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

Capitulum vicesimum sextum. Þe crownynge of þe emperour. [Þe . . . emperour] om. α., β., and Cx.]

AFFTER Clement, þe þridde Celestinus was pope sixe ȝere and eiȝte monþes. Þe secounde day of his consecracioun he

crowned þe fifte Henry emperour, Frederik his sone, in þis manere: first tofore þe grees of þe cherche of Rome he feng an ooþ of þis Henry þat he schulde defende and meyntene holy chirche and þe riȝtes of holy chirche, and ȝif ouȝt were bynome of seynt Petres londes, he schulde restore it aȝen wiþ al his myȝt. Þanne he sat [saate, Cx.] in his chayer [chaer, γ.] and hilde þe emperours crowne with his feet, [veet, γ.] and þe emperour bowed [bowide, β.] doun his heed, and þe pope let falle þe crowne uppon þe emperours heed, and smot it [of] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] aȝen of þe emperours heed anon wiþ his feet riȝt to þe grounde, [riȝt . . . grounde] om. Cx.] in token þat þe pope haþ power to make the emperoure and sette hym down, if he is worþy. Þe cardynals stood by, and took up [touk op, γ.] þe crowne, and sette it aȝen uppon þe emperours heed. While kyng William [the kyng, Cx.] was absent, þe forsaide William de Longchamp, bisshop of Hely, prevede [prived, β.; pryved, Cx.] Hughe bisshop of Durham of al manere worschippe, and greved þe bisshop of Wynchestre, and wreþþed nyh [wrethyd neygh, Cx.] alle. In þe mene tyme meny were arrayed for to passe þe see to have and axe a [α] om. α., β., and Cx.] remedie of þe kyng, and of help aȝenst þe comoun [comyn, β. and Cx.]

tiraunt; but he was ware [waare, Cx.] þerof, and com tofore all oþere, and hadde alle his wille, and com aȝen or oþer men come to þe kyng; but oþer men hadde lettres also suche as þey wolde, and oon of hem, þat was bisshop of [Lyncolne, cam aȝen, and persewede William bisshop] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] of Hely anon to Lyncolne, þere was i-sette a day to answere, and þe castel of Tykhulle; [Tykhille, β.; Tykhylle, Cx.] þere whan þe bisshop of Durham was i-come, þis William spak to hym and seide, "I take þe nouȝt bisshop [a byschop]; [From γ.; a bischop, β.; I take the bisshop not a bisshop, Cx.] but I chaunceller, take þe castellan, forto þou ȝeve plegges [pledges, Cx.] to ȝilde up þe kynges castelles." Þe fame of þis evel man William fulfilled al Engelond, so þat þe grete grucchede [grutchyd, Cx.] aȝenst hym, and þe smale cursed wel faste. [vast, γ.] The kynges broþer Iohn was wrooþ for þe takynge of his broþer Geffray, elyt [erle, Cx.] of ȝork, and gadrede greet strengþe of his owne province and of Walsche men wiþ meny bisshoppes, and chased [chaced, β.] þis William from Wyndesore to þe toure of Londoun, and from þennes to Dovere; þere þis William dredde leste he schulde nouȝt freliche [freely, Cx.] passe þe see, and took a womman [wommans, β.] clooþ [cloþ, γ.; womans cloth, Cx.]

above his owne cleþinge, and hyled [helede, α.; heled, β.; coveryd, Cx.] his heed and þe more deel [the moost part, Cx.] of his [face] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] wiþ kerchefes [kevercheves, γ.] and wymples, and walked on þe clef, [clyf, Cx.] and bar on his lift arme a webbe of lynnen cloþ, as it were to sellynge, [sullyng, γ.] and bare a metȝerde [meteyerde, Cx.] in his riȝt hond, for he wolde sliliche ascape [scape, α. and γ.; slyly escape, Cx.] and passe by þat craft and nouȝt be aspied. But for he couþe not selle [sille, β.; sulle, γ.] and undo his clooþ as a womman [man, α.] schulde, he was i-take by his prive membres and despitouslyche aspied; but at þe laste he passed þe see, and þe bisshop of Rothomage had þe rulynge [reulyng, γ.] of reaume [reuling of þe rewme, β.; of the royamme, Cx.] by maundement of þe kyng þat was in Sicilia. Also the bisshop of Bathe was i-chose [choce, Cx.] archebisshop, but he was soon dede; and ȝit William bisshop of Hely purchased a wel stronge maundement of Celestinus þe pope, and hadde þe same auctorite and power þat he hadde raþer, as it were for amaun|dement [amendemente, Cx.] of þe kyngdom of Engelond, and forto wiþstonde Iohn þat wolde byneme his broþer þe kyngdom while he was absent; but in al þis he was begiled, [bylort, γ.] for he conspired and was assentynge to Iohn for ȝiftes oþer [for] [From β.] faire [veyr, γ.] byhestes. And ȝit al for nouȝt, for þey he schewed at Dovere þe greet warant of his legacie, ȝit þe queen Alianore [Elyanor, Cx.] and þe arche|bishops of Rothomage and of ȝork and meny oþer compelled hym for to seille [sayle, Cx.] aȝen. Þanne after þat þey hadde abide springing tyme at Turon, þe kynges of Fraunce and of Enge|lond

