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

Capitulum quadragesimum. [Cap. 39, Cx.]

AFFTER þe deeþ of Alisaundre þe kyng of Scotlond, þat deide withoute children, [chyldern, γ.] greet stryf was i-meoved who schulde be kyng of Scotlond after hym. And for many cha|langed [chalengiden, β.] þat kyngdom bycause of nyh kynrede and of blood, and þat myȝt nouȝt be determyned at þe fulle [al full, Cx.] wiþoute [the] [From Cx.] presence of þe cheef lorde, þanne it was i-founde by writynge autentik and olde, þat þe kyng of Engelonde is cheef lord of Scotlond, and þat he schulde knowe and deme in suche [a] [From α., β., and Cx.] manere caas. And for þat he [he] om. α. and β.; it, Cx.] schulde be knowe after his tyme, þis ȝere kyng Edward made serche [sarche, γ.] alle þe abbayes of

Engelond, of Scotlond, and of Wales, for to wete and knowe what riȝt he hadde in þat manere dede. Þanne in the cronykes of Marian þe Scot, of William of Malmesbury, of Rogger [Roger, γ.; Rogyer, Cx.] of Huntyngdoun, and of Raaf of [Raph le bruys, Cx.] Buȝet, it was i-founde þat in þe ȝere of oure Lord [nyne hondred and ten kyng Edward þe elder made sugett þe kyng of Scottes and of Cumbres. Also in þe same cronykes hit was y-founde þat þe ȝere of oure Lord] [From α., β., and γ.] nyne hondred and oon and twenty þis [þese, β.] forseide [þues vorsede, γ.] men Scottes and Cumbres chese þe forsaide Edward þe elder to be her lorde and here patrone. Also þere it was i-founde þat þe ȝere of oure Lord nyne hondred and sixe and twenty Athelstane [Adelstan, Cx., et semper.] kyng of Engelond overcome Constantyn kyng of Scotlond, and suffrede hym eft to reigne under hym. Also Athelstones broþer Edredus kyng of Engelond overcome þe Scottes and þe Northumbres, and þey submytted him self to hym and swore him feaute. [feute, β.] And þere it was i-founde þat Edgar [Edward, Cx.] kyng of Engelond overcome Alpinus his sone Kenadius [Kinadius, γ.] kyng of Scotlond, [Scottes, α.] þat swore hym fewte. Also þere it was i-founde þat Canutus kyng of Engelond and of Denmark þe ȝere of his kyng|dom sixtene overcome Malcolyn kyng of Scotlond, and þerafter he was kyng of foure kyngdoms, of Engelond, of Scotlond, and

of Denmark, and of Noreway. Also þere it was i-founde þat seynte Edward ȝaf þe kyngdom of Scotlond to Malcolyn, þat was þe kynges sone of Cumbres, to holde of hym self. [self] om. Cx.] Also William Bastard, þe sixte ȝere of his kyngdom, over|come Malcolyn kyng of Scotlond, and feng [vyng, γ.] of hym an ooþ of homage and of [of] om. β.] fewte. Also William þe Rede dede [dude, γ.] in þe same wise as his fader [vader, γ.] hadde i-doo to Malcolyne kyng of Scotlond and to Malcolyns two sones þat regned oon after oþer. Also Alisaundre was his broþer successour Edgar in þe rewme [royam, Cx.] of Scotlond, by assent of kyng Henry þe firste. Also David kyng of Scotlond dede homage to kyng Stevene. Also William [kyng] [From Cx.] of Scotlond dede homage to þe þridde Henry, þe secounde Henries sone, in his coronacioun, and also to Henry þe fader, in þe twentiþe ȝere of his kyngdom, as it is i-wrete in a covenant þat was i-wrete bytwene hem [ham, γ.] tweyne. Also Roger of Hontyngdone seiþ þat William kyng of Scotlonde cam to his lord kyng Henry into Normandye, and dede [homage] [From Cx.] also to kyng Richard and to kyng Iohn at Lyncolne. Also in Seynt Albons cronikes it was [is, Cx.] i-founde þat Alisaundre kyng of Scotlond wedded Margarete kyng Henries douȝter at ȝork, and dede hym homage, þe ȝere of kyng Henry þe fyve and þritty; þe same is i-founde in þe kynges chartres of Scotlond. It is i-fownde [it . . . fownde] om. α. and Cx.] also in þe popes billes [bulles, γ. and Cx.] þat were i-sente into Scotlond þat þe kynges of Scotlond were accursed for þey wolde nouȝt be buxum [boxum, γ.] and obedient to her lordes kynges of Engelond, þat [than, Cx.] come to|gidres at Norham, in þe endes of Engelond toward Scotlond,

