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

Capitulum tertiumdecimum.

SEINT Birinus [þe confessour] [From α., β., and γ.] was i-sent of Honorius þe pope for to [vorte, γ.] preche to Englisshe men; and while Birinus seilede in þe see of Britayne he byþouȝte hym of his restelles [rescellis, α. and γ.; restellis, β.; restellys, Cx., bis.] þat he hadde forȝete [vorȝute, γ.] in þe haven, and ȝede uppon þe see and fette [vette, γ.] [his] [From β. and Cx.] restelles. [rescellas, α. and γ.] Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo 6^o. Þis [þes, γ.] Birinus convertede Kyngilsus kyng of West Saxons, and cris|tened [folled, β.; vollede, γ.] hym at þe citee Dortik, [Dortic, β.] þat is Dorchestre; þere was [kyng] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Oswald present, and was Kyngilsus his godfader, [godvader, γ.] and wedded [wedde, γ.] his douȝter afterward. And boþe kynges ȝaf Birinus [Birinus] om. Cx.] þat citee for [vor, γ.] to ordeyne þere a bisshoppes see; and

þere Birinus deide after þe fourtene [vourtene, γ.; fourtenth, Cx.] ȝere of his bisshopriche, and was i-buried þere. Bote atte þe laste, by Hedda bisshop of Wynchestre, Birinus was translated [translatet, γ., et infra.] to Wynchestre, [Wyncestre, γ.] into þe chirche of [Seynt] [From Cx.] Peter and [of, add. β.; Paule, Cx.] Poul. But þe chanouns of Dorchestre seiþ [seyn, β., bis; seggeþ, γ., bis; saye, Cx.] nay, and seiþ [seyn, β., bis; seggeþ, γ., bis; saye, Cx.] þat it was anoþer body þan seint Birinus his body þat was so translated; þerfore a beere [bere, β.; þarevore a bere, γ.; byere, Cx.] of a wonder werk is ȝit i-seie [seen, Cx.] at Dorchestre, above þe place of his firste [vurste, γ.] grave: þat citee Dortic oþer Dorkynga, þat now hatte Dorchestre, is sevene myle besouthe [bysouþ, α., β., and Cx.] þe citee [þe citee] om. Cx.] Oxen|ford, i-sette bytwene þe tweie [twy, γ.] riveres of Tame and of Temse. Also it is i-founde [yvounde, γ.] in cronykes þat Kyngilsus assignede al þe lond seven myle aboute for [vor, γ., ut passim.] to make a bisshoppes see in Wyn|chestre, and for þe sustenaunce of [þe] [From α., β., and Cx.] mynystres; and for þe kyng was i-lette by his deþ yvel þat he miȝte nouȝt it ful|fille, [folfulle, γ., et infra.] he swoor þat his sone Kenwalkus schulde it fulfille afterward. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro 2^o. Þis citee Dor|chestre longede to þe bisshoppis of Mercia from [vram, γ.] þat tyme

anon to þe comynge of þe Normans. But in William Con|querours tyme þe bisshoppes see was i-chaunged [chaungide, β] to Lyncoln. [Lyncolyn, Cx.] Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo. Þat ȝere Felix of þe nacioun of Burgoyn, þat had be homeliche [be homeliche, from α. and γ.; be homelich, β.; had ben homely, Cx.; had hem liche, MS.] wiþ Sigebertus kyng of Est Angles, while he was exciled in Fraunce, com with hym into Engelonde, and was i-made bisshop first of Domnyk, [Domynyk, β.; vurste of Don|mik, γ.; Donwyck, Cx.] and was þere bisshop sixtene ȝere. Beda, libro 3^o, capitulo 17^o. Þis Sigebertus hadde þe kyngdom after his broþer Corpwaldus, and ordeyned scoles of lettrure [letture, γ.] in his kyngdom as he hadde i-seie [seen, Cx.] in Fraunce, and assignede pedagoges [petagoges, β. and Cx.] and maistres for children in þe manere of Caunterbury men; at þe laste he be took [bitoke, β.; bytoke, Cx.] his kyngdom to his nevew Egritus, and was i-schore monk in an abbay þat he hym self bulde; but aftirward kyng Penda paganus werred [werride, β.] in þat kyngdom, and Sigebertus was i-drawe out of þe abbay as it were for to strengþe þe knyȝtes; and so he was i-slawe in his simplenesse, and bare but a ȝerd [rodde, Cx.] on his hond, and nygh [neiȝ, β.] al his oost was i-slawe; after hym regnede Anna, Enus his sone; hym slouȝ Penda. Bote while Sigebertus regnede, an holy man þat hiȝte [het, β.; hete, Cx.] Furseus com out

