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.

WHAN [Þanne, β.; Than, Cx.] trewes were i-take for fyve [three, Cx.] ȝere bytwene kyng Richard and þe Sowdon, [Sauden, γ.] and Hubert bischop of Salisbury ȝede to þe sepulcre [ȝude to þe sepulker, γ.] for hym self and for þe kyng, and offrede þere an holy Oost, [oyst, β., γ., and Cx.] and cam þennes and seylede wiþ þe kyng

to Cypres, þennes þe kyng sente forþ to Sicil queenes tweie, [tweye quenes, α., β., and Cx.; twy queenus, γ.] his wif and her [her] hir, β.; his, Cx.] suster, nyh [neygh, Cx.] wiþ al his meyne. And he myȝte nouȝt wel endure in [þe] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] softe see, but he seillede wiþ a strong wynd toward þe contray of Histria wiþ fewe [vew, γ.] men, and was i-dryve so [til, Cx.] þat he come bytwene Aquilia and Venyse, and þere he hovede and bleynt hider and þider, and hudde [hidde, β.; hyd, Cx.] hym somwhat of tyme, and me [men, Cx.] made grete pur|veaunce [purvyans, γ.] of vitailles for hym, and so he was aspied and i-take of þe dukes men of Austrige. [Austryche, Cx., et infra.] Whan þat was i-knowe, þe kyng of Fraunce made John, kyng Richard his broþer, [to] [From β.] turne liȝtliche aȝenst kyng Richard, and excitede also þe emperour of Almayne aȝenst king Richard. Þan þe empe|rour made covenant with the duke of Austrige forto have þe þridde deel [part, Cx.] of þe prophite [profit, β.; prouffyte, Cx.] and wynnynge þat com of kyng Richard, and hadde kyng Richard into his owne warde ȝit while kyng Richard bare þe crosse and þe signe of oure Lord. And þe emperour putte hym in a place þat hatte Trinallus, [Trinallis, β.; Trivallis, γ.; Tryvallis, Cx.] þere Aristotil seeþ it were good a man to slee his owne fader. But aboute Palmsoneday, þe emperour brouȝt forþ kyng Richard

to ȝeve his answere to fore meny lordes of þe emperours lond; and he cam forþ with so glad chere, and answerde to al þing þat was put aȝenst hym, þat þe emperour was bowed [bouwed, γ.] nouȝt onliche to mercie, bot also forto doo hym greet reverens and wor|schippe. Þo cam to þe kyng þat was so i-holde William bisshop of Hely, þat was put out of Engelond for his grete extorciouns and outrage, he cam to þe kyng for to aspie what wil þe kyng had to hym ward. And whanne he myȝte nouȝt begile þe kyng wiþ gile of blynde flaterynge, he hadde evel trust [trist, β.] to hym self, and turnede aȝen into [to, α. and Cx.] Fraunce wiþ hope [hoope, Cx.] of grace. Bote Hubert bisshop of Salisbury come out of Sicil to þe kyng, and was i-send [sent, α. and β.] into Engelond for governynge of þe rewme, [regme, γ.; royame, Cx.] and also for to spede þe kynges rawnsown; [raunsone, Cx.] whan he was i-come [comen, β.] into Engelond he was i-chose archebisshop by oon [oon] om. Cx.] assent of þe monkes of Caunterbury [and of the bisshops, and no wonder. He feng þe palle and was y-stalled, and took anoon þe habyte of chanoun at Mertoun, [Marton. Cx.] and was nouȝt grevous to þe monkes of Caunterbury], [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] bote þe scharpenes of Baldewyn had somdel [somwhat, Cx.] unwiseliche i-greved hym [hem, β.] toforehonde. Þey þis Baldewyn were a good man and an holy in his [his] om. Cx.] oþer dedes,

ȝit he fondede [to] [From β. founded to, Cx.] turne [vondede torne, γ.] þe riȝt and þe prorogatif of þe elleccioun of þe archebisshop from þe monkes of Caunterbury. By cause þerof, faste [vast, γ.] by þe monkene [monkes, Cx.] chirche, by favour of the kyng he gan bulde a place [plas, γ.] and greet howsynge, nouȝt wiþ oute schedynge of blood, for to have þere provendres [provendes, Cx.] for seculer chanouns, and for bisshoppes suffraganes schulde nouȝt [nouȝt] om. β., γ., and Cx.] come þider [þuder, γ.] forto trete þere [raþer, α.] wiþ clerkes of þe ellec|cioun of þe archebisshop, and forto doo away þe monkes. Bote in þe oþer side the monkes appeled to þe pope, and compelled to cese þe work þat was bygonne, and after Baldewynes deth [þey] [From α., β., and Cx.] þrew it [doun] [From α., β., and Cx.; hy þruwe hit doun, γ.] streiȝt to þe grounde. [In þat doynge hit is wonder of so greet a man, þat was first arche|dekon, and þanne whyte monk, and þanne abbot, and þanne bisshop of Wircetre, and þanne archebisshop, þat he wolde brynge men of more unperfyȝt [unparfyght, Cx.] lyf, seculer chanouns, instede of men of more parfyȝt lyf. For somtyme holy princes and bisshops in Englond wolde nouȝt have to menye [many, β.; meny, γ.] of suche manere clerkes, and ȝeve hem choys wheþer þey wolde leve here benefice oþer chaunge hir lyf and goo into religioun.] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Trevisa. It semeþ þat Baldewyn was wel avised þat Crist was heed of holy cherche, and his apostles hyȝe [heyghe, Cx.] bisshoppes, and non of hem alle was noþer [never, Cx.] monk noþer frere; and so it myȝte seme þat he knewe wel þat oþer clerkes were more profit þan evere was monk oþer frere. Bote for it is i-seide þat þe clerkes hadde choys wheþer þey wolde leve her benefice oþer goo into religioun, of þat choys it myȝte seme grete wonder; for it semeþ þerby

