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

De episcopis occidentalibus. Capitulum quinquagesimum tertium.

Willelmus. Haue mynde þat alle þe prouince of West|saxon hadde alwey oon bisshop from þe bygynnynge anoon to Theodores comynge. [time, Cx.] By graunt of Kingislus, [kyng Islo, MS., Cx.] kyng of West Saxon, þe firste Birinus ordeyned a cee at Dorchestre, þat is a symple toun by souþ Oxenforde by sides Walyng|forde, bytwene þe fallynge to gidres of Temse and of Tame. Whan Birinus was deed, Kenwalkus þe kyng ordeyned a see at Wynchestre, as his fader hadde i-þoȝt. [purposed, Cx.] Þere Gilbert, [Agilbert, Cx.] a Frensche man, was first bisshop of al þe prouince of West. saxon. From þat tyme þe [þat þe, MS.; not α. or Cx.] citee and þe see of Dorchestre

perteyned and longede to þe prouince of Mercia; for þat citee stondeþ wiþ ynne Temse; and Temse departeþ bytwene Mercia and Westsaxoun. After þat Agelberd [Agilbert, Cx.] was i-putte out of Wynchestre, þat þo heet Wyntoun. Wyn [Wyne, α.] of En|glische nacioun was bisshop þere; [Sentence varied in Cx.] som [whan som, MS. (first hand.)] men weneþ þat þat [þe, α., Cx.] citee haþ þe name of þis Wyn, and hatte Wynechestre, as it were Wyne is citee. At þe laste he was putte [i-put, α.] out and after hym come Leutherius, þe forseide Agilbertus neuewe. After Leutherius Hedda a while was bisshop þere. Whan he was dede, Theodorus þe archebisshop ordeyned tweye bisshoppes to þe prouince of Westsaxon; Danyel at Wynchestre, to hym were sugettes [sugett, α.] tweie contrees Souþerey and Souþhampschire; Aldelyn [Adelin, Cx.] at Schireborne, to hym were sugettes sixe contrayes, Barrokschire, [Barkshire, Cx.] Wiltschire, Somersete, Dorchestreschire, Deuenschire, and Cornewayle. Trevisa. [Reference added from Cx.] Afterward me [it, α.] semeþ by þis lawe [sawe, α.; it seemeth by this that, &c., Cx.] þat Westsaxon con|teyned Souþeray, Souþhampschire, Barrokschire, Wiltschire, Somersede, Dorsete, Deuenschire, and Cornwayle. [Names slightly varied in Cx.] Wil|lelmus. Afterward in elder Edwardes tyme to þe[se] [þese, α., Cx.] tweye

sees þre [oþer þre oþere, MS.; thre other, Cx.] oþere sees were i-ordeyned by heste [commaundment, Cx.] of Formosus þe pope. Þe [þre, Cx.] cees were i-ordeyned at Welles for Somersete, at Crittoun [Crettoun, α.; Kryton, Cx.] for Deuenschire, and at Seint German for Cornewayle. Noȝt ful longe afterward þe sixte see was i-sette at Ramysbury for Wiltschire. At þe laste by heste [So α.; beheste, MS.] of kyng William Conquerour alle þese sees saue Wynchestre were [was, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] i-torned and i-chaunged out of smal townes in to grete citees. For Schirborne and Ramysbury were i-torned to Salisbury. Now to þat see is sugett Barokschire, Wilt|schire, and Dorsett. Þe see of Welles was i-torned to Baþe. Þerto is now sugett al Somersete. Þe sees of Critton [Cryttoun, α.; Kyrton, Cx.] and of Cornewayle were i-chaunged to Excetre. Þerto is suget Deuenschire and Cornwayle.