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

Capitulum vicesimum sextum. Carolus.

WHANNE Pipinus was dede the Frenche men delede þe kyngdom bytwene his tweie sones, Charles and Charleman;

but Charleman deide after two ȝere, and þanne Charles hadde al þe kyngdom, and governed it nobeliche after þat tyme sixe and fourty ȝere. Þanne Charleman his wif [and his children] fliȝ to Deserius, kyng of Longobardes, and prayed hym of help and socour wiþ oute eny nede, for no man compellede hem þerto. But Charles firste overcome duke Hanald, and wan Gyen and made it suget. At þe prayer of pope Adrian he bysegede Desiderius, kyng of Italy, in þe citee of Papie, for he was rebel aȝenst þe cherche of Rome, as his broþer Astulphus hadde i-be. Charles took hym in þe citee of Papie, and exciled hym, and made his owne sone Pipinus kyng of Italy in his stede. In þat batayle deide Amicus and Amelius, Crist his knyȝtes, and his herty frendes; of hem beeþ i-rad wonderful dedes. At þe laste he chastede þe Saxons and þe Sclaves, and took meny of hem and sente hem into dyvers places of Fraunce; so þat þe Saxons forsook here mametrie, and were i-made oon peple Saxons and Frenche men. Þer|fore

Charles wente to Spayne, and wan þe dales, laundes, and contrayes aboute þe hilles montes Pireney. But he was assailled in þe way wiþ busshementes of Gaskyns, so þat þey slouȝ þe utter deel of his oost; þere Olyver, cheef sewere of þe kynges bord, and Rouland, eorl of þe paleys, were i-slawe, and meny [oþere] of þe peeres of Fraunce. De libro Turpini. In a day whan trewes was i-graunted [in] eiþer side, Aigolan|dus, a strong prince of Spayne, com to Charles to be i-cristned, and sigh al þat were at þe bord realliche i-cloþed and likyng|liche i-fedde, and sigh afer þrittene pore men sitte on þe grounde and have foule mete and symple wiþ oute eny bord, and he axede what þey were. Me answerde hym and seide: "Þese þrittene beeþ Goddes messangers, and prayeþ for us, and bringeþ to us mynde of þe nombre of Cristes disciples." "As I see," quod Aigolandus, "ȝoure lawe is nouȝt riȝtful þat suffreþ Goddes messangers be þus evel bylad; he

serveþ evel his lord þat so fongeþ his servauntes;" and so he was lewedliche offended, and despised cristenynge, and wente hoom aȝen; but Charles worschipped afterward pore men þe more. Trevisa. Aigolandus was a lewed goost, and lewedliche i-meved as þe devel hym tauȝte, and blende hym þat he kouþe nouȝt i-knowe þat men schulde be i-served as here astaat axeþ. Giraldus, prima, capitulo 17^o. Here after Charles wan Gallia Narbonensis, and made suget þe Capu|anes and þe Beneventanes, þe Danes and þe Sweves, þat were i-confeþered to hem; and he dede al þat [at] on iornay. Kynges of Bretouns, of Angles, of Scottes, of Peers, [and] of Grees, worschipped hym wiþ ȝiftes; and, as Turpyn þe arche|bisshop telleþ, Charles was faire, and a wel farynge man of body but sturne of face. His body was eyte foot of lengþe, his face a span and an half, and his berd was [of] a foot longe. He cleef a two wiþ his swerd a knyȝt i-armed

at oon strook. He wolde esiliche wiþ his hondes folde and bende foure hors schoon at ones. He wolde heve a stond|ynge knyȝt i-armed from the grounde wiþ his oon hond. He wolde ete an hare al hool, oþer tweye hennes, oþer a goos, at oon mele; and he wolde drynke a litel wyne i-watred. He was so scars of drynke þat seelde he wolde drynke þreis passyng in his soper. Þis was gracious and mylde to pore men and to cherches. Over þe Ryne, at Magons, he made a brigge of fyve hondred paas. As Frensche men dooþ, he tauȝte his sones as sone as þey myȝte for ȝouþe to ride and honte, and to doo dedes of armes, and lerne science of scole. He ordeyned his douȝtres to worche wolwerk wiþ spyndel and with distaf, and ordeyned hem to use suche werkes for þey schulde nouȝt wexe slouȝ by idelnesse. He hylde hym nouȝt apayde wiþ his contray speche. He couþe bettre understonde þe longage of Grew þan speke it. In loore of gramer, Peter of Pise was

