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

C^m 15^m.

HUGUS Capet kyng of West France deyde after that he had regned ix ȝere his sone Robart was kyng after hym that he had y-gete on the elder Edwardes douȝter, kyng of Englond, [folio 248b] This Robart regned about an thritty ȝere. In his tyme came a religiouse pilgrime out of Jerusalem into Sicilia, and lerned of oon that was closed that dede mennes soules for diverse synnes and trespasses beth tormented inn Vulcanus crokke. He that was y-closed tolde that he had ofte herde the voys and the grysbitting of thilke soules that beth delyvered by prayers and almes dedes of cristen men and namelich of monkes of Cluny. Therfor Odilo abbot of Cluny whanne he was war therof; he ordeyned to have mynde and memorye for hem that beth dede, and that the morowe after al halwen day. That maner of usage and of doyng passed afterward into al the world. Also this Robart was a kunnyng man of science, and wolde inn heyȝ festes of seyntes inn som abbay of hys kyngdom synge other bere a cope and rule the queor. Ones at Aurelians in a seynt Amans day, he had lefte his oost about a castel that he bisegide and bare a coope in the queor and [sange] thres Agnus dei, knelyng on the ground. Thanne the same tyme the walles of the castel that was bysegide fil doun sodeynlich riȝt to the ground. This is that Robart that made that sequence of the Holy Goost; Sancti spiritus assit nobis gratia, that is, the grace of the Holy Gost be with us. Also he made the Respond of mydwynter eve; Juda et Jerusalem nolite timere, that is, Jewry and Jerusalem

haue ȝe no wille to drede, as who seith, drede ȝow riȝt nouȝt. Also that ȝere Develyng, a cite of an archbischops see of Irland, was distruyed of Scottes, and the navey of Denmarch went into Normandy and kyng Egelredus destruyed Cumbre|lond and the ylond Mon, that hatt Anglesia also and is by North Wales. Seynt Ivo the bischops body is y-founde. Willelmus de pontificibus libro x ^o. This Ivo, of the nacioun of Perses, forsoke the likyng of this world, and passed by many londes in a cherles wede with thre felawes and no mo, and endede his lif inn the yle of Rameseye. His grave and his name was longe tyme unknowen to men of that cuntray. But this Ivo appered to a symple man and enformed hym of his name, and of his degree. And chargide hym that he schuld go to the abbot of Rameseye; for thei schuld go y-fere and take up his body out of the erthe. Whanne that was doone, an helful welle for al maner sekenesse sprang out of his grave. So the ȝitt unnethe in al Englond is eny seynt that wole liȝtloker here a mannes bone and helpe hym in dede. That ȝere king Egelredus wedded Emma the flour of Normandy, the douȝter of the firste Richard duke of Normandy. And was proude therfore, and sent lettres into the citees of Englond and comaundide and het sle alle the Danes in oon nyȝt. And so it was doon in seynt Britius nyȝt. Also that ȝere was the abbay founded of Burtoun uppon Trent of a grete man that het Wulricus Spot. After the thrid Otho, the first Henry that was cleped mylde, was emperor two and twenty ȝere; hym crowned the archbischop of Magons. And here take hede that moo Henryes were kynges than emperors. Therfore whanne me redith the first Henry, the Secunde, other the thridde, by cause of liknesse of the name, he is seide the first other the secunde in the empire; the same schal be under|stonden of Conrades and Othones, emperors that so hatte. This first Henry lyved clene mayd with his wif. The eiȝtenthe Joon was pope six monthes. Suanus kyng of Danes herde telle that the Danes were privyliche slayn in the citees of Englond and com with a grete navey and londed in Cornwail. There by tresoun of a Norman, erle Hugus that the queen

