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

IN the feste of the translacion of saynt Thomas of Caunter|bury, kynge Edwarde toke the See vnwyttynge all his men whether he wold wende. But by ledynge of a knyght of Hare|court, that was sometyme outlawed oute of Fraunce, the kyng londed at Hoggys bysides the Ryver of Seyn in the south syde of Normandy, and spoylled Cadony and other Cytees, and so his men were made full ryche. But the kynge of Fraunce had broke the brydges of Ryvers in every syde, for the hoostes shold not come to geders and fyght. Therfor kynge Edwarde roode in Normandye and toke prayes in every syde. On saynt Rufus daye the martir, that is on saynt Austyn the doctours even, that is the seven and twentyest day of Lammasse monethe, at Cressy in Pycardy kynge Edward gloryously overcome the kyng of Fraunce, and chaced hym, and slewe twey kynges of Boheme and of Mayorck, the duk of Lotheryng, twey bisshops, eyght erles, many noble lordes, two thousand knyghtes, and other men withoute nombre, and chaced the peple that fledde

awey alyve. There Phelyp kynge of Fraunce was wounded in the thyghe and in the throte and twyes vnhorsed of the kynge of Englond, as it was sayd, and escaped aweye vnnethe. There|for the kyng of Englond besyeged Caleys twelve monethes and more. For Caleys was somtyme grete enemye to Englysshe men. That yere in the morow after Mychelmasse day in Monte tumba, that is the sevententh day of Octobre, Englyssh men, and specially of the dyosyce of York, seculeres and regu|lers, bete doune the Scottes that were come by entycyng of the kynge of Fraunce vnto Durham. There Davyd le Bruys kynge of Scotland, William Douglas, and other grete lordes were take, and the other were dede and chaced. Aboute saynt Bartholomeus feste Phelyp kyng of Fraunce, that had arayed hym as it were for to fyghte, and namely for to breke the siege of Caleys, he fledde awey pryvely in the dawnyng, and left there his tentes and a greete dele of vytayls therin; the men [β. wrongly inserts here, and specialliche of the diocise, words which belong to the following sen|tence.]

of Caleys saw that, and yelded vp that cyte to kyng Edward: than kyng Edward was there a moneth, and ordeined for Caleys, and wente in to Englond ageyne aboute Mychelmasse, and graunted trewes for nyne monethes at the instaunce of the Pope. But as he had somtyme in comyng out of Lytel Bry|tayne, so he had at this tyme greete tempeste in the see, and loste thereby many noble knyghtes; therfore this kyng Edwarde made a wonderfull compleynt, and sayde, "My good lady saynt Marye, what is hit, and what bodeth it, that at my wendyng in to Fraunce I have wynde and weder and al thyng at my wylle, and in my comynge ageyne toward Eng|lond I have tempest and many hard happes." This yere fylle grete reyne from the feste of the natyvyte of saynt Johan, and dured till mydwynter next therafter. Soo that vnnethe passed ony day, but it rayned by day or by nyght. That tyme fyll grete deth of men in all the world wyde, and bygan in landes oute of the southeest sides. Soo that vnnethe lefte half the people alyve; and somme hous of relygyon of twenty lefte

but tweyne. The syxthe Pope Clement dyed on saynt Ny|cholas day. And anon the Popes cheef penitancer Steven bisshop Hostiensis was chose pope, and was cleped the sixth Innocent. Also that yere byganne grete derth of thynges that shold be solde, soo that the sale of thynges was for double pryce to that it was wonte. Also the see and the lande by|ganne to wex more bareyn than they were byfore. This yere it was acorded and sworne bytwene the kynges of Englonde and of Fraunce, outetake that the kynges seeles were not sette to the indentures that were wryten: the acorde was that the kyng of Englond shold have alle his londes of the ducherye of Guyan that were taken from hym byfore by the kynge of Fraunce, soo that the kyng of Englond sholde leve and re|sygne vp to the kyng of Fraunce all the right and clayme that he had to the Royamme of Fraunce. Vpon that doyng were solempnel messagers sente in the kynges half of Englond; Henry the noble duk of Lancastre, Henry erle of Arundel, Mychel of Northburgh bisshop of London, and Guy de Bryan. These were sente to the popes courte for to have the covenauntes

recorded by the popes bulles, but by sodayne fraude of Fraunce, and by assente of the pope, the covenauntes were put of and undoo. Therfore Englonde arayeth for to fyghte for to re|kever and wynne the landes that were take with wrong. And the kyng of Englond entred in to Fraunce with grete strength of knyghtes; but he herde telle that Barwyk was y-take, and cam ageyne, and delyverd Barwyk of the power of Scottes. This yere was so greete drought togeder that in thre monethes, Apryl, May, and Juyn, vnnethe fyll a drope of reyne doune to the erth. On a Friday in a Whitsonweke were twey freres of the ordre of Menours brente at Avinion for somme fals oppyn|yons as it semed by the pope and the cardynals. The same yere at the nativite of our Lady, the king of Englonds eldest sone Edward sailed in to Gascoyn with many men of armes and archers to recover and wynne the landes of the ducherye of Guyan, that the kynge of Fraunce had long tyme wrongfully withholde; there Edward dwellyd all a yere withoute ony rees of enemyes. But in the mene tyme he toke and bete doune

