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

Capitulum secundum.

LOWYS Balbus regnede in Fraunce two ȝere. [In his firste ȝer] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe Danes seylede from Warham toward Excetre, [Excestre, Cx.] and loste sixe score schippes in a tempest of þe see. Bote som men [men] om. α., β., and γ.] of þe Danes occupied þe real [rial, β.] toun Cheppenham, [Chipenham, α., β., and γ.; Chypenham, Cx.] and

þe contray aboute and chasede awey meny Englisshmen oþer made hem sugette. [soget, γ.; subgette, Cx.] In þe mescheef of þat tyme kyng Aluredus with fewe [veaw, γ.] men ladde uncerteyn and unesy [unnesy, Cx.] lyf in þe wode contrayes of Somersete; for he hadde nouȝt [right nought, Cx.] to lyve by but what he myȝte wynne by prayes oþer wiþ hontynge oþer wiþ fisshynge. [In a tyme while his felowes [velowys, γ.] were a fyschynge, [vyschyng, γ.] ] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] and he comforted his uncerteyn and unstedefast [unstidfast, β. and Cx.] lyf wiþ confort of bookes, a pilgrime com to hym and axede [axide almes, β.; almus, γ.] almesse in Goddes name. Þe kyng have [haf, β. and γ.] up boþe his hondes to hevene and seide, "I þonke God þat visiteþ [visitiþ, β.; vysyted, Cx.] his pore man þis day by a pore man, þat he wole vouchesauf [foche saf, γ.] þis day to axe me þat he haþ i-yeve me, and restore aȝe wiþ increse [encreace, Cx.] þat he axeþ of me." Anon þe kyng cleþeþ his servaunt, þat hadde but oon loof [lofe, β.; lof, γ.] and litel what of wyn, and hete [hyt, γ.] hym ȝeve þe halvendel [half therof, Cx.] to þe pore man. Þe pore man þonked hym, and vansched [vansede, γ.; vanysshed, Cx.] sodenly [vanyschide sodeynlich, β.; so|denlich, γ., and puts its after awey.] awey, and noon wey [noon wey] no stap, β.; non vore, γ.; noo steppe, Cx.] was i-sene of

his goynge in the nesche moore. [more, α.; naysch more, γ.; nesshe more, Cx.] And also al þat was i-ȝeve hym was i-founde [yvounde, γ.] hool and sounde. And þeyȝ þat were a fisshynge brouȝte fisshe in grete plente. [grete plentye of fysshe, Cx.] Þan whanne þe kyng was on slepe oon appered to hym in a bisshoppes wede, and charged [chargide, β.] hym þat he schulde love God, and kepe riȝtwisnesse, and be merciable aȝenst [aȝenus, β.] pore men, and wor|schippe preostes, [prustes, Cx.] and seide more to hym, [hym] om. β., and puts myn before Aluredus.] "Aluredus, [more to. Myne Aluredus, Cx.] Crist knoweþ thy conscience and þy wille, and putteþ [potteþ, γ.] an ende of þy [þyn, α.; þi, β.; þy, γ.] sorwe and care, ffor tomorwe stronge helperes schal be wiþ þe, by help of hem þu schalt overcome þyn enemyes." "Who art þou," quod [quaþ, α. and γ.] þe kyng. "I [Ych, α.; Ich, β. and γ.] am Cuthbert," [Cutberth, Cx.] quod he, "þe pilgrym þat was here ȝisterday [ȝisterday here, α.; ȝursday here, γ.] wiþ the, to whom þou ȝaf breed and wyn: I am besy for þe and for þyne; have mynde hereof whan it is wel wiþ þe." Bote how he made mynde of his pilgrym, by þe fredom [vredom, γ.] and possessioun of þe chirche of Durham it is now i-sene. Willelmus de Regibus,

