Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶Here at Crystys Natyuyte begynneth the sixte aege durynge to the fynall Iuge¦ment: (Book 4)

hauynge yeres as god knoweth ¶Here begynneth the sixte aege durynge to the ende of the worlde. (Book 4)

[ Crist{us} nat{us} est]

[illustration]

[illustration]

THat daye our lorde Ihesu Cryst was borne / a welle of oyle beyonde Ty¦bre by Rome sprā¦ge and ranne alle daye. The goldȳ yamge fell y^t why¦che Romul{us} had made: and put it in his palays say¦enge. This yma∣ge shall not fayle vnre a mayde be∣re a chylde. ¶whan Herode disposid hym to slee the chyldern of Israell: he was commaun∣ded by the letter of themperour to come to Ro¦me to Answere to the accusacyon of hys chyl∣dern Alexium. and Aristoboli: And ther were thre Herodes grely spokē of for ther yll dedes The fyrste was called Ascolonita / and vnder this man was borne cryste / and the chyldren of Israell were slayne. The secōde was called Antipas sone to y^e fyrst Herode / vnder whom Iohn̄ Baptyst heeded / and cryst suffred deth. And the thyrde was called Agrippa sone to A¦ristoboli / sone to the fyrst Herode / the whyche slewe Iames & prysoned Peter. The fyrst He¦rode whan he sawe his sones Alexiū and Ari∣stoboli thrugh the pretens of hys letter by the Emperour sende / stryue for the successyon of his kyngdome / he disposid and made Antipa∣ter that was his fyrste begoten sone to be befo¦re them: and whan they were talkynge of the deth of theyr fader he cast them awaye: & they went to thēperour to complayne of y^e wrong of therfader. And in the meane tyme the thre kynges of Coleyne came by Herode vnto Ie∣rusalem: & whan they came not ayen by hym he thought that they were ashamed for to co∣me ayen by hym for bycause that they were dis¦ceyued: and that they founde not the chylde as he denied: therfore in the meane season he ces∣sed to slee the chyldern of Israell and so wene vnto Rome for the cytacion of themperoure. And he toke his waye by the cyte of Tarsum where he brente the shyppes in the whiche the thre kyng{is} of Coleyne shold haue saylled in to ther owne countree. Thenne after a yere and certen dayes: this Herode came frome Rome ayen: accorded with his sones And for the cō∣fyrmacōn of his kyngdome he was made mo¦che holder: and then he slewe all the chyldern of Bethleem that were of two yere of aege & vn∣der that had space of one nyght of aege: and a¦monge these was there one of hys owne chyl∣rden. And Aristoboli & Aleriū werre had in sus¦peccion: in so moche as they promysed a bar∣bour a grete rewarde that he sholde take & kitte ther faders throte whā that he dide him shaue. & whan this Herode herde this he was greued & there he slewe bothe his sones. And Herode Agrippa his sone he ordeyned to be kige. wher¦fore Antipater hys oldest sone was aboute to poyson his foder: the whiche Herode Agrippa vnderstode: & prysoned there his brother that whiche the Emperour herde and sayd that he had leuee be an hogge of Herodes: than for to be one of his sones: for hys hogges he spareth and his sones he sleeth. ¶And whan that He∣rode was .lxx. yere of age he was stryken with a grete sykenesse in his hondes and in his feet and in his membres: that noo lethe myght co¦me to hym for stenche: and soo he deyed. ¶So Antipater his sone in pryson herde tell of thys and Ioyed gretely: and therefore that cause he was slayne. ¶Thenne stroue Arche∣laus and Herodes for the successyon of the fyr¦ste Herode. The Emperour there thrugh coū∣seyll of the Senatours: the halfe of the Iury and Idumea gaaf to Archelaus vnder name of Tetrarche. And the other parte he deuyded in two. Galylee he gaaf to Herode Antippa.

And Ituriam and Traconidem he gaafe to Philype Herodes brother. ¶And that same yere Cryste came from Egypte / And Archela¦us was accused many tymes of the Iewes / & was exiled in to Vyennam in to fraūce. And in that place were sette foure Tetrarchees / to the repreuynge of the vnstablynesse of the Ie∣wes. ¶And that same yere Octauyan y^e Em¦perour deyed.

¶Anno xyristi. x^o

[illustration] stylized depiction of cross

I.N.R.I.

¶Crux χρristi.

IHesus Cryste at .xii. yere of aege herde the doctours in the Temple. ¶Our lor¦de. Ihesu Cryst at .xxx. yere of Aege was bapty¦sed· ¶Ihesu Cryste the lorde of all. thynges at .xxx. yere of aege & .iii. monethes deyed far hys seruauntes ¶Annin{us} Rufus was bysshop in the Iury about this tyme. ¶Valeri{us} Geace{us} was after hym .xi. yere. This man openly sol∣de the bysshopryche / & he that moost yaaf had it. And there was moneye in alytell whyle. ¶Poncius Pylat{us} was Iuge & Proctour in the Iury vnder y^e Emperour. And vnder this man Iohn̄ Baptyst began for to preche. And our lode surffred deth / the whyche was damp¦ned to dethe vnryght wysly for drede of them¦perour. ¶Tyrus a certen kynge gate a chylde on Pyla a poore mānes doughter / the whiche man hyght Arus / & this chylde of his moders name and hys be••syre put togyds was called Pylatus / This Pylatus y^e fourth yere of hys aege was sente to his fader. The whiche kyn∣ge of his lefull wyf had goten a chylde euen of the aege with Pylate / & by cause this lefull go¦tē chylde as they proceded in aege exceded this bastarde Pylatus he was full of enuye & slewe his brother the lefull goten chylde. wherfore forth with his fader sēte hym to Rome for pled¦ge for hys trybute that he payed to Rome / en∣tendynge he wolde neuer redeme hym. In the whiche tyme the kyng{is} sone of Fraunce was pledge for his trybute / y^e whiche exceded hym in strēgth & chyualry also he slewe hym. Ther¦fore the Romayns sente Pylate as a profyta∣ble man for y^e comyn wele to the yle of Ponto to tame the cursyd people / the whiche slewe e∣ueri Iuge that came to them And he that cursid man gouerned that vnhapy people what with thretynge & with promyse / & with lawe & with ieftes that nōe of them durste contrai do to his pleasure / wherfore he was called Pylate of Ponto. ¶Herodes Antipa yonge in his con∣uersacyons / with yeftes•• and messages drewe hym to hym & made hym prynce of the Iury vnder hym. And this tyme Pylate gadred mo¦che moneye / & Herode not knowynge he wen¦te to Rome that he might receiue of the Emper∣our that Herode had giuē him. Wherfore Hyro¦de & Pylate were enmyes togyder / vnto y^e pas¦siō of our lord / whan that pylate sende Ihesus vnto Herode clothed in a whyte clothe / then̄e they were made frendes. ¶Ouidius Naso in ponto aboue thys tyme deyed the fourth yere of his exile. ¶Tyburius this tyme was Em∣peroure at Rome / & he regned xxiii. yere / & he lyued ī the yere that our lord Ihesu Cryst deyed & somwhat after. This mā was in al his wer∣kes greteli auysed that there sholde be nothing sodenly done wyse ī warres studyous ī bokes fayr of speche fresshe in wyte / saue he wold of tymes feyne hymself to do thīges that he wolde neuer do of other. This Emperour vndersto¦de & trusted in cryst / & worshyped hym for god Some men saye at the last he was cruel ayen∣ste people but it was a grete reasō of pyte that he was euer gracious to his subgettes & poore men. And he had peas all his dayes / & alle the peple that said ayenst crystē folke with out oni mercy he destroyed: & he exyled pylate for euer Thenne he decessed & a worse succeded hym. ¶After Euseby it is wryten: our lord at .xxx. yere of his aege chose his .xii. apostles: the whi¦che made our Crede: that is byleue. and thei ma¦de it after the Resurreccyon of cryst: & after y^e holy ghost was sende vnto thē. whan they had chose Mathia the apostle & eche of thē made a part as it is shewed hereafter. And this mathi¦a was chose bytwene y^e doye of the Ascencyon

and wytsondaye in the place of Iudas Scary¦ot the traytoust / of y^e whiche Iudas in a histo∣ry is redde thus. ¶There was a certen man in Ieruslem that hygh Ruben / & after saynt Ie¦rom he was of y^e trybe of isacar. And his wyf hyght Cyborea the whiche one a certen nyght whan he wolde lustely knowe his wyf / she dre¦med that she shold bere a chyld of myschef & y^e childe shold be a traitour to his king & to al y^e pe¦ple of that regiō & whā that childe was borne & called Iudas his fader & his mod abhorred as well to slee ther chyld / as to nourysshe a tray∣tour to the kyng & all his people / ther fore they put him in to a panyer / or a lepe in to the see / & he flowed to the yle of Scaryoth / where the la¦di of that place had no childe bi her husbonde & she feyned her to be with childe / but she fayled And after ī a lytell season y^e same layd & quene cōceiued a chil of her husbonde & whan that he was of aege. Iudas many tymes angerd hym & caused hym to wepe / the whiche the quene sa¦we / & bete Iudas many tymes / and after she knowleged that iudas was not y^e kynges snoe hers / wherfore Iudas slewe the kenges sone / & he dradde the payne of y^e lawe / & fledde with certen exiles to Ierusalem. And whā he came there: he gate hī in to Pylates courte that was Iuge & by cause that o cursed mā draweth to ā other: therfore he drewe to pylate & stode gret¦ly in his fauour. And vpon a certen daye whā Pylate loked out of his palays in to an orchar¦de of a that mānes was called rubē that was ve¦ry fader to Iudas. Pylate desyred to haue ap∣ples: & Iudas went to gadre apples: & Ruben ranne to Iudas for to lette hym bycause he to¦ke h{is} apples whithaut ony leue & whā they had chyd this Iudas smote his fad on y^e heed with a stone & slewe hym: & Iudas fled a way secret∣ly aft that dede but it was said that rubē died so¦denly. Then pylate gaf to Iudas all y^e goodes that Rubē had & ciborea Rubēs wyf that was moder to Iudas. & he dealed not curcesly wyth her as a māshold with h{is} wif & for that she wep¦te & wailed for she had put her sōe to y^e see & that she was maryed ayēst her well It was percey∣ued that Iudas had slaī h{is} owe fad & wedde h{is} owne mod. Then̄e ciborea his mod & wyf me∣uyd hym to leue his synne / & then he folowed Cryst: & he forgaue hym his syn̄e & made hym his procoure & apostle. And howfals he was to Cryst / it nedeth not to reherce. And y^e same yere Mathewe was chosē / & y^e holy ghost was sende in to them as it is sayd afore. ¶The ap∣postles or they were sparpied in to all y^e world they gadred theym cogyd in to Ierusalē & ma∣de the Crede here folowinge that is our bileue.

Petrus

¶Credo in deum patrem omnipotentem creatoeem celi e•• terre.

Andreas

¶Et in the sum xp̄m filium eius vnicum do∣minum nost rum.

Iohānes

¶Qui conceptus•• est de spiritu sancto natus ex maria virgine.

Iacobus

¶Passus sub poncio pilato cruci firus moreu∣us et sepultus.

Thomas

¶Descendit ad infer∣na tercia die resurrexit amertuis.

Iacbus

¶Ascendit ad celos se∣det ad dexteram die pa∣tris omnipotentis.

Phlipp{us}

¶Inde venturus est iudicare viuons etmor¦tuos.

Bartho.

