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

[Achas.] Capitulum tricesimum tertium.

Achaz, Ioathan his sone, regnede in Iuda sixtene ȝere. In his fourþe ȝere Rome was i-buld in þe hille Palatynys of þe tweie breþeren twynnes, Remus and Romulus, þe oon and twenty

day of Auerelle, in þe bygynnynge of þe seuenþe Olympyas: from þat ȝere is þe kyngdom of Romulus acounted, þat regnede nyne and þritty ȝere. Martinus. Me redeþ þat kynges regned long to forehonde aboute þat place in Itali, and [hadde] specialliche Ianus, Saturnus, Picus, Famius, and Latynus regnede anon to Eneas, aboute an two hondred ȝere. [℞.] Þan from Eneas to þis Romulus Italy was vnder fif|tene rectoures foure hondred ȝere and two and þritty; and after þat so, from þat þe citee was i-bulde anon to þe laste ȝere [of] Torquinius þe proude, me regnede at Rome vnder seuene kynges aboute two hondred ȝere and þre and fourty; and afterward vnder consuls, anon to Iulius Cesar, foure hondred ȝere and foure and sixty. Eutropius. Þanne while Romulus regnede, his ledere Fabius slowȝ Remus [Romulus] his bro|þer, wiþ an herdes rake. Martinus. I noot ȝif þat was i-doo by his broþer wil. Þe cause of his deth was þis: Romus seide þat a sengle wal was nouȝt strengþe ynow for þe newe citee, and forto make þat good he lepe ouer þe wal at oo leepe. [Titus]. For þese breþeren twynnes were of oon age, þey

putte vppon deuy[n]enge wheþer of hem schulde rule þe citee þat was bulde as þe eldere and þe grettre maister. Þanne whanne þey were in þe hille Auentinus, seuen foules schewede hem to Remus, þat beeþ i-cleped vulterus, and afterward suche two þat were fourtene vulterus schewed hem to Romulus; þan þe stryf and eiþer s[e]ide þat [he] hadde þe better dyuy|nacioun of foules; Remus for he hadde first, and Romulus for he hadde þe more noumbre, and so Remus was i-slawe in þat strif. Martinus. But þe more comoun sawe is þat Remus was i-slawe for he leep ouer þe newe walles of Rome. Eu|tropius. Þanne Romulus, þe firste of þe Romayns, for by his name þe Latyns were i-cleped Romayns. Þe citee was i-cleped after warde his owne name, and gadrede peple al aboute, and chees an hondred of þe eldeste [and wysest] and de[de] alle þing by hir counsaile, and cleped hem sena|toures by cause of hir elde [or age], for Senex in Latyn is olde in Englisshe; and he cleped hem fadres by cause of þe

charge and kepynge þat þey hadde; and he made hir names i-write wiþ lettres of gold, and þerfore þey were i-cleped fadres i-write. He ches a þowsand werriours, and cleped hem milites by þat nombre mille, þat is a þowsand: milites beeþ knyȝtes in Englische. Titus. And whanne Romulus hadde [y]-gadrede to his citee a greet multitude of flemed men, of mysdoers, of heerdes, and of vnworþy persones, þanne men þat wonede aboute hem helde hem but harlottes, and wolde nouȝt ȝeue hem here douȝtres to wyfes, for þey were so unworþy. Þanne Romulus sette vp games, and prayede al þe naciouns aboute forto come and see. And whanne þey were i-come, þe Romayns rauesched here maydens; þe faireste mayde of alle was i-ordeyned to duke Thalassus, þerfore in weddynge of Romayns me crieþ Thalassus. Austyn de Ciuitate, libro 3^o, capitulo vndecimo, seiþ þat Titus Liuius treteþ how by cause here of was werre longe durynge bytwene þe Sabynes and þe Romayns. At þe laste whan þe Sabynes fil on, Tarpeius his douȝter made couenant wiþ Tacius kyng of Sabynes, and he hiȝte hym þat sche wolde [take hym and his men þe tour Tarpeya, þere here fader was lord, so þat þe Sabyns wolde] ȝeue here þe broches þat þey bere on hir lifte armes, of þe whiche Ouide makeþe mynde, libro primo de Fastis. Þe Sabynes entrede yn at þe ȝates of Rome, and brusede and ouer|lay þat mayde wilfulliche wiþ þe schildes þat þey bere on hire