libro 2^o. Þan Aluredus com out of prison, and putte hym to a peril of greet fraude and gile. [and of gyle, β.] For he wente into þe kyng of Danes his pavilons and tentes in a mynstral his liche, [in mynstralles weede, Cx.] and aspied al þat he wolde, and come aȝen to Ethelyng, and declared to his felawes [felawe, Cx.] þe sleuþe of his enemyes. Þanne he fil soden|liche [fylle sodenly, Cx.] on his enemyes, and slowȝ mo of hem þan me wolde trowe. For þe day after come to hym þe men of Wiltschire, [Wyltshir, Cx.] of Somersete, and of Hampschire; [Hampteschire, α.; Hamptschire, β.] by help of hem he bulde a toure at Ethelynge, þat is to menynge an [in, α., β., and Cx.] Englisshe þat now is i-used, þe ilond of noble men. Out of þat towr he resede [reesed, Cx.] ofte on [on] om. Cx.] his enemyes and overcome hem, and nameliche bysides Selwode, þat is greet woode in Englische þat now is i-used, so þat he fenge hostages and plegges þe beste þat þey [he, Cx.] wolde chese. And Guttrun kyng of Danes was i-cristened, [yfolled, β.] and twenty of þe grettest þat were wiþ hym, þe whiche kyng Alfredus feng of þe colde water, and ȝaf hym [Guttrun, α., β., and γ.] a name and cleped hym [hym] om. α. and γ.] Athelstan; [Adelstan, β. and Cx.] þerfore þe [to, α., β., γ., and Cx.] kyng Gurthrym, [Guttrun, Cx., ut semper.] þat we clepeþ Gurmundus, were i-ȝeve þe provinces of Est Angles and of Norþhomberlond for to wonye [dwelle ynne, Cx.] ynne. But for þe

Blewman [Bloman, γ.] chaungeþ nouȝt liȝtliche his skyn, þis Gurthrym destroyed [destried, β.] þese [þues, γ.] londes with tiraundise [tyrauntrie, β.] and wiþ pryde elevene ȝere, [and deide þe twelfþe [twellyfyth, Cx.] ȝere. Þe oþer Danes] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat he [he] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] wolde nouȝt be cristene and [and] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] wente into Fraunce. Þat place [plas, γ., et infra.] þat hatte Ethelynge oþer Ethelyngeseye is nouȝt an ilond [an Ileland, Cx.] of þe see, but it stondeþ in water mareys [marreys, β.] and meores [marreys and moores, Cx.] so þat me may nouȝt come þerto [but] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] by schiþ noþer [oþer, α., β., γ., and Cx.] by boot; þe place conteyneþ [unnethe, add. Cx.] þe space of tweye dayen [dayes, β.] erþe [twy dawen erþe, γ.] in brede, and ȝit þere is [is] ben, Cx.] wylde bestes and venysoun. [veneson, Cx.] Charles [Carles, β.] þe ȝonger, þat heet Grossus, þat is greet, was þe þridde Lowys his sone, and regnede in Fraunce after his eme [eame, Cx.] Lowys Balbus ten ȝere. He wente out of Almayn and occupiede Italy fewe [fyve, Cx.] dayes, [veaw dawes, γ.] and come to Rome and was i-sacred emperour of pope Iohn. [Joon, β.] In his tyme bygan þe erldom [erledome, β.] of Flaundres, [erldomme of Flaundrys, Cx.] [for þat tyme Flaundres] [and] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] and [and] om. α., β., and Cx.] was nouȝt of greet name, but it was i-ruled [yreuled, γ.] by þe kynges forsters [fosters, α.] of Fraunce. Also þis Charles