¶Credo in spiritum san¦ctum

Matheus

¶Sanctam eccleciam ca∣tholicam.

Semon

¶Sanctorum communio∣nem remissiom pec∣catorum.

Iudas

¶Carnis resurrectio∣nem.

Mathias

¶Et vitam eternam Amen.

IHesu Cryst our sauyour rose fro deth to lyf & sayd to his discyples All the power in heuen and in erthe is gyuen vnto me. And goo ye thus in to all the wrold and preche and teche vnto euery creature / and Ish all be with you vnto the ende of the world. ¶Here he chy¦se hym .lxxii. discyples. & he had .xii. apostles y^e whiche he sende in to all the worlde to preche.

Ne it is not redde that there were more ordres amonge the discyples of Cryste / of whom the prestes and bysshops in the chirche of god yet kepe the fourme. For to the appostles the bys∣shops succede / and to the dyscyple preestes. To the whyche two ordres / all the chyrche is gyuen as a goodly Ierarche (Vt patet in De∣creto Damasie pape)

Iohannes.

wrote in Asia in Greke langage In principio erat verbum. & cetera.

Marcus.

wrote in ytalia but in greke lan¦gage. Innicium euangelu Iesu cristi. &c̄.

Lucas.

wrote in Grecea in greke langage Huic in diebus herodis iu∣de sacerdos. &c̄.

Matheus.

wrote in the Iury in Hebrewe langage. Liber generacionis Ihe∣su cristi. &c̄.

¶Here begynneth the ordre of Popes of Ro∣me / and contynneth as the lyne of Cryst dyde afore. For in them god lefte his power. ¶Anno domini .xxxiiii.

PEter a Iewe the fyrste pope was a bles∣sed man & a gloryous apostle of Cryst. ¶He was heed of y^e chyrche .xxxvii. yere. And he helde hys bysshopryche in the eest .v. yere & sayd masse he made our lorde / & alone sayd the Pater noster. Thenne after he came to Antio∣chiam & there he abode .vii. yere techynge the waye of trouth. And Symon Magus he con∣founded away. That season he preched to the people that were circūcysed / the whiche were in Ponto of Galati. Capadocia. Asia. Bichi∣nia. Thenne herde he that Symon Magus deluded the Romayns / thrugh the loue of the fayth / he came to Rome in the fourthe yere of Claudius y^e Emperour. And there he preched the worde of god / and shewed the falshede of Symon Mag{us} and tourned many a man to the fayth / Thenne he sende his precher by dy∣uerse prouynces / by whome crysten relygyon was myghtely encreased. ¶He ordeyned the feest of Lenton afore Eester / and Aduent and the Emerynge dayes to be fasted of all crystē people / in to the myrrour of the fyrste and se∣conde comynge of our lorde Ihesu. ¶Then̄e whan he had be pope at Rome .xxv. yere .vii. monethes and ·viii. dayes / He was slayne of Nero (Ei{us} pla o{per}a vide acti{bus} aplo{rum}) ¶Ba∣ius this tyme was Emperour at Rome & reg∣ned .iii. yere & .x. monethes. This Gaius was fyrst vicyous in lyuynge / for two of his owne sesters he mysused / and on one of them he ga∣••e a doughter / whyche chylde he sette betwext the knees of Iupyter in the Temple / and fey∣ned after warde that Iupyter had goten her. wherfore he dyde crye thrugh the coūtree that alle men sholde worshyppe her as a goddesse / This man also made an ymage lyke hymself and sente it to one Patronie Presydent at Ie∣rusalem vnder the Romayns commaundyn∣ge hym that he shold compell the Iewes to do worshyp therto. And fore thyse enormytees & many other / oure lorde suffred hym to be slay∣ne at Rome in his owne Palays.

Of kynge Gynder that was Kymba¦lyns sone / that wolde not paye the trua∣ge to Rome for the londe that Cassybo∣lon had graunted / and how he was slay∣ne of a Romyne.

ANd after the dethe of thys Kymbalyn regned Gynder his sone a good man and a worthy / and was of soo hygh herte that he wolde not paye to Rome that trybute that kynge Cassybolon had graūted vnto Iulius Cezar wherfore themperour that was tho that was called Claudius Cezar was sore anoyed And ordeyned a grete power of Romayns / & came in to this londe for to conquere the tribu¦te thrugh strengthe / and for to haue it on the kynge· But thys kynge Gynder and Arma∣ger his broder assembled & gadred a grete host togyd of Brytons & yaue batayll to the Empe¦roure Claudius / and slewe of the Romayns gerte plente. The Emperour had after warde

one that was called Hamon that sawe the peo¦ple there fast slayne / & pryuely cast a waye his owe armes & toke the armes of a deed Bryton and armed hym wyth hys armour / & came in to the bataylle to the kynge & sayd in this ma∣ner. Syr be of a good hert for goddes loue for the Romayns that ben youre enmyes anone shall be slayn & dyscomfyted euerychone. And the kynge gaf no kepe to his wordes / ne to his speche forbi cause of the armes that he hae vpō hym / and demyd that he hadde ben a Bryton. But the traytour euer helde hym next the kyn¦ge And pryuely vnder y^e sholder of his armes he smote the kynge / wherfore the kynge deyed and felle downe to the erth ¶whan Armager sawe his brother so deed herast awaye his aras¦mes and toke to him his brothers armes / & co¦me in to the batayl amonges the brytons and badde them hertly for to fyght / and fast laye a downe the Romayns. And for the armes they wende it had be kyng Gynder that afore was slayne / y^t they wyst not. Thenne began y^e Bry¦tons fyersly for to fygth / & slewe y^e Romayns So at the last the Emperour forsoke the felde and fledde as fast as they myght with his fol∣kein to wynchestre. And the fals traytour Ha¦mon that had slayne the kynge / fast anone be∣ganne for to flee with all y^e hast that he myght And Amager y^e kynges brother pursued hym full fyersly with a fyers herte / & droue hym vn¦to a water & there he toke hym. And anōe smo¦te of both honde and feet & heed / and hewed y^e body all to peres / and thenne lete cast hym in to the water wherfore that wat was called Ha¦mons hauen. And after there was made a fay¦re towne that yet stondeth that is called Sou¦thampten. And after Armager wente to wyn¦chestre for to seke Claudius Cezar the Emper¦our of Rome. And there Armager hym tooke. And Claudius the emperour thorugh counseyl of the Romayns that were wyth hym left a ly¦ue / made peas with Armager ī this maner as ye shall here. That is to saye. How that Clau∣dius the Emperour sholde yeue vnto Arma∣ger Gennen his fayr doughter for to haue vn¦to his wyf. Soo that this londe from that ty∣me for warde sholde he in the Emperours po∣wer of Rome vpō suche couenaūt / that neuer after warde no Emperour of Rome sholde ta¦ke none other trybute of thys londe / but only feaute And they were accorded. And vpō this couenaunt Claudius Cezar sent to Rome for his doughter Gennen. And as she was come Claudi{us} Cezar yaf her vnto Armager to wyf. & Armager spowsed her at Lōdon with moche solempnyte & myrth. And thenne was Arma∣ger crowned & made kynge of Brytayne.

¶Of kynge Armager in whose tyme. saynt Peter preched ī Anthyoche with other apostles in dyuers coūtrees.

THis Armager regned well and worthe¦ly / and gourned the londe ryght wor¦shypfully. ¶And Claudius Cezar in remem∣braūce of this accorde / and for reuerence and honoure of hys doughter made in this londe fayre town & a castell / and lete calle the tow∣ne after his name Clauestren / y^e whiche now is called Gloucestre▪ & then̄e whā all this was done the Emperour toke his leue & then̄e wēte to Rome ayen. And Armager thenne was kin¦ge / and gouerned the londe well and worthely all his lyues tyme. And this Armager gate a sene on his wyf whiche was callyd westmer. And while that this Armager regned saint Pe¦ter preched in Anthioche And there he made a noble chirche. In the whiche he satte fyrste in hys chayre And ther he dewelled .vii. yere. and after he wente to Rome: and was made pope: tylle that Nero y^e Emperour lete martyr hym And then preched openly all the apostles in dy¦uerse londes the ryght fayth. ¶And whan Ar¦mager hadde regned .xxxiiii. yere: he dyed and lyeth at the auncyente cyte of London.

¶How kynge westmer gaaf to Berynger an ylonde forlet. And there this Berynger made the towne of Berwyke.

ANd after this Armager regned his so∣ne westmer: that was a good man and a worthy of body: and well gouerned the lon∣de. It befell so that tydynges came to hym vp∣on a daye: that the kynge Roderyk of Gascoy¦ne was come in to thys londe wyth an hughe host of peple: & was dwellyng in Scanys mo∣re. & whā kyng westmer herde those tydynges he lete assemble an huge host of Brytons / & ca¦me to the kynge Roderyk & yaue hym batayll. And kynge westmer slewe kynge Rodoryke wyth hys owne hondes in playne baytaylle. ¶And whan kyng Roderyks men sawe that

ther lorde was slayne / they yelded them all to kyng westmer / & became his men for euer mo¦re. And he gaf them a coūtree that was forletē wherin they myghte dwelled. ¶And thyther they wente And dwelle there alle theyr lyues tyme / and .ix. hondred men there were of the¦ym & nomoo lefte at that batayll· Theyr go∣uernour & prynce was called Berynger. And anone he began a towne that they myght ther in dwelle & haue resorte and lete calle the tow∣ne Berwyk vpon Twede. And there they en∣habyte & becam ryche. But they had no wym¦men amonge them / & the Brytons wolde not yeue there doughters to the straūgers. wherfo¦re they wēte ouer see in to Irlonde / & brought with them wymmen & there they them spo••w¦sed. But the men coude not vnderstōde theyr langage ne the speche of these wymmen / and therfore they spake togyder as Scottes. And after warde thrugh chaunginge ther langage in al Fraūce they were called then̄e Scottes & soo sholde the folke of that countree be called for euer more.

¶How kyng westmer lete arere a stone in the entrynge of westmerlōde / there that he slewe Roderyk / & there he began fyrste housynge.

ANd after this batayl that is aboue say∣de whan Roderyke was deed / kynge westmer in remembraunce of his victory lete arere there besyde the way a grete stone on hy¦ghe / and yet it stondeth & euer more shall ston¦de. And he lete graue ī y^e stone lette that th{us} say¦de The kynge westmer of Brytayne slewe in thys place Roderyk his enymye. ¶And thys westmer was the fyrst that buylded hous and towne ī westmerlōde & at that stone begynneth westmerlōde that westmer lette calle after hys owne name. And whan westmer had so done he dwelled all his lyf tyme in that countree of westmerlonde / for he loued that coūtree more than ony other coūtre / & whan he had regned .xxv. yere / he deyed and lyeth at Karleyll.

¶Of kynge Coill that was westmers sone that helde his londe in peas al his lyues tyme.

AFter this: his sone kynge Coill regned a good man & a worthy: and of goode condycyons: and well gouerned hys londe. And of all men he hadde loue and peas. And in his tyme was neuer contake debate: nor war∣re in Brytayne. And he regned and was kyn∣ge in peas all his lyues tyme· And whā he had regned .xi. yere he deyed & lyeth at yorke.