his maister; and in oþer science of clergy, Alcuinus Albinus, an Englische man, was his maister. Charles fondede to write lettres; þerfore he bare a peyre of tables for to write ynne, but it profited riȝt nouȝt, for þat travaille was bygonne to late. He wolde be at chirche erliche and late, and at houres þat was i-seide by nyȝte. He ordeyned and assigned gret almes to pore men þat were in fer londes, in Egipt, and in Affrica. He hadde a lyster at mete, and hadde greet likynge in Austyn his bookes; and nameliche in his bookes de Civitate Dei. In somer-tyme after mete, in þe undermele tyde, he wolde take somwhat of apples, and drynke ones þerto, and doo of his cloþes and goo to bedde as it were by nyȝte, and slepe tweie houres. By nyȝte he wolde ofte slepe in þis manere; now onliche awake, and eft slepe; but he wolde foure siþes oþer fyve siþes awake and aryse, and ligge doun and slepe. Þreis he com to Rome, and liȝt doun of his hors a myle of þis half Rome, and ȝede on fote into al þe citee,

and cussed al þe pylers of chirches. He delyvered þe Holy Lond, and com aȝen to Constantynnoble; and forsook al þe precious and greet ȝiftes þat Constantyn þe emperour profred hym, outake relikes of holy seyntes. He fenge a party of oure Lordes crosse, and a party of þe crowne of þornes, þat þere in his sight gan to blowe and bare floures. And [on] of Cristes nayles, oure lady smok, and Seynt Symeon his arme, and brouȝte þese relikes with hym to Seynt Mary Chirche at Acquisgrani þat he hadde i-founded, and lyth i-buried þere. He founded as meny abbayes as beþ lettres in þe A B C. In everich of þilke abbayes, by þe ordre of þe fundacioun þerof, he sette and pighte a lettre of gold of þe wight of an hondred pound of Turoneys. Trevisa. God woot what wight þat schulde be; but, by a statute of the universite of Oxenford, whan eny man is i-congyed þere to commence in eny faculte, he schal swere þat he schal not spende at his comencement passynge þre þowsand of grootes turonens. Þe groot turoney is somwhat lasse worþy þan an Englische groote, ffor at Brisak uppon [þe] Ryne I have i-fonge in chaunge enlevene grotes turoneys for a duket, þat is worþy half an Englisshe noble.

But þere is double manere of money of turoneis, more and lasse; þe more hatte grossus turonensis in Latyn, and þe lasse hatte parvis turonensis. But it may wel be þat þe pound of Turoneys is i-take by tale of money of Turon, oþer by certeyn weyȝtes þat was þere i-used. Þanne it foloweþ in þe storie: of þis man Charles it is wonder þat he wolde un|neþe marye eny of his douȝtres while he was on lyve, outake his eldest douȝter, þe whiche he mariede to þe kyng of Grees þat heet Constantyn. Charles seide þat he myȝte nouȝt be wiþ oute companye of his douȝters; þerfore þey he were gracious in oþer dedes, in þat poynt aȝenst fortune he was to blame: and þeyȝ þere were grete speche þerof among þe peple, he made it as þey he knewe it nouȝt, and as non supeccioun were of þat foly dede. Þerfore som men weneþ þat þat was þe synne of Charles þat he wolde nevere of schryve hym wiþ his mouþe; but unneþe at þe laste by writynge of Seint Gyles. Also þis Charles or he deyde deled his catel in þre parties: oon partie he assignede to pore men, anoþer to chirches, and ȝitte þe þridde partie he delede in foure parties, oon þerof he kepte for to holde his mynde day, þat oþer to everich dayes use; þe þridde to his sonnes and nevewes, and þe fourþe to his ser|vauntes