dede [dide, β.] awey his wif [his wif] om. γ.] for it semede þat sche was to prive wiþ þe bisshop of Vercelle; [Versell, Cx.] þerfore þe kyng of Fraunce knowleched openliche þat he hym self hadde nevere i-seie [leye, α.; leyn, β.; ylay, γ.; leyne, Cx.] flescheliche [vleyschlyche, γ.] by here; and sche [heo, β., et infra.] was glad of here manhode, [maydenhod, α., γ., and Cx.; maydenhode, β.] and wente into an abbay whanne sche was forsake. At þe laste, þe tenþe ȝere of his kyngdom, þis Charles wente out of Fraunce into Italy, and was i-poysoned of a Iewe [Juwe, γ.] þat hatte [het, α. and β.] Sedechias, and deide at þe hulles Alpes. ℞. It semeþe þat þis is þat Charles þat maryed his douȝter Gilla þat he hadde by his raþer wif to duke Rollo, and graunted wiþ here þe ducheries of Normandye and of Litel Bretayne. Bote [Bote Rollo . . . noble duke] om. Cx.] Rollo hadde no childe by Gilla, þer|fore he spousede oon Popa, Gy his douȝter erle [eorld, α.; þe erle, β.; erl, γ.] of Sil|vanect, [Silvanectus, β.] and gat on here a douȝter þat heet Gerlota, and a sone William Longa Spata þat noble duke. [Bote Rollo . . . noble duke] om. Cx.] Willelmus de Pontifi|cibus, libro 2^o. Also þat ȝere deyde Dunbertus bisshop [of Wynchestre, and kyng Aluredus made Dunewulphus [Dunewolfus, Cx.] bysshop in his stede], [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat he hadde [hadde] om. Cx.] i-founde in þe wode in his

hydynge tyme kepynge bestes. But whanne he knewe his good witte, after grete age he dede [a dude, γ,; putte, Cx.] hym to scole to lerne lettrure and clergie. Þat ȝere kyng Alrudus [Aluredus, β. and Cx.] amended þe citee of Cepton, [Septon, α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat is Schaftesbury, [Scheftesbury, β.] as a greet stoon witnesseþ þat þere in þe chapitre hous of mynchouns [monchons, β.; nonnes, Cx.] lyeþ above erþe. After Iohn, Martyn was pope oon ȝere; he relesed [releschede, β.] to þe scole of Saxons al manere tribute at þe prayer of kyng Alrudes. [Aluredus, α., β., γ., and Cx., and so below.] Also he sente [to] [From α. and β.] Alrudes a greet party of þe holy cros. After Martyn Agapitus was pope oon ȝere; þe whiche ȝere þe Danes come out of Fraunce and byseged [bisegide, β.; besyeged, Cx.] Rochestre, and bulde a toure aȝenst þe ȝates of þe citee; bote þe citeȝeyns defended þe citee for to [for to] til, β.] [þat] [From α. and β.] Aluredus com and took all þe hors [horses, Cx.] of þe Danes, and compellede hem to flee: þanne þe Dane wente into Fraunce [aȝe]; [From α. and β.; ayene, Cx.] and þe kyng sente his navey ful of men of armes out of Kent into Est Anglond, and took sixtene schippes of Danes; bote in þe comynge aȝe [ageyne, Cx.] þe kynges navey was overcome. [overcomen, Cx.] Trevisa. Est Anglond conteyneþ Norþfolk and Souþfolk: loke more þerof in þe firste book, capitulo 5^o. It foloweþ in þe

storie: þat ȝere þe Danes rowede [rowide, β.; rouwede, γ.] in þe water of Seyne, and bysegede Parys a ȝere al hool. Þat ȝere kyng Aluredus repa|raylede Londoun, and bytook it to kepynge to Etheldredus kyng [eorl, α.; erle, β. and Cx.] of Mercia. Þo þe Englisshe men þat were desperbuled [disparpled, β. and Cx.; dys|parpled, γ.] ȝaf hem self [hemsylf, β.] to kyng Aluredus. Þat tyme the kyng sente his almesse [almes, β.; almus, γ.] to Rome and to Ynde, [Inde, γ.] and bulde tweie abbayes, oon of [men at] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Ethelyngeseye, and anoþer of women at Schaftes|bury, [Scheftesbury, γ.] and made his dou ȝter Ethelgof [Etholgof, Cx.] abbesse [abbes, α., β., and Cx.; abbas, γ.] þere. After Agapitus, þe þridde Adrianus was pope oon ȝere; after hym Basilius oon ȝere; after hym Stevene [Stephan, γ.] sixe ȝere.