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

Manasses. Capitulum tricesimum quintum.

MANASSES, Ezechias his sone, bygan to reigne in Iuda, [in Iuda] om. in Cx. and γ.] [and regnede] [From Cx.] fyue and fifty ȝere. In his tyme Sibil [sybile, γ.] Ero|phuila [Erophila, α. and Cx.] was in hire floures in þe ilond Samia; and Nichomedia in Bithinia was i-bulde, þat heet som tyme Archacus. Myda, þe riche kyng of Frigia, drank blood of a boole, [bole, γ.] and deide. Manasses, on [an, Cx.] euel kyng tofore God, after þat he hadde i-made þe stretes in [of, γ.] Ierusalem reed wiþ blood of prophetes, and i-made Ysayas þe prophete i-sawed wiþ a trene sawe, [to be sawede with a sawe of tree, Cx.] and [and] α, γ.] was [was] om. in Cx.] i-ladde prisoner into Babilon; and at þe laste he wepte [weep, α.] and dede penaunce, and was i-brouȝt aȝen and

amended his lif. [yet atte last this Manasses re|pented him and wept and did pe|naunce, and so by grace amended his lyf, Cx.] Þe Hebrewes telleþ [seyen, Cx.] þat Isayas [Isay as, MS.] while he was i-sawed wiþ oute Ierusalem, [beside, Cx.] faste by þe welle þat hatte [þat hatte] not in Cx.] Syloe, axed water: men ȝaf hym none, þan God from heuene sent water in his mouthe, and so he ȝelde [a zuld, γ.] vp þe goost. [his soule, Cx.] Syloe is to menynge y-sent. [Silve is as moche to saye as sent, Cx.] Ysayas hadde i-prayed, and [it was] [it was] Cx.] i-graunted of God, in þe sege of Ierusalem, þat men of þe citee þat wente þider schulde fynde þere [the, Cx.] water, and enemyes myȝte þere noo water fynde: in mynde of þat dede þe peple beried [buryed, α. and Cx.] hem vnder an ooke þat hatte Quercus Rogel, faste by þe water [of Syloe]. [From α., Cx., and γ.] Kynges leseþ [seseþ, α.; seaccen, Cx.; ceeseþ, γ. and β.] at Athene, and Iuges beeþ i-ordeyned to rule þe puple. Tullus Hostilius, þe þridde kyng of Romayns, regnede two and þritty ȝere. Eutropius. Þis was þe firste kyng of Romayns þat vsede [ware, Cx.] purpur, a maner reed cloþinge of kynges and branderers and reueres; [brouders and revers, α. and γ.; and brouderd and Ryueld, Cx.] [and] [From α. and Cx.] after long pees he rayed [arayd, Cx.] batailles, and overcom þe Albans and þe Fydenates, and at þe laste he was i-smite wiþ

þe liȝtnynge [lyȝtyng, γ.] in his owne hous, and so he deyde. Augustinus, libro tercio, capitulo 11^o. From Ascanius his tyme to Romulus his tyme [his tyme] om. in Cx.] þe heed of þe kyngdom lefte wiþ Albans; whan þe citee was i-bulde was greet stryf and longe [long, γ.] bitwene þe Romayns and þe Albans, for þe name of þe [kyngdom: at þe laste, at þe axynge of þe] [From α.] kyng of Albans, [for the name . . . . . kyng of Albans] not in Cx.] þe ende of þe stryf was i-putte vppon [ypot apon, γ.] þre knyȝtes in þe oon [on that one, Cx.] side and þre [knyghtis] [Cx.] in þe oþer side, so þat of wheþer side [the] [Cx.] knyȝtes ouercome oþer, þat side schulde be heed of þe kyngdom. Þanne in [on, Cx.] þe Romayns side come to gidres þre knyȝtes, euerich of hem heet Oracius, and were i-bore at oon berþen; [byrthen, Cx.; burþon, γ.] and in [on, Cx.] þe Albans side come also to gidres þre knyȝtes, and eueriche of hem heet Curiacius, and were also i-bore at oon burþen. [byrthen, Cx.; burþon, γ.] Þese [þeos, γ.] þre Curyacies of þe Sabyns side [first slough tweyne, Cx.] yn þe firste rees [rese, γ.] slow tweie of þe Oracius [Oracies, Cx.] of þe Romayns side; þanne þe þridde Oracius sigh [Oracies sawe, Cx.; syȝ, γ.] þat he was lefte allone, and i-sette [and i-sette] om. in Cx.] in greet [right grete, Cx.] perile, he feyned forto flee, þat he myȝte sodeynliche falle vppon þe þre whanne he [they, Cx.; α, γ.] were departed and vnwar; and

