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

C^m 19^m.

Also this ȝere deyde the secunde Richard the ferthe [vurde, γ.] duke of Normandy. After hym his sone the thrid Richard was duke of Normandy. After oon ȝere of his ducherye his ȝonger brother Robart slouȝ hym with venym, and was duke after hym. But after the seventhe ȝere of his ducherie he was sory for his brother deth and went a pilgremage barfot [barvoot, γ.] to Ierusalem, and deyde in Bithinia. Of him hit is said that he was myȝty and stalworth [stalward, γ.] in batayl, large and fre [stalward, γ.] of ȝiftes and of mete and of drynke. In a tyme it happed in a grete feste that knyȝtes offride atte masse, but oon of them offride nouȝt. The duke trowed therfore that he hadde nouȝt that he myȝt offre, and bade [hyt, γ.] ȝeve hym an hundrid pound. Anone [Anone . . . pound] om. Cx.] as the knyȝt had y-fonge [vonge, γ.] the hundred pound, [Anone . . . pound] om. Cx.] he leyde hem hollich [holelych, γ.] uppon the auter. Me axide hym why he dide so. For it was geven me for to offre, quoth the knyȝt. The duke herd that and ȝaf hym another hundrid pound to his owne use. In another tyme the same duke played at ches, [chesse, Cx., bis.] and hym was ȝeven a golden just wonderlich fair [veyr, γ.] arayed with perles and with preciouse stones, and he ȝaf hit anone to the clerk that playde with hym atte ches, and the clerke deyde anoon. Phisicians tolde the cause and seide that riȝt as the hert closeth for grete sorowe and is cause of deth but the hert be the sonner opened, also for grete ioye the hert openeth and is cause of deth but hit be [vre, γ.]

the sonner closed. Also in a tyme oon brouȝt to duke Robart twey wel fayr knyves, and anone be bade geve hym an hundrid pound. And while he told the money, were twey gentil horses ȝeven to the duke. -The duke ȝaf hem anone to hym that had ȝeven hym the knives. Whanne he had y-fong al this he spedde hym fast [vast, γ.] his wey leste somme lette myȝt have y|falle. In the mene tyme the duke was ȝeve a cuppe of siluer, that is a vessel for to bere yn fruyt, than he was souȝt that had brouȝt the knives and myȝt nouȝt be founden. [vounde, γ.] Thanne the duke made grete mone, and seide that he had y-fonge to symple reward that had brouȝt hym the knives. Me seide of this Robart that al that me ȝaf hym, but hit were siche a ȝifte that schuld be y-ete, he wolde ȝeve it to hym that ȝaf hym the firste worschipful ȝifte that day Willelmus de Regibus libro 2^o. This Robart in a tyme passed by Phalesia a cite of Normandy, and siȝ a wenche that het Arlet [Arlett, Cx.] by hir name, a skinner's douȝter, daunce among othere, and had hir to his bedde a nyȝt and heelde [huld, γ.] hir somdel longe tyme in stede of his wif, and gat on hir William the Conqueror. A swevene that his mother mette, bodede how grete he schuld be. For heo [Vor hue, γ.; she, Cx.] mette that hir bowels were sprad into al Englond and Normandy. Also riȝt whanne the child was bore it happed that he touched the ground and toke bothe hys hondes fulle of the pouder of the pament, and constrayned his hondes and helde faste the pouder. Ther|fore the mydwif tolde that the child schuld be a kyng. The firste nyȝt that this [þues, γ.] wenche Arlet [mayde Arlett, Cx.] was brouȝt to duke Robartes [Robartes] om. Cx.] bed, heo to rent [hue rende, γ.] hir owne smok from the chyn anone to the feet. The duke axide why heo dide so. Hit is nother skyle nother curtesye quoth heo that the hemme of my smok that hath byclipped [byclupped, γ.] my feet, schuld now [now] om. Cx.] be turned towards my lordes mouthe. Thanne duke Robart went to Ierusalem, and had to-gidres alle the lordes of his lond at Fiscanum, and made hem swere [swerye, γ.] feute to his sone William, that was seven ȝere olde, and ordeyned erle Gilbert the childes tutor, and ordeyned the tutor to be mayntened by the kyng of France. The lordes [The lordes] They, Cx.] helde [hulde, γ.] that fey to the child til duke Robart was ded. But whanne thei herde of duke Robartes deth, everech of hem toke heed [hyde, γ.] to hym silf and rouȝt nouȝt of the childe. Atte laste this Gilbert was slayn of oon Rauf [Raf, γ.] that was the

