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

Capitulum decimum.

ABOUTE þat tyme deide Odo, archebisshop of Caunterbury; þis was of þe nacioun of Danes, but he dede [dide, β.; dude, γ.] awey his wylde|nesse at þe laste, and servede kyng Edward at þe laste [at þe laste] þe elþere, α.; þe elder, γ.] in chivalrie; and nouȝt long þerafter he took þe tonsure of clerk, and was i-made bisshop of Wynchestre. He hadde i-made [kyng, add. β.] Athelston [Adelston, γ] his frend by þe comynge of þe swerd þat was i-lost into þe scaberge [scabarge, β. and γ.] aȝen; so þat he was i-made archebisshop of Caunterbury; and for he wolde take þat dignytee þe more holy|liche, for al his predecessoures [hadde y-be monkes, he passed

þe see, and took [touk, γ.] monk his wede at Floriacensis] [From α., β., and γ.] besides Aure|lian. Trevisa. Odo was lewedliche [lewidlich, β.] i-meoved þerfore to make hym a monk, ffor Crist, ne non of alle his postles, was nevere monk nor [ne, β.] frere. Þan it foloweþ [volweþ, γ.] in þe storie: Odo com aȝen, and was nyh [neiȝ, β.] þe kyng, and wente at þe laste wiþ kyng Edredus into Norþhomberlond, and brouȝte wiþ hym to Cauntur|bury þe holy axes of seint Wilfrede [Wilfride, β.] þe bisshop: þerof is ȝit contynual strif bytwene hem of ȝork and of Caunturbury, wheþer þe more Wilfridus bones, þat was i-buried in þe chirche of Rypoun, beeþ þese forseide [þues vorsede, γ.] bones, oþer þe bones of þe lasse Wilfrede, þat was seint Iohn his [Joones, β.] preost, and his successour in þe see of ȝork. Also þis Odo suspendede [suspendide, β.; suspendedd, γ.] kyng Edwynus of Cristendom, for he was to fervent in leccherie, and out of a good fame. Þerfore Edwynus took wreche of alle þe monkes of Engelond, [for in al Englond] [From α., β., and γ.] was no man þat hym dorste [þurste, γ.] wiþstonde [wistonde, β. and γ.] outtake Odo and Donston. For, as Seneca seiþ, a cok [kok, β. and γ.] is most myȝty on his dongehille. [donghulle, γ.] Also in a tyme Odo his temple was unheled, and al þe tyme þat þe helynge was in makynge [was a makyng, β.] of þe temple [of þe temple] and þe temple an helynge, α.; in heliyng, β.] he heled it so wiþ his bedes þat þere

fil nouȝt oon drope of reyn in al þe place [plas, γ.] aboute, and ȝit þat tyme was so greet tempest [tempast, γ.] and reyn of weder þat it semede þat al þe worlde [worl, γ.] schulde goo to giders. [togidres, β.] Also in anoþer tyme, whanne he [þe, β. and γ.] sacrede seint Donston bisshop of Worcestre, [Wircetre, β.] he dede so þe ordre of þe service as þey he [α, γ.] hadde i-sacred þe arche|bisshop of Canturbury; and whanne his clerkes blamede hym þerfore "I wote, sones," quod Donston, "what þe Holy Gost worcheþ on me." And into [in, α. and β.] þe trewe forbedynge lakkede no sobre fey, þeigh Elsynus bisshop of Wynchestre evere among fondede to have þe [þat, α. and β.] see. [vondede to habbe þat se, γ.] For whanne Odo was dede þis Elsinus ordeyned hym advoketes, [avokatis, β.; avoketes, γ.] and groped here hondes, and gat slyliche a maundmente of þe kyng, and was i-put [y-pot, γ.] in at Caunterbury. In þe firste day þat he was in þere he sparede nouȝt, but he caste out of his woodnesse þat he hadde longe i-kept in his herte, and putte wiþ his feet [veet, γ.] on sent Odo his tombe, and despisede [dispised, β.] his soule, and spak to hym in þis manere: "Þou worste olde man, thy soule is a goo late inow; þou hast i-made a place to a betre þan þou were. What I [ych, γ.] have longe desired now I have it maugre þyn teeth. [maugreþ þi teeþ, β.; magre þyn teþ, γ.] Þerfore I kan þe