CLaudius was Em{per}our at Rome nexte after Gaius. And he regned .xiiii. yere / and .viiii. dayes. This man came in to greate Brytayne now called Englonde / for to chalē∣ge the trybute whyche they dyde denye vnto the Romayns. And after grete bataylles ther was bytwene the Emperour Claudius & Ar∣mager kynge of Brytayne. And after accorde¦ment made / that thys armager sholde wedde Claudius doughter / & after they two sholde e∣uer lyue in peas. In token werof / this Claudi¦us named the cyte where they were wedded af¦ter hym / and called it Claudicestre / where we now it calle Gloucestre. ¶This Claudi{us} had thre wyues. And on Petiua the fyrste wyfe he gate a doughter that hyght Antonia / the fyrst wyf decessed / and he wedded Messalinam / & gate a sone that hyght Brytanic{us} & Octauia a doughter. The thirde he wedded Agrippina hauyng a sone that hyght Nero. Claudi{us} wed¦ded his doughter Octauia to Nero his wyues sone. This Claudius for loue that he hadde to Agrippina his laste wyf / he slewe Messalina his fyrst wyf / leest she shold haue holpe Brita¦nicus her sone & his to Empyre. yet Agrippi∣na the laste wyf of Claudius dradde / leest her husbonde wolde haue proferred Brytanicus and h••••e deposed Nero her sone / therfore she poysoned her husbonde Claudius / and Nero was promoted to the Empyre. And this same Nero ayue his moder suche a rewarde ayen. For he poysoned Brytanicus and slewe hys owne moder & his wyf Octauia. ¶Iames y^e more the apostle this tyme was slayne of He∣rode Agrippa / & Peter was prysoned (Vt pʐ act .xii. The body of saynt Iames was brou∣ghte by myracle in Galeciam of Spyne.

¶Nero after Claudius was Emperour / and he regned .xiii. yere & .vii. monethes. This Ne¦ro was a cursyd man / & made grethe waste in the Empyre. He wold not fysshe but with net∣tes of golde & ropes of sylke. A grete parte of y^e lordes of Rome he slew He was enemye to no men but to good men. He slewe his broder and hys wyf his moder & his mayster. He slewe al∣so Peter and Poule / he wolde neuer were one cloth two tymes. Alle his hors and his mules were shood wyth syluer / & at the laste he dyde

sette a grete parte of Rome on fyre / some saye the Romayns complayned the stretes were to narowe. And as he had brente a grete parte of Rome. Nero sayd there is space to buylde the stretes wyder. Thenne the Senatours wyth the comyn people came vpon hym to sleehim and he fledde by nyght in to the subarbes of y^e cytee & hyde hym / & he herde karles & beggers sayenge. And they wyst where the Empe••rour were he sholde neuer scape theym. Nero thou¦ghte it shold be grete derogacyon to his name and he were slayne of karles. And on a grete stake he ranne hym self to the herte and deyed and there was buryed. And deuylles kept his body many a daye after / and dyde grete hurte to the people / tyll by a myracle of our lord the body was founde and taken away / and then∣ne y^e deuylles voyded. ¶Seneca was this ty∣me mayster to Nero. ¶Iuuenal{is} pota. ¶Lu¦can{us} poeta. ¶Iames the lesse the appostle bys¦shop of Ierusalem was slayne of the Iewes y^e .vi. yere of Nero. Marcus the euaungelyste was martred the fyrste yere of hym.

¶Circa annū xp̄i .lxxiiii.

LInus ytalicus was pope of Rome .x. yere and .iii· monethes and .xiii. dayes This Linus and his successour Clet{us} / thrugh theyr holy conuersacyon were made to mynys¦tre the tresoure of the chirche to the people Pe¦ter beynge a lyue. And Peter attended to pray¦enge & prechynge. ¶It is redde of this Clet{us} / that he wrote fyrst in his letters (Salutem et apostolicā benedictionem) ¶Afore this tyme was many a dyscyple of Peter slayne vnder Nero. ¶Galba thys tyme was Emperour / & he regned .vii. monethes. This man was ma¦de Emperour by the power of Spayne in the same londe Nero lyuynge. And after the deth of Nero brught to Rome / & there was slayne of a man that came wyth whete to Rome. He smote of his heed and bare it to hym that was Emperour next / seynge all his men & none of them helpynge hym. ¶In this mānes dayes came y^e grete Rethoricyen to Rome fro Spay¦ne / & was the fyrste that euer taught the scyen¦ce opēly / his nyme was Quintilian. ¶Otho regned after hym / and he regned but .iii. mo∣nethes. For one Vitellus that was President of Fraunce chalenged y^e Empyre. And in yta¦lye betwixt these two were thre gret bataylles And in the fourth batayll Otho sawe he shol∣de be ouercome and in grete dispeyre he slewe hymselfe. ¶Vitellus regned after Otho & he regned .viii. monethes / for he was folower of Nero moost specyall in glotony / & in syngyn∣ge of foule songes: and at festes etynges oute of mesure that he myght not kepe it. ¶Vespa¦sianus regned nexte after hym .ix. yere and .x. monethes and .xii. dayes. ¶The well gouer∣ned men of Rome seynge the cursyd successy∣on of Nero sent after this Vespasian vnto pa¦lestyn For there he was & his sone Tit{us} whiche had besyeged Iherusalem. ¶And whā be her¦de that Nero was deed: by whom he was sen∣te to Ierusalem: & herde of these cursyd men regnynge. At the Instaunce of these men: not wyllyngly: toke vpon hym the Empyre. And anone as he was come to Rome: he ouercame the tyraunte Vitellus and lete hym be drawe thorugh Rome: & after in to tybre tyll he was deed: & then̄e lete hym sayle without sepulture for this y^e people desyred. This man was cu∣red of waspis in his nose anone as he byleued in our lorde Ihesu: And y^t was the cause why¦che wente to Ierusalem / to venge Crystis deth He fought .x••xii. tymes wyth hys enemyes & deyed the yere of grace .lxiix.

¶Anno diū lxxxiiii.

CLetus a martyr was pope .xi. yere thys Cletus was a Romayn and gretely be¦loued pylgrymages to sayntes sayenge it was more profyte to the helthe of mānes soule to vi¦syte the place y^t saynt peter was in than ••or to fast two yere. He cursyd alle tho men lettynge suche pylgrymages / or counsellers contrary therto. At the last he was martryd by Dami••••¦an the Emperour. ¶Titus sone to Vespasia¦nus was Emperour thys tyme & regned thre yere. And he abode stylle at Ierusalē after the eleccyon of his fader and destroyed the cytee. And slewe there as the storye sayth with bata∣yll and hungre .xi. hodred thousande Iewes And a hondred thousāde he toke and solde .xxx. for a peny. By cause they solde Cryst for .xxx. pens / and brought thens all thynge that was precyous / and put them in his hous at Rome whiche was called Tēplū pacis / But now is that place falle downe for y^e moost party / and all these grete Iewelles ben dystrybuted to cer¦tayne chirches in Rome. ¶This Titus was so full of vertue that all men loued hym / so set forth / that they called hym the moost delecta∣ble

of men. He was full lyberall to all mē in so moche that he sayd often tymes / y^e there sholde noo man goo from an Emperour with an he∣uy herte / but he shold som what haue of his pe¦tycyon. He wolde be sory that daye in the why¦che he hadde graunted no man no benefyte. ¶whan that he was deed euery man y^t was in Rome wept for hym / as that they had lost the¦yr fader. ¶Domician brother to Titus reg∣ned after him .xxiiii. yere & .v. monethes. First he was ••asy / and after ward full vnresonable For moche of y^e Senate was destroyed by his malyce / and also moche of his kynred. He be∣gan the secōde persecucōn after Nero ayenst crysten men / in the whiche persecucion Iohn̄ the euangelyst was exiled in to Pathius after the Emperoure had put hym in to a tonne of oyle brēnynge & hurte hym not. So this man was not the folower of his fader Vespasian / ne his brother Titus / but rathur lyke Nero & his kyn rede. And for these wycked condicyōs he was slayne in his owne palays at Rome in the .xxvii. yere of his aege· ¶Clemens a mar∣tyr was pope .ix. yere and he succeded Cletus. This Clemens fyrste of saynt Peter was or∣deyned to be successour to hym. And for peryll he wolde Linus and Cletus sholde be popes & fore hym / lest that thrugh that ensample pre∣lates sholde ordeyne vnder thē who some euer they wolde. This man made y^e lyf of martyrs to be wryten by regyons. And he made many bokes He ordeyned that a chylde shold be con¦fermed as soone as it myght / namely after it was crystened. And at y^e laste he was martred vnder Traian. ¶Nerua was Emperour af∣ter Domician oo yere & two monethes. And whan he was chosen he meued the Senate to make a lawe / that thynge whyche Domician comaunded to be kepte sholde be broken / By the whyche meane saynt Iohan the euāgelyst was losed out of his exyl: & suffrey to come a∣yen to Ephase. This man dyde an other thyn¦ge ryght comendable that he assyned soo wyse a man as Traian was to gouerne the people after hym. ¶Nota. ¶Traianus Hispani∣cus was Emperour .xxi. yere. This Traian{us} many man sayd. He was the best amonge all the Emperours: But in one thynge alone he was vicious In so moche as he for the loue of the fals goddes was aboute to destroye y^e cry¦sten fayth. Iugyng in hymself so moost to ple¦ase god. Some men say not by hymself but by other he pursewed the crysten fayth: and in y^e ende of his lyf he dyde but fewe to dethe. And all his louyng Isette at nought. But at saint Gregory meued with pyte wepyng: & prayed vnto our lord for hym: that he wold haue mer¦cy vpon hym and by his prayer haue hym out of helle: in to whiche place he was dampned. And now yf that he be saud or not: a grete al∣teracyon is amōge doctours. And to vs y^t wry¦te Crony eles: it is no parte of our charge to de¦termyn. But all the eest parte of y^e world. Ba¦bylon. Selencia: the vtter partes of the ynde. Germayne the seconde after Alexander hel¦de vnder. In all these thynges so pyteous and soo mekely he guyded hym to euery man as a kynge. He was gentyll: and to no man vngē∣tyll: the whiche is redde of fewe: All his dayes he lyued that men sayd he was the moost wor¦thy man in all his Empyre. And thought and sayde euer more: that noo man was more vn∣worthy to be Emperour than he.

¶Anno dm̄ .C.iiii.

