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

Capitulum nonum.

THIS ȝere was þe goyng to Ierusalem, in þe whiche [woche, γ.] iorney were Beaumond, [was Beamund, Cx.] and Robert duke of Normandie. By cause of þe [þ^t, α.; that, Cx.] iornay Robert leyde Normandie to wedde to his broþer William for ten þowsand pounde of silver. Þere [after] [From β.]

twelve dayes tofore Iul [Juyl, β. and Cx.] Cristen men toke þe citee Acon; and in þe monþe of Octobre stella comata, [cometa, β., γ., and Cx.] þat is a sterre wiþ a briȝt blasynge crest, [creest, Cx.] was i-seie fiftene dayes, and meny men seigh [sawe, Cx.] þe signe of þe crosse brennynge in hevene. Þat tyme seint [seyn, γ.] Stevenes heed was i-brouȝt to Cadoni in Normandie, and wiþ meny grete myracles [myraclis, β.; myrakels, γ.] a monk þat hiȝte Odoo [het Odo, β.; Odo, γ.] brouȝt þider [þuder, γ.] þat holy heed. Henricus, libro primo. [septimo, Cx.] Þere fil strif betwix kyng William and Ancelm þe archebisshop, for Ancelme moste make no synodes noþer corecte trespas. Also þe kyng chalan|gede þe investiture of prelates, and pyled and schaved þe peple for [for] om. α.; wiþ, β.; with, Cx.; schamede þe pupyl wyþ, γ.] tribut, and specially for [to spend about, α., β., γ., and Cx.] þe tour of Londoun, and aboute þe grete halle at [at] of, β. and Cx.] Westmynstre. [Westmonaster, γ.] Also þe kynges meyny grevede þe peple [pupel, γ.] overal where þey wente. Willelmus de Regibus, libro 4^o. And ȝit herto þe roote and to [to] om. Cx.; þe, γ.] norisch|ynge of covetise, oon Ranulf, [Ranulph, β., et infra; of Ra|nulf, γ.] þat was somtyme þe firste kyng William his preost [prust, γ.] and his chapeleyn, was i-made [thus] [From Cx.; þis, β.] his procuratour. In every place ȝif þis Ranulph schulde gadre

þe kynges tribut he wolde take suche [siche, β.] two as riȝt and [riȝt and] om. Cx.] resoun wolde. He pilede þe riche and bare doun þe pore [poure, γ.] and disperage [disparagide, β.; desparage, γ.; dysparagid, Cx.] heritage, [heritages, β.; herytages, Cx.] and took hem [herytages and touk ham, γ.] into þe kynges hond; þerfore þe kyng bourdede in a tyme, and seide þat he was a man alone, for he kowþe so torne his witt þat he ne [ne] om. β.] rowȝte of no men [mannes, β.] wreþþe [he rought of noo mannes wreche, Cx.] while he myȝte plese his lord at wille. [fulle, β.; volle, γ.] By his doynge holy dignitees were i-solde, and sone þer|after he bouȝte þe bisshopriche of Durham for a þowsand pounde. Þat tyme men usede [uside, β.] stroutynge [stroutyng, Cx.] lokkes, and longe blasynge cloþes, gay spores and scharpe. Þo men ȝede [ȝude, γ.] tripp|ynge, schewynge þe sides. Ancelm wolde amende al þis, and hadde no [noon, β.] help of his suffraganes, and þerfore [he] [From β. and Cx.] went out of Engelond. Bote by heste of þe kyng in his goyng in an haven of Kent he was piled and i-robbed, and fare [yvare, γ.; faren, Cx.] wiþ as it were a þeef, his malys [males, β. and γ.] were i-serched [his bouges] [From Cx.; his bulges, β.; bulges and hys, γ.] and his trussynge cofres, and al þat he hadde. Þanne Anselm wente to pope Urban [in grete counseyll] [From Cx.; in a grete coun|sail, β.; and in a gret consayl, γ.] at Perrus [Barrus, β. and γ.] in Appulia; he declared cleerliche aȝen þe opinioun of þe Grees, [Grekis, β.; Grekes, Cx.] þat telleþ [tellyn, Cx.] þat þe [Here MS. Addit. begins again.] Holy Goost comeþ of þe Fader and nouȝt of þe Sone. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro 2^o. Þat tyme Raf

