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

Capitulum tricesimum tertium. Lodowici. [Ludowicus, α.; Lowys, Cx.]

THE þridde Lowys regnede [in Fraunce] [From β., γ., and Cx.] after his fader þe secounde Lowys foure ȝere. Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. Þis ȝere þe oost of Danes lefte Est Anglond [Englond,] and come wiþ here dukes Hungar [Hinguar, α. and γ.; Hingar, β.] and Hubba toward Redynge in West Saxon; þere þe þridde day of here comynge þe tweye dukes of Danes wente out for to take prayes, and were i-slawe at En|gelfilde; [Engilfeld, β. and γ.; Engel|feld, Cx.] þere, after the fourþe day, tweye [the two, Cx.] breþeren, kynges of West Saxons, mette to gidres [gedders, γ.] and made a greet slauȝter [slauȝta., β., and γ.] of [of] o, γ.] þe Danes. At þe laste þe Danes breek [brake, β. and Cx.; breke, γ.] out of þe toure, and

slouȝ Ethelwulphus duke of Barrokschire, [Barocscuyre, γ.] and compelled þe Englisshe men to wende a bakward. [bakward] bak, β. and Cx.] For þat schame En|glisshe men were i-moeved, and arrayed a bataylle þe fourþe day þerafter uppon Aschedoun. [oppon Aschedoun, γ.; Assh|doun, Cx.] Þere Aluredus was i-dryve for grete nede to come to þe batayle to fore his broþer þe kyng, þat herde [hurde, γ.] a masse þat tyme; þe whiche [whoche, γ.] kyng his prayers to God þat day were [was, Cx.] moche worthy. [myche worþ, β.] For þeyȝ þe Danes hadde i-take þe hiȝer [heyȝer, γ.; hyther, Cx.] place of þe hille, [hulle, γ., et infra.] Cristen men com from þe foot [vram þe voot, γ.] of þe hille upward [opward, γ.] aȝenst hem, and slouȝ Osrik kyng of Danes, and fyve of his dukes, and meny þowsandes of enemyes, and chasede [chaside, β.] þere [þere] þe, β.; the, Cx.] oþere al day anon to þe [þe] om. α. and β.] Redynge; bote þe fourteþe day þerafter at Basynge þe Danes ȝaf a batayle, and eft tweie monþes [þer] om. β.] [efte twy monþes, γ.] þerafter at Mer|toun, and hadde þe victorie. In þe mene tyme þe kynges of Mercia, of Norþhomberlond, and of Est Angles hadde no wille to suffre þe lordschippe of West Saxons, þerfore hem [ham, γ] was

levere susteyne þe enemyes and favoure [faver, β.] hem in þe seege [syege, Cx.] þan [þan, from α. and β.; þat, MS.] helpe here owne contraymen þat travaillede [travalide, β.] for þe lond. Þerfore it was þat þe enemyes encresede [encrecyde, Cx.] and hadde maistrie, [maystry, γ.] and [and, from β. and γ.; of, MS.] men of þe londe were overcome and i-bore [bare, Cx.] adoun and maad [made, β.] deol [duel, γ.; doole, Cx.] and sorwe. Þe nexte ȝere þerafter, after meny batailles, Etheldredus kyng of West Saxons deyde eyȝte dayes tofore May, [Maii, β. and γ.] and was i-buried at Wynborne. [Wynburn, β. and Cx.] After Adrian, þe eiȝteþe [eyȝteteþe, γ.] Iohn [Ioon, β.] was pope twelve ȝere. In a tyme þis [þes, γ., et infra.] dwelled wiþ Lewys Balbus kyng of Fraunce al a ȝere, and was prisoned of [þe] [From α. and β.] Romayns, for he [vor a, γ.] wolde nouȝt favoure [faver, β.; favere, γ.] Charles, Also þis [pope] [From Cx.] ȝaf to Ansegisus bisshop of Senons þe grete Gregory his heed, [hed, β.] and pope Leo his arme, for to do hem in his cherche. In þis his tyme [In þe tyme of þis, β.] þe fifte synod of Constan|tynnoble was i-made of þre hondred bisshoppes þre score and þrittene. Also in his tyme Sarasyns priked [prikide, β.; prykede, γ.; pryked, Cx.] in Italy, and

destroyed [destruyede, γ.] Seynt Benet his abbay in Mont Cassyn þo [þo] þanne, β.; thenne, Cx.] þe secounde tyme. Marcianus, libro 2^o.

Explicit liber quintus.