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

Capitulum vicesimum septimum.

WHANNE Benet was i-put out, þe secounde Nichol [Nicol, β.; Nycolaus, Cx.] was pope [aboute] [From α.] an two ȝere. In his tyme holy chirche in Fraunce was hugeliche destourbed by Berengarius archedel on of Turon. [Toreyn, Cx.] He seide þat þe ooste [oyst, β. and γ.] in þe auȝter is nouȝt verray Cristes [Christis, β.] body, but þat it is figure þerof. Aȝenst hym þe pope made a counsaile [at Verecele [Versel, Cx.] yn Italy of an hondred

bisshops and þrittene. In þe whiche [whoche, γ.] counsail] [From α.] Berengarius wiþ cleped [withsayde, Cx.] his errour, as it is i-seide in decrees de consecra|cione, distinctione 2^a, Ego Berengarius. But after þe pope his deeþ, his heresie gan eft to spring. Þanne Hiltebrandus þe pope determyned and ȝaf þe dome aȝenst his fautoures; [fauctours, Cx.] to his errours answerde Lanfrank priour of Beccens, in his book þat hatte Liber Sintillarum; and specialliche Wymond, þat was a monk of Normandic, and after bisshop of Aversan in Apulia, þat was [þo] [From α. (not γ.)] most perfit [proufyte, Cx., omitting in spe|kynge.] in spekynge. So þat Berengarius amended his lyf at þe laste, so þat [som] [From α.] men helde [huld, γ.] hym a [holy] [From α., β., γ, and Cx.] seynt. He expowned þe Apochalips, and usede mekenesse and almesdede, [almusdede, γ.] and voided [foydede, α.] þe siȝt of wommen, and usede symple mete and clooþ, and þat by þe apostles loore. Hildebertus bisshop of Cenonia in his vers [versus, β. and Cx.] preseþ hym most in þis manere:

"Of hym noo [now, α.] wondrynge schal wondre þe world evermore, [Þis Berengarius deide þat scal deye na more"]. [From α.]

And þanne þus:

"After deþ wiþ hym leve [lyve, α.] bidde [byd, α. and Cx.; bid ich, β. and γ.] I in even reste; No bettre be my lot, I praye, þanne is his lott."

Loo here me may see how þe noble bisshop passeþ in þe manere of praysinge, but þe rethorike wiþ his faire [veyr, γ., et infra.] speche brekeþ out ofte tyme in þat manere. Þerfore þe poet seiþ: "Riche speche [brekeþ . . . speche] bis in MS.] schedeþ out ofte wel fayre redene [reden, β.; reede, Cx.] floures." But among al þis take hede, þat þeyȝ Berengarius amended his sentence, ȝit he myȝte nouȝt amende al þat he hadde appeyred wiþ his lore in dyvers londers. Suche [Sich, β.] it is to peyre [apeyre, α.; peyr, Cx.] oþer men by word oþer by evel ensample, þat whanne by [by] om. β. and Cx. (not α).] his owne synne is awey ȝit noyeþ [it, add. Cx.] and greveþ oþer men synnes. Me seiþ þat þe nobel bisshop of Carnotens Fulbertus spak þerof moche in his last siknes. For whan he sigh Berengarius come to hym among oþer men, "Dooþ hym awey," quod þe bisshop, "for I see a fend folowe [folewe, β.; vend volve, γ.] hym, þat appeyreþ þe ayer [eyr, β.; aer, γ.] al aboute." Also þis Berengarius whanne he deide, in a twelfþe [twellifth, Cx.] day, had mynde [munde, γ.] how many wrecches [wrechches, γ.] he hadde i-peyred [apeyred, α.] by his evel lore while he was a ȝong [ȝung, γ.] man, and seide: "Þis day I hope þat Crist wil [wole, β.] schewe hym to me in þe day of His owne schewynge, or [oþer, α. and β.] for my penaunce toward blisse, oþer for oþer þat iche have appeyred to [by, α.] myn evel lore [while . . . lore] bis in MS.]

toward peyne." Aboute þis tyme Marianus þe Scot was i-closed in þe abbay Fuldense, and was þere ten ȝere. Whanne Kynsius archebisshop of ȝork was dede, Aldredus bisshop of Wircestre was archebisshop after hym, and wente to Rome wiþ Tostius erle of Norþhumberlond for to fonge þe palle. Bote [Bete, α.] he was i-founde blameworþy in his answere, and he was i-prived of all manere worschippe; and as he went homward, [hamward, β. and γ.] he was i-robbed of al þat he hadde. Þerfore Tostius þe erle wente ageyne to Rome, and he welded [and awelde, β. and γ.] so þe pope wiþ skilles þat he alleide [allegged, β.; ailedged, Cx.] þat þe pope ȝaf Aldredus þe archebisshopriche. Tostius seide þat naciouns of fer londes schulde sette riȝt litel by þe pope his curs, [cors, γ.] while it was so i-scorned of þeoves [þueues, γ.; þeeves, Cx.] þat wonede þer nyh; þerfore oþer Aluredus [Aldredus, α. and β.] schulde have his catayll [catayll] from Cx.; castel, MS. and α.; catel, β. and γ.] restored, oþer it wolde seme þat he was i-robbed by fraude of þe pope. Also þe kyng of Engelond schal here þerof, and wiþdrawe þe tribut of seint Peter. "Hit is evel i-doo," quod þe eorle, "þat Aldredus schal goo hoom worschiples, and be robbed of al þat he hadde." And so Aldredus hadde þe palle, and wente into Engelond aȝen, and mad Wulstane þe priour bisshop of Worcester. No man wolde gladliche of [of] from α., β., γ., and Cx.; fonge, MS.] Stigandus, þe archebisshop of Caunterbury, fenge [vonge, γ.] þe ȝifte of bisshopriche; noþer William Conquerour, whanne

