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

Capitulum quartum.

ANASTACIUS [Anastasius, β., and Cx.] was emperour seven and twenty ȝere. In his firste [furste, γ., bis.] ȝere Seint Patrik deyde, þe firste [furste, γ., bis.] bisshop of Irlond, þe ȝere of his owne age sixe score and tweyne, in Aurelius [Am|brosius] [From α. and β.; Ambrose, Cx.] his tyme, þat was þe [þoo, α.; thenne, Cx.] kyng of Bretayne. Giral|dus in Topographia. In his tyme were þe abbot Columba, þat

heet Columkillus [Kolunkillus, Cx.] also, and Seint Bryde þat Patrik veillede, [veyled, β.; veylede, γ.; veyled and professyd, Cx.] and sche [heo, β. and γ.] overlevede him by [by] om. Cx.] sixty ȝere. Þese [þeose, γ.] þre were i-buried in Ulster [hulster, γ.] in þe same [same], om. Cx.] citee as [as] om. α., γ., and Cx.] Dunens, [Duneus, γ.; Dymens, Cx.] as it were in a den wiþ þre chambres: here bodyes were i-founde [founden, β.] þe firste ȝere of þe comynge of sire John, [sir Johan, Cx.] þe secounde kyng Henricus [Henry, α. and γ.; Haryes, Cx.] his sone, into Irlond. Uppon here tombes þese [þeose, γ.] vers were i-wrete: [wreton, Cx.] "In Duno þese thre beeþ i-buried [yburd, γ.] riȝt al in oon tombe, Bride wiþ Patrik and also Columba þe mylde." [Cx. gives the Latin before translating.] ℞. Me seiþ [Me seiþ] Men saye, Cx.] þat þis firste Patrik, among his oþir wonderful werkes and deedes, [dyde thre grete thynges,] [From Cx.] oon is [on ys, γ.] þat he droof [drof, β.] with his staf al þe venemous [venemos, γ.] bestes out of Irlond; þe secound is þat he prayed and hadde [it was graunted to hym, Cx.] it i|graunted of God all myȝti, þat non Irische [yrysch, γ.] man schal abide þe comynge of Antecrist. [Auntecryst, γ.] Þe þridde [wonder] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] is i-rad of his purgatorie, but [bote, γ.] þat is more acounted to þe lasse Patrik,

þat was abbot and nouȝt bisshop, and was in his floures aboute þe ȝere of oure Lord eyȝte hondred and fifty. Þe martilogie [Martirlogi, γ.] speketh of hym þat he fonde firste a rebel peple, and þerfore he went out of Irlond, and deide in þe abbey of Glastynbury [Glastenbury, β.; Glastebury, γ.; Glastenbury, Cx.] at Seint Bartholomew [Bartilmew, Cx.] þe apostles day. After Felix, Gelasius was pope as it were [as it were] om. Cx.] fyve ȝere. He ordeyned þat ordres [thorders, Cx.] schulde be i-ȝeve [yoven, Cx.] in [in] om. Cx.] foure tymes in þe ȝere, and made þe comyn prefas þat is i-songe in chirches, [in chirches] in the masse tyme, Cx.] "Vere dignum et justum est," and so forþ anon to "dies nostros." Also in his tyme þe den was i-schewed [schewide, β.; yschowed, γ.] at Seint Michel is [Miȝhels, β.; Mychaels, Cx.] mount in monte Gorgano. [Gargano, β.] Þe ȝere of oure Lord foure hondred foure [Regnum Orientalium Anglorum.] score and twelve bygan þe kyngdom of þe Est Angles under Uffa. Of hym al þe Est Angles beeþ i-cleped [buþ yclepud, γ.] Uffynges, and now we clepeþ hem Fykanes and Fykeys also. Beda, libro primo, capitulo 7^o. [16^o, α. and Cx.] Also þat ȝere was þe grete slauȝter [slauȝt, β. and γ.] of Saxons in þe sege of Badounhil [Badonhulle, γ.; Badon hille, Cx.] by þe duke of Bretouns,

Aurelius Ambrosius, [Ambrose, Cx.] þe ȝere after þe comynge of Angles foure and fourty. Henricus, libro 2^o. Þat ȝere tweie dukes of Saxons, Cerdicus and his sone Kynricus, wiþ fyve schippes, [schipes, γ.] come on [on] a, γ. and Cx.] londe at Cerdyschore, [Cerdychesore, γ.] þat nowe hatte Grene|mouþ. [Gernemouth, β.; is called Yar|nemouth, Cx.] Seynt Leonard is i-bore, and kyng Clodoneus [was his godfader and] [From Cx.] took hym of [of] oute of Cx.] þe cold water. Whanne Gelasius was dede Anastasius was pope two ȝere. He or|deynede þat no clerk schulde for wreþþe leve no [no] his, Cx.] service unseide in holy chirche, but onliche þe masse. Also þis cursede [þes corsede, γ.] þe emperour Anastacius. After Anastasius [Anastius, γ.] Syma|chus was pope fiftene ȝere. Wiþ hym was ordeyned anoþer pope þat heet Laurencius: in þat stryf were meny men|slauȝtes [man slauȝtes, γ.; manslaugh|ters, Cx.] in þe citee, but þey [þey] om. γ.] come boþe to þe doome of Theodoricus at Raven; and þe kyng demede þat he þat was first i-ordeyned schulde be pope, oþer he þat hadde þe more partye of þe chesers [cheosers, γ.] assentynge [assentynge] om. Cx.] to his allectioun; [election, Cx.] and by þat

