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

Capitulum tricesimum primum.

THAT tyme oon Fulco, an holy preost in Gallia, cam to kyng Richard and seide, "Kyng, to þe I seie in þe name of God Almyȝti þat þou marie sone þy þre evel douȝtres, leste som worse hap by þe falle." "Þou lyest, ypocrite," quod þe kyng, "for douȝter have I none." "ȝis," quoþ he, "for þou hast pride, covetise, and leccherie." Þe kyng had lordes to gidres, and seide, "I ȝeve my pride to þe Templeres and Hospitalers, my covetise to white monkes, and my leccherie to prelates of holy cherches." Þey þat sey þis Fulco took and putte hym into bondes, but he myȝte nouȝt be i-bounde. Þis ȝere deide Ree prince of Wales; of hym oon seide in þis manere: "O blis of bataille, child of chivalrie, defens of contray, worschippe of armes, arme of strengþe, hond of largenes, yȝe of resoun, briȝtnes of honoste, Achilles his scharpnes, Nestor his soburnes, Tydeus his hardynesse, Sampson his strengþe, Ector his worþynesse, Eurialus his swiftnes, Parys his

fairnes, Ulix his faire speche, Salomon his wisdom, Ajax his hardynes. O cloþing of þe naked, þe hungry his mete, fulfillynge alle men bone þat hym wolde ouȝt bidde. O faire of speche, felowȝ in service, honest of dede and sobre in word. Glad of semblaunt and loveliche of face.Goodliche to everiche man, and riȝtful to alle; þe noble dya|deme of þe fairnes of Wales is now afalle; þat is, Rees is dede: [al Wales groneþ, Res is dede.] Þe name is nouȝt i-lost, but blisse passeþ; þe blisse of Wales passeþ, Rees is deed; worschippe of the world goþ away; Rees al preysinge slakeþ; Wales lyveþ in gronynge, Rees is deed; Rees is aweye, þe enemy is here, for Rees is not here. Now Wales helpeþ nouȝt it self; Res is dede and i-take awey, but his noble name is not dede, for it is alwey newe in þe world wyde. Þis place holdeþ greet worschippe [yf] þe burþe is byholde, ȝif me axeþ what is þe ende, it is askes and poudre. Here he is i-hud, but he is unheled, for name dureþ ever more, and suffreþ nouȝt þe noble duk be i-hyd of speche. His proues [passede his maneres, his wit passede his proues,] his faire speche passede his witt, his goode þewes passede his faire speche."

Notes

• saye, β.
• maryee, β.
• þyn, α.
• þe byfalle, α.; the befall, Cx.
• Ich, β.
• Ych, γ.
• chirche, Cx.
• syȝ, β., sawe, Cx.; om. γ.
• and] om. γ.
• Rees, β. (et somper), and Cx. Res, γ., et infra.
• eye, Cx.
• honeste, α., β., and Cx.
• Hectors, Cx.
• Parys his fairnes] om. Cx.; veyrnes, γ.
• þe] om. β.
• folvullyng, γ.
• bidde] do, γ.
• in, Cx.
• felawe, β.
• love, Cx.
• fas, γ.
• þe] om. β. and Cx.
• Rees, Cx.
• From α., β., γ., and Cx.
• hit silf, β.
• From Cx.; ȝif, β.
• men axe, Cx.
• axes and pouder, β. and γ.; asshes and pouder, Cx.
• y-hidde, β.
• hyd, but he is unhylled, Cx.
• prowes, β.; prowesse, Cx., bis.
• From α., β., γ., and Cx.