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

Capitulum vicesimum octavum.

KYNG Edward sat at þe mete at Westmynstre [Westmonaster, γ.] in an Ester day, and while oþer men ete besiliche [bisilich, β.] he fel [vul, γ.] in a þouȝt, and louȝ while oþer men ete. [yte, γ.] Me axede hym in chambre after mete what hym eylede so forto lawȝhe. [laugh, Cx.] "For seven slepers," quoþ he, "in þe mont Selyon [Selio, γ.] besides Ephesym [Ephesum, β. and γ.] in þe lasse Asia haþ i-slepe seven hondred ȝere on þe riȝt side, and

tornede hem to the liftside [in my lauȝhynge tyme, and þey shulleþ [hy scholleþ, γ.] so ligge on þe left side] [From α., β., and Cx.] þre score ȝere and fourtene. Þat tyme schal com among mankynde [mankunde, γ.] þat hard sawe þat Crist manasseþ [menaceth, Cx.] in the gospel, Men schal arise aȝenst men, and so forþe; ffor þe Sarsyns schal arise aȝenst Cristen men, and Cristen men aȝenst Sarsyns." And also þe kyng tolde how þe seven [seve, γ.] slepers were [weren, β. and Cx.] arayed, and so telleþ non oþer storie. Anon þe kynges mynistres sente [sent vorþ messagers, γ.] to Nicetes, [Nicetis, α.] emperour of Constantynnoble, to aspye þe soþe of þis sawe. He feng hem goodliche, and sent furþer [vorþer, γ.] to þe bishop of Ephesy [Ephesie, β.] þat he schulde shewe þe array of þe sevene slepers to þe messangers of Engelond, and so it was i-found as þe kyng haþ i-seide; and sone þerafter þe Sarasyns and þe Turkes arise [arysen, Cx.] and occu|pied Siria, þe lasse Asia, and Ierusalem; þe þridde Henry þe emperour deide sone after. [þereafter, α.] And Henry kyng of Fraunce was i-poysoned, and deide. Seven dayes [dawes, γ., et infra.] tofore May, [a starre] [From α. and Cx.] wiþ a briȝt blasyng crest was i-seie into al þe world [worle, γ.] wyde, [and was so y-seie] [From α.] seven dayes continuallyche. Olyver

monk of Malmesbury grette þe sterre, and spak þerto in þis manere: "Þow art i-come, [now] [From α.] þu art i-come, dwel [deol, β.; duel, γ.; doole, Cx.] and sorwe to wel many modres; it is ȝore þat I seie þe, but now I see þe more dredeful [dredfol, γ.] and griseliche, þat [þat] thou, Cx.] manassest destroyenge of þis contray." Þis Olyver was þoo a kunnyng man of lettrure, [lettre, α.; lettere, γ.] and a man of grete age; but in his ȝowþe by greet hardynesse he fondede forto flee [vondede vor to vle, γ.] as a bridde wiþ wynges. [whynges, γ. and Cx.] I not [note, β.] by what craft he feþered [vyþerded, γ.] his feet and his hondes, for he wolde flee in Dedalus his wise, and so he took a fable in stede of a sooþ sawe; and so he stood on a hyȝ toures, [an hye toure, Cx.] and took þe wynde, and fliȝ [vlyȝ, γ.; flough, Cx.] þe space of a furlong and more. But he was aferd of þe grete strengþe of þe wynd and of þe whirlewynde, and on caas of his awne folie dede, and fel [fil, β.] doun so þat he was lame in his þyhes [þyȝes, α.; thyes, Cx.] terme of his lyf. Also þis ȝere, whanne Children masse [Childermas, Cx.] day was i|halowed [halewide, β.] at Westmynstre, kyng Edward werþe sike. [wurþ syk, γ.] In his last siknes he sigh a siȝt, and tolde it to hem þat stood aboute hym. "Tweie men of religioun," quod þe kyng, "come to me þat I knewe somtyme in Normandie, and seide [sayden, Cx.] þat God hem hadde i-sent to warne me herof. For þe raþer

dukes, [dukes] erased in α.] bisshoppes, and abbottes of Engelond beeþ nouȝt Goddes children or [children or] om. α.] servauntes, but þe develes, [devel hys, γ.] God haþ i-take þe kyngdom into þe enemyes hondes for twelve monþes and a day, and feendes [vendes, γ.] schal walke and torne [hurle, β., γ., and Cx.] aboute in al þis lond. I prayed and bysouȝte þat þey moste, be my warnynge, do penaunce and be delyvered, by ensample of þe men of Nineve. 'Nay,' quod þey, 'for noþer schal be, for þese [þues, γ.] men schal nouȝt doo worþy penaunce, noþer God schal have mercy of hem.' Þanne I seide, 'Whan may be hope and triste [truste, Cx.] of forȝifnes?' Þey answerde and seide: 'Whan a gret [grene, β. and γ.] tre is i-hewe adoun, and a party þerof, i-kut fro [vram, γ.] þe stok, and i-leide þre teme [temene, α. and γ.] lengþe from þe stok, burgeþ and bloweþ and bereþ fruyt wiþ oute eny help and socour of þe stok." [burgeþ . . . stok] om. Cx.] Þere stood [tho, add. Cx.] Stigandus þe archebisshop, and seide þat þe olde man ravede and dotede [dodede, γ.] as olde men seiþ and [seiþ and] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] dooþ, and was out of his witte, and spak folie and vanite; but afterward Engelond felede þe soþe and þe truþe of his prophecie, whan it was i-done [adoun, α., β., and γ.; in subjec|tion, Cx.] and destroyed wiþ aliens and men of straunge landes. Þanne kyng Edward deide at West|mynstre [Westmonaster, γ.]

