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

Capitulum sextum.

CRIST suffrede [suffride, β.] deth sevene dayes to fore Averel [afore Apryl, Cx.] : Cassiodo|rus seiþ þat þat day was a greet aclips [eclips, β. and Cx.] of þe sonne, so grete þat noon suche [sich, β.] was [yseye, added in γ.] to forehonde noþer [aforehond nowther, Cx.] after, so þat þe sterres were i-seie in hevene, and erþe [eorþe, γ.] schakynge in Bithinia þrewe [were throwe, Cx.]

doun meny citees. ℞. Also þe [þo, γ.] stones were i-clove, þerfore hit semeþ þat veynes and clustres [cluftes, α.; cliftes, β. and γ.; clyftes, Cx.] þat now beeþ i-sene in quareres [quarers, β. and γ.; ben seen in quareis, Cx.] and in roches and in rokkes [rockes, β.] come of þat erþe schakynge in Bithinia, [in Bithinia] om. α., β., and Cx.] for tofore [byfore, Cx.] þat tyme stones [onests, Cx., by a misprinting.] were hole wiþ oute cliftes. Iosephus. Þat ȝere in þe Witsonday [Whytesoneday, Cx.] preostes in þe temple herde steringes [stirynges, α.; stiryngis, β.; sturynges, γ. styrynges, Cx.] and noyse of places; þanne þey herde a voys breke out sodenliche [sodenly, Cx.] faste by þe temple, þat seide, "Passe we out of þese [þeos, γ.] seges." Also þat ȝere about Pentecoste, þat is Witsontide, [Whitesonetyde, Cx.] þe apostles ordeyned þe lasse Iames, Alpheus his sone, bisshop of Ierusalem; he song [songe, Cx.] first masse among hem, and rulede [reuled, Cx.] þe bisshopriche at Ieru|salem þritty ȝere. Þere were i-ordeyned sevene dekenes, [dekons, γ.; dekens, Cx.] Stevene, Phelip, Procorus, Nichanor, Timon, Parmenas, [Permenas, Cx.] and Nichol. Nichol [Nycholas, Cx. (bis) et infra.] stood nouȝt as he schulde, but he made [noȝt as a scholde bote a made, γ.] his wif comoun [comyn, β., γ., and Cx.] to alle þat wolde have hir. Eusebius, in Historia Ecclesiastica, libro 3^o. Þis Nichol hadde a faire wyf, and was

blamed of þe apostles as þey he were ielous, and he broute forþ his wif, and ȝif eny man wolde ligge [lye, β. and Cx.] by here he wolde suffre it. In symple [simpel, Cx.] and innocent doynge þeyȝ som folwede [folowide, β.; though somme fo|lowyd, Cx.] dyvers leccherie, ȝit Nichol [Nicholas, Cx.] dede it [yet, Cx.] in despisynge of þe vice [vyse, Cx.] of ielousye [jelusy, β.] and nouȝt by wil to teche men to desire flesche|liche [flesshely, Cx.] likynge, and nameliche [namely, Cx.] for his sones and his [his] om. Cx.] douȝtres lyvede chaste [chaast, γ.] to her lyves ende, and also he hym self took noon oþer wif after his firste wif. [℞] [From α., β., and Cx.] Of þis Iames take hede þat he hadde foure surnames; and so he is i-cleped [named, Cx.] Iacobus Alphey, [Alphei, β. and γ.; Alphay, Cx.] for he was Alpheus his sone; oure Lorde his broþer, ffor he was most liche [moost lyke, Cx.] to oure Lorde in holynesse and in face, so þat meny men were begiled [bygyled, Cx.] in þe [þe] om. γ.] liknesse of hem tweyne. [two, Cx.] And þerfore Iudas ȝaf þe Iewes a signe [assigne, γ.] of a cosse [cos, α., β., and γ.; cusse, Cx.] leste þey were desceyved [deceyved, Cx.] in þe [þe] om. Cx.] takynge of Crist. Also he is i-cleped þe lasse Iames, ffor þe oþer was Zebedeus his sone,

þeyȝ [though, Cx.] he were ȝonger þan he, for he was raþer i-cleped [called, Cx.] of Crist, he [he] and, Cx.] is i-cleped þe more Iames, and þat manere is ȝit i-used in the chirche of Rome and in meny religions, so þat he þat comeþ first is i-cleped þe more. And he is i-cleped riȝtful for þe worþynesse of passynge holynesse. Þis was alway holy and clene mayde; from þe tyme þat he was first i-bore he drank nevere wyn, noþer siþer, [he] and, Cx.] noþer tastede flesche [fleysch, γ.] ; eyren [yren, α. and Cx.; yre, γ.] come nevere on his heede, he used nevere oyle noþer [nether, Cx.] baþes; ffor greet knelynge [kneolyng, γ.] his knees [knen, γ.] were as [hard as, added in γ.] þe sooles [soles, Cx.] of his feet. He allone hadde leve to entre in to þe holyest place of the temple; first of alle he song a masse. In þe Good Friday whan Crist deyde, he made his avow [avowe, Cx.] þat he wolde nevere ete or [er, β. and Cx.; ar, γ.] Crist [or Crist] bis in MS.] was [were, Cx.] arise. Þe peple fondede wel faste to touche þe hem [hemme, Cx.] of his cloþes. Þat yere, bytwene þe ascencioun, [assencion, Cx.] þat is holy Þorsday, and Witsonday, [Whytesonedaye, Cx.] Mathias was i-chose [choosen, Cx.] and i-made apostel in stede of Iudas þe traytour. Of hym [hem, Cx.] it is i-wrete [wreton, Cx.]

