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

Capitulum tertium.

ZENO þe emperour regned after Leo seventene ȝere. In his tyme deyde Childericus þe fourþe kyng of Frensche men, and after hym his sone Clodoneus [Clodenus, Cx.] Loweys [Lewes, α.; Lewis, β.; Lewuys, γ.; Lewys, Cx.] regnede þritty ȝere. [ȝere] om. γ.] Þis in þe fifteþe [fyften, Cx.] ȝere of his kyndom, while he ladde his oost and schulde fiȝte aȝenst a wondre huge [wondre huge] grete, Cx.] nombre of Almayne, [Almayns, α., γ., and Cx.] he byhelde [a byhuld, γ.; loked, Cx.] into hevene and seide, "Lord Iesu Crist, whom my wif worschippeþ, ȝif þu ȝevest me þis day þe victorie I shal be i-cristened [folled, β., et infra.; y-folled, γ.] in þy name." Þe Almayns fleeþ, and he and his tweie sustres, [sosters, γ.] and þre þowsand of his men, beeþ i-cristened [buþ y-folled, γ.] in an Esterday of Seint Remigius bisshop of Ramens. [Raynes, Cx.] And for þei hadde no crisma, [crysma, Cx., et infra.] lo a colver [dowve, Cx.] brouȝte him in his bile [byle, γ.] a viol wiþ crisma, and þe bisshop anoynted þe kyng þerwiþ; þat viol is i|kept in þe chirche Ramensis, [of Raynes, Cx.] and wiþ þat crisma þe kynges beþ anoynt. Sone after þis, while þe kynge wente to a bataile aȝenst

oon Alaricus [Aladericus, Cx.] þat werred [werride, β.] in Gyan, [Gyean, γ., et infra; Guyan, Cx., et infra.] Remygius took hym a flaket ful of holy wyne, and byheet [promysed, Cx.] hym þe [þe] om. Cx.] victorie, and seide, "Goo forth as longe as þis wyne dureþ;" þanne þe kyng drank and his servauntes, and þe wyne faillede in none place. Þanne he occupiede Gyan, and passede þe ryver of Leyre, and Turon, [and] [From γ. and Cx.] in Seint Martyns chirche he herde þe [þat, β.; hurde þat, γ.] vers of þe sawter, Precinxisti me, Domine, in [in] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] virtute tua [tua] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] ad bellum; þat is, Lord, þou hast byclipped me wiþ virtue and wiþ [wiþ] om. Cx.] strengþe to þe bataille. Þerfore þe kyng was glad wiþ al, and arrayed hym for to passe þe forde of þe ryver Vincenna, but þe water bygan hugeliche [hogelych, γ.] for [for] om. Cx.] to arise, and an hynde appered sodenliche, and passede þe water to fore þe kyng, and schewed him [hym, α. and Cx.] þe forde. Þanne þe kyng made þe kyngdom of Fraunce strecche [strechche, γ.] anon to þe [hyȝe] [From α. and β.; hye, Cx.] hilles [hyȝ hulles, γ.] of [of] om. γ.] Arregonia [Arrogonia, β.; Arrogonnia, γ.; Aragon, Cx.] þat beeþ i-cleped montes Pireney. [Pireni, Cx.] Þerfore þe emperour Anastacius herde of his name, and sente hym a crowne of gold richeliche arayed [besette, Cx.] wiþ precious stones, wiþ a kirtel and a girdle, [curtel and a gurdel, γ.] and from þat tyme he was assigned to be consul and Augustus for þe comyn profite [prouffyt, Cx.] of þe empere, and he was i-cloþed in a consuls gowne. Also from þat tyme þe empere of Rome,

þat was somtyme translated to Constantynnoble, bygan to wexe lasse [las (bis), γ.] and lasse from day to day, and þe kyngdom of Fraunce bygan to sprede and wexe more and more. Whanne Gisericus kyng of Wandales was dede, his eldere [elþer, γ.] sone Hunericus [Homericus, Cx.] regnede in Affrica eyȝte ȝere; by sleiþe of straunge naciouns þis bygan firste to doo myldeliche with Cristene men; but at þe ende he het [commaunded to, Cx.] putte fury [fuyry, α., β., and γ.; fyry, Cx.] plates to brestes of holy maydens ffor [by cause, Cx.] þey [þey] a, γ.] schulde knowleche [and sygge, added in γ.] þat bisshoppes and clerkes hadde i-leye by hem. Also he dede [put, Cx.] a greet multitude of Cristen men in a streiȝt prisoun for þey shoulde late [lete, Cx.] falle ureyne and dritte everiche [uryne and foul ordure eche, Cx.] uppon oþer, and so it semede þat þe stenche [stynch, γ.] þerof passede al oþer peyne. [paine, Cx.] Aboute þat tyme were seyn Medardus þe confessour and Gildardus bisshop of Rothomagensis [Seynt Medard and Seynt Gyl|dard, bisshops of Roen, confessors were, Cx.] in hir floures, þey were breþeren of oon wombe i-bore in oon day, i-sacred bis|shoppes in oon day, and dede in oon day. Henricus, libro 2^o. Elle and his þre sones, Cunen, [Cimen, α., β., and γ.; Cymen, Cx.] Plectyng, [Plettinger, β.; Plegtinger, γ.; Plettynger, Cx.] and Cissa, come

