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

Capitulum tricesimum quartum. [33, α. and Cx.]

AT Lammasse at þe castel of Myrabel, kyng John took and slowȝ his nevew Arthur, and prisoned his suster Elianore at Bristowe to hire lyves ende. Þerfore as it were for vilonie [felonye, α. and Cx.; felony, β. and γ.] þe kyng of Fraunce occupied Normandie, Bretayne, Payto, [Peytow, β. and Cx.] Angeoy et [and, Cx.] Cenomannia. Þis ȝere, þat was þe sixte ȝere of þe þridde Innocentius, bygan the ordre of Frere Prechours in þe contray of Tholous under þe duke Dominik, but it myȝte

nouȝt be confermed tofore þe firste ȝere of Honorius. Þo fil [vul, γ.] a scharp wynter and a grisliche, and [þat, α.] durede from ȝeres day to þe Annunciacioun. Also kyng John mariede his baast douȝter to Lewelyn prince of Wales, and ȝaf wiþ here þe castel and al the lordschippe of Eylesmere [Ellesmere, β.; Ellesmer, Cx.] in þe marche of Wales. Þis ȝer, whan Hubert archebisshop of Caunterbury was dede, þere [þere] om. α.] fil greet stryf [in þe chirche of Caunterbury], [From α., β., and Cx.] for som chees [chose, Cx.] þe suppriour, and som þe bisshop of Norþ|whiche [Norwyche, Cx.] by þe kynges heste. Bote Innocentius þe pope un|dede [undide, β.] eyþer ellectioun, and sacrede Stevene of Langtoun. Houndes and masteves [mastyves, β. and γ.; maistyves, Cx.] beeþ i-slawe in alle þe forestes of Engelond. [Giraldus.] [From γ. and Cx.] In Souþ Wales in Morgan his lond a knyȝt appered to oon maister Morys in his sleep, þat was i-woned [wont, β.] to pleie wiþ hym, and to make vers [versus, β. and Cx.] eyþer wiþ other, now bygynnynge and eft endynge, [endynge, from α., β., and Cx.; endyde MS.] so þat eyþer schulde ende oþer his [on his] oþeres, α. and β.; oþer hys, from γ.; others, Cx. on his MS.] vers. In þat apperynge þe knyȝt spak to maister Moris in his sleep, [in his sleep] om. α., β., γ., and Cx.] and seide, "Maister Morys, I wil [Ich wole, β.] þat þou ende þis vers, Destruet hoc regnum Rex regum."But ende þou it," quod Morys, "for þou hast almost i-made

a ful vers. [versus, β and Cx.] As I see," quod þe knyȝt, [knyȝt, from β.; knyght, Cx.; A y se quaþ þe knyȝt, γ.; kyng MS.] "Þat þou art olde and slow, þerfore ende it in þis manere, Destruet hoc regnum Rex regum duplice [dupplici, β.; dupplice, γ.] plaga." Þat is, "Kyngene Kyng [Kyng of kynges, β.; King of kyng, Cx.] schal destroye þis rewme [royamme, Cx.] wiþ double [duble, γ.] meschef." Also þere [þere] þys ȝere, γ.; this yere, Cx.] was Henry i-bore, kyng Iohn his eldest sone i-gete on Isabel: he gat on here þis Henry, and Richard eorle of Corne|wayle, and þre douȝtres, Isabel þe emperesse, and Elianore, þat was first i-maried to William Marchal erle of Penbroke, and afterward to Symound de Mountfort erle of Leycestre, [Leyceter, γ.] þat gat on hire sixe children. Also þe þridde, Ione, [Iohan, β.; Jouhane, γ.; Iane, Cx.] was i-maried to þe kyng of Scotlonde. Þis ȝere bygan þe enterditynge of Eng|lond, þat durede sevene ȝere [contynualliche], [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] ffor kyng Iohn recusede [refused, Cx.] and wolde in no wise fonge Stevene [of] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Langtoun [Langeton, γ.] archebisshop of Caunterbury, þat was confermed by þe pope. Also kyng Iohn chasede the monkes of Caunterbury, and took here goodes in his owne hond. Þerfore þe pope assoillede kyng Iohn his men of his homage and fewte, and wroot to þe kynges next Iohn þat þey schulde arise aȝenst Iohn. Heretikes

þat heet [hiȝte, β.] Abbigenses [Albigenses, β. and γ.; Albi|gensis, Cx.] come into Engelond, and some of hem were i-brend alyve. [onlyve, α.] [Sarsyns come out of Affrica wiþ þre þowsend men of armes al wiþ oute sixty þowsand of lavenderes, [lavendres, β. and Cx.; laven|ders, γ.] and occupiede a greet deel of Spayne. Þerfore Innocentius þe pope sente messangeres [messagers, Cx.] to dyvers naciouns for help and socour of þe Holy Lond. For þe Sarsyns hadde y-bulde [bilde, β.] strengþes [stryngþes, γ.] in þe hul mont Tabor forto werre aȝenst Acres.] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Also þis ȝere seint Fraunceys began þe ordre of Frere Menoures bysides Assise. Þe kyng of Fraunce wiþ greet oost occupied þe clyves of Normandie aȝenst kyng Iohn. [and chargede hyȝliche, add. α. wrongly.] Þe popes legat Pandulphus cam into Engelond, and spak to kyng Iohn, and chargede hyliche [chargide hyȝlich, β.; hyȝlyche, γ.] þat he schulde be buxum [buxom, β. and Cx; boxum, γ.] and obedient to þe cherche of Rome. Þe kyng seiȝ [siȝe, α.; sawe, Cx.] peril in every side, by þe kyng of Fraunce, and also by lordes of his owne lond þat hadde by writinge turned hem self to þe kyng of Fraunce. [and also by lordes of his owne londes, repeated here in MS.] Þan þe kyng obleged [oblegide, β.; oblege, γ.] al his kyngdome of Engelonde and Erlonde [Irlond, β. and Cx.] also, for hym and for his heire, [heyres, α. and Cx.; eyres, β.] to pope Innocentius and his laweful successoures for evere, so þat after þat tyme he and his heires schulde be feodaries to þe chirche of Rome,

