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

Capitulum Trisesimum Tercium.

THENNE whanne the Erle of Marche and therle of Warwyk hadde mette to geder on Cottiswold, incontynent they con|cluded to go to London, and sente worde anone to the mayer and to the cyte that they shold come. Anone the cyte was gladde of theyr comynge, hopynge to be relyevyd by them. And soo they cam to London: and whanne they were comen and hadde spoken with the lordes and astates, thenne beyng there, concluded, for as moche as kynge Harry was gone with them northward, that he had forfayted his crowne and ought to be deposed, acordyng vn to the actes made and passed in the last parlement. And soo by thadvys of the lordes spirituel and temporel thenne beynge at London, the erle of Marche Edward, by the grace of God oldest sone of Rychard duke of Yorke, as ryghtful heyr and next enherytour to his fader, the fourthe day of Marche the yere of oure lorde Lix., toke possession of the royamme of Englond at Westmynstre in the grete halle, and after in the chirche of the abbay, and offryd as kynge, berynge the septre royall; to whom alle the lordes, bothe spirituel and temporell, dyde hommage and obeyssaunce as to theyr soverayne, lyege, and lawful lord and kynge. And forthwith it was pro|clamed thurgh the cyte, kyng Edward the fourthe of that name. And anone after the kyng rode in his ryall astate norward with all his lordes for to subdue his subgettis that tyme beyng in the north, and tavenge his faders deth. And on Palmsonday after he hadde a grete bataylle in the northe countrey, at a place callyd Towton, not fer fro Yorke, where, with the helpe of God, he gate the felde and had the vyctorye; where were slayne of his adversaryes xxx. thousand men & moo, as it was sayd by men that were there. In whiche bataylle was slayne the erle of Northumberlond, the lord Clyfford, Syr Iohan Nevyll, the Erle of Westmerlandes brother, Andrewe Trollop, and many other knyghtes and squyers. Thenne kyng Harry that had ben kynge, beynge with the quene and prynce at Yorke, heerynge the losse of that feld and soo moche peple slayn and over|throwen, anone forthwith departed al thre, with the duc of Somersete, the lord Roos and other, toward Scotland. And the next daye kynge Edward with all his armye entryd in to Yorke, and was there proclamed kyng, and obeyed as he ought to be. And the mayer, aldermen and comyns sworne to be his lyege men, and whanne he hadde taryed a while in the north, and that alle the countrey there had tourned to him, he retorned south|warde, levynge the Erle of Warwyck in tho partyes for to kepe and governe that countrey. And about mydsomer after, the yere

of oure Lord God a thousande four honderd and syxty, and the fyrste yere of his regne, he was crowned at Westmynstre, and enoynted kynge of Englond, havynge the hoole possession of all the hoole royamme: whome I praye God save and kepe, and sende hym thaccomplysshement of the remenaunt of his rightfull enherytaunce byyonde the see, and that he may regne in them to the playsyre of Almyghty God, helthe of his sowle, honoure and worshippe in this presente lyf, and wele and prouffyte of alle his subgettis; and that there may be a veray fynal pees in al crysten royames, that the infydeles and myscreauntes may be withstanden and destroyed, and our feyth enhaunced, whiche in thyse dayes is sore mynnysshed by the puyssaunce of the Turkes and hethen men, and that after this presente and short lyf we maye come to the everlastyng lyf in the blysshe of heven: Amen.

And here I make an end of this lytel werke, as nygh as I can fynde after the forme of the werk tofore made by Ranulph monk of Chestre. And where as ther is fawte, I beseche them that shal rede it to correcte it, for yf I coude have founden moo storyes I wold have sette in hit moo; but the substaunce that I can fynde and knowe I have shortly sette hem in this book, to thentente that such thynges as have ben done syth the deth or ende of the sayd boke of Polychronycon shold be had in remembraunce and not putte in oblyvyon ne forgetynge; prayenge all them that shall see this symple werke to pardone me of my symple and rude wrytynge. Ended the second day of Iuyll, the xxij. yere of the regne of kynge Edward the fourth, & of the incarnacion of oure Lord a thousand four honderd four score and tweyne.

Fynysshed per Caxton.