into Bretayne wiþ þre schippes þe ȝere after þe firste comynge of Angles þritty, and slouȝ meny Bretouns [at] [From Cx.] Conneneshore, [Cuneneshore, β. and Cx.] and chasede [menye] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] anon to þe wode Andresleg, [Andresleger, β., et infra, and Cx; Addresleger, γ. (bis).] and so he occupied Souþsex. Henricus, libro 5^o. Andresleg [Andrysleger, Cx.] is a greet wode on þe souþ side of Kent bysides þe haven Lynme, [Lymme, Cx.] and conteyneþ fourty myle in lengþe and þritty in brede. After Simplicius Felix was pope eiȝte ȝere. Seinte Barnabe [Barnabas, Cx.] his body was founde in a den [cave, Cx.] þere his disciple Iohn hadde i-hud it, with þe gospel of Mathew þat he hadde i-write wiþ his owne stile. [styyl, γ.] Barnabe prechede first [of Crist] [From α., γ., and Cx.] at Rome, and was first bisshop i-made of Melan. Willelmus de Regibus, libro primo. Þat ȝere Hengistus deide in Kent two and þritty ȝere after his comynge. [into Engelond, added in γ.; into Englond, added in Cx.] He droof [drof, β. and γ.] forþ his tyme and dede his dedes as moche wiþ fraude as with strengþe, and hym was levere [leover, γ.] do cruelliche þanne lawfulliche. [cruwelych þan lawefolych, γ.] After hym his sone Osca was kyng foure and twenty ȝere; he defendede þe kyngdom, and made it no more, and hilde [heuld, γ.] hym apaide with his fader kyngdom, and passed nowher [noȝwhar, γ.] his fader

bondes. Eutropius, libro 4^o. Also in þis Zeno þe emperour his tyme Aurelius Ambrosius usede þe purpure in Bretayne uppon [apon, α., passim.] caas [uppon caas] om. Cx.] after þe fiȝtinge of Saxons he was left on lyve, and no mo of þe Romayns, and overcome ofte þe Saxons þat were victors; and from þat tyme forþ, now þe oon, now þe oþer hadde þe maistrie and [þe victorye, forto þe Saxons hadde þe maystrie and] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] wan al þe ilond. Aboute þat tyme Seint Mammertus, [Manmertus, Cx.] bisshop of Vien, ordeyned solempne letanyes þat beeþ i-cleped þe Rogaciouns, aȝenst erþe [eorþe, γ.] schakynge [quakynge, Cx.] and tempest of weder and peril [parelle, Cx.] of resynge [of resynge] om. Cx.] of wylde bestes þat grevede þe peple þat tyme, and beeþ i-cleped þe lasse letayne for difference [duffrens, γ.] of þe more le|tayne þat [Seynt, added in Cx.] Gregorye ordeynede to be seide a Seynt Markes [Marc, γ.] day. Paulus, libro primo. Aboute þat tyme Agrimundus þe firste kyng of Longobardes, or [er, β. and Cx.; ar, γ.] he com into Pannonia, he fonde seven children i-leyde bysides a pond, þat a strompat [comyn woman, Cx.] hadde-i-bore [hadde i-bore] om. γ.] at oon burþen, [burþon, γ.] and caste hem þere for þey schulde be i-slawe. Þe kyng passede þerforþ, [þerforþ] forth by, Cx.] and wolde wite what it were, and tornede

þe spere þat he bare in his hond to ward þe children, and oo childe [oo childe] oon of hem, om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] helde [huld, γ.] þe spere wiþ his honde, and þerby þe kyng tolde [þat] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe childe schulde be greet, and leet take hym of þe pond, and norsched [norsede, γ.; dyde do norysshe, Cx.] hym [up] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] besiliche. [bisilich, β.; bysylych, γ.] And after Agelmundus his deþ, for his nobilnesse [nobley, Cx.] he was i-chose kyng, and ruled þe Longo|bardes swiþe graciousliche [right wel, Cx.] longe tyme; and for he was i-take of þe pond, and norsched hym up besiliche, [and . . . besiliche] om. γ.] þey ȝeven [hy ȝaf, γ.] hym a name, and cleped hym Lamissio; for a pond is i-cleped lama in hire longage. Of hym it is i-seide þat whanne þe Amazones wernede þe Longobardes to passe oon of hire owne ryveres, þis Lamissio swymmynge in þe ryver fauȝt wiþ þe strengeste womman of þe Amazones, and slouȝ here riȝt þere, and [soo, added in Cx.] by co|venant he ordayned passage for his men. Þat ȝere Zeno þe em|perour send to [to] om. γ.] Teodorichus [Theodoricus, γ., Theodericus, Cx.] to fiȝte aȝenste oon Odoacer, þat hadde i-werred in Italy fourtene ȝere. This Theodoricus was þe kynges sone of Gothes, and was i-take to Zeno [delyverd, Cx.] in plegge whanne þe covenant of pees [bytwene ham, added in γ.] was i-made. Þanne whanne Theo|doricus was eyȝtene [eyȝtetene, γ.] ȝere olde he passede Bulgaria and Pannonia,

and fedde hym and hise in þe leese [lese, β. and Cx.] of Aquila; [Aquilia, γ.; Aquylya, Cx.] þanne Odoacer mette hym wiþ al þe power of Italy, and was overcome of hym. Þerfore he tornede aȝen to Rome, and was i-putte of by þe Romayns, and wente to Raven, and þere he was byseged þre ȝere, and i-slawe riȝt þere. Þan Theodoricus come to Rome, and [was] [From β. and Cx.] gladliche underfonge, [resseyved, Cx.] and wedded Andelflede, þe douȝter of Clodoneus kyng of Fraunce, [Frauns, γ.] and maried his douȝ|ters and sustres to kynges þat wonede [dwellyd, Cx.] þere aboute, so þat wel nygh al Italy was i-ioyned [y-juyned, γ.] to hym by suche [siche, β.] affinite.