wente, þat [þat] the, Cx., bis.] oon by londe and þat [þat] the, Cx., bis.] oþer by water, and com to Sicilia; þere þe kyng of Fraunce let passe þe trespas of his men unpunsched, [unpunsed, γ.] and was cleped a lombe; but þe kyng of Engelonde leet no trespas unpunsched, þerfore he was i-cleped a leon. [lyon, Cx.] Also kyng Richard ffauȝt wiþ Griffon, [griffons, β. and Cx.; gryphones, γ.] in Calabria and in Sicilia, and hadde þe maistrie. He made a castel of tree to be i-lad aboute, and he rerede þat castel [aȝenst þe citee of Messan, and cleped þat castel] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Mate|grysphom; [Mategryphun, α.; Mategriffon, β.; Mategryffons, Cx.] with þat castel afterward he to [took, α.; toke, β. and Cx.] þe citee of Acres. And þere his moder brouȝt hym a faire mayde of schap and of speche, Berengaria, þat was þe kynges douȝter of Navarne, and kyng Richard wedded her to wyfe. Þanne þe kyng of Fraunce wente fforþ into Siria, and þe kyng of Engelond abood somwhat after þat he was a goo. [was goon, Cx.] Bote in þat abidynge he was nouȝt idel, but he sente forþ vitailles and made engynes. Þanne he wente out of Sycil and com into Cipres, and byþouȝt hym þat tweyne of þe kynges schippes were to-broke wiþ tempest in [in] of, β.] þe see, and i-spoyled by men of Cipres. Þerfore kyng Richard chasede þe kyng of

þe lond, þat wolde nouȝt doo amendes, from citee to citee, for to þe kyng ȝalde [ȝylde, α.; ȝeelde, β.; yelded, Cx.] hym to kyng Richard. And þe kyng ȝalde [ȝulde, α.; yelde, Cx.] hym self uppon coyenant þat he schulde nouȝt be putte in bondes [boundes, Cx., bis.] of iren. [yr, γ.] Kynge Richard grauntede, but he put hym in bondes of silver, and dwelled þere tweie monþes, and hadde þe londe at his wille. Þan he wente to Acres, and took in þe see oon of þe sowdans greet schippes i-lade with grete riches, and bolgede and þrulled [bulgyd and thyrled, Cx.] it in þe eyþer [neþer, α. and Cx.; þurlede hyt in þe neþer, γ.] side. [bulgide and þirled hit in þe neþer side, β.] Whan he come to Acres, fil [vul, γ.] strif bytwene hym and þe kyng of Fraunce [in þis manere. By covenant that was made bytwene him at Turon, the kynge of Fraunce chalanged half that was wonne in Cypres. Kynge Richard ayenesayde, and sayde that the covenaunt [þat was made bitwene hem at Turon þe kyng of Fraunce cha|lengide half þat was y-wone in Ci|pres. Kyng Richard aȝenseide, and seide þat þe covenaunt, β. and γ.] was made of þe wynnynge in þe Holy Lond [and] [From β.] aȝenst þe Sarsyns. Also þere was anoþer cause

of stryf, for the kyng wolde leve noþing to þe eorl of Cham|payn, þat was þo ful nedy and in greet mescheef, but he wolde legge [laye, Cx.] Champayn to þe kyng to wedde. Þan þe eorle seide, "Ich have y-doo þat y schulde; here after y schal doo what me nedeþ: [neodeþ, β.] myn owne lord fongeþ [takyth, Cx.] me nouȝt but for myne; þerfore y schal goo to hym þat is more redy to ȝeve þan to fonge." Þanne he cam to kyng Richard, and was riche ynowe]. [From α., β., and Cx.] Also kyng Richard faverede Gy [Guy, Cx., et infra.] kyng of Ierusalem aȝenst Conradus Markys kyng of Tyrus, þat þe kyng of Fraunce faverede in þe oþer side. But he [þey, α. and Cx.; þei, β.] comeþ to þe seege of Acres, þat was byseged two ȝere and al þe travayle i-lost. For þe engynes þat were i-brouȝt aȝenst þe citee were i-brend wiþ Grekkische [Grekysshe, Cx.] fuyre, [vur, γ.] þat no water myȝte aquenche, noþer oþer element. Also þe Cristene men [oost, α.; hoost, Cx.] wax lasse and lasse, somdel for [by, α., β., and Cx.] siknes and somdel for oþer defauȝtes and mescheef. Also it was to deled in parties [for þe stryf] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þat was bytwene Gy and þe Markes. [Markys, Cx.] Also som greet of oure side hadde i-fonge money and mede of þe sowdon. [soudan, β. and Cx.; sauden, γ.]