he was i-come, wolde fonge þe blessynge of hym. After Nichol þe secounde Alisaundre was pope enleven ȝere, and was i-chose by þe cardinales, and defended hym manliche aȝenst oon Candulus þat þe Italies hadde i-chose pope. Þey seide þat no man schulde be i-chose pope but he were of þe paradys of Italy i-bore. Harold [Herald, Cx.] duke of West Saxon, by heste [commaundement, Cx.] of kyng Edward, went in to Wales wiþ few [veaw, γ.] horsmen after mydwynter, and sette kyng Griffyn his paleys at Ruthelan [Ruthlan, Cx.] afyre, [afuyre, α; a vure, γ.] and his schippes also. Bote Gryffyn fliȝ and scapede. Þerfore, aboute þe Rogacioun tyme, he went out of Bristowe wiþ a greet navey, and seilled nyȝ al aboute Wales. And his broþer Tostius eorle of Norþhumberlond mette hym wiþ an oost of horsmen, and destroyed so þe contray of Wales, þat þe [Walyschmen, γ.] Walsche men delyvered plegges and payed tribute as þey were i-woned, and outlawed and put out her kyng Gryffyn, and slow hym at þe laste aboute þe fiftenþe day of August, and sent his heed to Harold þe kyng. [þe erle, β. and γ.; therle, Cx.] Þere after kyng Edward grauntede þe lond of Wales to Griffyn his twey breþeren, þat swore to hym fewte. Henricus, libro 7^o. Þis ȝere Harald wente toward Normandie to speke wiþ his broþer Wilmotus, [Wilynotus, β.; Wilinotus, γ., bis; Wylynotus, Cx., et infra.] and wiþ his broþer sone Hacun, þat were in plegge wiþ duke

William. But he was i-dreve with tempest into þe province of Pontus. [Pountyf, Cx.] Þe duke of þat lond took hym, and sent hym to duke William. Me seiþ þat þere Harald, þat [þat] er, β. and Cx.; ar, γ.] he myȝte askape, swoor þat he schulde [a scholde, γ., bis.] wedde duke William his douȝter, and þat he schulde [a scholde, γ., bis.] kepe for hym Engelond whan kyng Edward were deed; and so he hadde his neveu [nevew, α.] wiþ hym, and cam into Engelond aȝen. ℞. But his broþer Wilmotus [Wylynotus, α., and it may be that it is Wilinotus in MS. et supra.] lefte in duke William his tyme, alway ȝit whanne [yet while, Cx.] he regnede. Henricus, ubi supra. Also þis ȝere, in kyng Edwardes court at Wynde|sore, Tostius was agreeved and was wrooþe, and wente þennes to Herford, þere Harald had arayed a feste for þe kyng. Þere Tostius hakked [to hakkede, γ.] his broþer servantes, and sowsede [sosede, γ.; souced, Cx.] here lemes, and sente word to þe kyng þat ȝif he wolde come to his form, [ferme, α.; feste, β. and Cx.] he schulde have salt mete i-now. Þe Norþhumbres herde hereof, and put out her duke Tostius, and slouȝ his servantes also; and þey breke his tresorye, and made hym flee [vle, γ.] into Flaundres. Willelmus de Regibus. Bote þe kyng herde þerof, and sente Harald to take wrech of þe wrong þat was of his

broþer. Þey alleyed þat þey were freliche [vreliche, γ., bis.] i-bore and freliche i-norsched, þat þey myȝte nouȝt suffre þe cruelnesse [cruwelnes, β.] of dukes; also þat þey hadde i-lerned [ylurned, γ.] of here sovereynes to meyntene fredom or elles take þe deeþ; also þat þei [they, α.] schulde liȝtliche be i-lad by an esy duke. Þanne Harald semede þat it were more wisliche [wysedome, Cx.] to favere þe contray þanne to take hede [hyde, γ.] to þe singuler profite of his broþer, and sente þat his oost schulde come aȝen; and wente to þe kyng, and procurede þat Malcherus schulde be her eorle. Al þis greved Tostius, and þerfore [þarevore, γ.] he wente in to Flaundres wiþ his wif and his children, and was þere anon to þe kynges deth.