he caste [purposyng to take, Cx.] to take his auauntage, and so it was i-doo. For þey [ronne after hym, α.; for they ran after . . ., Cx.] of Rome pursewed after hym vnwiseliche, eueriche after oþer, and he slowȝ eueriche by hym self, [sylf, γ.] euere [evere] om. in Cx.] as þey [α, γ.] come to his hond, eueriche [eche, Cx.] after oþer: þerfore þe heed and þe name tornede to þe Romayns of the kyngdom. [The words of the kyngdom come last in MS., but not in γ.] But þis [þis] om. in Cx.] Oracius his suster, þat was i-spowsed to oon of þe Curiacius, sigh [Curyaces sawe, Cx.; syȝ, γ.] þat hire broþer hadde i-slawe and i-spoylled here spouse, and [and] she, Cx.] mysseide hir broþer angerliche for þe sleynge of her spouse; þerfore hire broþer was [wax, γ.] wrooþ, and slow hir also. [℞.] [From α. and Cx.] Þis Tullius Hostilius hadde batayle aȝenst Fydenates, and prayde to come wiþ hym [and assiste him] [Cx.] Mecius, [Metius, Cx.] kyng of Albans, boþe for olde kynrede [and alyance] [Cx.] and for newe couenant and frenschepe i-made after þe deth of þe þre knyȝtes [knyȝtes] om. Cx.] Curi|acies. But whan Tullius Hostilius fil [ful, γ.] on his enemyes, Metyus [γ. adds wiþ hys men.] wiþdrow hym, but [netheles Tullius had vyctory . . . Cx.] at þe laste Tullius Hostilius

hadde þe maistrie, and took Metius þe kyng, and to drowȝ [drowe, Cx.] hym wiþ hors, [horses, Cx.; horsis, β.] and þrewe doun þe citee Alba, and took þe men and riches, [rychesse, Cx.] and sent hem into Rome. Archilocus and Symonydes, þe chaunteres, [enchaunters, Cx.] were þat tyme in here floures, and þe citee Byȝans was i-bulde in Tracia, þat now hatte Constantyn noble. [Constantynople, Cx.; Constan|tynoble, γ.] Amon, Manasses his sone, regnede two ȝere, so telleþ [wryte, Cx.] þe Hebrewes, bote þe seuenty telleþ [sayen, Cx.] þat he regnede twelue ȝere. Þis Amon lyuede [an] [Cx.] euel lyf, and was i-slawe of his owne seruantes. [℞.] [From α., γ., and Cx.] Hit may happe þat it is by cause here-of þat þe ȝeres of þis age beeþ dyuersliche acounted among dyuers men, and þat þe ȝeres from þe buldynge of þe citee passeþ by ten ȝeres, [þe whiche ten ȝeres] [From α., γ., and Cx.] þe seuenty putteþ [putten to, Cx.] too. Iosias, Amon his sone, a childe of eiȝte ȝere olde, bygan to regne, and regned in Iuda oon and þritty ȝere; þis, [This Iosias, the iiij. yere of his regne, corrected . . . Cx. MS. has þis is, by a mistake.] þe fourþe ȝere of his kyngdom, [MS. has He, to make sense with the previous error. The correction is from γ.] corrected euel dedes, [doers as he had been an . . . , Cx.] as it were an olde man, and [gladly] [Cx.] herde þe wordes [of] [Cx.] Deutronomii, þat is Moyses his book of þe lawe, and destroyed mawmetrie wiþ þe hiȝe

