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

C^m 17^m.

Whanne Suanus was ded, the Danes made his sone Canutus kyng. But the Englische men sente into Normandy to kyng

Egelredus and byhoteth [promysed, Cx.] that ȝif he wolde be more goodlich to hem than he was wont, [wond, γ.] hem were lever put [to put, Cx.] awey Canutus and take hym to kyng. He assented to the profre and sent his sone Edward tofore, forto stable the pees, Therafter aboute Leynte tyme the kyng come with grete spede [spyde, γ.] and drof [chasede, γ.] Canutus out of Lyndeseye. Thanne Canutus toke hym to rede forto fle [vle, γ.] at Sandwyche in Kent, he made kitt of hondes and noses of alle the Englisch plegges [pledgys, Cx.] that were delyvered to his fader somtyme, and seyled aȝen into Denmarch, and come aȝen the next ȝere after. This ȝere Canutus saylede about Est Anglond and toke prayes in the southe cuntray. The noble knyȝt Edmund Yrenside [Yreneside, γ.] cam manlich aȝenus [ayenst, Cx.] hym, but Ed|mund withdrouȝ hym whanne he was war of Edricus tresoun. Edricus ȝaf hym and his to Canutus. The Westsaxons syȝ [sye, γ.] that and delyvered hym plegges and dide the same. Kyng Egelredus deyde at Londone viii. dayes tofore [bifore, Cx.] May, and was buryed in Paules chirche. After his deth bischops abbotes and lordes of the lond forsoke his ospringe [vorsouk his ofspringe, γ.; yssue, Cx.] and his progenye, and knowlechide at Southhamptoun that Canutus schuld be her kyng. And he swore that he schuld [wolde, Cx.] be to hem a trewe lord bothe to Godward and to the worlde. [worl, γ.] But the Londoners and many of the lordes made her kyng Edmund Irensyde. And anone he made the West Saxons suget, somme for drede, and somme by her owne gode wille. In the mene tyme Canutus bisegide Londone, but he was put of there, and he fauȝt [voȝt, γ., et infra.] with Edmund in Dorsett, besydes Gillyngham, and was over|come thar. Therafter, after the myddel of the somer Edmund with a gretter [greete, Cx.] oost, fauȝt [more, add. Cx.] scharplich with Canutus in the prouynce of Wicties, [Wykcies, γ.] that is the prouynce of Wircestre. Ther thei fauȝt so stronglich, that either oost withdrouȝ hym [hem, Cx.] from other for pure werynesse. Alfr. and Mar'. But the morowe Edmund had overcome the Danes, ne hadde [nadde, γ.] the fals Edricus yschewed a knyȝtes hede that was most liche to kyng Edmund. Edricus schewed [scheowede, γ.] that hede and seide, Fleth [vleth, γ.] Englisch men, lo here is the heed of Edmund ȝowre kyng. But whanne Edmund was war therof, he leyde on the scharploker [one more sharply, Cx.]

