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

De Prœconiis Sanctorum. Capitulum tricesimum sextum.

Here Girald makeþ mencioun, [mynde, Cx.] þat as men of þis nacioun beeþ more angry þan oþer men and more hasty for to take wreche, while þey beeþ on lyue; [alyue, α. A frequent variation.] so seyntes and halowes of þis lond beeþ more wrecheful þan seyntes of oþer londes. Clerkes of þis lond beeþ chast, and biddeþ meny bedes, [sayen many prayers, Cx.] and dooþ greet abstinence a day, and drynkeþ al nyȝt; so þat

it is acounted for a myracle þat leccherie reigneþ nouȝt þere, as wyn reigneþ. And as moche schrewes among hem beeþ of alle schrewes worste, [And they that ben euyl of them ben worst of all other, so, &c., Cx.] so good men among hem, (þeiȝ þere beeþ [be, α., Cx. (the latter has other slight variations.)] but fewe,) beeþ goode at þe best. Prelates of þat contray beeþ wel [ful, Cx.] slowe in correccioun of trespas, and besy in contemplacioun, and nowt [nouȝt, α.] of [in, α.] prechynge of Goddes word. Þerfore it is þat alle þe seyntes of þat lond beeþ confessoures, and non martir among hem; and no wonder, for wel nyh [wel nyh] om. Cx.] alle þe prelates of þat contrey beeþ i-chose out of abbayes in to þe clergie, and dooþ as monkes schulde. What clerkes and prelates schulde doo is to hem vnknowe; þerfore whan it was [was] So α. and Cx.; is, MS.] i-putte aȝenst þe bisshop of Casille, how it myȝte be þat so meny seyntes beeþ in Ir|lond and neuere a martir among ham, [MS. and α. (not Cx.) badly add and no wonder.] siþþe [seþ, α.] þat þe men beeþ so schrewed and so angry, and þe prelates so recheles and so slowh [slowe, α.] in correcciouns of trespas, þe bisshop an|swerde frowardliche [So α. and Cx. (frowardly); liche, MS.] i-now, and seide: "Oure men beeþ schrewed and angry inow to [So Cx.; and to, MS. and α.] hem self, but in Goddes ser|uauntes

þey leye [leieþ, α.] neuere no [no] om. α. and Cx.] hond, but þey dooþ hem greet reuerence and worschippe; but Englische men comeþ in to þis lond, þat konneþ make martires and were i-woned to vse þat craft." [A few trifling variations in Cx.] Þe bisshop seide so, bycause þat kyng Henry [Harry, Cx.] þe secounde was þoo [þoyȝ i-come, α.; tho newe comen, Cx.] i-come in to Irlond freschliche after þe martirdom of Seint Thomas of Caunturbury. Giraldus. In þis lond, in Wales, and in Scotlond, bee billes [beeþ bellis, α.] and staues wiþ croked hedes, and oþere such þinges for relikes, in grete reuerence and worschippe; so þat men of þis lond dredeþ more forto swere [swerie, α.] vppon eny of þilke belles and gold battes [staues, Cx.] þan vppon þe gospel. Þe chief of alle suche relikes is i-holde [in hold, MS.; y holde, Cx.] Iesus his staf [þat is at Develynge; wiþ þe whiche staf] [Words in brackets added from α. and Cx.] þey seiþ þat þe first Patrik droof þe wormes out of Irlond. Augustinus de Ciuitate Dei, libro sexto decimo, capitulo septimo. Ȝif me axeþ, how it may be þat dyuerse manere bestes and of dyuerse kynde, þat beeþ kyndeliche i-gete by twene male and female, come and beeþ in ilondes after Noes flood, me troweþ [So MS. and α.; men supposen, Cx.] þat suche bestes swam in to ilondes aboute, and firste to þe nexte,

and so forþ in to oþere; oþere [or els, Cx.] men seillinge into oþere londes [in to ylondes, Cx.] brouȝte wiþ hem suche bestes for loue of huntinge; oþer aungelles at God Almyȝties heste [comaundement, Cx., and so be|low.] brouȝte suche bestes in to ilondes aboute; oþer þe erþe brouȝt hem forþ ferst, and fulfilled þoo Goddes heste, þat heet [commaunded, Cx.] þe erþe brynge [to brynge, Cx.] forþ gras and quyk bestes.