þe kyng of Engelond wiþ his wise men, and þe kyng of Scotlond wiþ the rediest men and worþyest þat he hadde þere. Þe kyng of Engelond axede first þat þe Scottes schulde be [be] om. α. and β.] pecibleliche [pessybylych, γ.] [assente] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] to his ordinaunce touchynge þe kyng of Scotlonde, nameliche for it bylonged to hym by cause of his cheef lordschippe. Þe Scottes seide þat þey knewe non suche sovereynte þat longed to þe kyng of Enge|lond, and seide þat þei myȝte nouȝt assure [answere, α. and γ.; answer, Cx.] to none [none] om. Cx.] suche þinges withouten an hede and a kyng to whom it longeþ to here suche tretynges, and þat þey schulde ȝeve non oþer answere at þat tyme, for her ooth [oþ, β., et infra, and γ.] þat þey had made everiche to oþer after kyng Alisaundres deeþ, þe whiche ooþ [whoche oþ, γ.] þey most [must, Cx.] holde uppon peyne of cursynge. Þan kyng Edward took avisement and made his lettres patent to þe Scottes and knowleched þat þe comynge of Scottes into Engelond on his half [a þis half, β.; a this half, Cx.] þe water of [of] om. β.] Twede schulde nouȝt eft sones be to hem prejudice [prejudys, γ.] of [and, α.] comynge eft into Engelond. Here after þe grettest of Scotlond and of Engelond þat chalanged [calangede, γ.] riȝt of þe successioun in þe kyngdome of Scotlond knowlechid and graunted by here lettres patent þat þey wolde wiþ good wille fonge riȝt tofore [byfore, Cx.] þis kyng as tofore [before, Cx.] þe cheef lord, and þei wolde holde ferme and stable al þat he wolde ordeyne in þis forseide dede. But for it semed wise men at þat tyme kyng Edward myȝte ȝeve riȝt [no right, Cx.] of successioun in þat kyngdome to no man, but ȝif he hadde arst [erst, Cx.] riȝt and possessioun in þe kyngdom of Scotlond, þerfore in þe kynges side of Engelond suerte [surte, γ.]

was i-made to þe Scottes þat þe kyngdom of Scotlonde schulde be restored wiþynne two monþes to hym þat hadde riȝt þerto, uppon [oppon, γ.] peyne of an hondred þowsand pound of [of] om. Cx.] sterlinges þat schulde be payde to Rome in help of þe Holy Lond, and also uppon peyne of cursynge and enterditynge of þe kyng and of þe rewme [royamme, Cx.] of Engelond, ȝif he wolde nouȝt restore þe kyngdom as it is seide. And so the Scottes by [with, Cx.] her chartres ȝaf and bytook [bitoke, β.] to kyng Edward þe kyngdom of Scotlond, with castels, wiþ riȝt, wiþ customes, wiþ usages, and sette wardeyne [wardeynes, α. and Cx.] þat schulde save to hem þat hadde riȝt al þe avauntage and þe profite [prophyt, γ.] of þe londe in þe mene tyme. Whan this was i-doo, after long plee and despitesoun [disputyson, γ.; disputacion, Cx.] in eyþer side of hem þat chalanged þat kyngdome, þe kyng of Engelonde took hede of þe strengþe of resouns and of evydence [and evydences, Cx.] in eiþer side, and ȝaf þe dome for Iohn le Baillol, and Iohn knowleched þat þe kyng of Engelonde is cheef lorde of Scotlonde, and dede hym homage and swoor hym fewte. Þis yere deide frere Iohn Peccham, archebisshop of Caunterbury; maister Robert of Wynchilsee [Wynchestre, Cx.] was archebisshop after him. Also þat ȝere Maddok, [Madoc, Cx.] a Walsche [Madoc a Walysch. γ.] man, rered

werre in Wales in a Michaelmas [Myȝhelmasse, α.; Mighelmasse, β.] day. Þerfore kyng Edward come to Chestre aboute seynt Nicholas feste, and took þe ile of Man, [Mon, Cx.] þat hiȝte Angleseya a [in, α. and Cx.] Latyn, and bulded [bulde, γ.] [al] [From α., β., and γ. (not Cx.).] newe þe citee and þe castel de Beel Marys. Þat tyme the woodes in Wales were i-hewe [yheuwe, γ.] adoun, þat were grete socour to men of þe contray to hyde hem self in werre tyme, and strong castelles were i-made in dyvers places [plas, α.] by þe see side; and sone hereafter þis Madok was i-take and i-brouȝt to Londoun. After þat tyme werre cessed in Wales, and Walsche men lyven [lyveþ, α. and β.; lyved, Cx.] as Englische men, and gadreþ [gadred, Cx.] tresoure, and dredeþ [dredde, Cx.] losse of catell. Þat tyme kyng Edwarde made serche alle þe abbayes of Engelond, and brynge to Londoun all þe money þat was founde. Also he made areste [arrest, Cx.] alle þe woolles and þe felles, and þerafter fil [vul, γ.] greet derþe of corne and of wyne.