bisshop of Chichestre spared nouȝt þe kyng noþer þe oþer bis|shoppes þat helde aȝenst Anselm, [but he spak for Anselm,] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] and wiþseide þe kyng in [in] to, Cx.] his owne face, [fas, γ.] and dradde riȝt nouȝt; he schewed forþ his crosse and his ryng, and cesede nevere noþer slaked þe greet doing of his witte or [er, β.] Ancelm in his goynge hadde i-brouȝt his cause to a good ende. Also þis wolde nouȝt assente þat þe kyng schulde take tribute of preostes þat usede fornicacioun, but in al his diocise [diocesy, γ.; dyocesy, Cx., et infra.] þe service of holy chirche was suspended, and þe cherche dores were i-stopped wiþ þornes. Þe kyng was awelde [awelded, β. and Cx.] by grymnes of þat dede, so þat he grauntede to hym alone [þe] [From β.] tribut of his preostes. [prustes, γ.] Also he alleyde þat þe cherche þat is destroyed and i-brend schulde nouȝt ben [be, β.] i-piled and i-robbed wiþ tributes, but it schulde be releved and i-holpe wiþ fre ȝiftes, [yeftes, Cx., et infra.] and þe kynge þat hadde i-take from alle chirches, he ȝaf glad|liche to Raaf [Raph, γ.] his chirche meny grete ȝiftes. Þis Raf [Rauf, Cx.] sparede nouȝt to blame mysdoers for her synnes, and ȝif his blamynge halpe but lite [litel, β.] he wolde destroye þe synne wittiliche [wytlyche, γ.] wiþ myrþe and wiþ game; he wolde goo aboute his dyocise [diocesy, β.] þries in a ȝere, but he piled nouȝt his sugettes by myȝt and by maistrie, but what me wolde freliche ȝeve hym he fenge [vynge, γ.] it wiþ good wille; hereof wolde I nouȝt speke at þis tyme, nere þat it schulde be acounted a myracle now in oure [ur, γ.] age to

fynde in a bisshop besynesse of prechynge and resonable fong|ynge. [vongyng, γ.] Willelmus de Regibus, libro 2^o. [4^o, α. and Cx.] In a tyme whan kyng William wente an hontynge þere com a messanger [messager, γ.] and seide þat Cenomannya [Cenemonia, Cx.] was byseged. Anon þe kyng tornede his hors [heede], [From Cx.; hed, β.] and took þe wey streiȝt to þe see; þe lordes counsaillede [counseilide, β.] [hym] [From Cx.] to gadre an ost. "I schal see," quod he, "who wil folowe [volwe, γ.] me," and wente soo to þe see wel nyh allone. Þe weder was derk, and [þe] [From β.] wynde was aȝenst hym, bote he wolde nede [nedes, β., γ., and Cx.] saile over, and þe [þe] om. Cx.] shipmen counsailled hym forto abide þe wynde and þe weder. "I herde [Y hurde, γ.] nevere of a kyng," quod he, "þat was adreynt; but takeþ up [op, γ.] ȝoure ancres [ankers, β. and Cx.] and arayeþ ȝow to seille, and ȝe schal se þat þe elementes makeþ hem redy to my service:" [servys, γ.] so he passede þe see, and þey þat [þey þat] from α., β., γ., and Cx.; þat þey, MS.] beseged Cenomannia herde of his comynge and breke þe sege. Helias þe maister of þat tresoun was i-take and i-brouȝt to fore þe kyng, and þe kyng spak game|liche to hym and seide, "Maister, now have I þe." "It is by hap," quod he, "þat þow hast i-take me; I woot what I wolde doo myȝte I ones ascape." Þe kyng was wrooþ, and seide,

