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

Capitulum quintum.

CONRADUS after Lowys [Lowes, γ.] was i-made prince among þe Al|maignes, [Almayns, β.] but for he was nouȝt emperour in Italy he is nouȝt [nouȝt] wrongly omitted in β.] i-rekened among emperours, noþer he was i-hiȝt wiþ sacrynge and benesouns, [benesons, γ.; ne he is not en|haunced with sacryng and blessynges, Cx.] but he regnede sevene ȝere. In þis [þes, γ.] [yere] [From Cx.] þe empere gan to passe from þe Frensche [Freyns, γ., et infra.] men to þe Almayns, for Lowys þe predecessour of þis myȝte noȝt diffende þe Ro|mayns aȝenst þe Longobardes; þe empere passede from þe Frensche men, and so were tweye emperoures, oon in Almayne and anoþer in Italy, and [anon, α. and β.; unto the fyrst, Cx.] to þe firste Otho, þat was emperour of

boþe. Þat ȝere in þe province of Stafford at Thotenhale [Totenhale, β. and Cx.] þe Englisshe men overcome þe Danes; and afterward at Wode|nesfeld [Wodenysfelde, Cx.] kyng Edward slouȝ of þe Danes tweye [twy, γ.] kynges, tweye erles, and meny þowsand of men of Danes [þowsandes of Danes, α., β., γ. and Cx.] of North|umberlond. Etheldredus, duke and ledere, [ledere] om. γ.] under-kyng of Mercia, deide, and his wyf Elfleda, kyng Edward his suster, [soster, γ.] regnede nobleliche [noblich, β.] longe tyme in al Mercia, outtake Londoun and Oxenforde, þe whiche [whoche, γ.] þe kynge hylde to hymselfward. Sche bulde meny citees and townes, and amendede meny oon, þat beeþ Brymmesbury, Brygge [bridge, Cx.] uppon Sevarn, Thomeworþ [Thomworth, Cx.] be|sides Lichefeld, Stafford, Warwyk, Shroysbury [Sherisbury, α.; Schyresbury, β.; Chyrysbury, γ.; Shiresbury, Cx.] brigge uppon Sevarn, [brigge upon Sevarn] om. β., γ., and Cx.] Watusbury, [Watrisbury, Cx.] Edisbury in þe forest bysides Chestre, þat now is al destroyed. Also sche [heo, β., et infra.; hue, γ., et infra.] bulde a citee wiþ a castel in þe norþ endes of Mercia, uppon þe ryver Merce, þat þoo heet Runcofan, but now it hatte Runcorn. Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. The [Þis, α., β., and Cx.; Þues, γ.] strong virago Elfleda, favour of citeȝeynes

and drede of enemyes, halp moche [myche, β.] her broþer þe kyng in ȝevynge of counsaile and in buldynge of citees; whanne sche hadde [ones, add. Cx.] assayed þe woo and þe sorwe onlich of oon childe þat sche bare, sche hatede þe clippynge [embracyng, Cx.] of a man þerafter for everemore, and took witnesse of God, and seide þat it was nouȝt semeliche to a kynges douȝter to use [suche] [From α. (not Cx.); sich, β.; soche, γ.] flesche|liche [vleyschlych, γ.] likynge, þere suche sorwe moste [most come nedes] shold come, Cx.] come nedes [nede come, β.] after. Þe see [Þe see] þes, γ.] þeves of Danes þat wente out of Engelond into Fraunce aboute [an] [From α., β., and γ. (not Cx.).] nyntene ȝere toforehonde, come newe [now, α. and γ.; om. Cx.] aȝe into Engelond, and seillede [seylide, β.] aboute Cornewayle and come into Sevarne see, and took prayes, and took a Britisshe bisshop in Irchenefeld, þe whiche bisshop kyng Edwarde raunsoned [raunsede, α. and γ.] for fourty pounde, and chasede þe enemyes into Irlond; and made a castel at þe mouth of þe water of Avene, and oþere castelles at Bokyngham in þe eiþer side of þe ryver Ouse, and made sugette þe Danes þat woned at Bedeford [Betford, Cx.] and at Norþhamp|toun, and here kyng Turketillus. Anastacius was pope two ȝere. After hym Laudo was pope fyve ȝere; [ȝere] monethes, Cx.] þat ȝere þe