places. Trevisa. Hiȝe places beeþ i-cleped [i-cleped] not in Cx.] temples þat were on [in, Cx.] groues vppon hiȝe totes [or hilles], [Cx.] to worschippe mawmetes inne. Þan foloweþ in þe story, [story] from α., γ., and Cx.; MS. has stodie.] and [and] not in Cx.] þis Iosyas brende þe bones of þe [þe] om. α. and Cx.] false prophetes and of false preostes þat [worshipped and] [Cx.] seruede false goddes; and helde þe Es|terday in mynde of þe [Cx. omits þe.] passage þoruȝ þe Reed See; and at þe laste he fauȝte wiþ Pharao Nechan, [Nechans, α., γ.; Nechao, Cx.] kyng of Egipt, and was i-slawe, and lefte after hym þre sones, Elyachim þat heet [otherwise called, Cx.] Ieconias, Ioathas þat heet [otherwise called, Cx.] Sellum, and Mathanias þat heet [otherwise called, Cx.] Sedechias. Anchus [Ancus, Cx.] Martius, þe fourþe [feurþe, γ. and β.] kyng of Romayns, Neuma his neuew, i-bore of his douȝter, bygan to regne, and regned þre and twenty ȝere. Þis [Ancus], [Cx.] for þe grace þat he seigh in Torquynyus Prischus, [sawe in Tarquinius Priscus, Cx.] made hym wardeyn of his heyres; [eyres, β.] but he quyt hit ful euel. Ieremyas was Esechias [Elchyse, α.; Elchias, β. and Cx.; Helchyas, γ.] þe bisshoppes [bisshop his, α.] sone, and bygan to prophesie, and prophecied in Egipte [Cx. omits in Egipte, as does γ.] oon and fourty ȝere anon to þe destroyenge of þe citee, wiþ oute þat tyme þat he prophecied in Egipt. Þis Ieremyas sigh [syȝ, α.; sawe, Cx.] þre tokenes, a ȝerd wakynge, a crokke brennynge, and his [his owne bregyrdel yroted . . . Cx. and γ.] brigirdel [brygurdel, α.] yrotet [yrooted, α.] bysides þe ryuer Eufrates: he made lementaciouns for þe deth of Iosyas, king of Iuda. Also þat

womman Elda, [Olda, Cx.] and Sophonias þe prophete, propheciede. Of hem, [Cx. inserts and after hem.] is made mynde in þe book of Kynges. Tarqui|nius Priscus, þe fifte [fyfthe, Cx.] kyng of Romayns, regnede seuene and þritty ȝere. Þis [Priscus] [Cx.] doublede þe noumbre of sena|toures; he ordeyned games and plaies, [pleyes, α. and Cx.] and made walles and vices, [vyses, α.; vises, β. and Cx.; vyces, γ.] and oþere strong places and priueþ; [pryvey, α.; pryuy, Cx.] and at þe laste Anchus his sones, þat was his predecessor, [Ancus sonne that was his pre|cessour, Cx.] slouȝ hym. Titus. Whanne Ancus was dede, he sente traytourliche [traytously, Cx.] Ancus his sones an hontynge, for he wolde hym self [sylf, γ.] be i-ordeyned kyng in þe mene tyme. Also he chees Seruius Tullius to wedde his douȝter, and to be his heire [eyr, β.] after hym; þerfore Ancus his sones conspirede aȝenst [aȝenes, γ.] hym, and hirede heerdes [huyrede heurdes, γ.] for [Cx. omits for.] to slee hym. Þerfore þe heerdes [heurdes, γ.] feynede a plee, and as it were to haue [habbe, γ.] a riȝtful dome [they] [Cx.] appelede to þe kyng. In þe whiche cause and plee, while þe kyng took hede to þat oon, þat oþer [heerde] [From α. and γ.] slowȝ hym. Ioathas, Iosias his eldeste [myddel, α. and Cx.] sone, whan his fader was deed and his elder broþer forsake, was i-ordeyned by þe peple kyng of Iuda, and regnede þre

monþes, as it were from þe firste day of Ianyuer [Ianuar, Cx.] to þe firste day of Auerelle. Pharao Nechao, kyng of Egipte, ladde hym i-bounde in to Egipte, and made his elder broþer, Elyachim, kyng, and tributarie [trybutarii, Cx.] to þe kyng of Egipt, and cleped hym Ioachym, in token [tokon, γ.] of subieccioun. Þan þis Eliachym þat so was cleped Ioachym, regnede enleuene [eleue, γ.] ȝere, and leuede at þe worste, for he slowȝ Vrias the prophete, and prisoned Ieromye, and brende Baruch his book.