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

Capitulum primum.

IN the yere of oure Lord a Thousand thre honderd eyght and fyfty, in October, Robert Knolles, a Capytayne of a greete com|panye of Englysshe men and other, helde and had won many fortresses in Fraunce by Orleaunce in Brytayne and in Nor|mandye. And in the same monethe he lefte his garnysons, and cam tofore Parys, and there bytoke a stronge place named Amblanullers. And they of Parys sente out men of warre ageynste them, but they were anone overthrowen and beten into the toune ageyn. And dayly they assaylled the Frensshmen vnto the yates of Parys, and helde them of Parys soo strayte that atte laste they were constreyned to bye that place of hym, & to yeve to hym large moneye to departe. And after they destroyed many places in Champayne; and in Marche after they toke the Cyte of Anserre and the Castel; at whiche pryse were made thre knyghtes, that is to saye, Robert Knolles, Tomelyn Fonque, and another, whiche thre were Capytaynes of grete foyson of Englysshmen. And they pylled that toune, which was ryche as was sayd, they hadde as moche good and Jewellys, as was valewyd to fyve honderde thousand motons of Golde. And the Raunsonne of prysonners of synguler personnes was an over grete somme. And whan

the Englysshmen had seen the lordes of the toune and had pylled it viij. dayes during, they said they wold brenne the toun, so that they that were left dwelling in the toun agreed to gyve them to save it forty thousand motons of golde, and syxty perles valewyd at ten thousand motons of golde. And that Englysshemen sholde bere aweye with them aboue that as moche goode as they wold, excepte the Jewellys of the chirche of saynt Germayn, the whiche they shold have in pledge for theyr payemente vnto mydsomer, and as to the wallys, they sholde breke them doune, and brenne the gates, and soo they dyde.

In this yere of oure Lorde a thousande thre honderd syxty, and fyve and thyrtty yere of the regne of kynge Edward the thirde, the pees was fynysshed and acorded bytwene bothe kynges of Fraunce and of Englonde, as it is afore sayd. And at Alhalowen tyde after bothe two kynges metten togeder at Caleys with bothe theyr counseyls; and there were shewyd the Artycles and condicions of the pees and acorde, to whiche both partyes agreed, and promysed to observe and kepe, where forthwith was songe a solempne masse. And after the thyrde Agnus Dei vppon Goddes bodye, and also on the myssale, bothe kynges, her sonnes and the grettest lordes of both Royames beyng tho there presente, swore to holde, observe, and kepe the sayd pees and acorde, and alle other covenauntes that were ordeyned bytwene hem.

Aboute this tyme saynt Brygytte, an hooly wydow of the Royamme of Swethen had many revelacions to bee enformed vnto alle thastate of the chirche, and Instytued and founded an ordre newe of women and of men, wherof she is Patrones: her feste is kepte the two and twentyest day of Juyll.

In the same yere were grete and sodayne tempestes and strong lyghtnynge and thondrynge, by whiche howsynge, beestes and trees were perysshed. And the devyl appered in mannys lykenesse to moche peple in dyverse places, and spak to hem.

Also in dyverse places of the worlde were erthe quaves, in soo moche that Basyle the Cyte fylle doune with many Castels aboute hit. That tyme men dwellyd in woodes as beestes, and durste not entre in to Cytees. That tyme were many bataylles, Pestylence and honger in many places. Also in dyverse places the Erthe caste oute whyte water and stynkynge, whiche over|threwe and made to falle Castels and stronge places on many places of the worlde. In this yere, in the feste of Conversion of saynt Poule, kynge Edward helde a parlamente at West|mynstre. In whiche was shewyd the pees and acorde made bytwene the two kynges.

Item.—In the same yere in the Ascencion even was seen Eclypse of the Sonne, wherupon fyll a grete droughte, and

that for defaute of rayn fyll grete derth of corne and heye. Also this same yere the same monethe fylle Rayne in Burgoyne almoost lyke to blood. And a crosse almoost reede was seen in the ayer there. Also in the same tyme was seen in Fraunce, in Englond, and in many other places appyere two castels, oute of whiche yssued oute two hoostes of armed men; that one was clothed in whyte, that other in black. And whan the bataylle was bygonne bytwene them the white overcome the black. And soone after the black overcome the whyte. And thenne they retourned in to theyr castels, and soo vanysshed awey. In this yere was an huge pestylence, and this yere deyde Syre Harry duck of Lancastre. In the same yere Ed|ward prynce of Wales maryed the countesse of Kente, that was Syr Thomas Holandes wyf, which was somtyme dyvorsed fro the Erle of Salysbury for cause of the same knyght. Aboute this tyme a grete company of dyverse nacions assem|blyd theym to gyder, of whome the governours and leders were Englysshmen, whiche dyde moche harme in Fraunce. Anone after aroos another companye of dyverse nacions that were callyd the whyte companye, whiche in the countrayes of Lombardy dyde moche harme. This same yere Syre Johan of Gaunt, sone to kynge Edward the thyrde, was made duk of Lancastre by hys wyf, doughter and heyr of Henry duk of Lancastre that deyde.

Also this yere was a grete wynde which overthrewe houses, Trees, and many a steple in Englond. Item in this yere kynge Edward made Syre Leonel his sonne duc of Clarence, and Edmond his other sonne Erle of Cambrydge. In this yere was ordeyned by a parlament that men of lawe shold plete in theyr moder tongue. In that yere cam in to Englond the kynges of Fraunce, Cypres, and Scotland, which were worshipfully receyved. And after they had ben here long tyme, two of hem wente in to theyr countrayes ageyne. But the kynge of Fraunce, for grete sekenesse that he had, abode stylle in Englond.