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

Capitulum nonum.

NERO þe sone of Domicius and of Agrippina, Gaius his suster, hadde i-wedded Claudius his douȝter, [doȝter, γ.] and bygan to regne [and regnede, added in β. and γ.] alle mest [almoost, Cx.] fourtene ȝere. Þis was most curious and crafty to worche [wyrche, γ.; werke, Cx.] wiþ instrumentȝ of musik, so þat he hadde ioye and likynge to be openliche [oponlych, γ.; openly, Cx.] i-cleped prince of har|poures [harpers, β. and Cx.; harpours, γ.] ; also he hadde greet likynge in þe swetnesse of his voys, þat abstynede hym and sparede al manere mete and drynke [dryngke, γ.] þat was nouȝt good for þe voys, and nouȝt onlyche þat didde [dude, γ.] he, [not only he dyde that, β. and Cx.] but also he usede ofte clistories [clysteryes, α., β., γ., and Cx.] and spuynge. [vomytes, β. and Cx.; spuwyng, γ.] Trevisa. A clisterie is an instrument þat phicicians useþ forto putte in a manis neþer ende forto clense his wombe. Þanne it folweþ in þe storie: [Trevisa . . . storie] om. β. and Cx.] whan Nero gan [bigan, β. and Cx.] to synge, [syngge, γ.] no man was so hardy to go out of þe theatre or [er, β. and Cx.; ar, γ.] he hadde i-made ende of his song. And he was [al] [From α., β., and Cx.] i-ruled and i-ladde by ledynge and counsaille of mynstralles [ministrals, γ.] al þat he hadde: [al . . . hadde] om. Cx.] and for he was moost coveitous of alle emperours, he usede

forto seie, [segge, γ.; saye, Cx.] "He þat is above al haþ nede [neode, γ.] to al;" bot [but, Cx.] ȝit it greved hym nouȝt to ȝeve mynstralles [mynstrals, β. and Cx.] al þat he hadde; and he [he] om. γ.] ȝaf hem all þe worschippes of þe citee of Rome. Sueto|nius. He werede no clooþ twyes; he usede scho soles of silver and schodde his mules [muyles, γ.] wiþ silver. [and . . . silver] om. β. and Cx.] He fisched [fysshed, Cx.] wiþ nettes of gold, þe nettes were i-drawe wiþ [ropis of] [From β. and Cx.] reed silk. Also þis, [for this, Cx.] for he wolde see þe liknesse of Troye whan it was i-sette a fuyre, [fyre, Cx.] [he sette a greet deel of Rome a fuyre, [fier, β.] ] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat brende sevene nyght [nyghtes, Cx.] and sevene dayes; and he gan to ȝelle [ȝolle, γ.] and songe [synge, α., β., and γ.; crye and singe, Cx.] þe gestes [geestes, γ.] of Troye. Orosius. Also he was so leccherous þat he wolde be i-wasche [wesshe, Cx.] wiþ hote oynementes and colde. Also he wedded a man for to be his wif, and [he] [From γ. and Cx.] bycam [bycaam, γ.] anoþir manis wif. Also he lete kerue his owne moder wombe, for he wolde see þe place þat he was conceyved ynne. Martinus. Phisicians [Phisiciens, Cx.] blamed hym for he hadde defouled [defowled, Cx.] his owne modir, and he [he] om. γ.] answerde and seide, "But ȝe make me goo

