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

Capitulum tricesimum septimum. [Cap. 36, Cx.]

Affter Celestinus þe fourþe [ferthe, β.; vurde, γ.] Innocencius was pope ellevene ȝere and sixe monþes. He putte honest and noble persones in þe cardinales see [sees, β. and γ.] þat were voyde. He made cardynal frere Hewe [Huwe, β. and γ.; Hughe, Cx.] of þe ordre of Prechoures, þat expownede al þe bible, and made [made a] om. α. and β.] a [a] om. Cx.] greet concordaunce [concordaunces, β. and Cx.] uppon þe bible. Þis pope made a counsaile at Luduum [Lugdun, β.; Lugnum, Cx.] in Fraunce, þere he canoniced [canonized, β.; canonysed, Cx.] seynt

Edmond þe archebisshop þe sevenþe ȝere after his deeth, and demede þat þe rebel emperoure Frederik schulde be deposed and i-sette adoun. At Tholet in Spayne a Jewe [Juwe, γ.] digged in his orcheȝerd [orchard, β., γ., and Cx.] to make hym a more vyneȝerd; þere he fonde [vond, γ.] a stoon hool and sownde in everiche side. In þe myddel of þat stoon he fonde [foond, β.] a book, also [as, β.] greet as a psawter, [sauter, γ. and Cx.] wiþ trene [treen, β.] leves, i-wrete in Grew, [Grue, β.] Hebrew, [Grue, Ebrue, Cx.] and Latyn, and spak of þe [þe] om. β. and γ.] þre worldes [worlles, γ.] from Adam to Antecrist, and declared þe pro|purte [proprete, Cx.] of men, and sette þe bygynnynge of þe þridde [þrid, β.] world [worl, γ.] in Crist in þis manere: "In þe þridde world Goddis sone schal be bore of a [a] om. β., γ., and Cx.] mayde Marie, and he schal suffre þe [þe] om. α., β., and Cx.] deth for salvacioun of mankynde." Þe Jewe radde þis and was [baptized [yfolled, β.; yvolled, γ.; cryst|ned, Cx.] anone. In Engelond þan [þan] om. α., β., and Cx.] [was] [From Cx.] so grete derþe þat a] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] busshel [boschel, γ.] of corn was i-solde for twelf schillynges þat ȝere. Seynt [schillyngis. Þat ȝere seynt, β.] Edmond was [Þat yere was seynt Edmond, Cx.] translated, and Frederik þe emperour deide accursed. After hym his sone Mamfrede [Mamfred, β.; Manifred, Cx.] assaylede þe

kyngdome, and þe tresoure of Cecil [Sicil, β. and γ.; Scicile, Cx.] forto Charles þat was þe kyng [kynges broþer, α.] of Fraunce prived hym boþe of his [his] þe, β.] kyngdom and of his lyf. Whanne þis Frederik was dede, Innocencius þe pope procurede [procrede, γ.] þe chesers of þe empere [empyre, β.] forto chese many, and so were i-chose þe duke of Thuringe [Turing, Cx.] and þe erle of Holond, boþe [but, β. and Cx.; bote, γ.] þey deide sone, and som chese þe kynges broþer of Engelond, Richard duke of Cornwayle: þis stryf durede many ȝere wiþ wel greet coste. A versifiour [vesifiour, α.] to sette [to sette] divided, β. and Cx.] þe silables [silabeles, γ.] of his [þis, β.; this, Cx.] name Fredericus in þis manere:

"Fre fremit in mundo, de deprimit alta profundo, Ri [Ri mala] Res, Cx.] mala [mala] res, β. and γ., wrongly.] rimatur, cus cuspide cuncta minatur."

Þat ȝere at Londoun was i-made a solempne [solempnel, Cx.] processioun toward Cristes blood þat þe patriark of Jerusalem had i|sent to kyng Henry. Þe þrittenþe day of Octobre Lowys, kynge of Fraunce, wente to þe Holy Lond, and took Dam|yeta, but in þe ȝere after he was i-take of þe Sowdan [Sauden, γ.] in a batayle in þe feeld, [veld, γ.] and William longa spata [was dede]. [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Longa spata is a long swerd. And [And] om. α. and β.] an hundred þowsand and fifty þowsand hurdes [heerdes, α.; huerdes, β., γ., and Cx.] i-marked wiþ the signe of þe [hooly, add. Cx.] cros come