of Irlond into þe province of Est Angles, and in þe wey [con|vertede meny men oþer made hem more studefast in þe fey]. [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Þere in a tyme he was seek, and was i-warned in a visioun by an aungel þat he schulde besiliche [bisilich, β., bis.] do as he hadde bygonne, and besiliche [bisilich, β., bis.] wake and bidde his bedes. [make his praiers, Cx.] Þanne by help of the kyng he bulde an abbay by þe see, in a castel þat hatte Cunbrisburgh; [Cunbbrisburgh, γ.; hete Cim|brisburgh, Cx.] þere eft he worþe seek, [there he wexe seke agayne, Cx.] and i-was i-ravis|shed [yravesed, γ.] out of his body [spirituelly unto, Cx.] anon to þe holy siȝt of aungles, and in þe wey þere in a tyme he was seek, [and . . . seek] om. α., β., and Cx.] þere he herde [hurde, γ.] sowne þat vers of þe sauter "Holy men schul go forþ from vertue to vertue; God of goddes schal be seyn [ysey, γ.] in Syon;" also he was brouȝt to his body, and i-lad eft aȝen [Also his spyryte cam to his body agayn, and take away agayn, Cx.] the þridde day, and sigh [syȝ, β.] not onliche þe grete ioye of holy seyntes, but also þe grettest strif of evel spirites, [spiritis, γ.] by þe whiche [whoche, γ.] þei fondeþ [purposed, Cx.] to lette holy men. Þanne he was i-left [lifte, β.] an hiȝe, [ylyft an hii, γ.] and siȝe under hym foure fuyres [voure vures, γ., et infra.] in þe ayer, and þe aungel þat ladde hym

expowned hym [to hym, Cx.] þe fuyres in þis manere, and seide: "Þese fuyres schal destroye þe world: [worl, γ.] þe firste fuyre [vur, γ., et infra.] is þe fuyre of lesynge, for men doþ nouȝt as þey byheet [as huy byhyȝte, γ.] in her bapteme; [follouȝt, β.; baptemme, Cx.] the secounde is þe fuyre of covetise, whan richesses is more i-loved þan God Almyȝti; þe þridde is fuyre of discord and of strif, whan men greveþ [greven, Cx.] her neighe|boures [neyȝebores, α.] with oute cause; þe ferþe [fourth, Cx.] is þe fuyre of wikked|nesse, whanne þe gretter [or myghtyer, add. Cx.] dredeþ not for to undo and de|stroye [distruye, β.] þe lasse." [and febler, add. Cx.] Þese fuyres semede i-gadrede as it were al into oon. Þanne Furseus was sore adrad, [agast, Cx.] and cride, and þe aungel to hym seide: "What þou hast not i-sette afuyre [avure, γ.] in þe schal not brenne; þis fuyre [fuyre] om. Cx.] schal examyne and serche alle men dedes." Þan Furseus com to þe [α, α. and Cx.; þat, γ.] ȝate þat was open, and fendes þrewe [vendes þruwe, γ.] on hym a man þat þey tor|mented in fuyre, and þerwiþ Furseus his schuldre and his cheke were i-brent. Anon Furseus knewe þat man, and knewe þat he hadde i-fonge his cloþ whan he deide; þe aungel þat ladde Furseus þrewe [þruw, γ.] þat clooþ into þat [þe, α.] fuyre, and a fende [vend, γ.]

seide: "Þrow not awey þat þou hast to forhonde approved, [to vorhond apprueved, γ.] for þou hast i-fonge the goodes of synful men, so þat [þat] om. α. and Cx.] þou schalt be partyner of here peynes." [paynce, Cx.] "Nay," quoþ þe aungel, and seide, "he feng it nouȝt for covetise, but for savacioun of his soule." And þan þe fuyre cesede, [ceesed, β.; sesede, γ.] and þe aungel seide to Forseus, "What þou hast sette on [α, Cx.] fyre þat haþ i-brend on [on] om. Cx.] þe." Þanne Furseus was i-brouȝt to his body aȝe. Þe same merk and tokene þat he hadde i-felt [yveld, γ.] in his soule he bare alwey after i-sene on his schulder and cheke. Afterward as ofte as Furseus tolde þis tale, þey he hadde þynne cloþynge [hadde cloþynge] were ryȝt þenne y-cloþed, α. and γ.; were riȝt þynne y-cloþed, β.; were right thynne clothed, Cx.] in þe myddel of [þe colde] [From α., β., and Cx.] wynter, he schulde alwey [alwey, Cx.] swete for drede. At þe laste Furseus lefte þat abbay to his broþer Fullanus, and he wente free [vre, γ.] wiþ anoþer broþer Ulcanus, [Vulcanus, α., γ., and Cx.] and lyved hermytes lyf al oon ȝere. Þanne þe [þat, α. and Cx.] province was swiþe [anone destroyed by rennyng and reyses, Cx.] destourbed by rennynge [ȝurnyng and, γ.] of reses [ernyng and reses, β.] of straungers, and he seillede into Fraunce, and

deide þere after meny grete dedes of vertu, and was i-buried at Pernia. After Honorius Severus [Severius, α.; Severinus, β. γ., and Cx.] was pope oon ȝere; in his tyme þe Iewes were converted to Cristene fey. [feyth, Cx. passim.] Heraclius þe emperour, aftir his noble victours, [victories, β.; victoryes, Cx.] errede out of þe fey, and þat by counsaile of Cirus patriark of Alexandria, and of Sergius patriark of Constantynnoble; and Heraclius deide in þe dropesie, [droposye, Cx.] and was i-schend with þat [þe, α. and Cx.] heresy of þe Iacobytes; þat where [were, γ. and Cx.] þey [hy, γ.] þat mysunderstood seint Iame þe Apostel.