wiþ childe, [þat y may assaye what sorowe hyt is for to trauayle and bere chyld, added here in γ.] ȝe schulle [shal, Cx.] be deed everichon." Þanne þey made hym swelle with drinkes, [drenches, β.; drynches, γ.] and made hym unwitynge drinke a frogge; and at þe laste aftir moche [mych, β.] woo and wiþ moche sorwe he delyvered hym and caste up þe [þe] a, Cx.] frogge. But þe phisiciens seide þat þe childe was i-bore to fore [afore, Cx.] his tyme, and þerfore it was so unþryvyngeliche [unþryvynglich, β.; unthryvynly, Cx.] and so evel [and so evel] om. γ.] i-schape. But Nero made this frogge be kept in a toure to his owne lyves ende. Þerfore som men weneþ þa [wenen that, Cx.] Lateran haþ þat name of a frogge þa [þat, β.] lotede þer; fore [loted there for, Cx.] latere a Latyn is lotye and be i-hidde oþer unknowe in [an, α., β., and γ.] Englische, and rana in [α, α., β., and γ.] Latyn a frogge in [an, α., β., and γ.] Englisshe. Also Nero made hym an hevene of an hondred foot hyȝe, i-bored and i-þrulled [þurled, α.; yþirled, β.; yþurled, γ.; and bored and thyrled, Cx.] wiþ meny smale holes, and it was i-bore up wiþ foure score pilers and ten of marbil stoon. He leet hilde [helde, β. and γ.; fall, Cx.] water þer uppon, þat dropped doun [droppide adoun, β.] as it were reyn þat falleþ from hevene. He made also a lampe brenninge be i-drawe in [in] into, Cx.] þat hevene be day, þat ȝede [ȝeode, γ.] adoun westward as it were þe sonne; and he made a myrour [merour yhyȝt, γ.] i-liȝt [hiȝt, α.; yhiȝte, β.; sette, Cx.] with pre|cious

stones, þat schyned [schyne, α., β., and γ; shone, Cx.] by nyȝte as it were þe mone. But al þis was [þeus were, γ.; these were, Cx.] by Goddis ordinaunce so sodeynliche [sodenly, Cx.] de|stroyed [distruyed, β.; so sodeynliche destroyed, om. γ.] so to russhed [rusched, β. and Cx.; ruyschet, γ.] and to [y, α.] broke þat þerof was nevere i-founde gobet [gobet founde, Cx.] noþer cromme. [crome, γ.] Also he made a carte [carre, Cx.] wiþ foure wheeles [whelis, Cx.] be i-drawe up on þe [þat, α., β., and Cx.] hevene, so þat þat noyse was i-herde [yhurd, γ.] as it were þe noyse of a greet þondir, but God almyty sente a greet wynde þat þrewe the carte into the ryver. Eutropius. Nero slouȝ [slewe, Cx.] meny noblemen and Livia Octavi|anus his wif, [Octavians wyf, Cx.] his owne moder Agrippina, and his fadir suster and his wif; and Seneca þe philosofre of Corduben, Lucanus his eme, [Lucanus eame, Cx.] was Nero his maister, and axed covenable reward for þat he hadde i-be Nero his maister, and hadde choys in whiche [whuch, γ.] bowȝ [bowe, Cx.] of a tree [treo, γ.] he wolde be an honged. [hanged, Cx.] Seneca axede why he hadde disserved [deserved, β. and Cx.] þat manere deth; þan Nero made oon skirmysshe above [one to scarmuch about, Cx.] Seneca his heed with a bryght swerd, and sigh [sawe, Cx.] þat he was wondir soore afeerd, [sore aferd, Cx., et infra.] and seide, "As sore as