Hungaries þat beeþ by þe ryver Danubius [Dono, written above in a later hand in β.] destroyed Italy. Þe tenþe Iohn was pope fourtene ȝere, þis was pope Sergius his sone and bisshop of Raven. By his help Albericus the markys put [pot, γ., et infra.] out þe Sarsyns out of Irlond. [Irlond] Ytalye, Cx.] At þe laste fil strif and dis|cord bytwene hem, and þe pope and [and] om. α., γ., and Cx.] putte þe markys out of þe citee; þerfore he was wrooþ, and brouȝte þe Hungaries þat hadde destroyed [distruyde, β.] Italy; þerfore þe markys was i-slawe, bote þe pope was i-strangled of þe markes [markys, β.] his knyȝtes. Þat ȝere deide Rollo þe firste duke of Normandye i-translated out [i-translated out] om. β., γ., and Cx.] after þe fourþe [fourtenth, Cx.] ȝere of his ducherie; his sone William Longa Spata was duke after hym fyve and twenty ȝere. Elfleda queene of Mercia toke prayes in þe lond of Bretouns at Brehnok, [Breghnok, β.; Brehnoc, γ.; Brechnok, Cx.] and took þe kynges wyf of Wales, and renewede [renewide, β.] Legecestre, þat is Chestre. Kyng Edward bulde þe citee of Toucestre [Toucetre, β.; Touceter, γ.] and of Wiggemore, [Wygmere, β.; Wyggemere, γ.] and destroyed [distryed, β.] þe castel þat þe Danes hadde y-buld [y-buld, from α. and γ.; bilde, β.; made, Cx.; destroyd, MS.] at Themesforde. [Temeseford, γ.] Elfleda took þe citee of Derby uppon [oppon, γ.] þe Danes; here foure mynistres [were

i-slawe]. [From α., γ., and Cx.; were slayn, β.] Henry, [Harry, Cx.] þe sone of duke Otho of Saxon, regnede eyȝtene [eyȝtetene, α. and γ.] ȝere over þe Almayns, bote nouȝt in Italy, and þer|fore he is nouȝt acounted among þe emperours. Þis overcome þe Hungaries, and tornede to þe fey [feiþ of, wrongly, β.] þe duke of Normandye, William Longa Spata. Longa spata is a long swerd in [an, α., β., and γ.] Englisshe. Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. Þat ȝere deide Elfleda, eiȝtene dayes tofore Iuyl, [Jul, γ.; byfore Julii, Cx.] fyve ȝere tofore þe deþ of hire broþer kyng Edward. And sche [heo, β.; hue, γ. bis.] was i-buried at Glow|cestre in Seynt Peter his cherche, þat sche [heo, β.; hue, γ. bis.] and hire housbonde hadde i-bulde uppon kyng Oswaldes bones, þat þey hadde i-brouȝt þider from [þuder vram, γ.] Bardeneye; bote þe Danes destroyed þat cherche, and Aldredus, bisshop boþe of ȝork and of Worcestre, [Wircetre, β.]

repayrallede [reparyelde, γ.] anoþer þat is now þe cheef [chef, β. and γ.] abbay of þe citee. Kyng Edward took þe power of Mercia from Elfwyna [Elswyna, Cx.] þe douȝter of Elfleda, and lad here wiþ hym into West Saxon ℞. In preysinge of þis [þues, γ.] Elfleda, Henricus, libro 5^o. O Elflede [Elfled, β. and γ.] myȝti, [myghty, Cx.] O mayde mennene [mennes, β. and Cx.] drede; victrice of kynd, [vyctrys of kunde, γ.] wel worþy þy [þe, α., β., γ., and Cx.] name [of a manne]; [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] and þe [þee, β.] wel [wele, Cx.] briȝter now kynde [kunde, γ., et infra.] haþ i-maked a mayde; goodnesse haþ þe made to have þe name of a manne; kynde techeþ [techiþ þee, β.] þe to chaunge nouȝt [nothinge, Cx.] but þe name; myȝte queene and kyng [kyng and quene, α.; nuȝty kyng and queen, β.; kyng and queene, γ.; kynge and quene, Cx.] victorious [victoryes, α., β., γ., and Cx.] to arraye. Cesar [Cesars, β.] triumphus [Cesar hys triumphes, γ.; Cesars tryumphes, Cx.] were nouȝt so moche [myche, β.] worþy; Nobler þan Cesar, mayde Virago, farewel. [varewel, γ.] Whan kyng Edward herde [hurde, γ.] of þe deeþ of his suster he made suget to hym Thomeworth [Thomworth, Cx.] and Snotyngham, þat now hatte Notyngham; [Nothyngham, Cx.] þere he bulde a new citee in þe souþ side riȝt aȝenst þe olde

citee, and sette a brugge [lrygge, Cx.] uppon [oppon, γ.] Trente, bytwene þe tweie [twy, γ.] citees. Þerafter þe same ȝere þre [þre] twey, Cx.] kynges ȝelde [ȝuld, γ.] hem freliche to hym, þat were þe kynges of Scotland, of Danes, and of Wales. Þat ȝere kyng Edward bulde a citee at Thelwal, [Thylwal, Cx.] þat is in þe norþ endes of Mercia [Mersea, Cx.] by þe water of Mercie, [Merse, α. and γ., and so con|tinually; Mersee, β.; Mersee, Cx., et infra.] and þere he sette kepynge of knyȝtes. Þanne he passede þe water of Mercie, [Mersea, Cx.] and restored þe citee of Manchestre, [Manichester, γ.] þat is in þe souþ endes of Norþhumberlond. Kyng Edward deide at Faryngdoun twelve myle be [be] by, β.] west Oxenford, and was i-buryed at Wynchestre in þe newe abbay.