in a twelfþe [twellyfth, Cx.] eve, whan he hadde i-regned þre and twenty ȝere and seven monþes. ℞ Aluredus of Ryvalle dis|creved cleerliche kyng Edward his lyf, and sent it to Laurence abbot of Westmynstre, and he sent þat lyf, þat was so des|creved, forþ to þe secounde Henry. Willelmus de Regibus, ubi supra. Anon Harald occupied þe kyngdom, and hilde [huld, γ.] aboute a nyne monþes; bote some men [men] om. β., γ., and Cx.] fondede [entended, Cx.] to make Edgar Adelyng kyng. Edgar Adelyng was [þe sone of Edward, þe whiche [whoche, γ.] Edward was] [From α., β., and Cx.] þe sone of Edmond yrenside; but for þe child was insuffisant [unsuffisaunt, β.] to so grete a charge, erle Harald, þat was fellere of wit, and richere in þe purs, [pors, γ.] and strengere of knyȝtes, occupied þe kyngdom, and [and . . . monþes] om. α.] hilde it aboute a nyne monþes by an ungracious hap. ℞. But Marianus seiþ þat kyng Edward to fore his deþ ordeynede þat Harald schulde be kyng after hym, and þat þe lordes made hym kyng anon. Item Maria|nus. Þis was i-sacred of Aluredus [Aldredus, α.] archebisshop of ȝork, and gan anon [anon] om. Cx.] to destroye evel lawes, and to make good lawes and riȝtful, [ryȝtfol, γ.] to defende holy chirche, to worschippe good men, to punsche [punyse, γ.] evel doers, and to save and defende þe londe. But

his broþer Tostius herde [hurde, γ.] þerof, and þan he wakened [þan he wakened] þat he wa kyng, α., β., γ., and Cx., but γ omits þerof and.] and com wiþ twenty [syxty, β., γ., and Cx.] schippes out of Flaundres, and took payementes and tributes of þe Ile [yl, γ.] of Wight, and took prayes in Kent in þe see coostes; bote he dradde þe array of his broþer Harald, and wente by þe see into Lyndesey, and brende þere townes, and slowȝ men, forto þat he was dryve þennes by Edwyne and Morkar, [Morkar, from α., β., γ., and Cx.; Mokar, MS.] dukes of Mercia and of Norþhumberlond: þanne he wente to Malcolyn kyng of Scotlond, and was wiþ hym al þe somertyme. In þe mene tyme kyng of Noreganes, Harald Harefoot, [Harfage, α., β., γ., and Cx.] Olavus his broþer, cam wiþ þre hondred schippes in þe mowþe of þe ryver [of] [From α.] Tyne, þanne Tostius cam to hym with his strengþe, as þey were accorded to forehonde. Kyng Harald was i-warned þerof, and ordeyned þider greet strengþe, but or he were i-come þe tweie breþeren eorles þat we speke of raþer, Edwyne and Morkar, [Morkar, from α., β., γ., and Cx.; Mokar, MS.] hadde stalworthliche i-fouȝte, [yvoȝte, γ.] and were overcome at þe laste, and þere were delyvered plegges in eiþer side an hondred and fifty. [vyfty, γ.] Here after þe fifte day kyng Harald cam to Stemesfordburgh, [-brugge, β.; -brugh, γ.; -brydge, Cx.] and had a strong batataile

and a strong [hard, α., γ., and Cx.] fiȝtinge; but he slowȝ þe kyng of Noriganes and his owne broþer Tostius; but he made Olavus þe kynges bro|þer of Noriganes, and Paul duke of þe ilond Orcades, swere [swerye, γ.] to hym, and took plegges of hem, and lete hem goo hoom aȝen. Bote one of þe Noreganes bare hym so þere þat he was worþy to have a name for evermore, for he stood allone on þe brygge [brugge, γ.] of Stemesford, [Stemesfordbrugg, α. and γ.] and slouȝ moo þan fourty Englische men with his owne axe, and lette þe passage of all þe Englische oost forto it was none of þe day, forto an Englisshe man took a boot and cam under þe brigge, [and foynede [fuynede, γ.] upward under [under] þurȝ, β.; þorouȝ, γ.] þe brugge,] [From α. and β. (not in Cx.)] and stiked [stikide, β.] þe Noregan þoruȝ an hoole wiþ a [his, α. and Cx.; hys, γ.] speere. For þat hap Harald was proude, [prout, γ.] and wolde nouȝt parte wiþ his knyȝtes þe prayes þat were i-take, þerfore meny of þe lordes, and of þe comynte, [comente, γ.; comonte, Cx.] were wrooþ and agreved, and forsook hym whan he wente to þe bataille of Hastynge aȝenst William. Willelmus de Regibus, libro secundo.