þou art afeerd of þis swerd, as sore I [ych, β. (bis).] am aferde of the, and ȝit I [ych, β. (bis).] am as sore aferd of the as I was somtyme while I [ich, β.] was a childe. And þerfore while þou art on lyve [alyve, Cx.] I [y, β.] may nouȝt be wiþ oute drede, but evere in greet drede." Þerfore Seneca chees [ches, β. (bis).] what manere deth he wolde take, and chees [ches, β. (bis).] to be i-late blood in a bathe, and to dye in þat manere. As so [so] om. Cx.] as it was [were, Cx.] by a forbledynge [for bedynge, α., β., and Cx.; forbodyng, γ.] he hadde þat name Seneca. For Seneca in [α, β., γ., and Cx.] Latyn is he þat sleeþ hym self in [an, α., β., and γ.] Englisshe. Þis Seneca hadde tweyne [two, Cx.] breþeren; oon of hem heet Iulius Gallo, and was [the] [From β. and Cx.] best declamator of alle. He slow hym self wiþ his owne hond. Þe oþer broþer heet Mela, Lucanus [þe poete his fader. Also þis Lucanus,] [From α., β., and Cx.] whanne he hadde i-made his book of þe harm and damage of stryf and discord bytwene citeȝeynes, [citesens, γ.; cyteseins, Cx.] and þerby he brouȝte [he brouȝte] ybroȝt, γ.] Nero [Nero] om. γ.] to acorde and myldenesse, ȝit by heste of Nero he was i-slawe in blood leest [bloodlest, α.; slayn and blodelese, β.; yn blodles, γ.; slayn in bleding, Cx.] by kuttynge [kittyng, Cx.] of his veynes as it is seide. Policratica, libro 8^o. Som ben [beþ, β.; buþ, γ.] bolde and hardy [and hardy] om. γ.] to despise þis Seneca, and fondith [fondith] om. Cx.; foundeþ to grounde ham, γ.] forto grounde hem [him, Cx.] uppon þe

auctorite of Quintilianus, but me semeth þat þey doteþ, [doute, Cx.] for he was worthy to be homeliche [homely, Cx.] [with] [From β., γ., and Cx.] Paul, and Ierom rekeneth hym [hym] om. γ.] among holy seyntes. Þis Seneca hadde noble witte to lerne [leurne, γ.] and to teche, and hadde greet studieng [studiyng, β. and Cx.] and greet knowleche of þynges, and wel nyh [nye, Cx.] al matir of study of witte [In MS. the words from to lerne . . . of witte are repeated by an error of the scribe.] and of sciens, he hadde and wroot resouns of poetrie and nyh al manere philosofie, and in every doynge [he] [From β. and Cx.] was good and trewe kepere of vertues, and enemy of vices and of synnes, so þat it semede þat he made worldes [worlles, α. and γ.] of golde and godes [goddes, β.] acorde wiþ mankynde. Also he made bookes de Beneficiis, de Clemencia, declamaciones, tregideas, [tragedias, β., γ., and Cx.] de naturalibus questionibus, et de Tusculanis, de casibus fortuitis. Iero de viris illustribus. Paul appelede to the emperour, and was i-sent y-bounde [bounden, β. and Cx.] to Rome, and þere he was two ȝere in fre warde, and desputed [despuytede, γ.] aȝenst þe Iewes, and was aftirwarde i-lete goo free. [freo, γ.] Þat ȝere Peter ordeyned at Rome tweyne bisshoppes, þat were helperes to teche þe fey [feith, Cx.]

of holy chirche; Lynus was oon and Cletus þat oþer; forto fulfille [fulfulle, γ.] þe offys [thoffice, Cx., bis.] of preosthood to þe peple þat com, and nouȝt the office of bisshoppes. Peter hym self was occupied in bedes and in prechynge. Martinus. Of þis Cletus hit is i-write þat he wroot first in his lettris "Salutem et apostolicam bene|dictionem," þat is, greetynge [greting, Cx.] and þe apostles blissynge. Þis preysed [praised, β. and Cx.] moche pilgrimage i-doo to holy seintes, and special|liche to þe apostles Peter and Paul; [Poul, β.] and seide þat oon visitynge of þe apostles was more helpliche [more helpyng, γ.; most helpli, Cx.] to a man his soule þan two ȝeres fastynge. Also þat ȝere Lukeas [Lucas, α., β., γ., and Cx.] was wiþ Poule [Paul, Cx.] in þe citee of Rome, and wroot þe book þat hatte [hete, Cx.] Actus Aposto|lorum; but he hadde i-wrete [write, β. and Cx.] þe gospel to forehonde. [afore, Cx.] Aboute þat ȝere deyde Longius, [Longinus, α., β., and γ.] [the] [From β. and Cx.] knyȝt and cen|turio [and centurio] om. Cx.] þat opened [opnede, γ.] Crist his side [his side] om. Cx.] wiþ a spere at Pilatus his heste, [at Pilatus his heste] om. Cx.] and feng his sight [toke his syhte, Cx.] by þe blood þat ran uppon þe spere out of Cristes side; and so he trowide [trouwede, γ.] in Crist, and was i-tauȝht of þe apostles, and wente to Cesaria [Cesarea, β. and Cx.] in Capadocia,

