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

Capitulum undecimum.

THIS yere, Lowys duc of Orleauns was slayn meschevously at Parys atte commaundement of the duc of Burgoyne. For it was soo that the duc of Orleaunce hadde ben to vysyte the Quene. And as he retorned to his Inneward, certayne per|sonnes ordeyned by the sayd duc of Burgoyne laye in awayte, and fylle on him and slewe hym cruelly, smytynge the brayn oute of his heede; and one of his gentylmen was slayne with hym: wherfor on the morn was a grete counseyll, and the yates of Parys were closed, and alle the grete lordes thenne beyng at Parys were assemblyd. Among whome was the sayd duc that commysed this murdre, and there was gyven strayte commaundemente to the prouost of Parys that he shold make strayte serche to knowe who hadde commised this grete murdre. For as soone as the murdres hadde slayne the duk they sette an hous a fyre. And whyle the people cam for to staunche the fyer, they had their horses redy, and soo escaped, and roode in to Flaundrys. And on the nexte daye, whanne al the lordes were reassembled, there was moche axynge and serchyng, who myght doo this murdre. Thenne the sayd Duc of Burgoyne stode vp and sayde that he hym self hadde doo putte hym to deth for certayne causes whiche he wold justyfye, and forthwith he departed oute of the counseil and wente to his lodgyng, and toke his hors with a pryvy meyney, and rode strayt to Lyle; and after cam al his other meyny, and so de|parted he from Parys. Wherupon after cam the duchesse of Orleaunce his wyf, the Dukes doughter of Melan, with her sonnes, and her oldest sones wyf, suster to the kyng, whiche had ben tofore quene of Englonde, kynge Rychardys wyf, and requyred humbly iustice of the kynge, whiche thenne was in

gode heele, and sate in the chayer of iustyce. To whome the kynge sayde that he wold doo iustyce on them that commysed that horryble crysme on his seul and only broder, and that they sholde veryly knowe it in al hast possible. Thenne after this the duc of Burgoyn made requestys that he myght come to fore the kyng and his counseyll for to justyfye the deth of the duc of Orleaunce, whiche was graunted, and soo cam with a grete armye into Parys. And there tofore the Dolphyn and al the counseylle of the kynges in playn parlemente, by a doc|tour of dyvynyte callyd mayster Iohan Petyte, he made his justificacion. And after at another daye assygned, the duchesse of Orleaunce dide by another doctoure of divinite make a replicacion. And so that mater henge longe; whiche mater was occasion of infynyte sorowe in the royamme of Fraunce. Aboute this tyme the counseylle of Pyse was, in which was bygonne the maner to make unyon in the chirche, but it prevayled not. In the tenth yere cam the Seneschal of Henawd with many other gentil men in to Englond for to doo armes and to geete honoure and worship. The Seneschal chalengyd therle of Somersete. And therle delyverd hym manly of his chalengys, and wanne thonoure of the felde. The next day after cam in to the felde another man of the Senes|challys partye, & ageynst hym cam Syre Rychard of Arondele, knyght. And the Henewer had the better of hym, for he brought hym on his knees. The thyrdde day cam in another, and ageyne hym cam Syre Iohan Cornewayle, knyght, and manly quytte hym in the felde, and hadde the beter of his adversarye. On the fourth day cam in to the feld another Henewer, and ageynste hym cam Syre Iohan Cheynes sonne, and he cast doune hors & man. And therfor the kyng dubbyd hym knyght. The fyfthe daye cam in another Henewer, and to hym cam Syre Iohan Styward, knyght, whiche quytte hym manly and hadde the better. The Syxthe daye cam another Henewer, and to hym cam William Porter, Squyer. And he hadde the better of the Henewer, and the kyng dubbyd hym knyght. The seventhe day cam in another Henewer, and to hym cam Iohan Standysshe, squyer, and he hadde the better, and the kynge dubbyd hym knyght. The same day cam another Henewer, and to hym cam a squyer of Gascoyne, whiche hadde the better and was dubbed knyght. The eyght daye cam in two Henewers, and to hem cam two sowdyours of Calays that were bretheren, whiche had the better in the felde. And thus ended this chalenge with moche worship. The kynge thenne fested the straungers ryally, And at theyr departynge yafe hym ryche yeftes; and soo they departed and wente home. In the enleventh yere was a batayll done in Smythfelde bytwene two squyers, one callyd Gloucetre, and that other Arthure, whiche well and manly foughte togeder

longe tyme. And the kynge for theyr manlynes toke theyr quarel in to hys honde, and made hem goo oute of the felde to|gyder attones. And soo they were dyvyded of theyr bataylle, and the kynge yaf hem grace.

This same yere the comons putte vp a bylle in the parle|ment to the kynge as for the temporalytees beynge in the handes of the spirituelte; but there was none answer gyven at that tyme, for the kyng wold be advysed. After Rupertus, Sygis|mundus was electe and chosen emperiour this same yere, and was emperour seven and twenty yere. This Sygysmundus was kynge of Hongary, whiche was a very crysten and meke man, also devoute and hooly, and after thoppynyon of somme persones worthy to be canonysed. This was a special socour to hooly chirche, whiche he fonde soore afflycte and desolate by the scysme; but he by his merveyllous wysedome and indus|trye socoured it gretely. For he spared not hym self, ne his, vnto the tyme that there was a very and full unyon in the chirche. He hadde nyne bataylles ageynst the Turkes, which he al gate tryumphyng. What shal I saye more, but alle the lawde that hath be gyven to Constantyn, Theodosio, to Charles, to Ottone, and all other emperours worthy to be preysed, maye surely be applyed to this Sygysmunde: he was crowned of Eugenye. After this the royamme of Boheme was a grete parte destroyed by Sygismunde and the prynces of Almayne for the heresye of the Hussytes. And the pope gaf oute a croysye ageynst them. A croysye gyven by the pope is whanne he giveth playne indulgence to them that make warre ageynste hethen men, Turkes or heretykes, or them that be not obedyente to the chirche of Rome. In the same yere Iohan of Badby, a fals Lollar and heretyke, was brente in Smythfeld, whiche bylevyd that the Sacrament was not Goddes bodye.