Emma had made lord of Devenschyre, Suanus toke Excetre and distruyed the walles. But the West Saxons com manlich aȝenus hym. But as ofte as the oostes neiȝede to gidres the cheveteyn of Englisch men, Edricus a fals traytor, feyned for to spuwe, and seide that he was seke. Therfore Englisch men were discomforted and kyng Suanus spoyled and robbed Wiltoun and Schirburn, and went to his schippes aȝen, and com to Norwich the next ȝere after, and destruyed the cuntray and sett Tetford a fier. Whanne duke Usketel was war therof, he sent to men of the cuntray that they schulde brenne the schippes of her enemyes But thei made hit as thouȝ thei rouȝt nouȝt, other durst nouȝt. Thanne the duke com with al that he myȝt and ȝaf the Danes a wel scharp and harde batail. But for that ȝere was strong hungre in Englond, kyng Suanus turned aȝen to Denmarch, and com the next ȝere after into Englond aȝen. The nyntenthe Joon was pope fyve ȝere. This ȝere Elphegus bischop of Wynchestre was made arch|bischop of Caunterbury, whanne Wulricus the archbischop was dede. There after in the monthe of Juyle the navey of Danes londede at Sandwich and spoylede and robbede Kent and Southsex, and traveyled the oost of Englond with many maner disseytes and wyles, now spoylinge and robbynge and now turnyng home aȝen. Thre felowes folewide hem alwey, robbyng sleyng and brenyng, for kyng Egelredus woned thanne at Schrowesbury, and myȝt not anoon put of the Danes, er thei had destried Barrokschyre. Therfore kyng Egelredus by counsail of lordes payed to the Danes tribute thritty thousand pound for to have pes. That ȝere he made Edricus, the traytour, duke of Mercia; Edricus was lowe of kyn, riche of tonge, fals and disseyvable of witt, softe and faire of speche, untrusty and fals of thouȝt. The thridde Sergius was pope thre ȝere. Henr' libro 6^o. Turkillus, an erle of the Danes, com alond in Kent, and Caunturbury men ȝaf hym thre thousand pound forto have pes. And the Danes went into the yle of Wiȝt, and toke prayes there. As ofte as the kyng went forth forto fiȝt aȝenus hem, erle Edricus counseyled that he schuld

ȝeve hem no batail. Therfore that ȝere the Danes were made ful riche and destruyede almost half Englond from Northampton to the yle of Wiȝt.

Notes

• Huw, γ.
• Capett, Cx.
• Harl. MS. 1900.
• bygoten, Cx.
• þes, γ.
• y-closed, γ.
• be, Cx., et passim.
• in, γ.
• yhurd, γ.
• grysbytyng, Cx.
• grysbattynge of þulke, γ.
• cristemen and namlych, γ; namely, Cx.
• munde, γ.
• ben, Cx.
• worl, γ.
• connyng, Cx.
• quer, γ., et infra; quere, Cx., et infra.
• Anian, γ.; Anians, Cx.
• From Cx.
• þryes, γ.
• vul, γ.
• sodenly, Cx.
• riȝt] om. Cx.
• of] on, Cx.
• Juwery, γ.
• ȝow] now, Cx.
• also] om. Cx.
• vounde, γ.
• quarto, Cx.
• Ramsey, Cx.
• vor hy scholde go yfere, γ.
• op, γ.
• heeleful, Cx.
• the] that, Cx.
• þat ȝut, γ.
• lyghtlyer, Cx.
• hure, γ.
• prout, γ.
• hete to sle, Cx.
• Bricius, γ.
• Wulrycus Spotte, Cx.
• Magonce, Cx.
• hurde, γ.
• the] om. Cx.
• Cornewayle, Cx.
• Huwe, γ.; Hugh, Cx.
• ymad, γ.
• aȝenes, γ.; manely ayenst, Cx.
• neyhed, Cx.
• cheventen, γ.; Capitayn, Cx.
• dyscomfortet, γ.
• spoyled and] om. Cx.
• Northwich, γ.
• Tedford a vure, γ.
• theyr, Cx.
• hy, γ.
• a roȝte noȝt, γ.
• þes, γ.
• harde and sharpe, Cx.
• in, γ.
• of Dorobernia þat is Cantur|bury, γ.
• volwede ham, γ.
• Shroesbury, Cx.
• Borocschire, γ.
• pees, Cx., et infra.
• louȝ, γ.
• veyr, γ.
• ayenst, Cx.