ANacletus a martyr was pope ·ix yere And he. was a Greke. He monysshed an crystē men: that preestes shold be worshyp∣ped aboue all other men. Sayenge: that prees∣tes doynge sacrifyce to god shold be borne out and not vexed: but be worshypped. And pree∣stes whan they sayd masse the shold haue wye¦nesse with them and namely bysshops Also he decreed that clerkes shold were no berdes nor longe heere. Also that a bysshop sholde be con∣secrated of thre: and dyuerse other thynge. At the last the .xii. yere of Traianus he was mar∣tred and buryed by the body of saynt Peter. ¶Plinius the seconde Oratour and pheloso¦pher wrote moche thyng{is}. Thys man meued Traianus that he sholde wythdrawe the sen∣tence yeuen ayeste crysten folke: wryten to hym that they sholde do noo ylle but take hede to the vertue: But that they sholde ryse afore daye and worshoppe ther god secretly in the nyght· ¶Euaristus a Greke & a martyr was pope .x. yere and .vii. monethes after Anacle∣tus. Thys man ordeyned that man and wo¦man sholde be wedded openly: and that they sholde be blessyd openly of the preest and fader and moder. And he was martred y^e thyrde ye¦re of Adrian & buryed by saynt Peter. ¶Alex¦ander a Romayn was pope .viii. yere and .v.

monethes. This Alexander the moost parte of the Senatours he conuerterd vnto our lorde And he constytuted and ordeyned / that hooly water sholde be spynkled in to crysten mēnes houses. And he ordeyned that the brede that prestes vse to synge with sholde be made of pu¦re and clene brede and that in a lytell quanty∣te. At the laste he was martred vnder Adryan that was the Emperour. And many of them he conuerted to the fayth. ¶Sixtus a Roma∣yn was pope .x. yere and .iii. monethes. Thys man ordeyned (Sanctus Sanctus Sanct{us}. &c̄) Sholde be sayd in the masse. And that the holy thynges of the chirche sholde not be tou∣ched but of mynysters of y^e chyrche. Also that the corporax sholde not be made of sylke / but of pure lynnen clothe wouen / and not dyed and that a woman sholde not touche the holy / vessell of the a wter / ne the palle. Also he ordey¦ned / that yfony bysshop were vacant / that no bysshop sholde be receyued in to his benefyce but with the popes letters. Also that no masse shold be sayd but vpon an a wter / & at the last he was martred. ¶Adrianus was emperour .xxi. yere This Adriani many thīges is cōmē dede to crysten men / other wylle he was graci¦ous / and certeyn of them that wolde not do sa¦cryfyce to the fals goddes he slewe. He was an vniuersall man all moost in all scyence. Peas he had all his dayes / but with the Iewes and many a lawe he made. And thenne he cōmaū¦ded that crysten men sholde not be dampned to dethe but with due processe. Ierusalem he subduded ayen / & forbadde that no Iewe sholde dwelle therin by no wyse. Cristē mē he suffred there to dwelle. Ayenst his wyll he came to the Empyre / But he gouerned hym very welle. whā y^e senatours prayed hym to calle his sone Emperour after hym / He sayd / it is not ynou¦ghte to me that ayenst my wyll I haue regned whiche I haue not deserued. For y^e emperour{us} of Rome shold go by successyon of blood / but to suche men as haue deserued it thrugh theyr merytes. Many tymes he regned vnuertuous¦ly that is a kynge borne / & vertue sholde come before his kyngdom. ¶Eustachius other wy¦se called Placid{us} & Therospita his wyf / & two of ther sones / of whom merueyllous thynges ben redde / were martred by the commaunde∣ment of Adrian. This Placidus was mayster of the Emperours knyghtes Ierusalem was restored by Adrian and made larger / soo that the place where Cryste deyed was within th•• walles / the whiche was without before. And thys ys the thyrde buyl dynge agayne of that cyte / for yt was thryes destroyed. Of the Cal∣dees in the tyme of zedethee / of Anthyocus in the tyme of Machabeorum / and of Tytus in the tyme of Vespacian.

¶Anno dm̄ .C.xliiii.

THelesporus a Romayne was pope .xi. yere thys man ordeyned thys aungels ympne to be songe in the masse (Glorya in ex∣celsis deo &c̄) & the gospell to be redde afore the sacrynge / and ō Crystemasse daye thre masses to be songe. And he ordeyned there sholde noo masse be songe be fore thre of the clocke. And at the laste he was martred & buryed at saynt Peters· ¶Ignyus a Greke was pope foure ye¦re. This man ordeyned that a chylde shold ha¦ue a god fader & a god moder at the time of bap¦tysynge: & also one at confyrmacōn. Also that no Archebysshop / excepte the pope shalde con∣dempne his Suffrygan but yf the cause were shewed in the prouyncyal coūsell of bysshops. Then̄e he was martred & buryed at saynt Pe∣ters. ¶Anthoni{us} Pius was Emperour .xxii. yere with his sones Aurolio and Lucio This mā was myghtly wyse & naturelly fayr of spe∣che / the whiche lyghtly in oo man is not foūde Noto. ¶Excedinge men in wysdom comyn∣ly are not fayre speched / nor peasfull namely of nature / ne contrayous. Excedynge men in fayre speche comēly are lesse than wyse. Thys man was meued with both these proprytees. Therfore many kyngdomes the whyche rece∣ded from other Emperours wylfully to thys man torned ayen. And to crysten men was no ne so gentyll. He sayd thrught the ensample of Cipio. I hadde leuer kepe one heereof a man / than slee an hondred of myn enmyes. And so¦me martyrs were made vnder hym / but they were made vnder the cōmoundemente of the Emperours afore. And the crygen people we¦re soo hatefull vnto the bysshops & to the pree¦stes of y^e Temple of the fals goddes: that they prouoked the prynces alwaye ayenste them. For they supposed that the crysten fayth shol¦de destroye them· Therfore it was noo mer¦ualle: all though the pryce was vnpleased: for they sayd All ther goddes were deuyllesy•• lower Iuges pursued crysten folke & mar••ed:

them. This tyme .x. thousande martyrs. were crucyfyed in Arminea / in an hyghe hylle cal∣led Arath. ¶Pompeius trogus isto tempore historias a nino vs{que} ad octauianū deduxit.

¶Anno dm̄ .C.liiii.

PIus ytalicus was pope .xi. yere. & .iiii. monethes and .xv. dayes / This mā or∣deyned the feest of Eester euer more sholde be halowed on the sonday. And also an heretyke comynge fro the secte of the Iewes sholde be receyued and baptysed. Thenne he was mar∣tred and buryed in saynt Peter. ¶Anicetus was pope after Pi{us} almoost .x. yere / this man made many decrees of the Canon and for bys¦shops (vt in ca{us} violatores. &c̄. ¶Galienus a leche goten in Pergamo was in grete fame at Rome. The whiche not alonly expowned the bokes of ypocras but he put many of them to his bokes. And of this man is sayd / for his dis¦crete abstynence the whyche he vsed / he lyued an hondred & .xl. yeres. He neuer ete nor dran∣ke hys fylle. ¶Nota abstinenciam. ¶He ne∣uer toke rawe fruytes. Alwaye he had a swete brethe. He deyed all only thrugh aege & noo sy∣kenesse. ¶Marcus Anthonius the true / and Lucius Comodus were Empyrours .xix. ye∣re. These toke the Empyre after Anthony the meke / and thenne began two Emperours to regne / but Luci{us} Comodus decessed. And An∣thom was Emperous a lone / the whiche was a victorious man and a noble / but that he ma¦de the fourth persecucion to kylle crystē men. This Marcus was of so grete sadnesse & sted∣fastnesse / y^e for no chaunce he lough neuer / ne chaūged no chere / nother for gladnesse ne for sorowe. And whan he was a childe / he was of suche manhode / that on a certayne tyme whā he loked his tresour / and had not that whiche he myght gyue his knyghtes & his men whan he wente to fyght ayenste the Germayns / the Sclauous / and Sarmatus / he wolde hurte ne greue no body / but had leuer to selle his wy¦ues golden vessell and her arayment / her bed∣dynge / & all her ryall stuff / than take taxe of the Sena••ours / or of hys prouynce vnder hym But he gate the victorye of his enmyes / & re∣couered all ayen / and released the prouences or ther trybutes. ¶And those that wolde selle hym his wyues tresour ayen he restored them ther moneye / and those that wolde not / he ne∣uer greued them. But the tables of ther dettes betwixt hym and them he brent openly in the market place and thanked them / that they hel¦ped hym in his necessyte.

¶How kynge Luie regned after his fa∣der / that was a good man / and after he became crysten.

AFter thys kynge Coill regned Lucie his sone: that was a good man to god and to all the people. He sente to Rome to Eu∣lentre y^t then was pope: & sayd. He wold beco∣me a crysten man & receyue bap••ym in the na∣me of god & torne to the ryght fayth & byleue. Eulentre sēte two Legates / y^t were called Pa∣gan: an other Elybam in to this londe & bap∣tysed the kyng & all his meyne And after wen∣te from towne to towne & baptysed the people tyll all the londe was baptysed. And this was in the yere an hondred .lvi. after the Incarn∣cyon of our lorde Ihesu cryste. And this kyng Lucie made tho in thys londe two Archibys∣shops: one at Caunterbury an other at yorke & other many bisshops that yet bē in this londe And whan these two Legat{is} had baptysed all this londe: they ordeyned prestes for to bapty∣se chyldern: and for to make the sacramente: and after they wente ayen to Rome. And the kynge dwelled in his londe: and regned wyth moche honoure .xii. yere: and after deyed and lyeth at Gloucestre.

¶How this londe was longe without a kyn∣ge: and how Brytons chose a kynge.

THis kyng Lucie had none heyre of his body begotē: that was after warde gre¦te harme & sorowe to the londe. For after thys kynge Lucies deth: none of the grete lordes of the londe wolde suffre an other to be kynge: but lyued in warre & debate amōges them self .l. yere without kyng. But it befell after war∣de that a grete prince came from Rome ī to th{is} londe that was called Seuerie: not for warre but for to saue the ryght of Rome. But neuer theles he had not dwelled halfe a yere in thys londe but that the Brytons slewe hym. And whan they of Rome wyst that Seueri was so slayne: they sente an other grete lord in to this londe that was called Allec that was a stron∣ge man & a myghty of body & dwelled in thys londe longe tyme & dyde moche sorowe to the Brytons. So that after for pure malyce: they chose a kynge amonge theym that was called Astelepades. And assembled a gr••aee hoste of

Brytons: & wente to London to seke Allec: & there they foūde hym & slewe hym & all his fe¦lowes. And one that was called walon deffen¦ded hym fyersly: & fought longe with the Bry¦tons but at the last he was dyscomfyted and the Brytons tooke hym and bonde hys hondes & feet and cast hym in to a water. wherfore that water was called euer more walbroke. Tho regned Astelepades in peas: tyll one of his Er¦les that was called Coill made a fayr towne a¦yenste the kynges wyll: & lete calle the towne Colchestre after hys owne name. wherfor the kyng was full wroth & thought to destroy him And began to warre vpon hym and brought grete power of men and yaf the Erle batayll. And the Erle defended hym fyersly wyth hys power & slewe the kynge hymself in that bata¦yll. And tho was Coill crowned & made kyng of this londe. This Coill regned and gouere∣ned the londe well & nobly / for he was a noble man and well be loued amonged the Brytons. ¶whan tho of Rome herde that Astelepades was slayne: they were wonder gladde: & sente an other grete prynce of the Romayns y^t was called Cōstance. And he came to y^e kyng Coill for to chalēge the trybute that was wōte to be payed to Rome. And y^e kynge answered well & wisely & sayde: that he wolde paie to Rome all that ryght and reason wolde with good wyll. And so they accorded tho with good wyll and without ony cōtake. And so both they dwelled togyd in loue. ¶Kynge Coill yaaf to hym his doughter Eleyne for to haue her to his spow∣se / that was bothe fayre & wyse & good & well lettred. & this Cōstance spowsed her there with moche honoure. And it befell soone after that thys kynge Coill deyed in the .xiii. yere of hys regne / and lyeth at Colchestre entyred

¶Of kyng Constance that was a Romay¦ne that was chosen kyng after y^e deeh of Coill for as moche that he hadde spwsed Eleyne that was kynge Coils doughter.

AFter this kynge Coill Constance was made kynge and crowned / for asmo∣che as he had spowsed kynge Coils doughter that was heyre of that londe. The whiche Cō∣stance regned well and worthely gouerned y^e londe And he begate on his wyf Eleyne a son∣ne that was called Constātyne. And this kyn∣ge bare true fayth. And truly dyde vnto them of Rome all his lyf. And whan he had regned .xv. yere / he deyed and lyeth at yorke.

¶How Cōstātine that was kīge Constā¦ce sone / & the sone of Saynt Eleyne gouerned & ruled the londe / & was Emperour of Rome.