ful evel þonk at þis tyme." Bote whan þat day was a goo and þis blowere of woodnesse i-brouȝt on his bedde, he sigh þe schap of seynt Odo, and blamed [blame, α., β., and γ.] hym and despised [despise, α.; dispise, β.; des|pyse, γ.] hym, and manassed [manace, α. and β.; manase, γ.] þat he schulde deie. But he wende þat he [þey, α.; he, β.] were i-scorned of a fleynge [vleyng, γ.] fantasye, and spared nouȝt þer|fore but he wente toward Rome to fonge þe palle [fang þe pal, β.] of þe pope, and passede by þe hilles Alpes, and was i-frore [y-vrore, γ.] in a colde snowe; and in hors bowels, þat were i-oponed for to have som hete, he wrapped his feet [veet, γ.] þat he hadde with i-putte [y-put, β.] seint Odo his tombe, and deide so þere. After hym Brythelynus, [Brihtelinus, β.] bisshop of Wynchestre, was archebisshop of Caunterbury; and [for] [From α., β., and γ.] he was nouȝt suffisaunt to so grete a charge, [charche, γ.] he went aȝen to Wynchestre by heste of þe kyng, and Donston, bisshop of London and of Wircestre, was i-made archebisshop of Caunter|bury, and wente to Rome, and fenge [vyng, γ.] the pal of pope Iohn. He com aȝen, and gat of þe kyng þat Oswold, þat was Odo his broþer sone, schulde be bisshop of Wircetre. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro primo. Donston was first abbot of

Glastyngbury, [Glastenbury, β.] and was alwey ful [vol, γ.] of vertues, and made hym besy [busy, β.] to torne kyng Edgar his herte to dedes of savacioun, and to make þe kynges levynge to be a myrrour [merour, γ.] and ensample to alle his sugettes; [sugettis, β.] and ȝif þe kyng trespased he studied fast [vast, γ.] hym to amende, and so he made hym do penaunce seven [seve, γ.] ȝere for unlaweful liggynge by a mynchoun. [monchon, β.; meynchen, γ.] By þat ensample he chastede [chastide, β.] þe comynte, and mades knyȝtes doo as þey schulde, and ferede þeves and refraynede [hem]. [From β.; ham, γ.] Þe ordre of monkes was þrifty þat tyme, for it hadde religious rulers, [reulers, γ.] cleer of sciens and of clergy; and so bytwene þe accord of þe good lyvynge of þe kyng and of þe archebisshop, clerkes hadden choys wheþer þey wolde amende here lyf oþer bydde [bid, β.] here benefice farewel, [varwel, γ.] and leve wonynge places to bettre þan þey were. For so schulde be no discord bytwene þe fairenesse [feirnesse, β.; veyrnes, γ.] of hous and þe levynge of hem þat woned þerynne. Þoo þe feeldes [veldes, γ.] answerde þe tiliers of plente of corn and of fruyt; everiche grove schoon [schone, γ.] wiþ horten [hurten, β.] treen [and oþer tren] [From β.; tren and oþer tren, γ.] ful of fruyt. Þe elementes were cleer and likynge; unneþe þo was eny distemperynge of

weder; pestilence and enemyes boþe were fer [þere, MS.; ver, γ.] þat tyme. Aute þat tyme in Gascoyne [Gaskoyne, α.; Gasquen, γ.] was a womman departed and to deled [dyvyded, β.] from þe navel upward, [opward, γ.] and hadde tweye hedes and tweie brestes, [brustes, γ.] so þat somtyme þe oon sleep [slup, γ.] oþer eet whanne þe oþer dede nevere noþer; and þey lyvede so to giders [and a lyvede so to gedders, γ.] boþe longe tyme, and deyde nouȝt boþe attones. [at oones, β.] After þe twelfþe Iohn þe fift Benet was pope þre monþes. Nichoforus, kyng of Grees, was an olde man, and dradde leste his owne sones wolde put [potte, γ.] hym out of his kyngdom, and demede þat his sones schulde be i-gilded; [gelded, β.] but þe queene counsaylede oon Iohn þat he schulde slee þe kyng and regne, and so it was i-doo. After Benet, þe eiȝteþe Leo was pope a ȝere and foure monþes; for þe malys of þe Romayns, þat made of hem self [silf, β.] unlaweful [unlawfulich, β.; unlawefol|lyche, γ.] popes, he ordeyned þat no pope schulde be i-made wiþoute assente of þe emperour. After hym þe þrittenþe Iohn was emperour, [Sic in MS.] as it were eiȝte ȝere. At þe laste he was i-take of þe prefecte of þe citee and excilede, [exiled, β.] but þe emperour re|stored