to þe parische, [þe parische] Parys, α., β., and γ.; Paris, Cx.] and destroyed hugeliche þe universite, and slouȝ [sle, Cx.] many clerkes. Kyng Henry ȝaf to his eldest sone Edward Gaskoyne [Gaskuyn, α.; Gasquyn, γ.] Irlond, Wales, and Chestreschire. Þat ȝere for grete hete þe erþe was so drye þat it bare no fruyt. But in þe ende of hervest fil [harvost ful, γ.] so grete rayn þat þe erþe myȝt it nouȝt swelowe; [swolewe, β.; swolwe, γ.; swo|lowe, Cx.] þerof come meny mescheves. Also þat ȝere deide seint Robert Grosthede, [Grosted, α.; Grostet, β.; Gros|seteste, γ.] bisshop of Lyncolne, þe nynþe day of Octobre. He was kunnynge in alle þe liberal artes, and specialliche he expowned meny þinges in logike etykes [ethiks, β.] and astrologie. He sente to þe ferþe pope Innocencius a pistel scharp inow [ynowȝ, β.; ynough, Cx.] þat bygynneþ in þis manere, "Oure lord Jesus Crist." [He] [From Cx.] sente þat pistel for þe pope greved þe chirches of Engelond wiþ taxes and wiþ paiementis undewe and un|custemable." Also for he hadde i-ȝeve his litel nevew a

chauntrie [chanunrye, α.; chanonrye, β. and Cx.] whiche [þe] [From α.] first voyded [wiþ þe first þat voyded, β.; wyþ þe vurste þat voyded, γ.; with the fyrste that voyded, Cx.] in þe chirche of Lyncolne. And þis Robert wolde nouȝt fonge [receyve, Cx.] þe childe, but he wroot to þe pope and seide þat he neyþer wolde neyþer schulde putte [fonge, α., β., and γ.; receyve, Cx.] suche [siche, β.] to þe cure of soule þat kouþe not rule [reule, γ.] hem [hym, Cx.] self. Þerfore þis Robert was sompned [somned, β.] to þe court and acursed: þan from Innocencius court he appeled to Cristes owne trone. Þan aftir Robert his deeþ, it happed in a nyȝt þat þe pope lay in his bedde for [for] om. α.] to reste, [bed and reste, β.; bedde and reste, Cx.] a bisshop [ap|perede to hym arayed as a bisshop, and] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] spak to þe pope and seide, "Arise, wrecche, and come to þe doome;" and smot hym wiþ his cros in þe lift side riȝt to þe herte; þan amorwe to [in the morow the, Cx.] popes bedde was i-founde [was founden, β.] blody, and þe pope deed: herefore, þey Robert were a noble [an holy, α.] man, and dede [dude, γ.] often mi|racles, the court suffreþ [suffryd, Cx.] hym nouȝt to be canonysed. After Innocencius þe fourþe Alexander was pope sevene ȝere and foure monthes. Pees is reformed bytwene kyng Henry and

Lewelyn prince of Wales at Mountgomorik, [Mont gomeryk, Cx.] in þis fourme, þat Lewelyn and his successoures after þat tyme schulde doon [do, β.] homage to þe kynges of Engelond, and kyng Henry feng [vyng, γ.; toke, Cx.] of hym þre þowsand mark. Hereuppon kyng Henry made his chartre confermed by auctorite of þe pope. Sone þerafter fil so grete hunger þat a busshel [boschel, γ.] of corn was solde for sextene schillynges. Þat tyme kyng Henry made his [foure] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] half breþeren so riche þat þey despiseden [despysed, Cx.] oþer lordes. Þerfore come to giders at Oxenforde at þe [þe] om. Cx.] feste of Trinite Symond Mounfort, [Symon de Montfort, β.; de Montford, Cx.] erle of Leycestre, Richard de Clare, erle of Gloucetre, and oþere lordes, and chees twelve peeres, and by counsaille of hem þese chaungede þe kynges mynistres and putte þese [potte þues, γ.] kynges [foure] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] half [breþeren] [despysed, Cx.] out of þe londe: þat dede was cause of þe barouns werre. Kyng Henry seillede into Fraunce, and made schameliche acord wiþ þe kyng of Fraunce, and forȝaf hym Normandie wiþ oþer londes of by|ȝonde [byȝunde, γ.] þe [þe] om. β.] see, þat hym schulde leve holiche [hoole, Cx.] þe lond of

Gaskoyne. After Alexander þe ferþe Urban was pope nygh foure ȝere. Þis was first patriark of Jerusalem; þan by help of hem þat hadde i-take þe signe of þe crosse he chasede þe oost of Rome þat Mainfredus [Manifredus, β., et infra; Ma|nyfredus, Cx., et infra.] hadde i-putte in seint Petres lond. Also þe pope ȝaf þe kyngdom of Cecile [of Cecile] Cicil, α.; Sicil, β. and γ.; Scicile, Cx.] to Charles þat was þe kynges broþer of Fraunce, ȝif he putte þens Mainfre|dus; and so it was i-doo. Aboute þat tyme at Teukesbury a Jewe fel [vul, γ.] into a gonge in a Satirday, and wolde suffre no man drawe hym up for reverence of his holy day. But Richard of Clare, erle of Gloucestre, wolde suffre no man drawe hym up on þe [on þe] at, α.] morwe [a morowe, β.; op a morowe, γ.] in þe Sonday for reverence of his holy day, and so þe Jewe was dede. [the Jewe deyd, Cx.]