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

Capitulum tricesimum secundum. Honorius.

HONORIUS, whanne his broþer [broder, Cx.] Archadius was dede, regnede wiþ his broþer sone Theodocius as it were [as it were] om. Cx.] fiftene ȝere. Þis was so mylde þat whanne me repreved [repreovede, γ.] hym for he slouȝ nouȝt hem þat were rebel to hym, he answerde [answherede, γ.] and seide, "God wolde þat I [ych, γ.] myȝte arere [reise, Cx.] dede men to lyve." Eutro|pius, libro 10^o. The oost of þe Gothes was i-slawe in Thuscia, [Tuscia, β.] and here ledere [ledare, γ.] Ragadasius was i-take; he com with two hondred þowsand of Gothes, and hadde i-made his avow þat he wolde offre þe blood of Romayns in sacrefice [sacrifice, Cx.] to his

goddis. Me seith þat in þat fiȝtynge were so meny men i|take þat flokkes [flockes, Cx.] of men [men] hem, β.] were i-sold for [at, Cx.] litel prys as it were flokkes of bestes. In þe mene tyme come [come] om. Cx.] oon [on, γ.] of þe Gothes þat heet Alaricus out of Affrica, and [and] om. Cx.] wente into Italy, and axede [axide, β.] a place of Honorius for hym and his men to dwelle ynne. And [he] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] graunted hym Gallia; and while [while] as, Cx.] he wente þiderward he was bysette wiþ som of þe emperours dukes in a harde bataille þat fil uppon hym unwar in þe Ester day. But he toke herte and strengþe, and overcome his enemyes þat so pursued hym; [hem, Cx.] and þere he lefte his wey þat he hadde bygonne, and tornede aȝen to Rome, and destroyed [distruyed, β.] al þat he com by wiþ yre [iren, β.; yron, Cx.] and wiþ fuyre, and took þe citee of Rome and sette it a [on, α.] fuyre. [afier, β.] Noþeles he lete crye þat me schulde spare alle men þat fleyȝ [fledde, Cx.] to holy places, and þat his men schulde take prayes, and spare schedynge of blood. Paulus, libro 2^o. [undecimo, Cx.] And so Rome was i-broke and i-take of þe Gothes þe ȝere after þe buldynge þerof a þowsand an hondred þre score and foure. After þat tyme þe consulat of Rome lefte in þe Est, and the Romayns

cesede [ceeseden, β.; seceden, Cx.] to regne in Bretayne, þat hadde i-regned þerynne from Iulius [Julianus, α.] Cesar his tyme aboute an [an] a, Cx.] foure hondred ȝere þre score and ten. Eutropius. The þridde day after þat Rome was i|take, Alaricus lefte the citee and destroyed [distried, β.] þe province aboute, and wente into Sicilia, [Cicilia, β., γ., and Cx.] and loste many schippes, and was soden|liche dede. There þe Gothes, by travaile of prisoners, turnede þe ryver Basentus out of þe chanel, [and buryed [buried, β.; buryede, γ.] her [here, γ.] kyng with grete ryches [wiþ grete riches, β.; wiþ gret rychches, γ.] in the [þe, β. and γ.] myddel of the [þe, β. and γ.] chanel, and torned the [turnede þe, β. and γ.] ryver agayn [aȝen, β.; aȝe, γ.] into his owne [hys oune, γ.] chanel]. [From β., γ., and Cx.] Þanne þe Gothes took oon Athulphus, kyng Alaricus his alye, and made hym here kyng, and wente aȝen to Rome and destroyed [distriede, β., et infra.] [al þat þere was i-left. Also þat tyme lyȝtnynge destroyed] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe noble places of Rome þat enemyes myȝte nouȝt brenne. God is [is] was, Cx.] despised in al þe citee, and men cride to Crist, and seide þat suche mys|happes fil [ful, γ.] to þe citee for þe holy places of Godes were [were] om. Cx.] for|gendred. [and alterid, added in Cx.] But the Gothes took oon Galla Placida, Theodocius

