pope Leo pope Benedictus a Romayn pope Folio .lxv. Ludouicus emperour Iohannes a woman pope Nicolaus pope Adrianus pope ¶ Here begynneth the .vj. parte coÌ„tynueth vnto the comynge of the Normans Folio .lxv. Alured kynge of Englonde Folio .lxvj. Iohannes the .viij. pope Karolus the seconde emperour Martinus pope Adrianus the thyrde pope Stephanus the fyfth pope Karolus the thyrde emperour Arnulphus emperour Formosus pope Bonifacius pope Stephanus the syxth pope Iohannes the .ix. and .x. popes Theodorus pope Iohannes the .xj. pope Benedictus the fourth pope Leo pope Christoferus the fyrst pope Ludouicus the thyrde emperour Beringarius Conradus emperours Edward kynge of Englonde Sergius the thyrde pope Anastasius pope Laudo and Iohannes popes Folio .lxvij. Henricus emperour Adelstone kynge of Englonde Edmond kynge of Englonde Eldred kynge of Englonde Edwyn kynge of Englonde Leo the syxth pope Stephanus the .vij. and .viij. popes Martinus the thyrde pope Agapitus pope Iohannes the .xij. pope Folio .lxviij. Edgar kynge of Englonde Folio .lxviij. Beringarius the thyrde emperour Lotharius emperour Beringarius the fourth emperour Leo the .viij. pope Iohannes the .xiij. pope Benedictus the syxth pope Otto the fyrst emperour Otto the seconde emperour Folio .lxix. Of saynt Edwarde kynge of Englonde and martyr Eldrede kynge of Englonde Swyne kyng of Englonde and of Denmarke Bonus pope Bonifacius pope Benedictus pope Iohannes the. xiiij .xv. and .xvj. popes Gregorius the .v. pope Folio .lxx. Otto the thyrde emperour Siluester the seconde pope Iohannes the .xviij. and .xix. popes Henricus the fyrst emperour Benedictus pope Iohannes the .xx. pope Knoght kynge of Englonde Edmond Irensyde kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxj. Knought kynge of Englonde Benedictus the .ix. pope Folio .lxxij. Conradus emperour Harolde kynge of Englonde Hardyknoght kynge of Englonde Of the vylany that the Danes dyd vnto the Englysshmen Of Godewyn the fals traytour Alured martyr Folio .lxxiij. Siluester the thyrde pope Damasius the seconde pope Folio .lxxiij. Saynt Edwarde kynge of Englonde and confessour Folio .lxxv. Victor the seconde pope Henry the seconde emperour Stephanus the .ix. pope Benedictus pope Henricus the thyrde emperour Nicolaus the seconde pope Alexander the seconde pope Harolde kynge of Englonde ¶ Here begynneth the .vij. parte contynueth vnto our dayes that is to saye vnto kyng Edwardes regue the fourth the .xxiij. yere Folio .lxxv. Wyllyam conquerour Folio .lxxvj. Gregorius the .vij. pope Victor the thyrde pope Vrbanus pope Folio .lxxvij. Wyllyam Rous kynge of Englonde Pascall pope Folio .lxxvij. Henry Beauclerke kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxviij. Henricus the fourth emperour Gelasius pope Calixtus pope Folio .lxxix. Honorius pope Lotharius emperour Hugo de sancto Victore The ordre of saynt Iohn Baptyst Innocentius pope Folio .lxxix. Stephen kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxx. Celestinus the seconde pope Lucius pope Eugenius the seconde pope Petrus Lombardus bysshop Petrus CoÌ„mestor Fredericus the fyrst emperour Anastasius pope Folio .lxxx. Henry the seconde kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxxj. Adrianus the fourth pope Alexander the thyrde pope Lucius the thyrde pope Vrbanus the thyrde pope Gregorius the .viij. pope Clemens the thyrde pope Folio .lxxxi. Rychard the fyrst kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxxii. Henricus the fyfth emperour Celestinus the thyrde pope Innocentius the thyrde pope Wyllyam of Parys Franciscus an Ytalyan Folio .lxxxij. Iohn kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxxvij. Fredericus the seconde emperour Honorius the thyrde pope Folio .lxxxvij. Henry the thyrde kynge of Englonde Folio .lxxxix. Gregory the .ix. pope Celestinus the fourth pope Innotentius the fourth pope Folio ixxxx Thomas de Aquino Albertus magnus Eustacius Bonauenture Alexander pope Vrbanus pope Richardus emperour Clemens the fourth pope Gregorius the .x. pope Innocentuis the .v. pope Adrianus pope Iohannes the .xxi. pope Nicolaus the thyrde pope Rodulphus emperour Martinus the fourth pope Nicolaus de lyra Honorius the fourth pope