in a storie, þeyȝ [though, Cx.] þe auctor þerof be unknowe: A man was in Ierusalem that hiȝte [heete, Cx.] Ruben, [as Ierom sayth,] [From β., γ., and Cx.] of þe lynage of Isakar; his wif hiȝte [hete, Cx.] Ciborea. In a nyȝt whan þei hadde [hadden, α. and γ.] i-payde dette of wedlok eyþer to oþer, the womman mette [dremed, Cx.] þat sche [heo, β.; shee, γ.] hadde i-bore a swiþe [fulle, γ.] wicked sone, [ybore an ylle sonne, Cx.] þat schulde be traytour of his owne peple. Þe childe was i-bore and [y [From α.] ]-cleped Iudas, and þe fader and þe moder were agrised [agryse, α. and γ.; agrise, β.; agrysed, Cx.] for to slee þe childe, oþer for to norische [norsche, γ.] hym up þat schulde destroye [distruye, β.] his owne peple. Þerfore þey putte hym in a litel [lytul, γ.] cribbe [cryb, α., γ., and Cx.] i-schape as a litel [litel] om. β. and Cx.] bote, [boot, γ.] and de [dede α.; dude, γ.; dide, Cx.] hym in to þe see, and so he come to an ilond þat hatte Scarioth. [hete Scariot, Cx.] Þere þe quene of þe lond [ilond, Cx.] hadde none [no, α. and Cx.] children, and fonde þe cribbe and þe childe, and feyned hir self with childe, and lyȝ [lay, β.; laye, Cx.] and feynede þat sche hadde childe. But nouȝt [nouȝt] om. Cx.] longe after þe quene conceyved and ȝede [ȝude, γ.] wiþ childe by þe kyng. Whan þe [þat, α.] childe was i-bore and come to age, Iudas greved hym alwey, [ful ofte, Cx.]

and made hym wepe [weope, γ.] ful ofte. The [The . . . ofte] om. β. and Cx.] queene was war [waar, γ.] þerof, and beet Iudas ful ofte, but al for nouȝt, ffor it was not worþ þe while. At þe laste it come out þat Iudas was not þe kynges sone, and þan he slowȝ [slowe, Cx.] priveliche þe kynges sone, and dradde þe payne and fliȝ [drad the peyne and fledde, Cx.] to Ierusalem wiþ men þat were tributarie, and putte hym [them, Cx.] to Pilatus [Pylates, α.] courte, þat was þo [þan, β.] iustice; [than justyser, Cx.] and for þinges þat beeth i-liche [buþ ylyche, γ.] acordeþ to gidres, [be lyke acorde togeders, Cx.] Iudas hadde sone grace and [grace and] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] grete favour of Pilate. In a day Pilatus loked out of his paleys in to Ruben his orcherde [orchard, β. and Cx.] þat soþeliche [sothely, Cx.] was Iudas [Iudas] om. γ.] his fader, and Pilatus hadde likynge to þe apples, þerfore he sente Iudas to gadere [hym] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] of þe apples; þan Ruben com and mette hym, and after [the] [From Cx.] stryf and strookes he [Judas, α., β., γ., and Cx.] up wiþ a stoon and smoot Ruben on þe hede, and slouȝ his owne fader. But Iudas flyȝ priveliche [fled pryvely, Cx.] awey after þat evel dede, and þerfore me trowede þat Ruben was sodenliche [sodeynly, β., et infra.] deed. Þanne Pylatus ȝaf to Iudas al Ruben his castel, [catel, β., γ., and Cx.] and he ȝaf