dome Symachus was pope. He loved þe clergie and halpe pore [poure, γ.] men. Þerfore Paschasius, a cardynal decon, [dekene, β. and Cx.] after his deth, in þe peyne of purgatorie, was i-sette for to serve bathes, for he hadde i-favored Laurence his partye anon to his deþ, so telleþ Gregorie in Libro Dialogorum. Also þis pope ordeyned þat everiche Sonday and in festes of martires "Gloria in excelsis" schulde be i-seide at þe [þe] om. Cx.] masse. ℞. Þerfore som men wil mene [wold suppose, Cx.] þat he made þat folweþ in þat ympne, [but oþer men meneþ [meneþ] wene, Cx.] þat [seynt, add. Cx.] Hillary made hit [hit] om. Cx.] al þat folweþ in þat ympne]. [From α. and β.; not in γ.] Þat ȝere deide Remygius, doctor of Frensche|men [Freynsch men, α. and γ.] and bisshop of Remene. [Remene] Raynes, Cx.] An hermyte warnede Remy|gius his moder of his burþe, [and of þe manere of his burthe]. [From α. and β.] Þis hermyte had i-lost his eyȝen and his sight, and was blynde for ofte wepynge [weopynge, γ.] þat he usede in his beedes. And he warned þe moder of þis tokene, [And . . . tokene] And prayd his moder that, Cx.] whanne þe childe schulde be wened, þe childe schulde be [be] om. α., β., γ., and Cx. rightly.] wasshe [wesche, β.] wiþ watir of [wiþ watir of] om. α., β., γ., and Cx. rightly.] þe hermytes eyȝen wiþ þe modir melk, and so he schulde eft [eft] agayne, Cx.]

have his siȝt. Þanne þis [þis] om. γ.] Remigius from his childhode dwelled in a closett for to [for to] til, β.] he [fort a, γ.] was [two and twenty ȝere olde. After þat he was y-made bisshop of Remene, [Raynes, Cx.] and was] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] so mylde þat wilde sparwes [sparowes, γ.] wolde take mete of his hond. Henricus. Þat ȝere oon Porth wiþ his tweie sones com alond at Portesmouth [Portesmouthem, α.; Porthes|mouþ, β.; Porthesmoutham, γ.] in Souþsex and slouȝ a noble ȝonge man Natanleos, [Natanleos] om. Cx.] a man [Natanleos, a man] om. β.; Matauleos, γ.] of Bretouns, and meny oþer wiþ hym. Lotharius, kyng of Fraunce after his fader Clodo|neus, regnede fifty ȝere and oon. In his tyme Aurelius Ambrosius [Ambrose, Cx.] deide in Bretayne, and his broþer Uterpendra|gon regnede after hym. [℞.] [From α., β., and Cx.] Uterpendragon, by helpe of Merlyn [Merlyn] om. γ.] þe prophete, brouȝte Coria gigantum, þat is Stoon|henges, [Stonehenges, Cx.] out of Irlond. Stonhenges [Stonhenge, β. et infra.] is now in the playn of Salisbury. [Salesburye, β.] Of þat bryngynge of Stonhenges [Stonhenge, Cx. et infra.] out of Irlond spekeþ þe Brittissh storie, if it schulde be lawe fulliche [lawefolych, γ.] i|trowed. Also Uterpendragon slow Gillomaurus, Vortigernus [Vortigerus, Cx.]

his sone. Þis Gillomaurus [þis Gillomaurus] Added from β.; þes Gillomaurus, γ.] was kyng of Irlond. Also Uter slouȝ Hengistus his sone Osca, and his cosyn Osa, and Gorolus duke of Cornewayle, and wedded þe same dukes wif Ingerna, [Iugerna, Cx.] and gat on hir þe nobil [nobel, γ.] Arthur; but he [bote a, γ.] was at þe laste i-poysoned [ypoysond, γ.] wiþ venym and deide, and was i-buried by his broþer Aurelius in Corea gigantum, þat is Stoonhenges. After Symachus Hormisda was pope eiȝte yere. He reconsilede þe Grees, and ordeyned þe clergie [clergi, γ.] in rule [rewle, Cx.] and in ordre, and lefte in Seynt Peter his chirche a beme [beem, γ.] of silver of a þowsand pound and sixty. Also he sent lettres to Anastacius þe em|perour, þat favered Eutices [favoured Entices, Cx.] his errour, and heet the emperour þat he schulde hym self [sylf, γ.] amende. "We wolleþ [willeþ, α.; wolde wol, γ.; wol, Cx.] hote," [commaunde, Cx.] quod þe emperour, "and nouȝt be i-hote." [commaunded, Cx.] Þerfore he was afterward byset [besette, Cx.] wiþ [his, add. β.; hys, add. γ.] enemyes and i-smyte wiþ liȝtnynge and deide. Whanne Osca Hengistus [Engystus, Cx.] sone was dede, his sone Occa [Octa, β. and Cx.] regned after hym two and twenty ȝere in þe kyngdom of Caunterbury, þat was þe kyngdom of Kent. Marianus,

libro 2^o. Þat tyme Iordanus þe bisshop was in his floures, and made a cronyke. Iustinus. [Iustinus] om. α.]