þat were of his meyny. He sat ones at mete, and his maister Alcuinus sat to fore hym; þanne he axede of his master: "How grete difference and space was bytwene a sot and a Scot." "But þe brede of a metebord," quod his maister. [℞.] For to speke and bring stories to acord þat semeþ out of acorde, spekynge of þe empere and of þe kyngdom of Charles. Take hede þat þis Charles while he was ȝong was anoynt kyng of the secounde pope Stevene, þe ȝere of oure Lord seven hondred and foure and fifty, while his fader Pipinus was onlyve, and regned wiþ his fader and under hym fiftene ȝere anon to his fadir deth. Þanne, after his fadres deþ, þat deide þe ȝere oure Lord seven hondred þre score and eiȝte, he regned wiþ his broþer Charleman two ȝere. After his broþer, þat deide þe ȝere of oure Lord seven hondred [and lxx.], Charles helde þe kyngdom al hool fourtene ȝere, to þe ȝere of oure Lord seven hondred foure score and foure. Þat ȝere he wente first to Rome to be i-crowned emperour of Adrian þe pope; and þerafter he was

emperour fourtene ȝere, to þe ȝere of oure Lord eyȝte hon|dred, whanne þe fourþe pope Leo confermed Charles eft em|perour: þerafter he was emperour fourtene ȝere, and deide þe ȝere of his age þre score and twelve; þat was þe ȝere of oure Lord eiȝte hondred and fourtene. Þanne after þat somme men telleþ in þe stories, þat he regnede in al sixe and fourty ȝere; þat schal be understonde from his fadir deþ to his owne deth. But who so wil se more of Charles his lyf, mote loke þe bookes of his maister Alcuinus, oþer Turpyn þe archebisshop his bookes. Þat day þat Charles deide at Viean in Fraunce, Tur|pyn was in his bedes, and sigh a companye of blak knyȝtes wende toward Aquisgrani for to take Charles soule; and he coniurede þe laste of hem þat he schulde com aȝen whanne þey hadde i-doo, and telle hym truliche what þey dede and how hem spedde. Þanne þe fend wente and com aȝe, and Turpyn axede of hym, and seide: "What have ȝe i-doo?" "We haveþ," quod þe fende, "i-weie Charles his soule; but þilke Iame of Spayne, þat was byheded, leyde so meny

stones and trees in þe weie and balaunce, þat þat Charles his goode dedes hadde þe maistrie, and weie more þan his evel dedes; and so we haveþ riȝt not i-brouȝt aȝen wiþ us. Charles," quod þe fend, "used to bulde meny chirches in worschippe of Seynt Iame." After þat Constantyn, þat hadde assaied þe poperiche, and i-take it wiþ his strengþe, was i-putte out, pope Stevene was pope foure ȝere. Anon he gadrede a synod, and wiþcleped al þat was i-doo by his predecessour, outake bapteme and crisme [and] what is ordeyned to savacioun of hem þat dyeþ.

