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

C^m 22^m.

After Benet the sixte Gregorye was pope about an [an] om. Cx.] foure ȝere, and het [hyȝt, γ.] Gratianus toforhond. W. de R'. This man, of grete religioun and sternenesse, [sturnes, γ.] had a batail somtyme with Henry the emperor. Also this fonde [vond, γ.] the state of the poperiche of Rome so to falle, that unnethe he had oute [ought, Cx.] for hym silf and

the cardinals forto lyve by, but fewe [veaw, γ.] tounes neiȝ the cite and the offryng of Cristen men. The other [del] [From γ.; remenaunt, Cx.] was take awey other occupied by theeves, so fer forth that the offryngis were take awey from the auters under naked [naket, γ.] swerdes, other robbede in the heiȝ stretes and weyes. Therfore alle provynces lefte of and toke nouȝt the wey to Rome by cause of theeves [þueues, γ.] in the weye and of othere theeves in Seynt Petres chirche. Gregory syȝ this, and treted with hem first softe and with faire speche, but whanne he syȝ that hit halp [helpyd, Cx.] nouȝt, he cursed alle that dide so and departed hem from the body of holy chirche and alle that were assentynge to hem that so dide. Whanne the pope syȝ that that halp nouȝt but brouȝt hymsilf into peryle of deth, he wrote to the emperor that he schuld helpe holy chirche that was in poynt forto falle. The emperor excused hym by the werre of Wandalia, and prayed the pope that he wolde in his stede and at his cost put [potte, γ.] to his hond. Therfore the pope ȝaf the doom that the iren of kitting [yre of kuttyng, γ.] most be used and gat hym armure and horsemen in everech side, that drof awey first, other slouȝ the theeves that robbede the offryngis of Seynt Petres chirche. Thanne the pope gate aȝen and rekevered [and rekeuered] om. Cx.] the lond that he had lost long tyme. Thanne the Quyrites, that were wont [wound þe mene tyme to, γ] to lyve by theefthe and by robberye, cleped the pope a blode scheder, and a mansleer, and seide that he was nouȝt worthi to do the office of the auter, so that many of the car|dinals were assentyng to that menyng and demede that the pope schuld nouȝt be buried in holy chirche In his laste evel [sekenesse, Cx.] he was war therof and clepede the cardinals tofore hym and spake to hem in this maner. My bretheren [bryþern, γ.] me wondreth gret|lich that ȝe demeth ȝoure bischop so rabbischlich, [rabbyschlyche. γ.] [I have lyved so that I have spente what I had in youre prouffyte: for your delyveraunce] [From Cx.] ich have forgendrid and rouȝt nouȝt of the fame of this world. Therfore ȝif other men make siche tales uppon me, ȝe schuld stille the opynions of fooles in a beter maner menyng. Theeves hadde take awey ȝoure lif|blode [lyflode, γ.] and that y myȝt nouȝt suffre, therfore ich werred with the theeves. Therfore siththe that everich mannes dede schal be demed by the entent of hym that doth the dede, as the gospel seith ȝif thyn eiȝe is symple, that is, if thine entent is riȝtful, al the body schal be briȝt and clere

that is, the gaderyng [gaddryng, γ.] of thi werkes. Som tyme ich ȝaf almes to the pore man, and he schewide my benefet [benefeite, Cx.] to the theef and to the robber. Therfore he was robbed and slayn. Schal ich be blamed for ich ȝaf almes to the pilgrime thurȝ the which [whoche, γ.] he had his deth, God hit forbede, for hit was covertise [covetys, γ.] of the theef that dide that cursed dede, and nouȝt my largesse and fredom. Also in the lawe the same is blamed and punysched, and praysed for dyverse entent. For the theef that sleeth in hidels [hudels, γ.] is punyschid, and the knyȝt is preysed that sleeth his enemy in batail. For the first sleeth the man for covetise and the secunde for the savacioun of the cuntray. Also the first pope Adrian was somtyme praysed for he graunted to Charles the investiture of prelates. Now beth [be, Cx.] oure bischops praysed for thei doth the contrarie and by|nymeth princes sich maner power. Thanne for somme maner causes hit was resonabliche [resonhabelych, γ., bis.] graunted that is now resonablich werned [worned, γ.] and denyed. For thanne Charles soule was not infect with covetise, and the court of Rome was fer from the ellites, [ellytes, γ.; ellysers, Cx.] and the prince was neiȝ and fest by, and wolde riȝt nouȝt do by covetise, but now covetise of prince hath schent [yschend, γ.] al. In this maner may my cause be take toward either side, and be apeyred other holpe, but ȝe seyn [suggeþ, γ.] it is nouȝt a bischops office to schede mannes blode, nother to make hit be sched, y graunte. Netheles it fallith to hym, ȝif he seeth [sue, Cx.] the innocent in peryl, to helpe and socoure [socre, γ.] hym, with his tonge and wit hond. For Eȝechiel accuseth [accused, Cx.] the prestes [prustes, γ.] for thei withstode nouȝt nother made a wal for Goddes hous; twey persoones beth ordeyned in Goddes chirche, for [for . . . synnes] om. Cx.] to distruye vices and synnes, oon that whetteth [weteþ, γ.] the speche, and another that berith the swerde; ich take witnesse of God and of ȝou that ich armed the tonge aȝenus the enemyes of holy chirche as longe as ich myȝt profyte. And hym to whom hit bifallith to worche with the swerde y prayed thries by messagers, and by lettres that he wolde come and chaste [chastyse, Cx.] sich maner theeves, and he wrote aȝen that he was occupied in the werre of Wandalia, and prayede that ich wolde at my travail, and at his cost dis|tourbe the theeves. What schuld ich do thanne whanne he had put his office uppon me? And y syȝ the sleyng of citesyns