his douȝter and Honorius his suster [soster, γ.] and maried hire to hire owne kyng. Sche [Heo, β. and γ.] was so profitable to þe comounte þat þe Gothes made pees with the Romayns, and lefte Rome, and wente into Gallia. Aboute þat tyme were i-founde [founden, Cx.] þe bodyes of Seint Stevene and of Gamaliel, and of here felawes, by oon Lucianus a preost of Ierusalem. Þat tyme Seint Austyn sent his disciple Orosius into Bethleem to Seint Ierom for to lerne [leorne, γ.] þe resoun [resone, β.] of þe soule, for þo [þanne, β.] he made þe book of þe comynge forþ of þe soule. And Orosius wente aboute to [to] the, Cx.] holy places, and was þe firste [furste, γ.] þat brouȝte þe relikes [relyques, Cx.] of Seint Stevene into þe Westlondes. Also þo Honorius made Constancius Cesar, and maried his suster Gallia Placida to Constancius, [and sche [heo, β. and γ.] was raþer [raþer] to fore, Cx.] i-maryed to Athulfus, on here Constancius] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] [and is here wrongly inserted in MS.] gat Valentinianus, þat afterward helde [huld, γ.] þe empere longe tyme. After Innocencius, ȝoȝinius was pope two ȝere and sixe monþes [moneþes, β.] . He ordeyned þat a bonde man schulde nouȝt ben made a clerk, [From Cx.; and þat a gelded man schuld nouȝt be made a clerk, added in β.; and þat a gelded man scholde noȝt be mad a clerk, added in γ.]

[ner a ghelded man], [From Cx.] and þat the holy tapir schulde be i-halowed [halewed, β.] an Ester eve. After ȝoȝinius, [ȝiȝonnius, γ.] Bonefacius was pope foure ȝere. He ordeyned þat no man [woman, β.; womman, γ.] schulde wasche [waysche, γ.] nor [noþer, α.; ne, Cx.] handle [noþur hondele, γ.] the tow|ayles of þe auȝter, noþer doo ensens in þe ensencer. [senser, β.; censer, Cx.] Gaufridus et Alfridus. Þanne þe deth of Maximus þe tyraunt, þe knyȝt þat longede to Rome, was i-knowe, and also þe deþ of Con|stancius was i-knowe, and þe forsaide enemyes, [enymys, γ.] Guanius and Melga, com [aȝe] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] out of Irlond wiþ Scottes and Norweies, and brende and slouȝ [slouȝt, γ.] in þe kyngdom of Bretayne from [fram, β.] see to see. Þerfore þe Britouns sente to þe Romayns, and byhoteþ [byhoteþ] promysed, Cx.] [for] [From α. and β.; vor, γ.] to be sugette alwey, and axith [and axith] for to have, Cx.] alway [alway] om. α., γ., and Cx.] help. Anon Honorius sente hem a legioun of the people, [of the people] om. α., β., γ. and Cx.] þat destroyed [destriede, β.] here ene|myes, [henymys, γ. (bis).] and tauȝte þe Britouns [to] added in Cx.] make a wal þwart [þwert, β. and γ.] over þe ilond to holde out here enemyes. Þe legioun went aȝen, and þe men of þe ilond were unkunnynge of so greet craft, made a wal of torves [torvys, γ.] and of stoon, þat was noþing profitable, from [profyt habel vram, γ.] þe

place þat hatte [from . . . hatte] whiche dured fro, Cx.] Penultoun anon to þe weste see, [see] om. α., β., and γ.] þere is [þe weste . . . is] om. Cx.] þe citee Alcluit, so þat were [where, α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe socour [soker, γ.] of the watir faillede þere men schulde defende hem in [and, α. and γ.] þe lond [in þe lond] om. Cx.] by help of þe wal. But enemyes come by watir wey and destroyed [destruyde, γ.] al aboute, and took prayes from ȝere to ȝere as to forehonde. [as to forehonde] om. γ.; as they dyde to fore, Cx.] Þanne þe Romayns sente a legioun i-armed, and slowȝ and chasede þe enemyes, and made up a wal of stoon to þe Britouns of eiȝte foot þikke [thyck, Cx.] and twelf foot hiȝ, [heiȝ, β.; hye, Cx.] for [for] from see, α., β., and Cx.; fram se to se, γ.] to see bytwene citees, þere Severus hadde somtyme i-made a diche and a wal of torves. [And the Romanys bad] [From Cx.] and chargede þe Britouns to leve of unmanhede, [leve theyr cowardyce, Cx.] and nysete, and take to hem [to hem] om. Cx.] armure as men schulde, for the Romayns [the Romayns] they, Cx.] were so occupied in oþir sides þat þey myȝte na [no, Cx.] more have while [have while] a whyle, γ; come fro so fer, Cx.] to be wiþ hem in [in] and, β.] so [so] om. γ.] grete travaille and iornayes. Þanne þey makeþ [made, Cx.] a wal of stoon on þe comoun cost, and also on prive cost þat men ȝaf þerto, and hadde wiþ hem [hem] om. γ.] þe strengþe of Britouns, and took hem ensaumple of [ensaumple of] om. Cx.] armure, and bulde [bilde, β.] toures on þe cleves of occean and [in, α. and Cx.] dyvers places þere [þere] where as, Cx.] me dradde þe