Nicolaus the fourth pope Folio lxxxx Edwarde the fyrst kynge of Englonde Folio lxxxxvij Celestinus pope Bonifacius pope Benedictus the .xj. pope Adulphus emperour Albertus emperour Clemens pope Iohannes the .xxij. pope Henry the syxth emperour Folio lxxxxvij Edward the secoÌ„de kynge of Englande Folio C .ix. Ludouicus emperour Iohn Mandeuyll a doctour of physyke and a knyght Benedictus pope Folio C .ix. Edward the thyrde kynge of Englonde Folio C .xxxij. Clemens the syxth pope Karolus the fourth emperour Innocentius the syxth pope Vrbanus the fyfth pope Gregorius the .xj. pope Wenselaus emperour Vrbanus pope Folio C .xxxiij. Bonifacius the .ix. pope Rychard the second kynge of Englonde Folio C .xl. Innocentius the .vij. pope Robert emperour Iohannes the .xxiij. pope Sigismundus emperour Folio C .xl. Henry the fourth kynge of Englonde Folio C .xliiij. Martyn the fyfth pope Eugemus pope Folio C .xliiij. Henry the fyfth kynge of Englonde Folio C .lj. Felix the fyfth pope Albertus emperour Fredericus the thyrde emperour Nicolas the fyfth pope Folio C .lj. Henry the syxth kynge of Englonde Folio C .lxij. Calixtus the thyrde pope Where pryntynge of bokes fyrst began Pius the seconde pope Folio C .lxiij. Paulus a venycyan pope Sixtus the fourth pope And in the latter ende of these present Cronycles ben yâ— descripcions of Englonde Wales Scotlonde Irlonde ¶ Thus endeth the table of this boke The prologue IN so moche that it is necessary to all creatures of chrysten relygion or of fals religyon or gen tyles machomytes to knowe theyr prynce or pryces that regne vpon them them to obey So it is coÌ„modyous to knowe theyr noble actes dedes the circuÌ„stauÌ„ce of theyr lyues Therfore in the yere of our lorde M cccc .lxxxiij. the .xxij. yere of the regne of kynge Edward the fourth at saynt Albons so that all men may know the actes namely of our noble kynges of englonde is com pyled togyder this boke more ouer is traÌ„slated out of latyn in to englysshe fro the begyÌ„nynge of the worlde the lignage of Chryst from AdaÌ„ tyll it be comen to Da uid fro Dauid the kynges of israel of iewes the hye bys shops in theyr dayes with the iudges ê“phetes The .iiij. princypall realines of the worlde that is to say Babylon Perce Grece Rome all the emperours of Rome popes by ordre theyr names many a notable fader with certayne of theyr actes as more playnly ensueth And here ben rehersed the names of the auctours that traÌ„slated these cronycles specially Geffray NuÌ„moth mon ke in his boke of Brute saynt Bede in the actes of englonde Also Bede in his boke of tymes Gyldas in the actes of Britayn Willyam Malinesbury moÌ„ke in the actes of kynges of englond bysshops Cassiderê° of the actes of emperours bysshops Saynt Austin de ci dei Citê° Liuius de gestis romanorum Martyn penitency ary to the pope in his cronycles of emperours bysshops namely Theobaldus cartusiensis coÌ„teynynge in his boke the progresse of all notable faders fro the begynnynge
of the worlde vnto our tyme with the notable actes of the same ¶ In this new traÌ„slacyon are coÌ„teyned many notable meruaylous thinges those ben alledged by auctoryte of many famous â—â—â—â—kes And that euery man may knowe how these cronycles beÌ„ ordred ye shal vnderstande that this boke is deuyded in to .vij. partes Of the whiche the fyrst parte con teyneth from Adam tyll Brute came in to Britayne The seconde parte coÌ„teyneth froÌ„ Brute came fyrst in to englonde vnto the cite of Rome was buylded by Romulê° The thyrde parte coÌ„teyneth syth Rome was buylded vnto Chryst was borne of our lady virgyn Marye The fourth parte froÌ„ thens vnto the comynge of the saxons in to englonde The .v. parte from thens vnto the comyng of danes The .vj. parte froÌ„ thens vnto the comynge of the normans The .v. parte fro the normans vnto our tyme which is vnder the regne of kyng Edwarde the fourth 〈◊〉 yere whose noble cronycles by custome may not be seen ¶ And so in euery part of these .vij. partyes be shewed the moost and necessary actes of all the kynges of englonde theyr names wryten aboue in the margent that euery man may fynde them soone And afore the kynges of englondes actes ben wryten there is wry-ten the lignage of Chryst froÌ„ Adam tyll yâ— chryst was borne of our lady with the hye bysshops iudges that were in the tyme certayne of theyr actes necessary tyll it be comen where Chryst was borne after that chryst was borne Peter was pope of Rome is shewed by ordre the names of all the popes emperours of Rome afore after with certayne of theyr actes breuyately many other dyuets thynges meruayles in those mennes dayes fallynge And it is shewed euery thyÌ„ge in his place how many yere it fei after the begynnynge of the worlde how loÌ„ge afore yâ— Chryst was borne whan yâ— I come to Chryst was borne thaÌ„ it is wryteÌ„ how loÌ„ge any thynge fell after the Natyuite of Chryst And this is the ordre of this boke of thynges spoken of ANd as to men desyryng to haue a very knowlege of these cronycles or of ony other it is necessary to knowe .vj. thynges ¶ The fyrst is the states of thynges those beÌ„ two One is fro the begynnynge of the worlde vnto Chryst the whiche is called the state of deuiacyon The seconde is froÌ„ Chryst to the ende of the worlde the whiche is called the state of reconstliacyon ¶ The secoÌ„de thynge is the diuysyon of tymes those ben thre One is afore the lawe of Moyses an other is vnder the lawe of Moyses an other is vnder the lawe of grace after Chryst dyed ¶ The thyrde is the gouernyng of kyngdomes And as for that ye must knowe that though there were foure pryÌ„cipal kyngdomes that is to saye of Babilon of Persees of Grekes of Romaynes Neuerthelesse as to the course of the worlde the ordre of holy scripture the fyrst gouernyng was vnder faders froÌ„ Adam vnto Moyses The secoÌ„de vnder iudges from Moyses vnto Saul The thyrde vnder kyÌ„ges from Saul vnto zoÌ„robabel The fourth vnder bisshops froÌ„ zorobabel vnto Chryst ¶ The fourth is the dyuersite of lawes those were fyue The fyrst was the lawe of nature that was comyn to all men The secoÌ„de is the lawe or custome of gentyles whan that vnder kynge Nyno began the people to worshyp false goddes The thyrde is vnder the lawe wryten rose the lawe of iewes whan circuÌ„cysyon deuyded the iewes froÌ„ other peple The fourth is vnder chryst rose the lawe of christen men whan fayth and grace of the sacramentes enformed the lyfe of men The fyfth is vnder Machomet rose the lawe of sarasyns turkes ¶ The fyfth is the noblenesse or vnnoblenes in dedes And as to these it is to knowe that .vij. persones ben redde of whome the dedes many tymes are had in mynde in hystoryes That is to wyte of a prynce in his realme of a knyght in batayle of a iudge in his place of a bysshop in the clergye of a polytyke man in the people of an husbond man in the hous of an abbot in his chirche And of these are wryten many tymes the laudes of good men and the punysshementes of the cursed men ¶ The syxth is the true countynge of the yeres And to that it is to be knowen that there were viij maner of nombrynge or countynge of the yeres Thre after the Hebrewes Thre after the Grekes One of the Romayns And one now is after the chrysten men The Hebrewes thre maner of wyse begynneth theyr yere After the Hebrewes there is the yere vsuall begynnynge at Ianuary the whiche they vse in couenauntes and bargeyns makyng And the yere leyfull begynnynge at Marche the whiche they vse in theyr cerymonyes And the yere Emergens from Maye begynnynge whan they wente from Egypte they vse in theyr cronycles calculacyons ¶ The Grekes noÌ„breth theyr yeres thre maner of wyse Fyrst to the glory Ioye of theyr victory couÌ„teth theyr yeres from the destruccyon of Troye The fyrst yâ— second the thyrde and the fourth c. ¶ Than after the chyualry began at the hyll of Olympus they notyfyed the yeres after the same OlimpiaduÌ„ And what Olimpiades is ye shall knowe after in the boke The thyrde whan they began to haue lordshyp of all the worlde they notifyed theyr yeres these maner of wyse In the yere of the regne of Grekes the fourth the .x. the .xv. c. as it is open in the boke of Machabeorum ¶ Than after the Romayns gouernynge the worlde couÌ„ted noÌ„bred theyr yeres ab vrbe con dita ¶ The last of all chrysteÌ„ men couÌ„teth theyr yeres from the Incarnacyon of Chryst And bycause we beÌ„ chrysteÌ„ men we vse moost to nombre from the begynnynge of the worlde vnto