the damage of pilgrimes and the meschef of the pope and of the cardinals, and he that spareth the theef ȝeveth cause and occasioun why the riȝtful man and innocent is slayn. But on caas ȝe seyn [seggeth, γ.] that it fallith nouȝt for a prest to schede mannes blode, y graunt, but ȝif he defouleth hym silf that berith doun the wicked man and saveth the man that is innocent and riȝtful, and thei beth blessed that kepith riȝtful doom and riȝt|wisenesse. Phinees and Mathathias [Mathias, γ.] beth praysed for thei sticked thurȝ hem that trespaced, [trespast, Cx.] but we schal lasse suffre oure verrey holy thynges to be defouled, than thei her mysteries that were but schadowe in comparisoun to oure. [of oures, Cx.] And Zacha|rie the bischop put kyng Oȝias out, for he wolde sense, and wit out drede he wolde have kilde hym nadde he go his wey, and ich [ich] he, Cx., wrongly.] dide hem gode the which it semeth that y slouȝ, for the longer that the wicked man lyveth, the more he deserveth of blame and payne. Therfore he that schorteth the lif of sich oon, lasseneth [lassyth, Cx.] his blame and his peyne, and so he doth for hym and ȝeveth hym a benefice. Treuisa. Here war of the develes argument and of gyle. For be a man neuer so evel, ȝett he may amende, while he is alyve, and so dide Paul and Marye Mandeleyn, [Magdelen, γ.; Magdalene, Cx.] and many othere, and so Crist meneth in the gospel in the ensaumple of whete, and of eur' [cockle, Cx.] that som men clepeth darnel. [durnel, γ.] Thanne it folewith in the storye. Thanne the pope seide: that ich nother ȝe be bigiled in this doyng; takith my body, whanne ich am dede, and setteth tofore the chirche dores without, and doth that the dores be fast y-loke [loken, Cx.] and barred, and ȝif the dores openeth nouȝt by Goddes grace, and his vertue; doth with my body what ȝe wolleth. [wol, Cx.] Whanne it was ydo as the pope had yhote, there come a whirle· wynde and brake up the dores and the barres and schufte in the body anone to the ynner wal of the chirche. Whanne this myracle was seen, the cardynals and the peple buriede hym in Seynt Petres chirche. Also this ȝere at a feste of a spousayl, at Lambeheth [Lambehyth, Cx.] besides Londoun, while kyng Hardecnutus was hool glad and mury, and stode and dranke, he fil [a vel, γ.] doun sodeynlich and werth [wexe, Cx.] dombe [dome, γ.] and deyde the eiȝte day of June, and was buried with his fader at Wyn|chestre. Henr' li ^o 6^o. Me seith that he was so large and so fre of herte, that he wolde make aray kynges messes foure

sithes a day. For hym was lever that gistes schulde leve relef [relyf, γ.] thanne axe more mete. Willelmus de Regibus. Me sent anoon into Normandy for Edward schuld come and be crowned kyng, and plegges were yȝeve so that he schuld brynge with hym but fewe [veaw, γ.] Normans. Thanne halpe [helped, Cx.] Edwardes side, Leofricus erle of Chestre, Godwyn duke of West Saxons, and Livingus bischop of Wircetre. R. But Marianus seith that kyng Hardecnutus had sent toforhond for his brother Edward, and made hym abide with hym in his owne court. Wil|lelmus de Regibus et Mar'.