"Goo þy wey and flee, [vle, γ.] I graunte þe to doo what þou myȝt, and ȝif þou overcomest me I schal acorde wiþ þe." For þis [þe, β.; the, Cx.] kyng dede [dide, β.; dude, γ.] suche dedes, [that] [From Cx.] ȝif it myȝte stonde with þe feith of holy cherche, me wolde wene þat Iulius Cesar his soule [were y-passed and y-come into þis kyng, as me trowede [I trow, Cx.] somtyme þat Euforbius his soule] [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] passede into Pictagoras. Henricus, libro 4^o. Þis ȝere at Fynchamstede in Barrokschire a welle was i-seie welle blood fiftene [vyftene, γ.] dayes, and al a nyȝt hevene was i-seie brennynge as [and, α.; afuyre, β.; a vure, γ.; a fyre, Cx.] fuyre. Also þis ȝere Hewe and Hewe, [Hugus and Hugus, β.; Huwe and Huwe, γ.; Hugh and Hughe, Cx.] eorles of Schroysbury and of Chestre, took þe ilond Man, [Mon, α. and γ.] þat hatte Angleseya also, and slouȝ Walsche men þat were þerynne, and of meny þey kutte of þe genetras [genytraces, β., et infra; geny|tras, γ., et infra; genetoryes, Cx., et infra.] and put out here eyȝen. [eiȝen, β.] Among þe whiche [woche, γ.] þey took a preost þat heet Kenredus, [Kynredus, Cx.] and drouȝ hym out of þe cherche, and put out his oon eyȝe, [ye, γ.] and kutte of his genitras and his tonge; but by myracle of God he hadde his speche aftir ward þe þridde day. Þat tyme þe grete kyng of Noreganes, þe sone of Olavus, took wiþ hym Harald þat somtyme kyng Harald his sone, and took

þe ilond [ylondes, β.; ylandes, Cx.] Orcades and Mevanies, and come þennes into Man, [Mon, β. and Cx.] þere þe tweie forseide [vorsede, γ.] eorles were; þe eorle of Schroisbury [Schrowesbury, γ.] [wente aȝenst hym, and was y-smyte wiþ an arwe ryȝt into þe yȝe, and deide þe eyȝteþe day after þat he hadde y-kyd [kidde, β.; ykud, γ.; kydde, Cx.] his woodnesse yn [yn] of, Cx.] þe forseid [vorseyde, γ.] preost, and he was y-buryed at Schroysbury]. [From α., β., γ., and Cx.] Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro 2^o. Aboute þat tyme Herbert Lesang, [Losang, β., γ., and Cx.] þat hadde i-be somtyme abbot of Rameseye, and was þo [þanne, β.] bisshop of Teddeforde, was a greet norrey [norry, β.; nory, γ.] of symonye, for he hadde i-bouȝt his [his] the, Cx.] bisshopriche of þe kyng. But afterward he was sory and byweep [bywepte, α., β., and Cx.; by|wupe, γ.] þe unskil|fulnes [unskilful res, α. and β.; un|skylfol res, γ.; unskylful rest, Cx.] of his ȝouþe, [yongth, Cx.] and took þe wey to Rome, and cam home aȝe, and chaunged [chaungide, β.] and tornede his see from Tedford to Norþ|wiche, [Norwyche, β.; Norwiche, Cx.] and þere [þere] om. Cx.] he foundede a solempne [solempnel, Cx.] abbay with his owne catel, and nouȝt wiþ þe catel of þe bisshopriche. But at Tedford he ordeyned monkes of Cluny, þat were riche in þe world, [worl, γ.] and cleer of religioun to Godward, and so Hereberd [Herbert, β.; Herbart, Cx.] was amended by double [sawe of] [From β. and Cx.] warnynge, [dubel sawe, γ.] þat oon was

of his predecessour Herfast, and was þis, "Not þis [but] [From α., β., and Cx.; bote, γ.] Barabas;" and þe oþer was his owne, and was þis, "Frend, wherto art þou i-come?" He herde þis and weep, [wepte, β.; wuep, γ.] and seide: "I com in [an] [From Cx.] evel manere, but by Goddes grace I schal goon [go, β.] out in god manere;" and hadde often in mynde [munde, γ.] þe word of Ierom þat seide: "We errede in oure ȝowþe, [yongth, Cx.] amende [we] [From β. and Cx.] us in oure [ur, γ., bis.] elde." Henricus, libro 4^o. Þanne kyng William com out of Normandie, and whan he sigh [sawe, Cx.] first þe grete halle of Westmynstre [Westmonstre, α.] he seide þat it was to lite [lytel, β.] by þe halvendel, [lytel by the halfe, Cx.] and þerfore he hadde i-cast to ordeyne it for þe [þe] his, β. and Cx.] chambre. [vor hys caumber, γ.]