and spoylled and brente huge cytees that were rebelle ageynst hym, as Narbon, Carcason and other; but in the ende of the yere of his comynge, the one and twen [Sic.] day of the moneth of Septembre, whyle the duc of Lancastre besyeged the cyte of Brevens in Brytayne, Edward passed by the brynkes of the Ryver Loyr, that is of the ducherye of Guyan. There cam the kyng of Fraunce with a grete hooste, and fought with hym, but the kynges men of Fraunce were slayne and chased. And the kyng of Fraunce was take and brought to Bur|deaus in Gascoyne, and there he was till Whitsontyde. This yere aboute Whitsontyde the forsayd Edward sayled oute of Gaskoyn into Englond with Johan kyng of Frensshe men. And anone the pope sente twey cardynals into Englond for to trete of pees bytwene the twey kynges. The cardynals dwellyd in Englonde a full yere, and the thrydde cardynal come of his owne hede to comfort the kynge of Fraunce, and dwellyd with the other cardynals at London. Also this yere, that was the yere of oure Lord a thousand thre honderd and seven and fyfty, aboute Al Halowen tyde, Davyd le Bruys, kyng of Scotlond,

was deliverd, that hadde be long tyme in warde, enleven yere, in the castel of Odyham, and he payed a grete raunsoune. Also this yere at the court of Rome beganne grete stryf bytwene the primate Armacan and Freres beggers. Also the same yere was grete destruction in Britayne and in Normandy by Phelip, that was the kynges broder of Naverne, and by sire James Pipe and Robert Knolles, and many other Englisshe men, withoute hede and withoute warraunte of the kinge of Englond. This yere, aboute the Assumpcion of oure Ladye, Edward kinge of Englond and his eldest sonne, Edwarde prince of Wales, the duck of Lancastre, and neigh alle the lordes of Englond, with a grete hooste of horsmen and of archers gadred with aboute a thou|sand chariottes, dwellyd somwhat long time at Sandwich; and aboute Michelmasse nexte therafter, the forsaide duk sailed to Caleys: the kyng and the prynce sayled to the same place about Candelmasse, and byganne anone to ryde in the royam of Fraunce; but they lay in the feelde in Burgoyn and in Cham|payne

to the Annunciacion of our Lady. In the mene tyme the Normans landed at Wynchelsee with a lytel navey in Eng|lond, the fytenthe day of Marche, and assaylled that toune, and slewe men, and brente somme of the toune; but there many of the see theves were slayne and drowned, and the other part of the see theves fledde to theyr shippes, and wente oute of Eng|lond, as they were compellyd by the abbot of Bataylle and strength that was with hym. This yere aboute saynt Dunstans feest, Edward kyng of Englond toke trues with the kyng of Fraunce in hope of pees, and cam with his hoost ageyn in to Englonde; but he lost meny men, horses, and charyottes, besydes Parys, the xviii. day after Eester, by a storme of weder that fyll there that tyme. Aboute Lammasse nexte therafter, Armacan and the ordre of beggers of the stryf that was by|twene hem ceessyd by heeste of the pope. Also the same tyme the prynce of Wales, the duc of Lancastre, and many other lordes of Englond, and the kyng of Fraunce, wente to Caleys to reforme the pees bytwene Englond and Fraunce: there the

pees was reformed and assured with surete of oth on eyther syde. And the kynges of Englond and of Fraunce wente home ageyne to her owne kyngdoms aboute Mychelmasse. And sone therafter were messagers sente to Avinion to the pope to conferme the pees and the covenauntes on eyther syde.

God be thanked of al his dedes. This translacion is ended on a Thursdaye the eyghtenthe daye of Apryll, the yere of our Lord a thousand thre honderd and lvii., the xxxi. yere of kyng Edward the thyrd after the Conquest of Englond; the yere of my lordes age, Syr Thomas lord of Berkley, that made me make this translacion, fyve and thyrtty.

Thus endeth the book named Proloconycon, made and com|piled by Ranulph, monk of Chestre, whiche ordeyned it in Latyn; and atte request of the ryght worshipful lord Thomas, lord of Berkeley, it was translated in to Englisshe by one Trevisa, thenne vycarye of the paryssh of Barkley. And for as moche as syth the accomplysshemente of this sayd booke, made by the sayd Ranulph, ended the yere of oure Lord a Mccclvii., many thynges have fallen whiche ben requysyte to be added to this werke, by cause mennes wyttes in this tyme ben oblyvyous and lyghtly forgeten many thynges dygne to be

putte in memorye, and also there can not be founden in these dayes but fewe that wryte in theyr regystres suche thynges as dayly happen and falle. Therfore I, William Caxton, a symple persone, have endevoyred me to wryte fyrst over all the sayd book of Proloconycon, and somwhat have chaunged the rude and old Englyssh, that is to wete, certayn wordes which in these dayes be neither vsyd ne vnderstanden; and furthermore have put it in emprynte to thende that it maye be had, and the maters therin comprised to be knowen, for the boke is general, touchyng shortly many notable maters, and also am avysed to make another booke after this sayd worke, whiche shal be sett here after the same, and shal have his chapytres and his table aparte. For I dar not presume to sette my booke ne ioyne hit to his for dyverse causes: one is for as moche as I have not ne can gete no bokes of auctoryte treatyng of suche cronykes, except a lytel booke named Fasciculus temporum, and another callyd Aureus de universo, in whiche bookes I fynde ryght lytel mater syth the sayde tyme. And another cause is for as moche as my rude symplenesse and ignorant makyng ought not to be compared, set, ne ioyned to his boke. Thenne I shal by the grace of God set my werke after aparte, for to accomplysshe the yeres syth that he fynysshed his book vnto the yere of our Lord MCCCLX., and the fyrst yere of the regne of kyng Edward the fourthe, whiche amounte to an honderd and thre yere.