Ciboreas [Cyborca, β. and Cx.] to be Iudas his wife. Þan in a day Ciborea made greet moone [mone, β.] tofore [mone bifore, Cx.] Iudas of here wredched [wrecchid, β.; wrechchede, γ.; wreched, Cx.] hede [hede] om. α., β., and Cx.] and soruful [sorouful, γ.] lif, how sche [heo, β. (bis).] hadde i-putte her ȝonge sone in to þe see stremes, how sche [heo, β. (bis).] loste her housbonde sodenliche, [sodenly, Cx.] and how sche [shee, γ.] was i-maried aȝenst her wille, and so it was i-knowe [knowen, Cx.] þat Iudas hadde i-slawe his owne fader and i-wedded his owne moder. Þerfore by counsaile of Ciborea, Iudas folwede [folowed, Cx.] Crist, and [þat, β.] his trespas were forȝeve, and so Iudas was Crist his procuratour [proroure, Cx.] and his disciple. Also þat ȝere, after þe ellectioun of Mathias, and after þe sendynge of þe Holy Gost, or [er, β. and Cx.] þe postles [apostles, β., γ., and Cx.] wolde goo aboute þeyȝ come [þeyȝ come] om. β. and Cx. rightly.] in to dyvers londes, þey come to gyders at Ierusalem, [to J. togeders, β. and Cx.] and made þe crede; and Stevene was stoned to dethe sixe dayes to fore [bifore, β.; afore, Cx.] Ianyver. Þat ȝere Peter þe apostel, Iohn his [Joones, β.; Jones, Cx.] sone, of þe province of Galilee, of þe street Bethsayda, Andrewe [Andreu, β. and γ.] his broþer, bygan to

holde þe bisshoppes see in þe est [eeste, Cx.] londes, and was bisshop þere foure ȝere, and song masses and seide [þe] [From α., β., and Cx.] Pater noster. Ieromus [Jeronimus, Cx.] de Viris [illustribus]. [From β. and Cx.] Þan [Whan, Cx.] Peter com to Antiochia, and was bisshop þere seven ȝere; þanne he come to Rome, and was þere fyve [vyf, γ.] and twenty ȝere and seven monþes. [monethes, Cx.] Paule was converted, and was wiþ [þe] [From α. and Cx.] disciples at Damascus anon after [Damaske unto after, Cx.] þat he hadde i-fonge bapteme [fong fullouȝt, β.; was mad a Cristyn man, γ.; receyved Crysten|dom, Cx.] of Ananias, and þennes he wente into Arabia, and tornede þennes aȝe [agayne, Cx.] in to Damascus, [Damaske, Cx.] and made þre yeres, þat holy writte clepeþ [callyd, Cx.] meny dayes, þere he was i-lete a doun in a cupe [kype, γ.] over þe wal [doune over the wall in a cupe, Cx.] and com in to Ierusalem for to see Peter, and lefte [was, Cx.] wiþ hym fiftene dayes, and talkede [callyd, Cx.] wiþ hym of þe gospel. Afterward he come in to þe contrayes of Siria and Silicia, [Suria & of Cicilia, Cx.] and of Asia, and was þere fourtene yere, and whanne þe fourtene ȝere were i-doo [was doon, Cx.] he com to þe apostles into Ierusalem forto see Peter, and lefte wiþ hym fiftene dayes, and talkede wiþ hym fiftene dayes [fiftene dayes] om. α.] þe gospel; [forto . . . gospel] om. Cx.] þanne whan he hadde appeled, he come to þe

emperour into Rome. Þere wiþ oute þe citee he hired [huyred, β.; huyrede, γ.] a comoun berne, [hured a comyn bern, Cx.] and tauȝte þerynne þe wordes of lyf. Among þe whiche [whoche, γ.] Seneca, þat was Nero his mayster, visited Poule, nouȝt onliche [not only, Cx.] mouþ wiþ mouþ, but also wiþ lettres and pistles. Parsius [Persius, Cx.] þe poete is i-bore. [was born, Cx.] Tyberius Cesar deyde, [deyeþ, γ.] i|poysoned wiþ venym, þe ȝere of his age þre score and eyȝtene, as it were þe firste day of Octobre. Petrus, capitulo 5^o. [sexto, Cx.] Tyberius knewe þat he schulde deie, and cleped to hym his nevewes to fore [afore, Cx.] oþere noble mene, Gayus his owne broþer [sone], [From α., β., and Cx.] and Tiberius þat he loved moste, [mooste, Cx.] þe sone of his owne sone Drusus, and ordeyned þat he wolde a morwe ordeyne hym a successour, and prayde [hy prayede, γ.; prayd, Cx.] first to his [here, α. and γ.; her, β. and Cx.] goddes. And he ordeyned by hym self [sulf, γ.] to putte to fore [afore, Cx.] his owne nevewes hym [he, Cx.] þat come first to hym amorwe, and warnede Tyberius priveliche [pryvely, Cx.] þat he schulde come first in al manere wise. But he was recheles a morwe, and wolde nouȝt come or he hadde i-ete, [til he had ete, Cx.] and so [so] om. Cx.] Gayus

come first, and hadde the empere. [empyre, Cx.] Kynbelynus [Kymbelinus, β. and Cx.] kyng of Britouns deyde, and lefte after hym tweye sones, Guyderius and Arveragus; [Arviragus, Cx.] but Guyderius ffeng [had, Cx.] þe kyngdom, and wernede [warned, Cx.] tribute, and so he made þe Romayns arise aȝenst [aȝenes, γ.] hym.