and faster and fauȝt forto [unto, Cx.] nyȝt. By nyȝt Canutus went to Londoun ward, but Edmund folewide after, and saved the cite, and passed Temse the thrid tyme, and overcome the Danes at Brentford. Thanne duke Edricus swoor feute [swar fewte, Cx.] to kyng Edmund ȝitt the firthe [vurde, γ.; fyfthe, Cx.] tyme. Whanne the Danes robbede and reued and toke prayes, Edmund overcome hem at Okeford [Octeford, γ.] in Kent, and chased hem anone to the ilond of Schipeheye. Thanne while Edmund turned into West Saxon Canutus toke prayes in Mercia. Therfore Edmund mett hym uppon Asch|doun, there was strong fiȝtyng in either side. Duke Edricus syȝ the Danes dounward, and flyȝ as a traytour [treytor, γ.] schulde, so that many noble men were slayn in Edmundes syde. There was slayn the bischop of Lyncoln, and the abbot of Rameseye. that were come to pray for the knyȝt. Thanne by counseil of Edricus, pees was made bitwene the kynges and plegges take on either syde. At Durhurst uppon the brynk of Sevarn, the pees was made in this maner. Oon of the knyȝtes stode up [op, γ.] in the myddel of the oost and seide: Al day [Alwey we dye, Cx.] we dyeth, [Alwey we dye, Cx.] no man hath the victorye, Edmund may nouȝt be overcome for his grete strengthe, Canutus may not be overcome for favour of fortune, but what schal be the fruyt of this contynuel strif, but whanne the knyȝtes beth slayn in either syde, thanne the dukes compelled by nede, schal acorde, other certeynlich thei schulleth [shal, Cx.] fiȝte [a scholleþ vyȝte, γ.] withoute knyȝtes aloon either with other. Thanne why doth thei nouȝt now oon of these tweyne? ȝif thei acordeth why is nouȝt the kyngdom now more suffisaunt for hem tweyne, that was som tyme y-nowȝ for fyve? ȝif her covetise of lordschip is so grete that either hath indignacioun to take and have part with othere, other to be under; thanne lete hem fiȝt aloone that wole be lordes aloone, leste ȝif [ef, γ.] alle men fiȝteth alle men be slayn, and so schuld leeve no knyȝtes under the hestes of dukes, nother to defende the kyngdom agenus [ayenste, Cx.] straunge alyens. Thanne the dukes with her oostes come to gidres atte ylond of Olneye bisides Gloucestre, there alle men criede in either syde that thei schulde acorde other fiȝte aloon. Thanne bothe the kynges come togidres in the myddel of the ilond and the peple [pupel, γ.] stode and bihelde [byhuld, γ.] in [in] on, Cx.] either syde. The kynges fauȝt first on [an, γ.] hors and thanne on foote. [a voote, γ.] There Canutus was war that Edmund myȝt nouȝt be overcome

and acorded to be partener of the kyngdom and thei threwe [þruw, γ.] awey her wepen and kisside [kussede, γ.] eyther other. Thanne alle men wondride, and were ioyful therof. Whanne this was do the traytour Edricus desired to make hymsilf leef [luf, γ.] to [to] om. Cx.] Canutus. And at Oxenford, whanne Edmund was at wardrobe [pryvy, Cx.] to clense his wombe as nede of kynd axith, Edricus was privylich hidde [yhud, γ.] under the place and stiked the kyng upwards that sate on the sege to do his privy nede. [to . . . nede] om. Cx.] And than Edricus went to Canutus and seyde, Hayl kyng aloon. Whanne the kyng knewe how hit stode, he seide to Edricus; for thu trowidest [thou trowest, Cx.] to plese me wit siche maner servise and hast slayn [slawe, γ.] the beste body of the worlde, [worl, γ., ut semper.] y schal arere thyn heed above alle the lordes of Englond. Thanne anone Edricus hed was smyte of and sett above the heiȝest ȝate of Londoun. R. But some storyes tellith, [say, Cx.] and specialy Marianus story, [story] om. Cx.] that Edmund deyde nouȝte in that maner. But after the acord was made and stabled bitwene the kynges and the kyngdom deled bitwene hem tweyne; Edmund deyde at Londone aboute seynt Andrews tyde, and was buryed at Glastenbury with his grauntsire Edgar. That semeth sothe, for comyn [comune, Cx.] cronykes tellith that after Edmundus deth, Canutus ȝaf Mercia to the fals Edricus, and exiled Edmundes brother by his counsel, and dide many other dedes, and that myȝt nouȝt stonde, ȝif he had biheded Edricus toforhond. [byfore, Cx. Here γ. adds: Trevysa. Hyt myȝt wel stonde þat Canutus as a felman touk consayl of Edricus ar Edricus wuste þat a scholde dye, and dude whanne Edricus was ded as Edricus hadde yconsayled while a was alyve, and so þe storyes myȝte stonde, and non wiþsegge oþer, and so hyt ys more semelych þan segge þat wryters of storyes beþ fals.]