childes eem. [unkle, Cx.] There was fiȝtinge and manslauȝt, the cuntray was foule [voule, γ.] yfare with, with strif that men hadde among hem silf. But William was ȝong in armes, and oon Gy a Burguy|noun [Guye a Bourgyon, Cx.] was cause and maker of al that strif and tresoun; the whiche [whoche, γ.] Gy was Wylliams kynnesman of the secunde Richardes douȝter. But William toke him and dide hym to deth. And Odo, the kynges brother of Fraunce com agenus William, but William hadde the mastere [maystry, γ.] and chased Odo and made hym flee. Henry the kyng of Fraunce herde therof, and cam with a grete multitude and was dispitouslich and foulich ychased, but mediatours went [ȝude, γ.] betwene and made pees, and the kynges men of Fraunce were delyvered that were take prisoners. Here take grete hede that this William fauȝt ofte with the kyng of Fraunce but never sodeynlich as oure [ur, γ.] men doth now aday. [adayes, Cx.] But the day of batail schuld be sett and he had ever the over hond. Thanne whanne the kyng of Fraunce was ded, he toke manlich the londes of Normandy, thouȝ the londes were longe tyme absolete, that beth the Counte Canonic, [Counte of Canovic, Cx.] and Litel Britayn that kyng Charles had ȝeve to Rollo with hys douȝter Gilla, this William wan hit manlich. Harol an Englisch man was in that batail as it schal be seyde with ynne. Duke Robart went to Jerusalem and passed by Burgoyne. There as he went out atte ȝate, [and was þe laste of all þe pyl|gryms, add. γ.] the porter smote hym with a staf. Anone he thonked God and forbede [vorbud, γ., et infra.] his men, and het that noon of hem schuld take wreche of that dede. For ich am, quoth he, worthi to have wel more harme, ich love, quoth he, this stroke more than al Rothomage. Thanne he cam forto take the cros of the pope and dide his noble pal about the ymage of the grete Con|stantyn, and scorned [schornede, γ.] therwith the Romayns that wolde name|lich oones a ȝere ȝeve her lord a clothe. Also he made to schoye [made showe, γ.; shooe, Cx.] with gold his mule that he rode on and forbede alle his men that thei schuld nouȝt take up the schoon [shoes, Cx.] whanne thei were a falle. [avalle, γ.] Also he cam by the emperor of Constan|tynnoble and while he spake with the emperor, he siȝ no bench [syȝ no beynch, γ.] in al the hous, and sate hym doun uppon his owne pal in the maner of his owne cuntray and his knyȝtes dede the same. And as the duke had y-hote whanne thei arise thei lefte there her palles and seide that thei schuld nouȝt take awey

her benches. The duke was prayed of the emperor forto take money for his cost by the weye, and he answered and seide that he wolde in pilgrimage lyve by his owne, but whanne he com aȝen he wolde do the emperors wille. Thanne the kyng forbede that no man schuld selle hym wode [fewel, Cx.] to sethe [suþe, γ.] with his mete. Thanne the duke bouȝt notes and seeth his meet ther|with. The kyng wondred at the dukes manhed and made benches [bynches, γ.] in his cowrt afterwards in stede of the forseide palles. Here after the duke eveled [evelde, γ.] so in the wey that he myȝt nother go ne ryde. Therfore he huyred pore Sarsyns that schulde bere hym by day in a litter on her schuldres, [schulders, γ.] and chargide a Norman that went aȝen into Normandy that to the Normans, that wolde axe tithingis of the duke, he schuld telle that he had seen feendes [a hadde yseye vendes, γ.] bere the duke heveneward. He cleped the Sarsyns fendes and the Holy Land hevene. Thanne it was used that no Cristen men schulde come with ynne the holy cite without grete huyre. Thanne many men herde of this dukes commyng and come to hym and prayed hym of help. And he swoor by the hert of his wombe, that while he had oon peny, he wolde be the laste that schuld entre. That noble Sarsyn, the lord of the cite, herde [hurde, γ.] therof; and had also herde [y-hurd, γ.] of this dukes othere manlich dedes; and forbede anoon that no thinge schuld be take of hym nother of any man that com of his company. And het and comaunded also ȝeve to the duke al the offryng of a day. He feng [vyng, γ.] the offryng and ȝaf hit anone to pore men, and deyde sone afterward in Bithinia as [hyt, add. γ.] is forseide.