arryvynge and upcomynge [londyng, Cx.] of straunge men and of enemyes. Þanne þe Romayns bad þe Bretouns farewel, as þeyȝ wolde nevere [eft] [From α., β., and γ.] come aȝen. Giraldus. [Gildas, γ. and Cx.] Whanne þe Romayns were a goo, þanne breke out blake flokkes of Scottes and of Pictes, as wormes brekeþ out of here holes aȝenst þe hete of þe sonne. [In Cx. this sentence is: "Whan the Romayns were goon thenne the Scottes & Pyctes bygan to breke oute of her hooles."] Þe Scottes and þe Pictes discordeþ in maneres, but þey acordeth in cloþinge and fey and covetise of schedynge of blood; þey heleþ [covere, Cx.] here prive membres [membris, β.] more wiþ heer þan with clooþ. Whanne þey knewe þat legiouns of Rome were awent, [retorned, Cx.] þey destroyede þe endes of Bretayne more boldeliche þan þey were i-woned. [they had done to fore, Cx.] Beda. Þey slowȝ þe wardeynes of þe walles and oþere men of þe lond, and men of þe lond were i-dryve out of hir hous and hir [hir] of, γ.] home, and ȝaf hem to þefte [þeefþe, β.; þeofthe, γ.] and to [to] om. Cx.] robberie, and robbede eche [everyche, α; everech, β.] oþer for socour [suker, γ.] of þe peril [paryll, Cx.] of honger þat þey sigh [þat] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] hem schulde befalle; and so fil [ful, γ.] deþ uppon deth and sorwe uppon sorwe, forto [forto] for, Cx.] al þe kyngdom was bare, [baar, γ.] with oute sustenaunce of mete. After Bonefacius, Celes|tynus was pope as it were [as it were] om. Cx.] ten ȝere. He ordeynede þat þe psalme, Iudica me, Deus, et discerne causam meam, scholde be seide to fore þe entrynge of þe masse, and þe entrynge [thentre, Cx.] of þe masse schulde be i-take of a psalme [salm, β.] wiþ a vers [schulde . . . vers] sholde be sayde the verse, Et introi bo ad al|tare, Cx.] of þe same psalme, [salm, β.]

and þat þe grayel [grael, β. and γ.] and þe offertorie [offretory, γ.] schulde be i-seide to fore þe sacrement. [sacrement] sacrynge, Cx.] Þis is he þat first sent [Seynt] [From Cx.] Patrik to con|vert Irlond, and Paladius, a dekene [decon, γ.] of Rome, to converte þe Scottes, in þe nynþe ȝere of his poperiche. [papacye, Cx.] In his fourþe [ferþe, β.; ferþ, γ.] ȝere, by help of Theodocius þe emperour, and of Cirillus bisshop of Alexandria, þe þridde greet synode [sinod, β. and γ.] of þre hondred bisshoppes was i-made at Ephisus aȝenst Nestorius þe heretik. Þere it was i-demed þat in Crist is oon persone and tweie kyndes, þe Godhede and þe manhede, and oure lady schulde be i-cleped Theothecos, [Theotocos, α.; Theotochos, β. and Cx.; Theothocos, γ.] þat is [to saye, added in Cx.] oure Lordes moder. Aboute þat tyme Ierom þe preost deide at Bethleem and was [was] om. Cx.] foure score ȝere olde and sixtene. Þat tyme was sent an oost out of Rome into Spayne aȝenst þe Wandales. [Wandels, Cx.] But for þe emperour hadde out of his companye þe orped man [þe orped man] that myghty, Cx.] Bonefacius, þe emperour dede [dude, γ.] noþing orpedliche; [orpedliche] manly, Cx.] but Bonefacius wente into Affrica and dede moche [dide mych, β.] harme to þe emperour. [empeer, α.; in þe empire, β.; þemper, γ.; in thempyre, Cx.]