and lyvede holy lyf eyȝte and twenty ȝere, and convertede and [convertede and] om. Cx.] tornede meny men to þe fey [fayth, Cx.] of holy chirche, and deide martir at þe laste. Persius Satiricus a [and, α., γ., and Cx.] poet is deed. [is deed] dyed, Cx.] [℞] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Þere were more [mo, β. and γ.] poetes þan satirices. Poeta haþ þat name of feynynge, and suche on [oon, β.; one, Cx.] was Virgil, specialliche in his Eneyd, [Eneidis, Cx.] and Ovidius. Satiricus is [y-] [From α. and γ.] seide of saturitas, þat is fulnesse of þe matir, oþer of the reprovynges [reprevingis, Cx.] þat þey speke aȝenst wikked [yl, Cx.] men and evel levynge, for þey speke þerof at þe fulle. [atte folle, γ.] And þere were þre [such], [From γ. and Cx.; siche, β.] Persius, Oracius, and Iuvenalis. Ysidorus, libro 8, capitulo 7^o. Þe office of a poet is forto telle þinges þat beeþ [ben, Cx.] sooþ in dede by oþir liknesse and chaungynge, with florischynge of [and, α., β., and Cx.] faire manere of spekynge. Þerfore it is þat [it is þat] hyt ys noȝt þat, γ.] as poetes sigh [syȝ, β.; sye, Cx.] þat temples were fairer þan oþer hous, [howses, Cx.] and mawmettes [mametes, γ.] huger [houger, γ.; heyer, Cx.] þan oþir [oþir] om. γ.] bodies, so þey trowed þat goddes schulde be wor|schipped wiþ the more [more] om. Cx.] faire and noble spekynge; þerfore som poetes beeþ i-cleped [ben called, Cx.] dyvynes, ffor þey made here

deytee [dyte, α.; dites, Cx.] of goddes. [℞] [From α., β., and Cx.] Here [Hereby, α. and β.; Herby, γ.; Thereby, Cx.] it semeth þat Lucanus was no poet whan he made þre stories of þe stryf of citeseynes, but ȝif it were by þe manere of mellynge of poyesyes. [poysyes, β.; medlyng of poises, Cx.] Þe lasse Iames, bisshop of Ierusalem, was i-slawe sevene dayes to fore Averel, [afore April, Cx.] in the Ester [Estern, Cx.] tyme, þritty [yere] [From β., γ., and Cx.] aftir þe passioun of oure Lord. Firste þe Iewes [they] [From Cx.] stened þis [þis] om. Cx.] Iames for wreche [wreche] anger, Cx.] þat þey myȝte nouȝt slee Poule, [Paul, Cx.] and aftirward þey smyte out his brayn wiþ a walkere his perche. [a walkers staf, Cx.] [℞.] [From α., β., γ., and Cx., but a space is left in MS.] Eusebius, in Historia Ecclesiastica, libro 2^o, capitulo 2^o, seiþ þat þis Iames was þe sone of Ioseph oure lady spouse, y-gete on his oþer wif, [The leaves of γ. are here wrongly arranged. The following numbers (according to the present numbering) should follow each other, 140, 143, 142, 141, 144.] and þerfore he was cleped our Lordes broþer. But Ierom meeneþ more soþeliche [sothly, Cx.] þat he was þe sone of the oþer Marye, oure lady suster, and his fadir heet [hete, Cx.] Alpheus. Mark þe gospellour, [gospeler, β. and Cx.] Paule his disciple and his mener, [mever, γ. and Cx.] deide at Alexandria in Egipt. His gospel was i-write [wreten, Cx.] at Rome, and Peter appreved it, and allowed [alowyd, Cx.] it, and took hit forto be

