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

Capitulum quinquagesimum septimum.

THE archebisshop of Canterbury haþ vnder hym þrit|tene bischoppes in Engelond, and foure in Wales. Þat beeþ Rouchestre, he haþ vnder hym Kent allone; [aloon, α. Sentence varied in Cx.] Lon|doun, he haþ vnder hym Essex and Middelsex and half Hertfordschire; Chichestre, he haþ vnder hym Souþsex and þe Ile of Wiȝt; Wynchestre, he haþ under hym Hamp|schire and Sowþereie; Salysbury haþ vnder hym Barrok|schire, [Barkshire, Cx.; who has other slight variations of orthography and expression.] Wilteschire, and Dorsete; Excetre haþ vnder hym

Deuenschire and Cornwayle; Baþe haþ vndre hym Somersete|[schire] [Added from Cx. (not in α.)] allone; Wircestre hathe vnder hym Glowcetre|[schire], [Added from α. and Cx.] Wircestreschire, and half Warwykschire; Herforde haþ vnder hym Herfordschire and som of Schropschire. Chestre is bisshop of Couentre [and] [Added from α. and Cx.] of Lichfield, and haþ vnder hym Chestreschire, Staffordschire, Derbyschire, half Warwikschire, som of Schropschire, and som of Lancastre|schire from þe ryuer of Merce [Mersee, Cx.] anon to þe ryuer of Rypel. [Rypyl, α.] Lyncolne haþ vnder hym þe prouince þat beeþ bytwene Temse and Humber, þat beeþ þe schires of Lyncolne, [of Engelonde, Lyncolne, MS.] of Leycetre, of Northamptoun, of Huntyngdoun, of Bedeford, of Bukyng|ham, [Buggyngham, α.; Bokyngham, Cx.] of Oxenforde, and half Hertfordschire. Hely haþ vnder hym Cantebriggeschire outake Merslond. [Merlond, α. and Cx.; and so below.] Norþ|whiche haþ vnder hym Merslond, Norþfolk, and Souþfolk. [Norfolk and Suffolk, Cx.] Also þe archebisshop of Caunterbury haþ foure suffragans in Wales, þat beeþ Landaf, Seint Dauyes, Bangor, and Seint Assaph. Þe archebisshop of Ȝork haþ now but tweie bis|shoppes vnder hym, þat beeþ Durem and Carlille. ℞. [Reference added from Cx.; who omits the latter part of the sentence.] And

so beeþ but tweie primates in Engelond, Canturbury, þat is i-cleped primate of al Engelond, and Ȝork primate of Enge|lond. What oon of hem schal doo to þat oþer, and in what poynt he schal be obedient and vnder hym, it is fully con|teyned wiþ ynne aboute þe ȝere of our Lord a þowsand þre skore and twelue. Þere to fore þe firste kyng William and þe bisshoppes of Engelond, by maundement of þe pope þe cause was i-handled and i-treted bytwene þe forsaide primates and ordeyned, and i-demed þat þe primat of Ȝork schal be [sugett to þe] [Added from α. and Cx.] primat of Canterbury in þinges þat longeþ to þe worschippe of God and to þe bileue of holy chirche, so þat in what place euere it [euer hit, α. and Cx.; it euere, MS.] be in Engelond þat þe primate of Caunterbury [Engelond, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] wil hote and constreyne and gadre [constrayne to gadre, Cx.] a coun|sail of clergie, þe primat of York is i-holde wiþ his suffragans forto be þere, and forto be obedient to þe ordenaunce þat þere is lawefulliche i-ordeyned. Whan þe primat of Caunterbury is deed, þe primat of Ȝork schal come to Cauntyr|bury, and wiþ oþere bisshoppes he schal sacre hym þat is i-chose, and so wiþ oþere bisshoppes he schal sacre his owne primat. Ȝif þe primat of Ȝork is deed his successour schal come to þe primat [bisshop, Cx.] of Caunterbury, and he schal take his ordynaunce of hym, and do his ooþ wiþ professioun of lawe|ful

obediens. Wiþ ynne, aboute þe ȝere of oure Lord elleune hundred foure score and fiftene, vnder þe tyme of kyng Richard, beeþ resouns i-sette þat makeþ for þe party and for þe riȝt of eyþer primate. [Sentence varied in Cx.] Also what oone primat dede to þat oþer in tyme of Thurstinus, of Thomas, and of oþere bisshoppes of Ȝork from þe Conquest anon to þe laste kyng Henry his [Henries, α.] tyme. Also þere it is i-tauȝt how eiþer of hem asterte [starte, Cx.] from oþer. Þis place is but a forspekynge, and nouȝt a ful tretis þerof. Þerfore hit were noyefulle [noyeful, α., Cx.] to charge þis place wiþ alle þilke resouns þat þere beeþ i-made.