AFter kynge Constance dethe regned Constantyne hys sone and the sone of saynt Eleyne that foūde the holy crosse in the hooly londe. And how Constantyne be came Emperour of Rome. ¶It befell soo in y^e tyme there was an Emperour at Rome that was a Sarrasy & a tyraunt / y^t was called Maxen∣ce / that put to dethe all that byleued ī god & de¦stroyed hooly chirche by all his power & slewe∣all Crysten mī that he myght fynde And amō¦ge all other he lete martyr Saynt Katheryne. And many other crysten people that had dre∣de of deth fledde & came in to this londe to kyn¦ge Constantyne. And tolde hym of the sorowe that Maxence dyde to the Crystyanytee wher¦fore Constantyne had pyte / & made grete soro¦we / & assembled a grete hoste & a gret power and wente ouer vnto Rome / and there tooke the cyte and slewe all that there was ī that we¦re of mysbyleue that he myghte there ••ynde / And tho was he made Emperour and was a good man & gouerned hym so wel that all ••on¦des to hym were attendaunt for to be vnder his gouernaunce· ¶And this deuyll & ty••aun Maxence that tyme was in the londe of Gre∣••e / & herde these tydyngs / & sodeynly became wood / and sodeynly he deyed and so he ended hys lyf. ¶whan Constantyne went from thys londe vnto Rome: he tooke wyth hym hys mo¦der Eleyne / for the moche wysedome that she coude / and th••e other grete lordes that he mo∣che loued / y^e one was called Hoell an another was called Taberne / and the thyrde Morhyn And toke alhys londe to kepe vnto the Erle of Corne wayle that was called Octauyan. And soo anone as thys Octauyan wyste that hys lorde dwelled at Rome. Incōtynent he seased all the londe in to hys honde / & therwyth dyde all hys wyll amonge hyghe & lowe & they hell∣de hym for kynge. ¶whan these tydynges ca∣me to Constantyne the Emperoure: he was wonder worthee towarde the Erle Octauyan And sent Taberne wyth ·xii.M. men for to de¦stroye the erle for hys falsenesse. And they ar∣rayued at Por tesmouth. ¶And whan Octa¦uyan wyst that he assembled a grete power of Brytons and dyscomfyted Taberne & Taber∣ne

fledde thens in to Scotlonde. and ordeyned there a grete power / and came ayne in to thys londe another tyme to yeue batayll to Octaui¦an. ¶whan Octauian herde that / he assem∣bled a grate power & came to warde Taberne as moche as he myght / soo that those two hos∣tes mette togyders vppon Stanesmore / and strongely smote togyder / & tho was Octaui∣an dyscōfyted / & fledde thens vnto Norwaye. And Taberne seassed all the londe in his hon∣de / townes & castelles / and as moche as they ther had. And syn Octauian came ayen from Norwaye with a grete power & seased all the londe in hys honde & droue out all the Roma∣yns •• and was tho made kynge and regned.

¶How Marimian y^t was the Emperours cosyn of rome spowsed Octauians doughter and was made kynge of this londe.

[illustration]

THis Octauian gouerned y^e londe well and nobly / but he had none heyre saue a doughter that was a yonge childe that he lo∣ued as moche as his lyfe And for as moche as he wered syke and was in poynt of det / & my∣ghte no lenger regne / he wold haue made one of his neuewes to haue be kynge / the whyche was a noble knyght & a strong man that was called Conan Mer••edok•• & he sholde haue kyp¦te the kynges doughter and haue maryed her whan tyme had ben. But the lordes of the lon∣de wolde not suffre it / but yaaf her coūseyll to be maryed to some hygh man of grete honour and thenne myght she haue all her luste / & the coūsell of the Emperour Constantyne her lor∣de. And at this coūseyll they accorded / & chose tho Cador of Cornewaylle for to go to the em∣perour for to do this message. And he toke the waye and wente to Rome / and tolde the Em∣peroure thys tydynges well and wysely. And the Emperour sente in thys londe wyth hym hys owne cosyn that was hys vncles sone a noble knyght & a stronge / y^t was called Maxi∣mian. And he spowsed Octauians doughter / and was crowned kynge of this londe.

¶How Maximian that was themperours cosyn / conquered the londe of Armorycam / and yaaf it to Conan Meriedok.

THis kynge Maximian became soo ry∣all that he thougt to conquere the lon∣de of armory cam for the grete rychesse that he herde tell y^t was in that londe / so that he ne lyfe man that was of worthynes / knyght / squere ne none other man / that he ne toke wyth hym to the grete damage to all the londe. For he lef¦te at home behynde hym noo man to kepe the londe / but toke them wyth hym fro thys londe .xxx. thousande knyghtes that were doughty mennes bodyes / & wente ouer to the londe of. Armorycam and there slewe the kynge y^t was called Imball / & conquered all the londe. and whan he had so done / he called Conan & sayd. For as moche as kynge Octauian made you kynge of Brytayne / & thrugh me ye were lette and dystroubled that ye were not kynge. I gy∣ue you thys londe of Armorycam / & you there of make kynge. And for as moche as ye be a. Bryton. I well that this londe haue the same name / & no more be called Armoricam / but be called Brytayne. And the londe from whens we be comen shall be called moche Brytayne And soo shall men knowe that one Brytayne fro thae other. Conan Meriedok thāked hym gretly / & soo was he made kynge of lytell Bry∣tayne. And whan all this was done. Maximi∣an wente from thens vnto Rome / & tho was made Emperour after Constantyne. And Co∣nan dwelled styll in lytell Brytayne with mo∣che honour / & there lette ordeyne .ii. thousande ploughmen of the londe for to culture the lon∣de to harow it & for to sowe it & feffed thē ryche¦ly after y^t they were. & for asmoche as kyng Co¦nan & none of his knyght{is} ne nōe of his othere peple wold not take wyues of y^e naciō of fraū∣ce / he tho sente in to grete. Brytayne to the er∣le of Cornewayle that mē called dionothe that he shold these thorugh out al this londe .xi.M. of maydens. That is to saye .viii.M. for the

meane people / and .iii·M. for the grettest lor∣des that sholde them spowse. And whan Dyo∣noth vnderstode this / he made a commaunde¦mente thorughout all the londe of Brntayne. And as many as the nombre cam to be assem¦bldy togyder of maydens / for there was noo man that durste wythstande hys commaunde¦ment{is} / for as moche that all the londe was ta∣ke hym to warde and kepe / to doo all thynge that hym good lyked. ¶And whan these may¦dens were assembled / he lete them come a fore hym atte London. And lete ordeyne for them shyppes hastely / and as moche as them neded to that vyage. And tooke his owne doughter that was called Vrsula that was the fayrest creature that ony man wyst. And he wolde ha¦ue sent her to konge Conan / that sholde haue spowsed her and made her quene of the londe But she had made pryuely to god a vowe of chastyte / that her fader not wyst / ne nōe other man elles that was lyuynge vpon erthe

¶How Vrsula and .xi. thousande may∣dens that were in her companye wente to warde lytell Brytayne / and alle they were martrde at Colayne.

THys Vrsula chose vnto her company .xi. thousande maydens / that of all o∣ther she was lady and meystresse And all they wente to shyppe at one tyme in the water that is called Tamyse / and cōmaunded her kynne and her frendes to almyghty god / and saylled to warde lytell Brytayne. But whan they we¦re come in to the hyghe see / a stronge tempest arose as it was goddes wyll / and vrsula wyth her shyppes and her compny were dryue to Hundlonde thrugh temstpe / and arryued in the hauen of the cyte of Coleyne And the kyn∣ge of the londe that was called Gowan / was tho in the cytee· And whan he wyst the tydyn∣ges / that soo many fayre maydens were there arryued: He toke Elga hys broher and other of hys housholde wyth hym & went to the shyp¦pes to see that fayre company. And whan he sawe them so fayre: he and hys company wol¦de haue ouerlayne them & take fro them ther mayndehode. But Vrsula that good mayde coumseylled: prayed: warned: and taught the¦ym that were her felowes that they sholde de∣fende them wyth all theyr myghte: and rather suffre deth thā suffre ther body to be defoyled. Soo that all tho maydens became so stedfast in god: that they defended them thrughe hys grace: soo that none of them hadde power to doo them shame. wherfore the kynge Gowan was sore anone that he for wrath slewe them euerychone anone ryght: and soo were all tho maydens martred for the loue of god: and ly∣eth at Coleyne.

¶How kynge Gowan came for to de∣stroy this londe and how a man of gre¦te power that was called Gracian dei∣fended the londe.

AS alle thys was done kynge Gowan that was a Sarrasyn called hys bro∣ther. Elga and sayde to hym: that he sholde go conquere the londe that alle those fayre may∣dens were borne in. And he ordened tho a gre∣te power of Pehites of denmarke of or••e••ay and of Norway· And they came in to this lon∣de: and brente townes & slewe folke: and caste a downe chirches & houses / and ••obbed all the lond in length & brede & put to deth alle tho that wolde not forsake the ryght byleue & crysten∣dome / for as moche as there was no soueray∣ne that myght them helpe. For the kyng Max¦imian had take with hym all the worthy men whan he wente to conquere lytell. Brytayne And in the same tyme y^e ye here now telle was saynt Albon martryd thrugh the wo••d tyr•••••• Dyoclesyan / in the same place where is now•• an abbaye made of saynt Albon whyles that he was a paynym. But he conuerted hym to god thrugh the predicacyon of clerke & a wyse man that was called. An••••ble that was ••••r∣bourghed a nyght in hys hous. And this was after thyn carnacyon of Ihesu Cryste ·ii. hon∣dred .xxvi. yere. And men shalle vnderstonde that saynt. Albon suffred his martyrdom befo∣re that saynt Edmonde was martryd & ther∣fore is saynt. Albon called the fyrste martyr of Englond. ¶This Gowans brother and hys folke that were sarrasyns wēt thrugh the lōde & destroyed al thynge that they foūde & no thyn¦ge they spared· whan these tydynges came to rome how y^e kynge Gowan had begon for to destroye this londe / y^e Emperour of come sent a strōge mā & of greate power that was called Gracian with ·xxiiii.M. well fyghtynge men for to caste out those sarrasyns of thys londe. And all they arryued at Portsmouth. Maxi∣mian myght not come hymself / for as moche. as he was chosen Emperour after the deth of

Constantyne that was Saynt Eleyns sone. whan this Gracian was arryued with his ho¦ste / he lete sapye preuely where kyng Gowan myght be founde. And he sette vpon them so∣denly as they laye in theyr beddes / and discō∣fyted hym and slewe them in ther beddes eue∣rychone / that none of them scaped / sauff Go∣wan that fledde in to his owne countree with moche sorowe and grete payne. ¶Soone af∣ter it befelle that Maximian was slayne atte Rome thrughe treason. And whan Gracian wyste that tydynge he lete crowne hym kyn∣ge of this londe.

¶How Gracian made hym kynge whan Maximian was slayne / & after warde the Brytons slewe hym for his wyckednesse.