hym aȝen, and slouȝ his enemyes. After Iohn, þe sixte Benet was pope on ȝere, and sixe monþes. After hym þe eyȝte [eyȝteþe, α.] Bonefas was pope þre ȝere; he myȝte nouȝt abyde at Rome, but he spoylede Seynt Petir his chirche, and wente to Constantynnoble, and com aȝen to Rome with grete pompe and boost; and whanne he myȝte nouȝt have his purpos he took þe cardinal Iohn and putte out boþe his eyȝen, [yene, γ.] and deide sone after. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro 2^o. Whanne Asketillus, archebisshop of ȝork, was dede, seynt Oswolde, bis|shop of Worcetre, [Wircetre, β., passim.] fenge [vyng, γ.] þe archebisshopriche, and governed boþe þat and þe bisshopriche of Worcestre. [Bysides þe cathe|dral cherche of Seynt Peter at Wircetre] [From α., β., and γ.] he bulde anoþer chirche of oure lady, þat he myȝte þere be þe more homeliche wiþ his monkes, and þerby he hadde greet love of þe peple. [pupel, γ.] Þe [þere, α.] clerkes of þe next cherche, whanne þey sigh þat, hadde levere be monkes þan be so despised and forsake. [vorsake, γ.] Whanne Oswald was i-stalled [y-staled, γ.] at ȝork he brouȝte lettred men into [Sic in MS.] contray, for þe contray schulde nouȝt be defrauded and be wiþ

oute suche [soche, γ.] goodnesse, [wiþ out þe whiche [whoche, γ.] goodnesse, oþer goodnesse] [From α., β., and γ.] semeþ me but a vanitee. Abbo, monk of Floriac, was oon of þilke lettred men: wiþ oute moche fruyt [frut, γ.] of clergie þat he brouȝte into Engelond, he descreved and wroot þe lyf of seynt Edmond, kyng and martir, at þe prayer of seynt Donston. Þis Abbo tornede hoome after, and was i-made abbot. Þanne in a tyme in a celle of Gascoyne [Gaskuyn, α., and so below; in Gaskoyne, β.; Gasquyn, γ.] þat hatte [þat hatte] om. γ.] Alkereul, [Alereul, α., β., and γ.] and longed to his abbay, he wolde have i-used þe strengþe of reli|gioun, but þe cruelte [cruwelte, β.] of Gascoyns wolde nouȝt suffre it, and kutte [kitte, β.] his þrote, and so he deyde: and Oswold lyvede fyve ȝere after, and knelede adoun in a tyme to wasche pore men feet, [pour men veet, γ.] and seide, "Gloria Patri," and deide riȝt so. Wil|lelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. Kyng Edgar, in þe twelfþe ȝere of his kyngdom, was anoynt kyng and [y] [From α.] -sacred at Bathe, and seillede aboute Norþ Britayne, and com alonde at Legioun, [Legio, γ.] þat now hatte Chestre, eiȝte hondred [under, β. and γ. (correctly).] kynges com aȝenst hym; wiþ þe whiche [whoche, γ.] kynges he wente into a boot in a day in þe ryver Dee, and took þe helme in his hond, and was steres|man, [stuerhysman, γ.] and þe oþere kynges were i-sette to rowe with oores; and so he com rowynge to Seint Iohn his chirche, and com rowynge wiþ a grete pompe and bost to his [owne] [From α., β., and γ.] paleys,

and me seiþ þat he seide: þanne þat every [eny, α., β., and γ.] of his sucessours myȝte [be, add. α. β., and γ.] ioyeful [joyful, γ.] and glad be [be] om. α., β., and.] whanne he hadde so grete worschippe and pompe. [pompe and worschippe, α. and γ.; pomp and worschip, β.]