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

Capitulum septimum.

WHANNE [Thanne, α., β., and γ.] Athelstan was dede [was dede] om. β. and γ.] his broþer Edmond bygan [Than Athelstan's brother Ed|mundus biganne, Cx.] to regne in his twentiþe ȝere of age, and regnede aboute

an [an] om. Cx.] sevene ȝere; and gat on his queene Elgiva tweie sones, Edwyn and Edgar þe pesible. [pesybel, γ.] Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. In þis Edmond his tyme þe Norþhombres become [bicome, β.] rebel, and sent for Anlaf out of Irlond. But kyng Edmond overcome hym, and Reynold [Reynald, β.] Gormundus [Gurmundus, Cx.] his sone, and outlawed hem, and took Norþhomberlond to his owne worschippe, [lordschip, β.] and bet [beet, β.] doun Comberlond þat was rebel, and ȝaf it to Malcolyn [Malcolm, γ.] kyng of Scotlond, so þat he schulde helpe hym in everiche side [side] plas, γ.; place, β. and Cx.] where he were. It semeth þat in þis iorney kyng Edmond took wiþ hym þe bones of Colfridus þe abbot, and of Hilda þe abbas, [abbes, β.] and brouȝte hem to Glastenbury. Alfridus seiþ, and Marianus also, þat þis kyng in þe sevenþe ȝere of his kyngdom wolde delyvere his sewere out of his enemyes hondes, and was þo [þo] om. Cx.] i-slawe of hem riȝt þere at Pulkyrcherche; [Pulkirchirche, β., et infra; Pulkyrchirche, γ., et infra.] but Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o, seiþ þat þe kyng was at þe [α, α., β., and Cx.] feste at Pulkercherche in a seynt Austyns day, and he seigh on [oon, β.] Leof, a þeef [þef, γ., et infra.] þat he hadde exciled for his trespas, sitte þere at mete

among oþer men; and þe kyng leep [lup, γ.; lepte, Cx.] over þe borde, and took þe þeof by þe heere, [here, γ.] and þrewe hym to grounde, and þe þeef glotoun [gloten, γ.; gloton, Cx.] wiþ his knyf rent out þe kynges bowels; þanne þe þeof, bytwene þe hondes of hem þat made noyse and cryde, [cry, α. and γ.; crye, β. and Cx.] woundede and slouȝ meny men, and was al to-hakked [hacked, β.] of knyȝtes and of oþere men. After Martyn þe secounde Aga|pitis was pope sexe ȝere. Þat ȝere Lowys kyng of Fraunce, þe sone of Charles, made slee gilefulliche [gylfollich, γ.; Cx. puts be slayn gylefully after Longa Spata.] William Longa Spata, þe secounde duke of Normandye, þe sone of Rollo; þerfore þe lordes of Normandye were wrooþ, and took [and took] bis in MS.] þe kyng, and hilde [heelde, β.; hulde, γ.; helde, Cx.] hym in Rothomage for to [for to] til, β.] þat he hadde byhote and i-swore þat he schulde ȝelde Normandye to Richard, duke William his sone, and þat ever after þat tyme, in everiche speche whan þe kyng and þe duke speke [spoke, α.; spake, β. spak, Cx.] to giders þe duke schulde be i-gerd [gurd, β. and γ.; gyrde, Cx.] wiþ a swerd, and þe kyng schulde noþer bere swerd ne knyf. After þis duke William his ȝonge sone Richard was a [α] om. α., β., and Cx.] duke.

And ȝit while þis Richard was ȝong he was i-cleped Richard þe olde, and wiþ oute drede, for he dradde nevere; he was duke [duyk, γ.] of Normandye two and fifty ȝere, and come to his ducherie by hard travaille and greet; [greet and, α., β., and Cx.; grete and, γ.] on his wyf Gunora, a Dane, [he gat] [From α. and γ,; he gate, β.; he bygate, Cx.] fyve [vyf, γ.] sones and tweie [twy, γ.] douȝtres; þe firste heet Emma, and was þe floure of Normandye; her fader maried hire to Etheldredus kyng of Englond. Þis duke Richard usede to bidde his bedes in everiche cherche þat he com nyh, [by, α., β., γ., and Cx.] and nameliche wiþoute ȝif [ef, γ.] he myȝte nouȝt com into þe chirche. In a nyȝt he come into þe [α, α., β., γ., and Cx.] chirche allone, [aloon, β.] and fonde [vond, γ.] a cors þere ligge [lye, β.; lye there, Cx.] in a bere, and no man þerwiþ. While he badde his bedes, he leyde his gloves on a desk, and forȝat [vorȝate, γ.] hem þere, and wente on [in, β.] his way. Þanne the dede man aroos wiþ a greet noyse, and spradde his armes in þe cherche dore aȝenst þe duke. Þe duke made þe signe of þe crosse in his forhede [vorhed, γ.] wiþ his þombe, [þome, γ.] and coniured þe dede man þat he schulde reste, bot al for nouȝt, for it wolde nouȝt bee. Þanne þe duke wiþ his swerd smote þe cors atweyne, [in twey, Cx.] and beþouȝte [by, β.] hym whan he was oute þat

