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

Capitulum tricesimum. Gracianus.

GRACIANUS, whanne he hadde i-reigned wiþ his fader Valen|tinianus

þe eldre, [elþere, γ.] and wiþ his eme Valens, þanne after þe deþ of his eme he regned wiþ his broþer Valentinianus þe eldre, [ȝonger, α. and Cx., ȝongre, γ.] and wiþ Theodocius of Spayne, sixe ȝere. Beda, libro primo, capi|tulo 19^o. Þis Gracianus, whanne he sigh þat [the] [From Cx.] staat [þe state, β.] of þe empere was almost afalle, [fallen, Cx.] he made Theodocius of Spayne governour of þe empere in þe Est: and anon Theodosius over|sette þe Siches, [Sithes, β.; Schites, γ.] þe Alanes, þe Alanes, þe Hunnes, and þe Goothes wiþ grete batailles and stronge, and made pees wiþ Athanarius [Atharicus, γ.] kyng of þe Gothes. Þat tyme oon Priscillianus of Galles made an heresye of þe lore of þe Manichees and of þe Gnostices; and þat heresye haþ þe name of hym. Þo was Theophilus bisshop of Alexandria in his floures; and in Damasus þe pope his tyme was made a counsaille at Constantynnoble of seven score [score] om. α.] bisshoppes and ten aȝenst Macedonus þe clerk: [heretyk, α., β., and Cx.] he seide þat þe Holy Gost is no God. Þere was i-made þe manere seienge [syggyng, γ.] of [þe manere seeng of] om. Cx.] þe credo þat is i-songe þe [þe] om. α., γ.; on, Cx.] Sondayes [Sondawes, γ.] in holy chirche aȝenste heretikes. [aȝenste heretikes] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] After Damasus, Siricus [Siricius, β., γ., and Cx.] was pope fiftene ȝere; he made a counsaille at Constantynnoble of þre

hondred bisshoppes and fifty, for to declare þe fey of holy chirche aȝenst heretikes. Gaufridus et Alfridus. Octavius, kyng of Britouns, wax olde, and prayde on Maximus, þe nevewe of Heleyne and senatour of Rome, for to come [come] come from Rome, Cx.] and fonge þe kyngdom of Britayne and his douȝter, for he hadde no mo children. [chyldern, γ.] Conanus, þe kyng his nevew, cast for the [the] to be, α., β., γ., and Cx.] kyng, and was wrooþ þerfore, and was ofte at [at] om. α.] debate and at stryf wiþ þis Maximus, but at þe laste þey were ful [a wer fol, γ.] accorded, and ladde with hym [hym] om. α.; hem, β. and Cx.; ham, γ.] alle þe armed knyȝtes for to werre in þe pro|vince Armonica, [Armorica, β., γ., and Cx.] þat is Litel Britayne. Þere Maximus fauȝt wiþ Conanus, and overcome hym, for he was putte out of þe þridde deel þat he axede [þat he axede] om. Cx.; axide, β.] of þe empere. Eutropius et Beda, libro primo. Maximus was a noble man and a stalworthe, save þat he dede [dide, β.] aȝenst his ooþ: [oþ, γ.] by tresoun of knyȝtes he was i-made emperour in Bretayne, and wente anon into Fraunce, and made Fraunce and Germania sugett [subget, Cx.] by cruel [cruwel, β.] batailles, and slouȝ Gracianus Augustus, þat was sodenliche aferd, and he fliȝ [he fliȝ] aflowe, β.; a flowe, γ.] in to Londoun, [Lugdun, α., β., and γ.; Lug|dunum, Cx.] and chasede Gracianus his broþer, Valentinianus, out of Italy. Anon Valentinianus fliȝ to

Theodocius in to þe Est, and was myldeliche restored aȝen to his kyngdom. For sone þere after, by sleyþe [sleiȝþe, β.; sleyȝthe, γ.] of Theodocius, Maximus was bysette in Aquila, [Aquilia, β. and Cx.] and i-doo [and there putte, Cx.] to deþe. Gaufridus et Alfridus. In þe mene tyme Conanus, duke of Litel Briteyne, hadde no wille to wedde Frenschemen douȝtres, and sente to Dynotus, duke [duyk, γ.] of Cornewaille, for to have [for habbe, γ.] wifes to his peple; and anon he sente his faireste [faireste] om. Cx.] douȝter Ursula wiþ enleven þowsand maydens. Som of hem were a dreynt in þe see, and hadde weder hard and [and . . . and] in harde weder, α. and β.; in þe se in hard stormes, γ.] stormes, [were drowned in the see by tem|peste and storms, Cx.] and some were i-þrowe [caste, Cx.] into straunge landes, and þe cursed dukes [corsede duykes, γ.] Gwanius and Melga slouȝ meny of hem for þey wolde nouȝt assente to here leccherie; Guanius was kyng of Hunnes, and Melga kyng of Pictes; Gracianus and Valentinianus hadde i-sende hem boþe to þe see costes for to slee þe fautours [fauctours, Cx.] of Maximus þe tyraunt. Þere after these tweie corsed dukes, [þeos twey corsede duykes, γ.] Guanius and Melga, þey [he, α.; om. β. and γ.] spyed [þey spyed] aspyed, Cx.] þat Maximus hadde i-lad [led, α.; lad, β.] al þe chyvalrie out of Britayne, and þat Britayne was voyde and helplees, [helples, β. and γ.; helpeles, Cx.] and wiþ oute strengþe of chyvalrie, þanne þey gadrede with hem þe side ilondes, and occupiede Albania, þat is Scotlond. Maximus

þe tyraunt herde [hurde, γ., et infra.] þerof, and sente anon tweie [two, Cx.] legiouns of knyȝtes wiþ Gracianus, a knyȝt þat longede to Rome, þat went forþ and chasede [chaced, Cx.] þe forsaide cursed [corsede, γ.] dukes into Irlond; but þis [bote þes, γ.] Gracianus herde þat Maximus was i-slawe, he [he] and, γ] made hym self kyng of Britayne, and for [by cause, Cx.] he usede to grete tyraundise, [tirauntree, β.; tyraundys, γ.; tyrantrye, Cx.] he was i-slawe of his owne peple. In his stede [stude, γ.] oon Con|stantinus, of þe lowest chivalrie, was i-chose, nouȝt for his worþynesse of vertue, but onliche for hope of his name. [only comes the last word in Cx.] He wente anon into Fraunce, and dede greet harm to þe empere. [þemper, γ.] Þerfore by heste [heeste, β.] of Honorius Augustus, Constancius þe eorle was i-sente into Fraunce, and slouȝ Constantinus at Arebate, [Arelate, α., β., γ., and Cx.] wiþ his sone Constancius, þat eorle [þe eorl, β.; erl, γ.] Geroncius hadde [of] [From α., β., and γ.] a monk i-made Cesar.