THis Gracian whan he began to regne he became so wycked & soo sterne / & so moche sorowe dyde to the Brytons y^t they sle∣we hym amonge them. ¶Tho whan kynge Gowan vnderstode y^t Gracian was slayne & done to dethe he assembled a grete power & ca∣me ayen in to this londe. And yf he had fyrste done harme tho dyde he moche more. For tho destroyed he all this londe / & the crysten peple that were in moche Brytayne so that no man was so hardy for to name god / & he that so dy∣de anone he was put to strange deth. ¶But y^e bysshop of London that was that was called Gosselim scaped / & went thens to them of Ro¦me to seke socour / to helpe to dystroy the sarra¦syns that hadde destryed this londe. And the Ro¦mayns sayd / that they had ben so often enoy∣ed for ther sendinge people in to Brytayne all for to helpe the Brytōs / & they wolde nomore soo do / and soo the Bysshop Gosselin wente thens wythout ony socoure or helpe. And tho wente he to the kynge of lytell Brytane that was called Aldroye / & this was y^e thyrde kyn∣ge after Gowan Meryedok / as before is say∣de. ¶The bysshop prayed this Aldroye of hel∣pe & socoure / & the kynge had pyte in his herte whan he herde how the bysshop fledde / & how that the crysten men were soo slayne in grete. Brytayne thrugh y^e paynyms & sarrasyns / he graūted hym cōstantyne his broder him for to helpe wyth power of folke. And then dyde ar∣raye hors armour & shyppes & al thynges that neded to that vyage. And whā al thinge was re¦dy / he called y^e bysshop / & to hym sayde I take you here Cōstantyne my broder vpon this co∣uenaū••. That yf god gyue hym grace the pay∣nems & that sarrasins to destroye y^t ye then ma¦ke hym kynge. And the bysshop graūted wyth good wyll. ¶Constantyne & the bysshop toke leue of y^e king Aldroye & betoke him to god & to¦ke men .xii. thousande & went to ther shyppes & saylled to warde grete Brytayne & arryued at Totnesse. ¶whan the Brytons herde the∣se tydyng{is} that to thē came socoure / they were strongely holpen / & ordeyned thē an huge nō∣bre of people & came to them & receyued them with moche honoure. ¶Gowan anone as he wyst of these tydynges / he assēbled all y^e Sar∣rasyns & cam ayenst them & yaue thē batayle. An•• Cōstantyne slewe hym with his owne hō¦des. And all those other Sarrasyns were dys∣comfyted & slaine that nōe of them escaped but those that were cōuerted vnto almyghty god.

¶How Constantyne that was the kyn¦ges brother of lytell Brytayne was crowned kyng of grete Brytayne / for hys grete vertue and hys grete worthynesse.

ANone after y^e batayll they wēte to Lō∣don & crowned there Cōstantyne & ma¦de hym kyng of this lōde. And y^e bysshop Gos∣selyn sette the crowne on his heed & anoynted hym / as it befalleth for a kynge to be. And tho began crystendome ayen in this londe / And a¦none this kyng Constantyne as he was crow∣ned. Anone after he spowsyd hys wyf thrugh coūseyll of y^e Brytōs And he begate thre sones on her. The fyrst was called Cōstance & that o¦ther Aurilambros / & y^e thyrde Vter. This Cō∣stance the elder brother▪ whan he cam to aege he made hym a monke atte wynchestre. This Constantyne theyr fader thrugh treason was slayne ¶For it befel on a time that a Pehite ca¦me to hym vpon a day in message as yt were. And said that he wold speke with y^e king preue¦ly in coūseyll. The kyng lete voyde his cham∣bre of the men y^t were there with in / & ther abo¦de no moo but y^t kyng & the Pehite. & he made a coūtenaūce as though he wold haue spoken with the kynge in his eere. And there he slewe him with a lōge knyf. And after that he wente meruaylously out of the chābre in to a nother chābre so at y^e last no man wyst where he was become. ¶whan the kynges mē wyst that the¦yr lorde was so deed they made then so moche sorowe that they wyst not what to do. For as moche as his two sones Aurilambros & Vter

were so yonge / that they myght not be kynge / and the thyrde was a mōke as is sayd before. But Vortiger that was Erle of westsex thou∣ghte preuely in hys herte thrugt queyntaunce for to be kyng hymselfe. And went to wynche¦stre / where that Constance was monke / and sayde vnto hym. Constance sayde he / your fa∣der is deed & your two brethern that ben wyth Gosselyn y^e bysshop of London to nourysshe be so yonge / y^e none of thē may be kyng. wher¦fore I counsell you / y^t ye forsake your habyte & come wyth me. And I shall make suche a mea¦ne vnto y^e Brytons / y^t ye shall be made kynge.

¶Of Constance that was kynge Constā¦tynes sone / that was a monke at wynchestre and how he was made kynge after his faders deth thorugh counseyll of Vortyger that was Erle of westsex / for as moche a Aurylmabros and Vter hys two brethern were but yonge of aege. And Vortyger lete slee hym for to be kyn¦ge hymselfe.

THys Vortyger coūselled thys Constan¦ce so moche / tyll he forsoke hys abbot & wēte with him. And anone after he was crow¦ned kynge by thassent of the Brytons. Thys kynge Constance whan he was crowned and made kyng / he wyst ne knewe but lytell of the worlde ne cude nothynge what knyghthode axed· And he made vortiger his chyef mayster and coūseyller / & gaf hym all his power / for to-ordeyne & do as moche as to y^e reame apertey¦ned. So that hymself no thynge entermedled but only bare the name of kynge. whan Vor∣tiger sawe that he had all the londe in his war¦de & gouernall / he thought a preuy treason to slee Constance the kynge / that he myght hym self be crowned & made kynge & regne. And le¦te sende after an hōdred kynghtes of Pehites the worthyest of all y^e londe / & them helde with hym for to dwelle \ as to be kepers of hys body as he wolde goo thorugh the londe to ordeyne thinges that apperteyned to a kyng. And this Vortiger honoured so moche the hondred kyn¦ghtes & soo moche yaue them of golde & syluer and so ryche Iewelles / robes horses and other thynges plente / wherfore they helde hym mo∣re lorde than they dyde the kynge. And Vorty∣ger tolde them / yf he myght be kynge / ye as it were thrugh treason / he wolde make them ry∣chest of the londe. Soo at the laste thrugh gre∣te gyftes that he had gyuen largely they cryed thrugh the courte that Vortyger were beter worthy to be kynge than Constance. wherfore Vortiger made semblaunt as he had ben wro¦the. And he departed thens from the courte: & sayde he must goo elles were for thynges that he hadde to do. And soo the traytour sayde for by cause that they sholde slee hym: that ys to saye Constance. ¶whan thys Vortyger was gone: yt befell soone after: y^t tho hondred kyn∣ghtes of Pehyces brake the doores of the kyn∣ges chambre and there they hym slewe: & smo¦te of hys heed ād bare it to Vortiger there that he dwelled. And soo whan vortiger sawe that heed he wepte full tenderly with his eyen: and neuer theles he was som deale glad in hys ber∣te of his deth· ¶And anone this vortiger toke those hondred kenghtes of Pehytes: and bad∣de hys seruauntes bynde theyr hondes behyn∣de them: and ladde them to London: and ther they were dampned vnto dethe as fals tray∣tours. And anone after all the Brytons of the londe by the comyn assente crowned vortiger and made hym kynge of the londe

¶Anno dm̄ .C.lxxiiii.

SOther a martyr was pope after Any∣cetum .ix. yere the whyche decreed that a Nonne sholde not touche the pale of the aw∣ter: nor put in sence therto. And that she shold were a wymple about her heed. And many pe¦rylles he sawe aboute matrymony. Therfore he ordeyned that noo woman sholde be callen a lefull wyf: but yf she were blessyd of the pre∣est. ¶Elentherus a martyr was pope after Sother .xv. yere: the whyche ordeyned that crysten men sholde refuse no meete resonable that was mannes mete (Nota) ¶Also that noo man vnaccused in cryme: sholde be put from his dygnytee or degree tyll he were con∣uycted: thorugh ensample of cryst the whyche kepte styll Iudas Scaryoth not accused: and Crist knewe hym gylty. And what someuer he dyde amonge the apostles for the dygnyte of his seruyce abode ferme & stable· And he sente also Legates vnto Lucie the kyng of Brytay∣ne: the whiche baptysed hym & his peple. And Fagus and Domianus legate: the whyche the pope sente fyrst: preched in Englonde and this crystendome dured in Brytayne two hō∣dred yere: vnto the tyme of Dyoclesyan the Emperour whan saynt Albon was martred. ¶Marcus Anthonius: & Luci{us} Comod{us} we∣re

Emperours / but Marcus deyed anone / & Lucius Comodus regned. Comodus was cal¦led prouffytable of scorne / for he was to euery man vnprouffytable. He was yeuen vtterly to lechery. Many Senatours & Crysten men he made to be slayne. He dampned his owne wyf to deth for aege. He deyed a sodeyne deth with struglynge amonge maydens. ¶Helius Per∣tinax after this man was Emperour .vi. mo∣nethes / and was a man of grete discrecyon / whome Iulian the grete lawer slewe. And he entred the Empyre / & was slayne the .vii. mo∣neth of Seuerus. ¶Victora martyr was po∣pe after Elentheriū .x. yere. & for y^e discorde of the paschall tyme he called a coūsell ī Alexand where he was presente y^t tyme / & many other / where he decreed that Eesters daye shold be ke∣pte on the Sonday but he must kepte the chaū¦ge of the moone of Apryll & that was to dyffer∣re fro Iewes for many bysshops of the eest a∣bode that tyme / the same daye that the yewes dyd halowe that feest. ¶Also he ordeyned y^t in the tyme of nede / childern mystht be cristened in euery place / & in euery water. ¶zepherin{us} a martyr & a Romayne was pope after victor .ix. yere. This man ordeyned that Crysten pe∣ple of .xii. yere of aege & aboue / sholde receyue his god on Eeester daye ones oo yere. also he or¦deyned that all the vessels of the awter sholde be glasse or tynne / and not tree / as in olde ty∣me the consecracyon of y^e glorious blood was made in tree vessell· And this tyme past / & the worshyp of the chirche grewe / & glasen vessell were forbode (Vt patet de conse. de pri. ca.) ¶Origenes the noble clerke was thys tyme / & he wrote so moche / that saynt Ierome sayde I haue redde of Origenes werkes .iiii. thousā¦de volimes without pystles. He translated the Byble from Hebrwe in to Greke / & dyde ma∣ny other grete thinges. And of this Origenes Sampson. Salomon / and Traian / is a grete question amonge doctours yf y^t they ben dam¦pned or saued. Therfore those thynges y^t with out perell we ben not boūde to knowe nor the chirche is not certifyed of them. And therfore lete them alonly commytted vnto god. ¶Ca∣listus a martyr & a Romayne was pope after zepherin{us} ••o. yere / and he ordeyned the Cimite¦ri (in via apia) where many a thousande mar∣tyr is buryed. ¶Also he ordeyned the feest of the Eemerynge dayes to be kept. ¶Anthoni{us} Aurelius was Emperour .iii. yere. And thys man lacked no kynde of lechery / & at the laste he was slayne amonge a greate multytude of peple / for hys myscheuous lyuynge. Antho∣nius Marc{us} regned after hym .vii. yere. This man lyued abstynatly / & therfore he was slay∣ne as was his predecessour. ¶Alisander was Emperour after Anthoni{us} & regned .xiii. yere This man at the Instaūce of his moder a cry∣sten woman & y^e techyng of Origenes / y^e why∣che came to Rome to conuerte her / was made so good vnto crysten men y^t he suffred them to haue ther coūseylles & theyr prayers by them∣self / but neuertheles in this tyme the cursed of¦fycers of hym made many martyrs.

¶Anno dm̄ .CC.xliiii.