[This sentence is repeated in the MS.] þat þey [from α. and Cx.; α. γ.] schulde leve her benefice how it evere were; for ȝif þei [he, α.; þei, β.] ȝede nouȝt into religioun þey schulde leve her benefice, and ȝif þey ȝede into religioun þe [þeyȝ, α., they, Cx.] moste leve þe benefice by þe rule of religioun, oþer þey [he, α.] spekeþ oþerwise of religioun þan alle men in comyn speche wolde [wol, α. and Cx.; wole, β.] mene, and so it semeþ more wonder [of þat wonder] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] þan of his menynge. But me [men, Cx.] wolde wondre þat Baldewyn, þat was a monk, wolde nouȝt flatre [flatery, α.] wiþ monkes, but helde [huld, γ.] oþer clerkes more holy þan monkes [syth he knew the degre of eyther]. [From Cx.] Þan it foloweþ in þe storie: After þe woo and þe tene [teone, α. and β.] þat kyng Richard had in prisoun in Almayne a ȝere and þre monþes, he was delyvered in þe monþe of Janyver [Januar, Cx.] for an hondred þowsand pound of silver, and lefte wiþ the emperour plegges, [pledges, Cx.] þe bisshops of Rothomage and of Bathe, for som of þe money þat was nouȝt ȝit [ȝut, γ.] i-payde: and for to paye þat som of money all þe wolle of white monkes and of chanouns was i-take, and also rynges of prelates, vessel, [vessels, β. and Cx.] croyses, and chalys [were y-take], [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] and golde i-schave of seyntes [seyntene, α.; seventene, β.] schrynes and i-ȝote, [y-molt, β.; and gold of seven|tene shrynes y-shave and molten, Cx.] and no privelege of persoun wheþer [noþer, α. and Cx.] of holy cherche noþer fredom [vredom, γ.] was i-spared Bote [Bote] om. Cx.] þe kyng dwelled weie [tweie] om. β.] monþes ful [volle, γ.] at Swynam [Suinam, α.; Swynne, Cx.] in Flaunders, oþer to abyde wynde oþer for to aray what hym neded;

þere the emperours [emperour his men, α.] [men] [From β.] had almost [almest, γ.] i-take hym eft sones; for þe emperour aþouȝt þat he hadde i-lete goo þe kyng as Pharao aþouȝte [forthought, Cx.] somtyme, þat [he] [From β. and Cx.] had i-lete goo [þe children of] [From β. and Cx.] Israel. Bote in þe monþe of Marche þe kyng com alonde at Sandwiche, and dwelled awhile at Londoun, and wente and toke þe strengest castelles þat his broþer Iohn hadde, þe castelles of Notyngham and of Tykehulle, and putte þe wardeynes þreof in prisoun. And by counsaille and doom of lordes he privede his broþer John of all manere worschippe, for he hilde [heelde, β.; helde, Cx.] hym untrewe and unkynde; and hilde [heelde, Cx.] his Esterne [Ester, β. and γ.; Eester, Cx.] at Hamptoun; and so at Wynchestre, whanne þe mescheef of his takynge was i-wyped of, he was neweliche i-crowned as a newe kyng, þe fifte ȝere of his kyngdom. After þe solempnite of þat crownement [crownyng, β. and Cx.] þe kyng axede aȝe al þat was to forehonde liȝtliche i-ȝeve oþer grevousliche i-solde, and acounted for þe sorte al þe fruyt þat was i-fonge in þe mene tyme, and sparede for no covenant noþer for chartre, [nother] [From Cx.] for dede noþer for instrument; and so he dwelled awhile, and seilled into Fraunce for to werre aȝenst þe kyng of Fraunce. Þanne þe kynges fouȝte, and eiþer spedde dyversliche, and

trewes were i-take [graunted, α., β., and Cx.] for oon ȝere, and þat was profitable [profythabel, γ.] to kyng Richard forto gadre boþe riches and strengþe, þeiȝ [þouȝ, β.] it wolde nouȝt stonde wiþ resoun of honeste. John, kyng Richard his broþer, þat tornede to þe kyng of Fraunce aȝenst his owne broþer, for he had riȝt nouȝt, he myȝt doo riȝt nouȝt, þerfore he was forsake of þe kyng of Fraunce. Bote by help of his moder Eleanore he come mekeliche aȝen to kyng Richard, and was afterward his trewe [truwe, γ.] knyȝt. For use of ȝonge knyȝtes, as it were to make hem alle [able, α. and β.; make hable, γ.] to fiȝte in bataile, þat tyme tournamentis, þat were left of longe tyme, were i-made and i-used aȝen nouȝt wiþstondynge þe popes forbedynge.