left sides. Whanne þe Romayns herde þat, [they] arayed hem for to fiȝte, and fauȝte for to þey were nygh destroyed. But þe Romayns wyfes, þat were the Sabyns douȝtres, wente wiþ hir heer i-sprad, and children on hir armes wepynge, bytwene þe scheltroms, and cryde pees, and made pees, so þat hire kynges schulde regne to gidres, and þe peple putte hir owne names to fore þe names of hir felawes, but þe name of þe kyngdom schulde leue to þe Romayns. Trevisa. Þerof it come þat eueriche Romayn hadde afterwarde tweie names. [Gaufridus]. But sone after, Tacius kyng of Sabyns was i-slawe by assent of Romulus, þat semeþ wel, for he made no sorowe for hym, noþer took wreche, but he graunted hem fredom þat dede þat deede. Galfridus. Titus Lyuyus and oþere telleþ þat while Romulus tolde his peple at þe watre of Capre, he was i-couered and i-helid wiþ a þicke clowde. But Austyn, de Civitate Dei, libro 3^o, capitulo 13^o, meneþ wiþ oþere, as it semeþ, þat Romulus

was i-smyte wiþ liȝtnynge, and al to dasshed so þat no þing of his body myȝte be founde; oþer, as som Romayns writeþ, he was alto haled [and drawen] of his owne senatoures for his cruelnesse. Þan oon Iulius Proculus, þat was at greet worschipe among þe Romayns, seide þat Romulus apperede to hym in his slepe, and hiȝte hym and þe Romayns þat þey schulde worschepe hym, Romulus, instede of a god, and cleped hym Quirinus in the longage of Sabyns, and þerfore, he vsed a spere, and a spere hatte quirus in þe longage of Sabyns, and þerfore knyȝtes of Rome beeþ i-cleped Quirites, as hit were spere men. In þis manere þe peple of Rome was i-lette þat þey slow not þe senatoures for þe deþ of Romulus; and nameliche for þat tyme fil þe eclips of þe mone, þerfore þe Romayns wende þat þe sonne hadde be sory for Romulus his deeþe. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo, capitulo 30^o. In Romulus his tyme was Tales Millesus in his floures, þe firste of þe seuene wise men. Orosius, libro 2^o. Þis Tales was þe firste þat serchede natural philosophie, causes and worchynge of heuene, kynde of þynges; and afterward Plato

departede his doynge in foure, in arsmetrik, gemetrie, musyk, and astronomie. Polichronicon, libro 4^o. Þis naturel philosofer and dyuynour serchede kynde and vertues of þynges, and warnede hem, and tolde to forehonde þe eclipses of þe sonne and of þe mone, and he trowede þe moisture is bygynnynge of alle þinges, and me seiþ þat he lyuede anon to þe eiȝte and fiftiþe Olympias. Giraldus. As it is i-seide to forehond, Olympias is þe space of ȝeres of tornementis þat me vsede somtyme at þe foot of þe hille mount Olympus, from fyue ȝere to fyue ȝere. Gaufridus. Tales his disciple was Anaximander; he chaungede þe forsaide opinioun and trow|ynge of his maister, and seide þat euery þing haþ his owne propre bygynnynge and causes, wher of he is i-gendred. Anaximenes herde þis Anaximander. Anaximenes seide þat þe ayer was cause of alle þinges. His disciple was Anax|agoras; he seide þat Inwitte of god is makere of alle þinges. He tauȝt Archilaus and Democritus; and Archelaus tauȝte Socrates, and Socrates was Plato his maister. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo. Þe oþere sixe wise men were in þe tyme of þe transmygracioun of Iewes, noþeles þey lefte no

bookes after hem i-write, but þei tauȝte men by honeste of lyuynge; þese beeþ þe names of these wise men: Pittacus Militenus, Salon Atheniensis, Thilon Lacedemonius, Piri|adrus Corthius, Clerbolus Lidius, Bias Pieneus. Hen|ricus, libro 3^o. In þis Tales his tyme som fischeres solde a drauȝte of fische wiþ þe nettis, þat þo was i-drawe þe goldene metebord þat was in Appolyn Delphicus his temple; and by cause of þat borde þere fille stryf among hem; and þe fischer seide þat þey hadde i-solde þe fische þat were i-take, and þe biggere seide þat fortune hadde i-bouȝt þe bargayne. Þanne for wonder of nouelte of þis doynge, me axede counsaille and reed of Appolyn Delphicus, and he demede þat þe bord schulde be ȝeue to þe wisest man; þan þe borde was ȝeue to Salon, and [he] sente hit to Tobias, and Thobias ȝaf it to Phitacus, and so from oon to oþer forto hit was i-ȝeue to Salon aȝe; þo Salon halwede þe borde to Appalyn. Osee, Hela his sone, slouȝ Phacee, þe kyng of Israel, and regnede for hym nyne ȝere; and whanne þe nyne ȝere were i-doo, þe folk of Israel was i-brouȝt in to seruage. Þat tyme Myda þe riche kyng regnede in Frigia.