VRbanus was pope after Calist{us} .viii. yere / and olde and yonge he was very vertuous. And all the halowed vesselles of the chyrche he made of golde or syluer. This man lefte his popehede and went to Agryppa and .xi. thousande virgyns wyth hym. And y^e cler∣gy sayd he lefte not hys dygnytee for holynesse but for appetyte of tho virgyns / & wrote hym not in the booke of popes. And there he a vir∣gyn was martred with those virgins. ¶Pon¦cianus a martyr succeded Vrbanus. And he ordeyned that psalmes sholde be soyde daye & nyght in the chyrche of god. And that a preest sholde saye Confite or afore the masse. ¶An∣teros a martyr was pope after this man / this man ordeyned that a bysshop myght be reme∣ued from one vnto an other. And he made the lyfe of martyrs to be wryten. And he was slay∣ne and buryed in the Cimitery of saynt Calixt ¶Maximianus was chosen Emperour act Magūcia of the hoste / & not by y^e Senatours and regned thre yere / and destroyed the chyr∣che myghtely / and was slayne for Origene. ¶Gordian regned after hym .vi. yere / and of hym is lytell wryten / but he was slayne (Hiis diebus Celus dux Colchestrie in asclepio reg∣nat in britannia annis quasi .xxx. vs{que} ad ad∣uentum Constancii. Lati .M. vacat) ¶Phy∣lyp was Emperour after hym / & this Phylyp chose to hym Phylyp his sone / & they regned .xvii. yere: & were the fyrst Emperours y^t were crystend: and after slayne of the host: They be queued all ther tresour in ther deth: y^t it sholde be dysposed to poore men. And saynt Lauren∣ce at the assygnacyon of his mayster the pope

departed this tresour about Rome / the why¦che was greate cause of his martyrdome (Vt quidē dicunt) ¶Decius was Emperour thre yere / & in all thynges a tyraūt. For he entred thempyre whan he & the hoste had slayne the two Philyppes his lordes & after that he was slayne with his sone. ¶Fabian{us} a martyr & a Romayne was pope after Anteros .xii. yere / this was a very holy man. For whan Crysten men stode to abyde the eleccyon of the pope / so¦denly a whyte douue or a culuour descēded on hys heed / sayenge vnto hym / thou shalt be po∣pe of Rome. This man ordeyned euery yere y^e Creme sholde be halowed vpon Sherethurs∣daye. Also he deuyded regyons to deakens the whiche sholde wryte the lyf of maetrys. And at the laste Dicitus slewe hym. ¶Cornelius a martyr & Romayne was pope after Fabian{us} .iii. yere. This man toke vp the bodyes of Pe∣ter & Poul / & with grete honoure put them in worshypfull places with beata Lucina· ¶Lu¦cius was pope after Cornelius thre yere / and of hym lytell is wryten. ¶Gallus with his so¦ne Volucianus were Emperours two yere / & they foughte with Emilianus / & were slayne And Emilian{us} the thyrde moneth was slayne ¶Valerian was Emperoure wyth hys sone Galyene .xv. yere. Thys man was vertuous and manly in the begynnynge / but after was gyuen to vyce / & moche wrytchednesse. And so was his sone Galiene. This valerian wen∣te vnto the londe of Perse. And therfore y^e gre∣te blod of martyrs whiche he had shedde was taken of the kyng of Perse. And whan he had take hym he put out both his eyen & kept hym in grete bondage. And to this entente he kept hym / that whan so euer he shold ryde / this Ve¦ferian shalbe lye downe / & he sholde sette hys leet vpon hys backe whan he wolde take hys horse. This herde Galiene his sone y^t was lef∣te at Rome. And that caused hym that he was not so cruell ayenst Crysten men. ¶And here was the .viii. persecucyon of the chyrche ma∣de by the Emperour. And made y^e Romayns to lese ther kyngdomes / the whiche were neuer recouerd ayen to the emperour / And generall pestelence was thrugh out all y^e world for ther trespasse. ¶Stephanus a martyr after Luci∣us was pope .iii. yere / this man ordeyned that no man sholde vse none halowed clothes but to y^e worship of god. ¶Sixtus a martyr and a Romayne was pope after Stephanus two ye¦re. Thys man ordeyned that the masse sholde besayd vpon an awter the whiche afore was not / and thenne he deyed. ¶Dyonisius a Ro∣mayne was pope after hym two yere. Thys man deuyded parysshes and chyrcheyardes / and assygned to chyrches certen preestes. ¶Felix a martyr was pope after Dyonisius two yere. He ordeyned that for the memorye of martyrs masses sholde be sayde. Also he or∣deyned the Dedycacyon of the chyrche euery yere sholde be sayde. ¶Claudius was Empe∣rour after Valerian / this emperour subdued Gothas nobly / and thenne he dessessed.

¶Anno dm̄ .CC.lxxiiii.

EVtician{us} a martyr was pope after Fe∣lix .viii. yere. This man ordeyned that corne & beenes sholde be blessyd on the awter. And he buryed .CCC & ·xliiii. ma••tyrs wyth his owne hondes. ¶Aurelius was Emperour after Claudius .v. yere this Au••elius 〈◊〉〈◊〉 crysten men was gentyll wherfore he had the victory in euery place gloryously. And whan he was desceyued by cursyd men & pur••e••••d crysten men myghtly / and namely in Frauce for there he abode / & after that he hadde neuer good fortune. But was slayne. And this was the nynth persecucyon of the chyrche & c••••sten fayth. ¶Tacitus was Emperour after thys man / And he regned but thre monethes and was slayne in Ponto. ¶Probus was Empe∣roure after hym .v yere and ·iiii. monethes. Thys man recouered Fraunce ayen: the why∣che was occupyed with Barbaryk men. And he yaue them & Pannonias lycēce to haue vy∣ne yerdes. And whan he had almoost a••l thyn∣ges well in peas he sayde. Knyghtes wyth in a lytell tyme shalle not be necessary: and anone after he was slayn at Sir••••iū· ¶Carus and his two sones Carun{us} & Numerian were em∣perours after Probus but some were they de∣de: and theyr fader was drowned: and the two sones were slayne: all these thre regned but .ii. yere. ¶Dyoclesian and Marimian came af∣ter these thre Emperours the one regned in the Est: and the other in the weste. ¶The fyrste thynge that Dyoclesyan dyde: he brente all y^e crysten mennes bokes that myght be founde. The two tyrauntes dyde more harme to Cry∣sten men than euer dyd ony other· For .x. yere lasted the persecucyon. And as we rede. wyth

in ·xxx. dayes .xx. thousande men were slayne for Crystis sake. And in Englonde all faythe was almost destroyed in y^e tyme of maximian ¶Gaius was pope after Eutician{us} / this mā ordeyned that no man sholde accause a bysshop or an other clerke to ony seculer Iuge. And y^t a pagon or an heretyke sholde not accuse a Cry¦sten man. Also he ordeyned that he y^t was wor¦thy shold ascende gree by gree to his ordre / fyr¦sten Benet / than Colet / subdeacon / deacon / & than preest. And at y^e last he was martred vn∣der Dyoclesyan. Arcellin{us} a martyr was pope after Gaius .xi. yere and .iiii. monethes This mā was persecuted sore / for drede of deth he of freed thre cornes of incense to the sacrefyce of the ydolles. And after warde he openly repen∣ted / & suffred the payne of deth for the fayth of the chyrche of god. Hys body laye vnburyed thre dayes for dred of the curse of god. And af∣ter thorugh auysyon of saynt peter & Marcell he was buryed at saynt Peters foot. ¶Mar∣cellus was pope after Marcellinus .v. yere. This man ordeyned that a generall counseyl myght not be ordeyned without the auctorite of the pope (vt pʐ .xvii. di .c. sinodū) ¶Also he chose .xv. Cardynalles in the cyte to burye cri∣sten men. At the last whan he had kept beestes longe tyme in a house closed in with them / by the commaundement of Maximian / he deyed for faute. ¶Eusebi{us} a martyr was after this man two monethes & certayne dayes. Thys man of a laye man was made pope / & he ordey¦ned that no laye māsholde accuse his bysshop but yf he went fro his fayth (vt pʐ .ii.ix.vii.c. laicos) Nato. ¶This tyme saynt Albon was martred in Brytayne. This Albon whan he was a pagan / he lodged a certayne man / the whyche conuerted hym to the fayth and after was Iuged vnto dethe. And moche people he torned vnto our lorde / that were nygh the wa¦ter / the whiche he made drye thrugh his pray∣er. And he suffred deth nygh y^e cyte of verelom (Vide plura in vita sancti Albani) ¶Melchi¦ades a martyr succeded Eusebius .iiii. yere. This man forbode y^e men sholde fast on Son∣daye or on Thursdaye in so moche as paga∣nes faste on those dayes. Atte the laste he was martred as al his predecessours were. ¶And vnderstonde ye that there were .xxxiii. popes of Rome martred eche one after other. Peter was the fyrste / and thys melchiades was the laste. And then̄e it was laudable after Grego∣ry / a man to desyre a bysshopryche. ¶Galeri∣us was Emperour after Dyoclesyan two ye∣re / and an other wyth hym called Constācius So was the Empyre in those dayes deuyded. Thys Constācius after he had conquered all spayne / he came in to grete Brytayne / & there he wedded a kynges doughter an whom he ga¦te grete Constantyne. And this same Constan¦cius deyed in Brytayne / & lyeth at yorke / as Martyne sayth in his Cronycles / and left on lyue Constantyne that was goten on Eleyne and was kynge of Brytayne and of Fraunce

¶Circa annū dm̄ .CCC.viii.

SIluester was pope after Melchiades. This was a glorious Cōfessour / & ma¦ny wayes he worshiped y^e chirche of god what in wrytynge / what in myracles. He recyued y^e pratrymony of saint Peter. That is for to say the kyngdom of ytalye with the cyte of Rome of Constantynople the Emperour / and to the worshyp of the hole vnyuersal chyrche of god he torned it. He baptysed Eeleyne and the Ie∣wes / & thenne he decessyd an holy Confessour ¶Constantyne the myghty was Emperour this tyme. This Constantyne was a glorious man and a victoryous in bataylle. In gouer∣nynge of the comyn people he was very wyse And in the necessyte of the byleue he was with out compayre. Deuoute. His pyte and his ho∣lynes ben so wryten in the bokes of holy doc∣tours / that wythout doubte / he is to be nom∣bred amonge Sayntes. And the Grekes saye that in the ende of his lyf he was made a amō¦ke. And more ey maye here of hym in the Cro∣nycles of Englōde. For he was kyng in Eng∣londe. ¶Helena the quene moder to Constan∣tyne repayred agayne the holy Crosse this ty∣me. And she made .lxx. Colleges / and she glori∣fyed the state of all holy chyrche. ¶Nicholas bysshop of Myrree seete an holy mā was this tyme. ¶Athanasius was thys tyme bysshop in Alexandre a gloryous doctoure / made the (symbalum Quicun{que} vult saluus esse. &c̄. ¶Marcus was pope after Siluester two ye∣re and .viii. monethes / this man ordeyned the Crede sholde be openly songe in the chyrche. And that the bysshop of Hostience sholde con∣secrate the pope / & that he sholde were a palle. ¶Iulius was pope after Marcus .xi. yere / vnder Constantyne the seconde. ¶Constan{us}