Notes

• departed, Cx.
• Charloman, β. (et infra), γ. (semper).
• nobly, Cx.
• From α., β., γ., and Cx.
• vlyȝe, γ.
• Desiderius, α., β., γ., and Cx.
• hym, γ.
• Hunald, α., β., γ., and Cx.
• bisegide, β.
• touk, γ.
• vrendes, γ.
• ben red, Cx.
• he] Charles, β. and γ.; Charles chastysed, Cx.
• vorsok, γ.
• on pupel, γ.
• Þerafter, β.
• londes, Cx.
• Pireni, Cx.
• assoylled, Cx.
• buschmentes, β.; boschementes, γ.
• Gaskoynes, β.; Gascoyns, Cx.
• huy, γ.
• otterdel, γ.
• palys, β.
• From α., β., and γ.
• truwes, β.; trwes, γ.
• From α., β., and γ.; were graunted on, Cx.
• to be folled, β.; yvolled, γ.
• delyciously, Cx.
• yved, γ.
• habbe, γ.
• voul, γ.; broken, Cx.
• huy, γ.
• messagers, Cx., et infra.
• us] om. β.
• munde, γ.
• of] om. γ.
• quaþ, γ.
• evyl servyd, Cx.
• vongeþ, γ.; resseyved, Cx.
• fullouȝt, β.; vollouȝt, γ.; Crys|tendom, Cx.
• afturward, γ.
• gost, Cx.
• ymeoved, β.
• blend, β.; blynded, Cx.
• staat, β.; state, Cx.
• distinctio, add. β.
• confedered, β.
• dide, β.; dude, γ.
• From α., β., γ., and Cx.
• Pers, β. and γ.; Perce, Cx.
• From α., β., and γ.
• worschipiden, β.; worshipeden, Cx.
• α] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.
• welvaryng, γ.
• man] om. β. and Cx.
• but] and, γ.
• sterne, β.
• eyȝte, α. and γ.; eiȝte, β.
• vot, γ., bis.
• on, α., β., γ., and Cx.
• fase, γ.
• From α. and β.
• clef, β. and γ.
• eslyche, γ.
• volde, γ.
• beende, β.
• horse shone, Cx.
• hebbe, γ.
• haare, β.
• a lyte wyn ywatert, γ.
• passyng in] at, Cx.
• in] over, β.
• Charles, add. Cx.
• brugge, γ.
• vyf, γ.
• paces, β.; pas, γ.
• honty, α., β., and γ.
• doo] om. β.
• sciences, β., et infra.
• spendyl, γ.
• þey] a, γ.
• slowe, β.
• Gruwe, β.
• vondede, γ.
• a payr tables, Cx.
• litel, β.
• were, β.
• ordeygned, Cx.
• almus, γ.
• pour, γ.
• ver, γ.
• redar, Cx.
• delyte, Cx.
• specially, Cx.
• underntide, α.; undertyde, β., γ., and Cx.
• twy, γ.
• ofte . . . wolde] om. Cx.
• nouȝt, α. and β.
• ofte . . . wolde] om. Cx.
• voure, γ.
• vyve, γ.
• lye, β.; lygge adoun, γ.
• þe citee, α. and β.
• a, α., β., γ., and Cx.
• ȝude a vote, γ.
• kissed, β.; kussede, γ.
• vorsouk, γ.
• reserved, Cx.
• outake reliques, β.
• vyng, γ.
• grete, add. Cx.
• blosme, Cx.
• From α. and γ.; oon, β.
• þues, γ.
• Aquisgrani, β.
• buþ, γ.
• þelke, γ.
• Turoneyes, β.; Turoneies, γ.
• Trevisa's comment does not appear in β.
• wot, γ.
• ycongeyed, γ.
• in, α.
• turoneies, α. and γ.
• las worþ, γ.
• From α. and γ.
• Ryver, γ.
• ducate, γ.
• turoneies, γ.
• α, α.
• Sic.
• volweth, γ.
• alyve, β.
• outtake, β.
• whoche, γ.
• Grece, β.
• þouȝ, β.
• pupel, γ.
• wyneþ, γ.
• of] om. β.
• of] to, β. and Cx.
• or he] ar a, ℞.
• munde, γ.
• houshold, Cx.
• He] Þes prins, γ.
• tovore, γ.
• diffrence, β.
• The words Scot and sot change places in β. and γ.
• speke and] om. β.
• anoynted, β.
• voure and vyfty, γ.
• vader (semper), γ.
• alyve, β.
• fader, α.
• Charloman, β.
• From Cx.; þre score and ten, α., β., and γ.; four score and four is written here in a mistake in MS.
• heelde, β.; huld, γ.
• to] and deide, MS.
• xvi., β.
• and fourtene, wrongly added here in MS.
• he] om. γ.
• Aquisgrani] Akon, Cx.
• treulyche, γ.
• dide, β.; huy dude, γ.
• vend, γ., bis.
• axide, β.
• habbe, γ.
• habbeþ, γ., et infra.
• weyed, β. and Cx.
• þelke, γ.
• James, Cx.
• tren, β.; þrew, γ.; teres, Cx.
• weight, Cx.
• þat] om. β.
• weyede, β.; weyȝe, γ.; weyed, Cx.
• buylde, β.
• assayled, β.; assoyled, Cx.
• his] om. γ.
• revoked, Cx.
• outtake fullouȝt, β.; vollouȝt, γ.
• From β.
• and what that was, Cx.