Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 29

ABoute that tyme one steuen procurator of Angeo that had wysely y bore hym in the seconde kyng henryes tyme / and in this kyng Richardes tyme also / he supposed thāt the kyng that was tendre of body shold be ou{er}come with long wey & perylle that he shold neuer come ageyne / other yf he come ageyne it shold be vnnethe / therfore he bygan rabbysshly to passe his warraunt in absence of the kynge / than one that was homely with hym con¦seylled hym to axe of a nygromancer / whether kynge Rychard shold come ageyne or no / the nygromancer ladde steuen in to a pri¦uy place and shewed hym a brasen heede in the whiche was a spy¦rite closed / Axe of this what thou wolt quoth the nygromancer but fewe and shortly / For he answerd not to grete ianglyng / Shal I euer see kynge Rycharde quoth steuen / naye quoth the spyryte / how longe shal myn offyce dure quoth steuen / To thy ly¦ues ende quoth the spyryte / wher shal I dye quoth steuen in plu¦ma quoth the spyryte / Than myght he axe no more but he wente from his prophete and forbad his men and badde theym that they sholde brynge noo fetheres nyghe hym in noo maner wyse / and that by cause that a fether is pluma in latyn / ¶ Therafter he byganne to worche the more boldly and greued his subgettis full soore / and namely a noble man that fledde somtyme in to his owne castel by cause steuen pursued hym / ¶ This man aspyed whanne steuen was Recheles in the syege and toke hym and al to hakked hym / ¶ That Castel was called pluma / And so the cautel of the gyleful spyryt was knowen / And so it felle of gerebertus the fals pope as it is sayd byfore

Ranulphus And so it bef••ll of one alberycus erle of north thumberlond that was a myghty man with all and heelde hyin not apayd with his owne state / but he counseyled with a fende / that told hym that he shold haue grecia that is grece / Therfore he wente eftward and cam in to grece / Whan the Grekes herde telle that he shold regne ouer them they toke of hem al that he bad / And put hym oute of theyr londe / But afterwarde somwhat of yeres this was wery of trauaylle and of woo and cam to kyng henry in to normandy / and had of hym a noble wydowe to wyf / And whanne the preeste shold wedde theym / he axyd of the wo¦man and sayde / dame grecia hast thou wyll to this man· Thenne

Albericus knewe the gyle and the fraude of the fals spyryt that arered his owne coueytous herte in to veyne hope / whan kyng Ry¦chard had made redy to pay to the duc of austryche twenty thou¦sand ponde that was behynde of Raunson / the pledges that kyn∣ge rychard had left with hym come sodenly and tolde that the ty¦raunt was ouertorned by wreche of goddes dome and his lande byfore his deth was greued with many grete meschyefs / For Cy¦tees were sodenly brente / and the Ryuer dannbyus passed the brynkes and dyde grete harme fer aboute / Sedes that were sowē fordryed in the erthe / Also this duke was acursyd of the Pope / for the takyng of kyng Rychard and scorned the cursyng / Also on a saynt steuens day he roode to the feeldes and hurte so his foote that it moost be kytte of / And he withoute hope of lyf sawe that he muste dye / and in presence of the lordes of his lond he prayd to be assoylled of the sentence that he was in bounden / The clergy answerd and sayd that it myght not be / but he wold swere to stonde to holy chirches ordenaunce touchyng the wrong that he had done to kyng Richard / the duc swore and delyuerd kyng Rychardes pledges anone after his othe / Than the kyng amended his lyf / and had also another warnyng for to amende his lyf / For a man of Cenomania wente to saynt Iames for grete deuocion and cam home ageyne sauf and sound / Therafter he had a greete deuocion to wende and wente to the hooly land to see oure lordes graue / As he wente by the wey vpon caas aloone He sawe one with a dredeful face and was aferd ful soore / and blessyd hym self welfast with the sygne of the crosse in euery side Than the other as it were despysyng the signe of the crosse seid / thou miʒt not defende the / in that maner but thou shalt be myne / & yf thou wolt falle doun to the grounde & worshipe me / I shall make the Ryche / now quoth the man it semeth that thou art cō∣trarye and of the other syde / take thou thyn owne / crystes owne yefte is ynough for me / I worship hym aloone / wolt thou nylt quoth he / thou moost haue somwhat of myne / And threwe anon vpon the mannes heede as it were a thynne mantel / that brente the here of his heede and made the skyn of his hede al black / the man was soore aferd and cryed to saynt Iames Saynt Iame came anone and arouted the fende and axed what he was and wherof he serued / I am a fende quoth he and greue mankynde / I letted the Crysten kynges in the iourneye in the eest landes / I toke kyng Rychard prysoner by my seruaunt the duc of austrich

Aft{er} that king richard was deliud I beset him al about & namely about his chambre & his tresour that he gadred besyly / whanne these wordes were sayde the fende vanisshed awey & the man was comforted and lefte his weye that he had mente and torned ho∣me ageyne to Cenomannea and told kyng rychard what he had seen and herde / and shewed hym his heede that was swelled and scalded / than the kyng amended his owne lyf and his maners / Aboute that tyme Hubert archebisshop of Caunterbury was lieu¦tenant •• of the pope and of the kyng in englonde / The Arche∣bisshop of yorke was deede. and hubert made a greete counseyll at york /