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

Capitulum 24.

IN the yere xxv. of kynge Harry was a parlement at Bury, callyd saynt Edmondesburye, aboute whiche was commanded alle the comyns of the contre to bee there in theyr most defen|sable araye for to awayte vpon the kyng. To whiche parle|ment cam the duc of Gloucetre, Hunfreye, the kynges vncle whiche hadd ben protectour of Englonde alle the nonage of the kyng. And anone after he was in his lodgyng, he was arestyd by the vysecounte Bemond, the conestable of Englonde, whome accompanyed the Duc of Bokyngham and many other lordes. And forthwith alle his servauntes were comaunded

for to departe fro hym, and two & thyrtty of the chyeef of hem were also arestyd and sente to dyverse prysons. And v. or vj. dayes after this sayd arest the sayd duke was deede, on whoos sowle God have mercy; But how he deyde and in what manere the certaynte is not to me knowen. Somme sayde he deyde for sorowe; somme sayde he was murthred bytwene two fetherbeddes; other sayd than an hote spyt was putte in his fundament: but how he deyde God knoweth, to whome is no thyng hydde. And thenne whanne he was soo deed, he was leyd open that al man myght see hym. And so both lordes and knyghtes of the shyres with bourgeyses cam & sawe hym lye deede, but wounde ne token coude they not perseyve how he deyde. Here may men marke what this world is. This duk was a noble man and a grete clerke, and hadde worshipfully ruled this Royamme to the kynges behoef, and never coude be founde fawte with hym: but envye of them that were gover|nours, and hadde promysed to delyver the Duchye of Angeo & the Erldome of Mayn, caused the destruction of this noble man. For they drad hym that he wolde have enpesshyd that delyveraunce. And after they sente his body to saynt Albons with certayne lyghtes for to be buryed. And soo Syre Gervays of Clyfton hadde the charge to conveye the corps, and soo it was buryed at saynt Albons in thabbay. And fyve persones of his houshold were sent to London, and ther were rayned and iuged to be drawen, hanged, and quartred, of whome the names were Syre Rogyer Chamberlayne, knyght, and Myddelton, Squyer; Herbard, a squyer; Arthur, a squyer, and Rychard Nedham: whiche fyve personnes were drawen from the Tour of London thurgh Chepe vnto Tiburne, and there hanged and lete doune quyck, and thenne strypt for to have ben heded and quartred. And thenne the marquys of Suffolk shewyd ther for them the kynges pardon vnder his grete seal; and soo they were pardonned of the remenaunt of the execucion, and had theyr lyves; And soo they were brought ageyne to London, and after frely delyverd. Thus beganne the trouble in Englond for the deth of this noble duke. Alle the comons of the royamme beganne for to murmure, and were not content. After that pope Eugenye was deed, Nycholas the fyfth was electe pope. This Nycholas was chosen for Eugenye yet havyng the scisme, Notwithstondyng he gate the obedyence of all cristen roy|ammes. For after he was electe and sacred pope, certayne lordes of Fraunce and of Englond weere sente in to Savoye to pope Felyx for to entreate hym to cesse of the papacye. And by the specyall labour of the bisshop of Norwyche, and the lord of saynt Iohans, he cessyd the second yere after that Nycholas was sacred; and the sayd Felyx was made legate of Fraunce and cardynal of Savoye, and resygned the hoole papacye to, and after lyved a hooly lyf, and deyd an hooly

man. And, as it is sayd, God shewyd myracles for hym. This was the thre and twentyeste scysme bytwene Eugenye and Felyx, and dured sixtene yere. The cause was this: the gene|ralle counseylle of Basylle deposed Eugenye, whiche was only pope and indubytate, for as moche as he observed not and kept the decrees and statutes of the counseylle of Counstance, as it is sayd, nether he rought not to gyve obedyence to that general counseyll; wherof roose a greete altercacion amonge wrytars of this mater pro and contra, whiche can not acorde vnto this day. One partye seyth that the counseylle is above the pope; that other party sayth Nay, but the pope is above the counseyll. God blessyd above alle thynges gyve and sende his pees in hooly chirche, spouse of Cryst. Amen. This Nycholas was of Iene, comen of lowe byrth, a doctour of dyvynyte, an actyf man; he reedefyed many places that were broken and ruynous, and dyde do make a grete walle aboute the palays, and made the walle newe aboute Rome for drede of the Turkes. And the peple wondred of the ceesynge and resygnynge of Felyx to hym, consyderyd that he was a man of so lowe byrthe, and that other was of affynyte to alle the moost part of Crysten prynces; wherof there was a verse pub|lysshed in Rome in this maner: Lux fulsit mundo; cessyd Felyx Nycholao.