and paie everich ȝere seven hondred mark for [Engelond, and two hondred mark for] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Irlond; so þat ȝif he oþer eny of his heires faillede [faylde, γ.] of þis condicioun oþer of þe paiement he schulde falle [valle, γ.] of [þe] [From β.] riȝt to [of, α., β., and Cx.] þe kyngdom. [Here after Pandulphus wente forþ and compellede þe kyng of Fraunce to wende out of Normandye. Stevene þe archebisshop and þeyȝ [þei, β., bis.] þat were exciled wiþ hym cam into Engelond, and assoyllede þe kyng and his fautoures in þe cherche of Wyn|chestre. But he [he] a, γ.] made hem swere þat þeyȝ [þei, β., bis.] schulde restore al þat was wrongfulliche y-take.] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Aboute þat tyme kyng John made honge and drawe an holy man þat heet Peeris of Pountfreiȝt, [Peres of Pontfret, β.; Pont|fret, γ., et infra; Pyers of Ponfret, Cx.] for he hadde i-warnede hym of meny mys|happes þat schulde falle hem [him shold fal, Cx.] for [valle vor, γ.] his cruelnes and for his fornicacioun. [Part of this sentence is repeated in MS.] Also for he hadde i-warnede hym þat he schulde regne but fourtene ȝere, and he regnede almost [almest, γ.] eyȝtene ȝere; but he knewe nouȝt in þat doynge þat he regnede fre|liche [vrelich, γ.] but fourtene ȝere; but he regnede þre ȝere [nouȝt freliche, [vrelyche, γ.] for þilke [þelke, γ.] þre ȝere] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] [he, from α., β., and Cx.; and, MS.] was tributarie to þe pope. Crist appered to þis Perys [Peres, β.] twyes at ȝork, and ones at Pount|freyt [Pontfret, β.]

in þe liknes of a child bytwene þe preostes hondes, and breþede on hym, and seide þries, "Pes, pes, pes," [in the . . . pes] om. Cx.] and tawȝte hym many þinges þat he tolde afterward to bisshoppes and peple [pupel, γ.] þat were of evel lyf. Also in a tyme he lay þre dayes and þre nyȝt [nyghtes, Cx.] as he were in a [α] om. Cx.] swonyng, and was i-ravisshed and sigh þe ioyes and peynes of good men and [of] [From β. and γ.] evel. A [α] On, β. and Cx.] seynt Andrew his eve kyng Iohn took þe castel of Rouchestre, þere meny gentil men were conspired aȝenst hym. Also Lewys, [Lowys, β.] þat was the kynges broþer of Fraunce, com into Engelond at þe prayer of lordes, and hadde homage and feute of Frensche [Freyns, γ.] men and Englisch, and of þe kyng of Scot|londe, at Londoun; bote þe popes legat [Gualo] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] was þo in Engelond, and cursed Lowys and his fautours. Noþeles Lowys took Wynchestre, and byseged Dovere and Wyndesore. Pope Innocent [Innocentius, α., β., and Cx.] is deed, [is deed] deyde, α. and β.; deyd, Cx.] and þe þridde Honorius was pope after hym ten ȝere and eyȝte monþes. In his firste ȝere he con|fermede þe ordre of Frere Prechours, for þe þridde Innocentius

was loth [loþe, β.] to conferme þat ordre. Kyng Iohn deide at Newerk in [of, Cx.] þe flux, a Seint Calixtis [Calix his, α.; Seynt Calyxt hys day, γ.; Calyxtes, Cx.] day þe pope, þe seventeþe ȝere of his kyngdom, in the sixte monþe, but he was i-boweld in þe abbay of white chanouns at Crochtoun, [Croghton, β., γ., and Cx.] and buried at Wynchestre [Wircetre, α., β., and Cx.] in þe myddel of þe queer [queor, α. and β.] of monkes. Bote þe comune [comyn, β. and Cx.] fame telleþ þat he was i-poysned at Swyneshede, in þe abbay of white monkes. Me seiþ [þat . . . seiþ] om. Cx.] þat he swore þere at mete, þat þe loof [lof, β.] þat was þo [but] [From β.] at [at] worth, Cx.] an half peny [halpeny, γ.] schulde be worþe twelve pens [panes, γ.] wiþ ynne þat ȝere ȝif he moste lyve. A monk of þat hous herde þat, and made a [α] om. α., β., and γ.; hym Cx.] drink of venym, and schrof hym, and was i-houseled, and drank to þe kyng as it were his tastour, and so þe kyng and he deide in fere. [in fere] yfere, β.; yvere, γ.; both attones, Cx.]