Notes

• Cx.
• Israel, Cx.
• feurþe, γ.
• ful byld, α. and Cx.; folbuld, γ., ful bulde, β.
• twentiþe, γ.
• Apryll, Cx.
• þat regnede] not in Cx.
• Cx. inserts this before kynges.
• before, Cx.
• Ytaly, Cx.
• hadde] om. α. and Cx.
• Faunus, Cx.
• an] om. Cx.
• From α.
• þes, γ.
• so] om. α. and Cx.
• Cx.
• proute, γ.
• four, Cx.
• fourty yere, Cx.
• ledar, γ.
• From α.
• heordes raak, Cx.; heurd hys rake, γ.
• not, Cx.
• lept, Cx.; a leop, γ.
• on lupe, γ.
• From α.
• devynynge, α.; dyuynyng, Cx. and γ.
• elþer, γ.
• vultres, α. and γ.
• hy stryue, γ.; þei stryue, β.
• he] from γ.
• they stryued and eyther sayd that he had the better, Cx.
• lept, Cx.; a leop, γ.
• and he named the cyte after his owne name, Cx.
• cleped the cite after his owne name, α.
• chasse, Cx.
• Cx.
• dede, α.; did, Cx.; de, MS.
• Cx.
• α, β. and γ.
• an, β. and γ.
• hy, γ.
• be wryten, Cx.
• an, β. and γ.
• From α. and γ.
• fleem, γ.
• and heordes, Cx.; heurdes, γ.
• satte, Cx.
• to, Cx.
• to see, Cx.
• a, γ.
• al, γ.
• yeuen, Cx.
• duc Thalassus, Cx.
• ℞., Cx.
• ful, γ.
• fyll one, Cx.
• by hiȝte, α.; byheet, γ.
• and . . . . hym] not in Cx.
• α. γ.; heo, β.
• deliver to hym and to his men, Cx.
• heore, γ.
• From α. and β.
• heore, γ.
• hy, γ.
• lyf, α.; lyft, Cx.
• hy, γ.
• hurde, γ.
• Cx.
• till, Cx.; fort a wer nyȝ de|struyd, γ.
• shiltrons, Cx.; scholtroms, γ.; sheltrons, β.
• þes, γ. ut passim.
• and þe peple] bis in MS.
• shold putte, Cx.; scholde pot, γ.
• Eutropius, Cx. and γ.
• hyt, γ.
• Gaufridus] α.; om. in Cx. and MS.; Titus, γ.
• freodom, γ.
• dude, γ.
• Galfridus] om. α.; ℞., Cx. and γ.
• wryten, Cx.
• Capne, Cx.
• understondeth, Cx.
• hyt, γ.
• lyȝtyng, γ.
• dayscht, γ.
• or, Cx.
• Cx.
• cruwelnes, γ.
• heet, γ.
• he, α.; α, γ.
• inslude, γ.
• in þe longage of Sabyns, and þerfore] om. α., Cx., and γ.
• for, add. α. and Cx.
• quiris, α.; quyris, Cx.
• were lette, Cx.
• ful, γ.
• sonne, Cx. and γ.; sunne, β.
• went, γ.
• Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo quartodecimo, Cx., γ., and β. See the opposite page, note 9.
• seue, γ.
• Ysidorus, libro secundo, Cx. Plinius is the author quoted: as in the Harl. version.
• kuynde, γ.
• a foure, β.
• arithmetik, α.; arsemetrik geo|metrye, Cx.
• 7^o, Cx. and γ. correctly.
• kuynde, γ.
• hem] om. in Cx. and γ.
• bifore, Cx.
• þat, α., Cx., and γ.
• unto the lxviij. Olmypiad, Cx.
• All this passage, Giraldus . . . . . fyve ȝere, om. in Cx. The reference to Giraldus is an error.
• spas, γ.
• Augustino, libro octavo, Cx. and γ. The Latin text has the correct reference.
• it, Cx.; α, γ.
• and sayd the eyer is, Cx.
• god is] from α., γ., and Cx.; goddes, MS.
• Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo vicesimo quinto, Cx., γ., and β. correctly.
• þooþer wys, γ.
• Iuwes, γ.
• þeos buþ, γ.
• Pitacus Milytenus, Cx.
• Chilon, α., Cx., and β.
• Chorinthius, α.; Corinthius, Cx.
• Cleobolus, α., Cx., and β.
• 7^o, α.; Valerius, libro quarto, capitulo primo, Cx. and γ. correctly.
• þes, γ., ut passim.
• nett, β. and γ.
• þat] om, γ. and β.
• the nett tho was, Cx.
• þar ful, γ.
• fisshers, α. and Cx.; fyschens, γ.
• myghtier, Cx.
• of] and, γ.
• he] From α. and γ.
• Bias, α., Cx., γ., and β.
• Bias, α., Cx., γ., and β.
• fort, γ.
• till it was yeuen to Salon ayen, Cx.
• Phasee, Cx.