rad in chirchis. Linus þe bisshop suffrede deþ at Rome sevene dayes to fore [afore, Cx.] Decembre. Aftir [hym] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Cletus was his successour xij. ȝere. Þat ȝere [ȝere] om. Cx.] Peter wente to Rome, to withstonde and to [to] om. Cx.] put of Symon Magus, þat come of þe Samaritanes. Peter hadde over come hym to forehonde [afore, Cx.] at Cesarea, and i-chased [chaced, Cx.] hym out of þe Iewerye. Symon Magus gadrede þe peple to gidres [togider, Cx.] at Rome, and seide þat Petir and Poule, [Paul, Cx.] men of Galile, had i-greved hym sore, and þerfore he wolde forsake Rome, þat he [had] [From β., γ., and Cx.] diffended longe tyme; and þan he sette aday whan he wolde stye [styȝe, β.] up into hevene. And whan þat day was i-come he turned to and kydde [kudde, γ.] al the myght of his wicche [wych, γ.] craft. Þan þey þat were in his side seide þat Crist dede nevere suche a dede. But at þe prayere of Peter he fil down of his fliȝt, and was al to broke and to brosyd. [brused, α., β., γ., and Cx.] Nero was sory þat he hadde y-lost suche [sich, β.] an helpere, and putte Petir in warde, and Peter knewe þat his ende day was nygh, [neyȝ, β.; nye, Cx.] and made Clement bisshop in his

stede. [stude, γ.] Also at þe [þe] om. Cx.] instaunce [instauns, α. and γ.] of breþeren [breþeron, γ.] he wolde fonde to ascape [finde to escape, Cx.] Nero his tyrandise, [tirauntre, β.; tyraundys, γ; Neroes tirannie, Cx.] and mette Crist in þe ȝate of þe citee, and seide, "Lord, whedir goost þow?" [whether gost thou, Cx.] "I goo," quoþ Crist, "to Rome, for [for] om. Cx.] to be [be i-] om. γ.] i-nayled to þe cros aȝen." [crosse agein, Cx.] Þanne Petir undirstood þat it was i-seide of his owne pas|sioun, and torned aȝen into þe citee, and was i-take of þe wardeynes, and i-honged in [on, β.] þe cros, [on the crosse, Cx.] and his heed dounward. His disciples [disciple, α., β., and Cx.; dy|scyple, γ.] Marcellus abood no man his [abode no mannes, β. and Cx.] sentence noþer leve, but took Peter doun of þe croys [crosse, Cx.] wiþ his owne hondes, and buried hym in a place þat hatte [hete, Cx.] Vaticanus, aftir the fyve and twenty ȝere of þe bisshopriche of Rome. In Nero his laste ȝere, Nere [Nero, β., γ., and Cx.] dede Peter on [in, α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe cros, and made Paul i-slawe wiþ a swerd, al in oon day, and sent þe duke Vaspacianus [duc Vaspasianus, Cx.] in to þe Iewerie, [Jewry, Cx.] to make the Iewes suget, [subgette, Cx.] þat wolde nouȝt suffre þe covetise of Floures [Florus, α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat was iustice. Eutropius.

