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

Capitulum sextumdecimum.

MARCUS Antonius Verus, and Lucius Comodus, þe sones of Antonius Pius, regnede after here fader eyȝte [eyȝtetene, α. and γ.; eyghten, Cx.] ȝere. Þese [þeos, γ.] tweyne were y-ioyned [y-juyned, γ.] to gidres boþe by kynrede and affinite, þouȝ þey were nouȝt boþe i-bore of oon wombe, ffor Marcus Antonius [hadde i-wedded Antonius Pius his douȝter, and Lucius Comodus hadde i-wedded Marcus Antonius] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] his douȝter; and so by þese tweyne þe Romayns bygonne [begonne, Cx.] to have tweyne emperours. Þis Marcus was nevere proude, [prout, γ.] for noon happe þat hym myȝte byfalle [befalle to him, Cx.] ; he was so stedefast, [studefast, α. and γ.] and so sad from his childhode, he chaunged nevere he [his, β. and Cx.] semblant for sorwe noþer [ne, Cx.] for ioye. Also after þe bataile þat he dede [a dude, γ.] aȝenst

the Germayns, Sclaves, and Sarmates, he had i-spend al þat was in þe tresorie, and had not for to ȝeve [unto, added in Cx.] his knyȝtes, ȝit hym was levere [leovere, γ.] legge [lay, β.; leye, Cx.] to wedde his vessel [vessels, Cx.] of silver and of gold, and þe aray of his wif, þan greve provinces and londes and þe senatoures. Þerfore whanne the victorie was i-wonne he recovered [rekevered, α.; recuverede, γ.] al þat, and moche more, and paide þe prys [pryys, γ.] and [and] of, Cx.] þe value [valwe, γ.; valewe, Cx.] to hem þat wolde ȝilde aȝen þat þey hadde i-brouȝt [y-boȝt, γ.; bought, Cx.] oþer i-fonge [y-fongge, γ.] to wedde, [and was nouȝt wrooþ to hem þat wolde nouȝt ȝylde aȝen what þey had i-brouȝt [y-bought, β.] oþer i-fonge to wedde]. [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] He relesed [relesched, β.] meny tributes to provinces and to londes; þe tables of þe dettes þat me [men, Cx.] owed [owide, β.] hym he brende in þe myddel of þe citee; cruel lawes he tempered [attemperid, Cx.] wiþ newe ordynaunce and constituciouns. At þis tyme Egesip|pus was in his floures, [was in his floures] flouryd, Cx.] þe writer of stories, and [of] [From γ.] þe de|stroyenge of Ierusalem. His book was i-write in Grewe, and Ambros tornede it into Latyn. [Latoun, α.] Þo was þe maide Praxedis in her floures [flouryng, Cx.] ; after þat sche [heo, β. (bis).] hadde i-buried meny bodies of holy martires, and [and] she, Cx.] prayede oure Lord þat sche [heo, β. (bis).] most [myght, Cx.] passe

after hem, and here bone [boone, β. and Cx.] was i-herde. In þis emperour his tyme was so greet pestilence and deth þat þe oost of Rome was nygh [ny, γ.] destroyed [distruyed, β.] ; so þat [þat] om. Cx.] in a tyme þe emperour fauȝt aȝenst þe Quades, and his men faillede [faileden, β.; fayleden, Cx.] wel nygh for defaute of [defaute of] om. Cx.] drynke, and God Almyȝti sent hem reyn from hevene. But þe contrarye byfel [byful, γ.] whan liȝtnynge ferede þe Germaynes and Sarmates. Gaufridus. Aboute þe firste ȝere of þis Marcus, Lucius, Coillus his sone, bygan to reigne in Bre|tayne. Gaufridus et Alfridus. He sente lettres to Eleu|therius þe pope, for to fonge [resseyve, Cx.] cristendom, and his bone was i-graunted, and Britouns hilde [huld, γ.] and kepte holyche [hollich, β.] þat fey [hooly that fayth, Cx.] and byleve anon to Dioclicianus þe emperour his tyme. After Anitetus, Sother was pope as it were [as it were] om. Cx.] nyne ȝere; he or|deynede þat a nonne [a nonne] om. α. and β.] a mychoun [monchon, β.; monchyn, γ.; a menchon or nonne, Cx.] schulde nouȝt handle þe towayles of þe awter, noþer doo ensens [yn þe encenser [sencer, Cx.] ], [From α., γ., and Cx.] but sche [heo, β.] schal bere a veile [feyl, γ.] on hire heed. Also he ordeyned þat no wyf schulde be holde laweful but þey [heo, β.; α, γ.; she, Cx.] were [i-] om. α.] i-blessid of

a preost. After Sother, Eleutherius [Euletherius, γ.] was pope as it were fif|tene ȝere; he ordeyned þat Cristen men schulde nouȝt forsake and forbere no mete þat is skilful and resonable for mankynde, [mankuynde, γ.] and þat no man schulde be degraded, noþer i-putte [ne put, Cx.] out of his staat and of his degree, but it [Sic in MS.] were lawefulliche accused to|forehonde; and he seide þat oure Savyour woste [weoste, γ.; Saveour wist, β.; Saveour wyste, Cx.] wel þat Iudas was a þeef [þeof, γ.] and his traitour, but for Iudas nouȝt was [was nouȝt, α.] accused he was nouȝt y-put doun. But al þat he dede in þe mene tyme among þe apostles for þe state of his dignyte, it was allowed and stood [stode, Cx.] ferme and stable. Also þis, [Pope, added in Cx.] at þe prayenge of Lucius kyng of Britouns, sente Foganus [Forganus, Cx.] and Damianus, þat cristened [follede, β. and γ.] þe kyng and þe .peple, and made bisshoppes and archebisshops in stede of flamines and archeflamines, þat mys|byleved men hadde in stede of bisshoppes and archebisshoppis; and þus [þis, α.] Cristendom durede in Bretayne two hondred ȝere and sixtene, anoon to Dyoclisianus his tyme, whanne Seint Albon was [i-] om. Cx.] i-martred.