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

Capitulum octavum. Tiberius.

TYBERIUS Constantinus was emperour sevene ȝere. Þis was myldeste of alle men, and ȝaf þe tresour of þe [þat, γ.] paleys to pore men, þerfore his wif blamede hym ofte, and me seiþ þat he an|swerde here in þis manere: "I [Y, β.] triste in oure Lord þat money schal nouȝt faile us at oure nede [neode, γ.] ȝif we doo [doþ, γ.; put, Cx.] oure tresour in hevene." Þanne he passede in a day bisides þe emperoures paleys at Constantynnoble, and sigh a cros i-grave in þe pave|ment [pament, β. and γ.; paviment, Cx.] of marbilston, and hym semede þat he was nouȝt worþy to be [be] om. α. and Cx.] trode [trede, α., β., γ., and Cx.] wiþ his feet [veet, γ.] [and specially] [From Cx.] uppon þat [þat] [From α., γ., and Cx.] schulde be printed [preented, α.; prented, γ.] in þe forhedes [vorhedes, γ.] of mankynde, and took up þat stoon, and sigh anoþer [y-grave [grave, Cx.] in þe same wyse, and þo he syȝ þe þrydde in þe same wyse] [From α. and Cx.] i-grave, and haf [haf] toke, Cx.] it up, and fond [op and vond, γ.] þereunder tresoure wiþ outen ende. Pope Iohn deide; on his tombe it was i-wrete [is wreton, Cx.] in metre in þis

manere: "By man [nam, α., β., γ., and Cx.] worschepe þouȝt and word Iohn besily þouȝt wiþ wil to plese God þat all þing haþ wrouȝte." After hym the firste Benet was pope foure ȝere. He brouȝte many þowsandes mesures of whete in schippes out of Egipte, and delyverede þe citee of Rome of [fro, Cx.] þe mescheef [meschef, β.] of honger while kyng Albuinus bysegede þe citee; þerfore þey write on his tombe in metre in þis manere: "Fader Benett; þou Benet, þou [þat, β.] levest gretene [greten, Cx.] mynde, [muynde, γ.] tytel of virtues, fairenes, [veyrnes, γ.] and gretene sorwe." Marcianus, libro 2^o. Þat ȝere Ceauli|nus kyng of West Saxons overcome þe Bretouns, and took of hem þre famous citees, Gloucestre, Surcetre, and Vautancetre. [Vatancestre, α.; Bathancestre, β.; Bathe, γ.] Also þat ȝere Seint Maurus deide, þe ȝere of his age þre score and twelve. He bare his maister Seint Benet his stole on his nekke as longe as his lif leste. [lasted, Cx.] After Benet Pelagius was pope ten ȝere.