Whanne he herde [hurde, γ.] þat Galba in Speyne [Spayn, α., β., and γ.; Spain, Cx.] was i-made em|perour, þan he lost al confort; [comforte, Cx.] and for harmes þat he hadde i-doo and byþouȝt to [to] om. Cx.] þe comounte, [comynte, β., γ., and Cx.] þe senatoures demed hym for an enemy, [enmye, Cx.] and he fliȝ [fled, Cx.] foure myle fro þe citee, and slowȝ hym self in a subarbe of his bondeman, þat he hadde i-made free, [freo, γ.] þe ȝere of his owne age two and þritty. Þat ȝere al þe meyne of Augustus Cesar was consumpte. Whan Peter hadde i-suffred deth, þanne Clement come aftir hym; [and, added in γ.] Clement hadde governed holy chirche nyne ȝere under Peter while he was on lyve, [alyve, Cx.] and aftir Peter [and aftir Peter] om. Cx.] he was bisshop two and twenty ȝere, twelve ȝere with Linus and Cletus, and after hem nyne ȝere by hymself allone for to [al oon for to, β.; aloon for tho, Cx.] he was exciled. [for to þat a was exiled, γ.; exyled, Cx.] Þis Clement as a wise man and a [α] om. Cx.] war, for to be war [ware, Cx.] of meschief þat myȝt falle aftirward ȝif everiche [every, Cx.] oþer wolde make hym a successour by þat ensample of Peter, and so holy dignyte myȝte falle into [yn, α.; in, γ. and Cx.] possessioun as it were by heritage; [eritage, γ.] þerfore he resignede his dignite to Linus, and aftirward to Cletus. Also þis Clement [wroot meny bookes of Cristen [Crystene, γ.] lawe, and made Linus and Cletus bysshops to fore hym. And so þis Clement] [From α., β., and γ.] was þe firste aftir Peter by elleccioun, [election, Cx.]

and þe þridde in degree of ordre, ffor Lynus and Cletus were bytwene Peter and hym. His body [bodi, Cx.] was i-þrowe into the see Cerson; and after meny ȝeres oon Cirillus, apostel of þe Sclaves, fond hit, and brouȝt it to Rome in þe firste Nichol [Nicolas, β.; Nycholas, Cx.] his tyme. Gaufridus. Aboute þat tyme Marius, þe sone of Arviragus, regnede in Britayne. In his tyme oon Rodoricus, [Rodricus, β. and γ.; Rodicus, Cx., et infra.] kyng of Pictes, come out of Schicia, [Sicia, Cx.] and occupiede the norþ [norþ] om.] partie of Britayne, þat partie hiȝt [hete, Cx. (bis).] Albania, and nowe it hatte [hete, Cx. (bis).] Scot|lande. But at þe laste Marius slowȝ Rodoricus, [Rodricus, β. and γ.; Rodicus, Cx., et infra.] and in mynde [muynde, γ.] of þat victorie [kyng] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Marius rerede a stoon in þat place, þe whiche contray is i-cleped by his name West Maria, þat is Westmerlond; ȝit it is i-write [wreton, Cx.] in þat [þat] a, Cx.] stoon "Marii victorie." [℞, added here in β. and γ.] Here Willelmus [Wyllelmus, Cx.] of Malmesbury was desceyved, [disseyved, Cx.] þat trowed [troweth, Cx.] þat [þat] om. Cx.] this stoon was rerede [reerde, Cx.] in mynde [muynde, γ.] of Marius þe consul of Rome. But it is no wonder, for [for] om. Cx.] he hadde nouȝt i-rad [radde, Cx.] þe Brittisshe book, þere it is i-write [wreten, Cx.] of Marius þe kyng. Aftirward Marius þe kyng grauntede to Rodoricus [Rodycus, Cx.]

his men, þat were overcome, þe lond of Catenesey [Catenesi, γ.] þat is in þe laste endes of Scotlond for to wonye ynne, [dwelle there ynne, Cx.] as it is [y-] [From α. and γ.] seide in þe laste chapitre of þe firste book. Galba. [Galba] om. Cx.]