he hadde forȝete [vorȝete, γ.] his gloves, þanne he tornede aȝen and fette [vette, γ.] his gloves. Afterward he ordeyned in al his lond þat aboute a dede cors schulde be wacche [waych, γ.; a watche, Cx.] al þe nyȝt longe. Hit happede [It happeth, Cx.] þat a monke of Seint Audoenus of Rothomage wolde in a nyȝt goo to his lemman, and fil doun of a brigge [brugge, γ., et infra.] into a water, and was i-stufled; [y-stoffed, α., β., and γ.; drowned, Cx.] þanne for his soule was strif by|twene an aungel and a fende, [vend, γ.] and eiþer [of hem] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] putte [potte, γ.] the cause uppon duke William [Rychardes, Cx.] his [Richardes doom, β.] doome; and he ȝaf suche a dome, þat þe soule schulde be restored aȝen to þe body, and þe body schulde be [y] [From γ.] -sette on þe brygge of þe whiche he hadde i-falle. And ȝif he ȝede [ȝude, γ.; went, Cx.] þanne to doo þe synne he schulde be i-dampned, and elles he schulde be i-saved. Whanne þis was i-doo [doon, β.] þe monk fleigh [flyȝ, β. and γ.; fledde, Cx.] to chirche; þe duke wente amorwe [on the morowe, Cx.] erliche [erliche] om. Cx.] to þe same chirche, and fonde [vond, γ.] þe monkes cloþes ȝit al wete, [weet, β.] and tolde þe abbot of þe place þe dede þat was byfalle. Whanne þe duke and Gunnora hadde i-lyved

longe in hordom [This word has been erased in β., and dishonest lif substituted; hourdom, γ.; dishonest lyf, Cx.] þe peple spak moche [myche, β.] þerof, and þe duke by counsaille of þe peple wedded hire at þe laste. Þanne the firste nyȝt after þe weddynge, whanne þey come to bedde, wheþer it were in game or in ernest, Gunnora tornede here bak and here buttokes [bottoks, γ.] toward þe duke, as sche [heo, β., et infra; hue, γ., et infra.] hadde nevere to forehonde i-doo; [before done, Cx.] me axede of hire why sche dede soo; "For now first," quoþ sche, "I may doo now what me likeþ." [likiþ, β.] Also þis duke werþe [waxe, Cx.] sike in a tyme, and made hym a greet cheste, [cheeste, β.; chyste, Cx.] and filled it ful [vullede hyt vol, γ.] of whete, and deled it to pore men every [evereche, β.] Friday [Vryday, γ.] to his lyves ende. Henricus. Edmond kyng of Engelond took and wan out of þe Dane hondes, þat were paynyms, fyve noble citees, Lyncolne, Snot|yngham, þat is [γ. inserts now.] Notingham, Derby, Stafford, and Lege|cestre. He bynam [toke to hem, Cx.] hem þese citees [in þat þat þey were pay|nyms, and he by schoon þese citees] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] wiþ lawhe [lyȝe, α. and β.; lyȝt, γ.] of riȝt byleve, [and caused these cytees to be of ryght byleve, Cx.] ffor he feng Anlaf of þe colde water. Anlaf was i-cristened [fulled, β.; yvolled, γ.] more by strengþe þan by prechynge of Goddes

word. Also þis kyng [conseil, β.] ordeyned and made ordynaunces, and amended what schulde be amended by counsaile of Donstan, and made þe abbay of Glastenbury [Glastonburi, γ.] nobel in catel and in monkes. ℞. As it is i-seide to forehonde, at þe laste he deide at Pultercherche, [Pulcrecherche, α.; Pulkir|chirche, β.; Pulkerchirche, Cx.] and was i-buried at Glastingbury.