this mā was exiled .x. yere & after suffred deth vnder Constantyne the seconde. ¶Constan∣tinus wyth hys two brethern redned .xxiiii. ye¦re. And in his laste ende he was peruerted by the heresyet of the Arience by a bysshop called Eusebe. And he pursued y^e chyrche of god strō∣gely. The ende of this mā was thys. as he shol¦de go to cōstātynople vnto agret counseyll in y^e whych coūcyl he thought to haue cōdēpned y^e bysshop & y^e clerkes of true byleue / he wēt befo¦re vnto a chambre to auoyde suche thyng{is} as nature requyred / & anone sodenly his bowels felle from hym / & therby was deed as ye now here. ¶Liberius was pope after Iulius .xix. yere and .vii. monethes. Thenne was the se∣conde dyscorde of the chirche bytwene Libery¦us & Felix / for the heresye of the Ariens y^e why¦che fauoured Lyberyus. Thenne Constancy{us} themperour called ayen Liberius from his ex¦yle / by cause he fauoured thys heresye And the chyrche deycede Liberyus & toke Felix for po∣pe / & the other was expulsed as an heretyke of the chyrche. But Felyx obteyned not / for the Emperour put in Lyberyus & expulsed Felyx. ¶Feilix was pope after the deth of thys Lybe∣ryus. And he declareed Constancyus the Em∣perour an heretyke & anone after he was mar¦tred. ¶And here was the first that euer y^e chir¦che of Rome had an Infamed pope. For all y^e predecessours of thys Liberyus were sayntes & yaue holy ensamples. ¶Iulymus Apostata was after Constancyus Empero ur two yere & .viii. monethes / He was called Apostata for he fleede thys Constancius / whyche slewe hys brother. And for fere of deth was made a cry∣sten man & a monke. But after warde by the coūseyll of Nygromancers / he asked y^e deuyll whether he sholde be Emperoure or not. The deuyll sayd that he sholde be Emperour vpon a condycyon that he sholde forsake his crysten fayth and be vtter enmye to cristen men And so he dode. For he yaue leue to the Iewes that they sholde buylde ayen the Temple in spyte of the crysten men. And he toke all the goodes that crysten men had and destroyed many of them. ¶Iomynyanus was Emperour after hym .viii. monethes. For whan Iulyan{us} was deed the hoste chose hym Emperour. And he was a crysten man. And he sayd it was not le∣stull to a crysten man to be lorde ouer so ma∣ny hethen people. They answered and sayde. Rather than he shold forsake y^e Empyre they wolde be crystened. And thus toke he the dyg∣nytee. But soone he was deed / and in a mer∣uayllous maner. For he was layde in a cholse hous after hys Iourneye made all of stone ne¦wely whyted wyth lyme / in y^e whiche they ma¦de to his cōforte as they thought a fyre of char¦coole· And of the ayre of these two in the moro¦we he was founde deed. ¶Valentinian wyth hys brother Valent was Emperour after Io∣minian{us} .xi. yere For he departed the Empyre & gaue hys brother the eest / and kepe hymselfe the west parte / This Valentinian was a lord wyth Iulyanus Apostata. And it happed hym on a tyme for to goo in a Temple of false god∣des for to doo satcrefyce. And mynystres stode there with water halowed after the gyse with the whiche they strynkled the lordes. This va¦lentinian smote the mynyster that cast the wa¦ter vpon hym & sayd. He was rather defoyled by it than clensed. For this Iulian{us} dyde exile hym. But our lorde god for hys open confessy¦on of hys name rewarded hym wyth the Em∣pyre. Hys brother Valent fell in to the opyny∣on of the Ariens and deyed in that heresye. Thys same Valent lyued foure yere after Va¦lētinian wyth Gracian themperour. ••Thys tyme lyued saynt Ambrose.

¶Anno dm̄ .CCC.xliiii.

DAmacias was pope after. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lix.xviii. yere and two mon••∣thes this was an eloquent man in meter. And he wrote many stories of popes & mar¦tyrs· He ordeyned that. G••o∣ria patri sholde be sayd in y^e endes of the psal∣mes. And that was at the prayer of saynt. Ie∣rom. And thrugh the mocyon of this pope. Ie∣rome translated the. Byble from Hebrewe in to Latyn / and thenne he decessed a cōfessour. ¶Valence with Gracian & Valentinian we∣re Emperours foure yere / In this tyme were chirches opened ayen and crysten men hadde leue to renewe the seruyce of god that was de∣fended afore wyth Emperours enfected wyth heresye as was Valens & other / wherfore the chirche had no lyberte whan valens was on lyue. ¶A Synodus of a hōdred & .l. bysshops were gadred vnder Damasi{us} pope at Constā¦tynople ayenste Macedoniū an heretyke / the whiche denyed the holy ghost to be very god.

And then̄e was the Crede made / that is songe on holy dayes in the chirche. ¶Augustynus a Cartaginen̄ of Affrica was this tyme He was as noble a Rethoricien as myght ebe. And in. all phylosophye and poetrye in comparable And all thynge that ony phylosopher founde in his yougth he vnderstode with lytel labour And about this tyme he was sent to Mediola¦num where he was torned anone of saynt Am¦brose & baptysed. Thys man grewe vnto ano¦ble doctour of the chyrche. And not longe after that he was bysshop of yponen̄. And there he lyued .iiii. yere / and moche dyuynyte he wrote (vt patet in librissu is) ¶Sirit{us} was pope of∣ter Damasi{us} .xv. yere / he dampned heretykes & lytell elles is wryten of hym. ¶Thodosyus sone to Gracian with valētyne hys vncle we∣re Emperours .••xvii. yere / Thys man was a crysten man & gracyous / & in gouernaunce ly∣ke to Trayan{us} / soone wroth & anone reconsy∣led. Thys man on a daye whan he wolde haue gone to haue herde masse / saynt Ambrose for∣badde hym the entree of y^e chyrche / tyll he had penaunce & made satysfaccion for the sleenge of .xxx. knyghtes the whych he slewe in angre at Constantynople. wherfore they made a la∣we that the sentence of a prynce sholde be de∣ferred .xxx. dayes of those y^t sholde do execuso∣on yf they myght falle in the grace of the pryn¦ce wythin the .xxx. dayes. ¶Aboute thys tyme was a chylde borne in the castell of Emons / from the nauyll & aboue deuyded in two body¦es / hauynge two heedes and two wyttes / so y^e the one slepynge or etynge / the other slept not neete not. And whan they were two yere of a ege / the one decessyd & the other lyued thre day∣es after. ¶Claudius poeta was thys tyme. ¶Arcadius and Honorius regned .xxx. yere. And in theyr tyme Rome was nere destroyed by a kynge called Alaticus. Of the whiche de¦struccyon rose a grete blasphemye of the Ro∣mayns. For they sayd they farde neuer well sy¦then Cryst came to Rome / and bereeued them ther goodes by the prechyng of Peter & Poul And yet thys Arcady{us} subdued all hys enmyes by the power of god / & shedde no blood. Ayen∣ste this blasphemye saynt Austyn made that so¦lempne werke / the whyche they calle (de cyuy∣tate dei) Honorius was Emperour with The∣odosius his brothers sone .xv. yere & he was a man of holy lyf. For two wyues he had / & yet wyth both he deyed mayden· He loued specyal∣ly the chirche & hated heretykes. ¶Ierom dey¦ed this tyme at Bethleem the yere of hys aege .lxxxi. ¶Sanctus Heracides the whiche wro¦te Vitas patrū to lapsn̄ episcopū was this ty∣me. ¶Iohōnes Crysostom{us} was exiled of En¦dochia the wyf of Arcadius / & thrugh heete of the sonne he was deed. ¶Anastasius was po∣pe after Siritius thre yere. This man or dey∣ned that eueryman sholde stande at the redyn¦ge of y^e holy gospell. & that he that was a may¦med man sholde not be preest. ¶Innocenci{us} was pope after Anastasius / thys man ordey∣ned y^e syke men sholde be anoynted with hooly oyle. And at masse y^e kysse of peas to be yeuen And he dampned Pelagyen an heretyke & ma¦ny other thynges dyde (vt patet .xxvi. q. i.)

¶Anno dm̄ .CCCC.xiiii.

zOzimus was pope after Innocēcius two yere & .viii. monethes / This man ordeyned that clerkes sholde be noo ta∣uerners ne selle no wyne / & that a boūde man sholde be made no preest 〈…〉〈…〉 the lycence of his lorde. ¶Bo•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Romayne was pope after zozimus foure yere. This man or∣deyned that a woman sholde not touche y^e pal¦le of the water ne sholde not wasse the awter. ¶Celestim{us} a Romayne was pope after Bo∣nifacius .viii. yere & .ix. dayes / the whyche or∣deyned the psalme afore masse. (Iudica me¦deus. &c̄.) And at the begynnyng of the masse sholde be sayde a verse of a psalme / and at the Grayle / and that the Offertorye sholde be say∣de afore the sacrynge. This same man sente saynt Patryke to Irlonde to conuerte y^e londe and Palladius deaken of. Rome to the. Scot∣tes to be conuerted. ¶And in the fourth yere of thys man there was a generall. Synody at Ephysima of thre hondred bysshops ayenste Nestorium an heretyke. ¶Theodosius the yonger wyth valentinian his neue we regned .xxvii. yere. In his tyme was the feest ordey∣ned / whyche is called Aduincula sancti petri. And in his tyme deyed saynt Austyn / in the ye¦re of his aege .lxxvi. And this tyme was reysed the .vii. slepers / y^e whiche sleped two hondred yeres. Thys man deyed at Constantynople & there was buryed. ¶This tyme the. Saxons entered Englonde / and anone by lytyll and ly∣tell they grewe vp myghtely. And at the laste they opteyned all the londe. ¶Sixtus a Ro∣manyne

was pope after Celestinus .viii. yere. This was a holy man & a meke And lytell of him is wryten but y^e he buylded Sācta māria maior. ¶Leo Tuscus a Confessour was po∣pe after Sixtus. Thys man was as hooly as ony mā. Fyue tymes in a daye or more he wol∣de saye masse. And on a tyme. After yt befell whan a cretayne woman kyssed hys honde / he was tempted wyth her / And for the trespa∣as that he hadde done / vnto hys penaunce he made hys hode to be stryken of. And whan the noyse rose vpon hym that he myght not saye masse as he was wonte to do / thenne he was ryght sory. And all only betoke hym in prayre to our lady to helpe hym. And our lady resto∣red hym hys honde ayen and thenne he sayde masse as he was wonte for to doo. And so that myracle was openly shewe to all people. And in the tyme of thys pope. Marcian the Empe∣rour beynge there / was congregate at. Calce∣dony the fourth vnyuersall. Synody of .vi. ❀ hondred and .xxx. bysshops agaynst. Eugicem the abbot of. Constantynopolyton. & (Alexan∣drum episcopum. qui negauerunt in chrysto veram carnem fuisse. et etiam negabant car∣nis nostre resurrectionem.) ¶And after he hadde made many notable sermons and epy∣stles he decessed. ¶Marcianus and valentia¦nus were Emperours thys tyme .vii. yere. In whose tyme was the grete. Synody afore re∣herced / whan Eusticem and Dyoscorus were condempned.

IN the tyme that Macianus was Empe¦rour vortyger was kynge in Brytayne now called. Englond. In whose tyme y^e. Sax∣ons came in to Brytoyne & made many kyn∣ges. That is to wyte as is playne by the Cro∣nyeles .vii And by cause it is tedyous to man∣nes reason to reherce many dyuers names to gyder as .vii. kynges of Englonde and in one tyme / the Emperours and Popes. Therfore the Cronycles of Englonde shall be sette togy∣der tylle y^t we shall treate of Alured. In whose tyme the Danes came in to Englonde. And y^e Popes and y^e. Emperours and other kynges deed the same tyme shall be se•••••• togyder.