; whiche returnede from those costes, was made archebischop of Caunterbery.