Chryst was borne And fro Chryst was borne vnto our tyme. And this ordre is obserued kepte in all the boke of euery thynge in his place as is sayd before ¶ Explicit prologus ¶ Hic incipit fructus temporum BYcause of these bokes made to tell what tyme of ony thyÌ„ge notable was Therfore the begyÌ„nynge of al tymes shortly shal be touched For the whiche after doctours it is to be knowen that foure thinges were made fyrst in one tyme of one age that is to wyte the heuen imperyall aungels nature the matere of the foure elemeÌ„tes tyme. And that doctours call werke of the creacion the whiche was made afore ony daye or nyght of the myghty power of god and was made of nothynge ¶ Than after foloweth the werke of diuysyon the whiche was made in thre of the fyrst dayes in whiche is shewed the hygh wysdome of the maker ¶ Than after foloweth the arayenge of this werke in the whiche is shewed the goodnes of the creatour the whiche was made thre of the nexte daye folowyng Vt patet clare in
thyÌ„ge in so moche as Lamydon kyng of Troy teceyued not Hercules Iason with due honour as they sholde haue beÌ„ receyued of so lytell a trespace how many harmes hurtes grewe ¶ Sibilla delphis ca afore the batayle of Troye prophecyed how a childe sholde be borne of a virgyn wtout manues seed ¶ Lamydon kyng of Troy was slayne and his doughter Eriona was taken in to Grekes londe For that whiche folowed myghty batayle moost ferefull myscheues Vide historiam troianaÌ„ Hercules with Iason destroyed IliuÌ„ or Troy the whiche anone after was buylded of Priamus sone to Lamydon This Hercules dyd many meruaylous thynges many myghty batayles infynyte lesynges ben fayned on hym It yâ— last whaÌ„ he had ouertomeÌ„ moche people he was betrayed by a sherte yâ— Deyanira his wyfe sent him enuenymed whaÌ„ he myght not suffre the payne he ranne in to a fyre brente hymselfe whan he was deed he was worshypped of the gentyles for a god ¶ Circa annuÌ„ mundi .iij. M .ix. C .lxxv. Et anÌ„ Christi natiuitateÌ„ M. ij C .xxiiij. AFter the deth of Iayr Iudge of Israel the people of Israel added newe synnes to theyr olde and our lorde toke them in to the power of the philistiens to the children of Amon .xviij. yere they were gretly oppressed thaÌ„ they cryed to our lord ThaÌ„ Iepte was enspyred with almyghty god faught agaynst Amon the sedycyous people of the hyll of Effraym And for an vnprudent voyce he slewe his owne doughter folyshly dyd sacriifâ—ce to god with her Iudic .xi. et .xij. ¶ Ozy this tyme was bysshop in Israel he was of the seed of Aron by the lyne of Eleazari the whiche deed through the prouysyon of god the bysshopryche turned to the lyne of Ythamar an C. .xx. yere in that whiche lyne Hely was the first hygh bysshop Abiathar was the last ¶ Ebessam was iudge in Israel .vij. yere he was the .xij. iudge he was named otherwyse Boos the whiche wedded Ruth ¶ Abialon ye. xiij iudge of Israel was iudge .x. yere And vnder these tymes the chyldren of Israel were quyete therfore no notable thyÌ„ges were done in these dayes ¶ Abdon the .xiiij. iudge gouerned in Israel .viij. yere And about this tyme the hystory of Ruth was wryten ¶ Authamis this tyme was kyng of Assuriorum And Priamus kynge of Troy sone to Laomedon buylded his cyte agayne meruaylously stronge began batayle with the Grekes to his owne hurte he had a sone was called Hector a leyfull goten sone by his wyfe Eccuba This man was faythful wyse incoÌ„parable of strength noblenes This Priamê° had an other sone that was called Paris the whiche toke away fro the loÌ„de of Grekes Helena wyfe to Menelaus the kyng ¶ Agamenon the kyng broder to Menelaus the leder of al the Grekes host faught agaynst Troy at the last he wanne the cite falsly to the gre kes moost shame sclauÌ„dre that might be For certaynly that myght be called an vnhappy batayle where no man giueth lo uyng to the Grekes but euery man repor teth shame ¶ Eneas was kyng in yta lye .iij. yere And this Eneas after that Troy was destroyed of the Grekes came in to ytalye with .xx. shyppes and dyd myghty batayles there And this man had wedded Priamê° doughter Elinsuram And he was made a god through the errour of the comyn people of this man came Iulius cezar Octauianus Augustus ¶ Vlixes an eloquent man amonge all the Grekes after many perylles on the see went home to his Penelopem the moost faythful the moost chaste woman that is redde of And the Grekes perisshed wretchedly after that they had destroyed Troye bothe on the water and on the londe as they wente homewarde agayn And that was the pryncypall date of theyr wrytynge after that vyctory For they wrote theyr hystoryes and other wrytynges thus Anno primo vâ— secuÌ„do c. post Troiam captam And that was the thyrde yere of Abdon iudge of Israel ¶ Circa annum mundi .iiij. M .xxv. Et ante Christi natiuitateÌ„ M C .lxxiiij. OBeth of Chrystes lyne sone vnto Boos is rehersed in Mathewe ¶ Samson the .xv. iudge regned .xx. yere this SaÌ„son was the most stroÌ„gest man that euer was he delyuered Israell from the Philystyens for his meruaylous strength men trowed he had ben Hercules Et eiê° nurabilia oê‘a vide iudic .xiij. ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M .lxxv. Et ante Christi natiuitatem M C .xiiij. IEsse sone to Obeth of the lyne of Chryst otherwyse called ysay fa der to Dauid this tyme lyued a notable man in honeste no kyng ne grete gouer nour But of him many tymes is made mencyon in holy scripture For of hym descended Chryst our sauyour ¶ This tyme Hely was iudge bisshop in israel the whiche had .ij. sones Ophni Phi nees for he corrected them not sufficiently he they were punisshed bothe of our lorde for they were slayne of the PhilistieÌ„s Hely fell of his sete brake his necke This Hely was iudge next after Samson not of the lignage of Aron that was fyrst bysshop of god electe but of ythamar the lignage dured an C. .xx. yere in that whiche lignage Hely was the fyrst bysshop Abiathar the last Vide plura .j. regum THis tyme Saul was kynge in Israell after the mayster in his hystoryes Iosephus in his .viij. boke This Saul was the fyrst kyng in Israel regned .xx. yere the whiche or he was kynge was a good man electe of god but afterwarde wretchedly he fayled he was slayne and his thre sones on the hylles of Gylboy ¶ In the tyme of Saul Samuel was iudge ê“phete in Israel an holy man borne of a barayn moder many a daye he mynystred afore our lorde from a chylde to his age and was not hygh bysshop but he iudged Israel all the dayes of his lyfe was the very pro phete of god Two kynges he enoynted Saul fyrst after Dauyd This Samuel alone and Moyses are redde that they prayed for theyr enemyes in all the olde testameÌ„t Of this Samuel Saul ben dyuers opynyons Isoder sayth the Samuel Saul ruled Israel .xl. yere And Iosephus in his .viij. boke the mayster in his storyes sayen Samuel to be iudge .xij. yere alone And after hyÌ„ Saul to regne .xx. yere Vide plura .j. xe guin AScanius the .vij. kyng of ytaly was sone to Eneas buylded the cite of Albion he was called the kyng of Albanon This Ascanius gate Siluius the .viij. kyng of ytaly the whiche Siluius was fader vnto Brute kynge of Brytayn now called Englonde And I leue of the kynges of ytalye for they dyd but lytell noble thynges tyll it be co men to Romulê° Remus the buylded Rome than shall those kynges come agayn
And this Karolus than helde all yâ— hole kâ—ng dome .xiiij. yere to the yere of our lorde vij hondred .lxxxiiii. in the whiche yere he wente vnto Rome that he myght be crowned emperour of the pope Adryan And there he regned emperour rvi yere to the yere of our lorde god .viii. C. whan pope Leo confermed hym agayn to be emperour And after that he was emperour .xiiij. yere And this Karolus magnus decessed in the yere of his age lxxij the whiche was the yere of our lorde god .viij. hondred and. riiii ¶ Yf 〈◊〉 wyll se more of this Karolus go to the boke of the bysshop Turpinus and 〈◊〉 braminus his mayster for they wrote his noble actes euerychone ¶ â—â—o the fourth was pope after Adrian 〈◊〉 yere This man whan he went on a cetâ—ayn daye with the Letany to saynt Peters chirche on saynt Markes daye he was taken with cursed people the whiche put out bothe his eyen and his tongue was cutte of But our lord meruaylously restored hym agayne his syght his speche so that he spake without tongue and sawe by myracle And afterwarde he went to Karolus in to Fraunce And he came with hym to Rome and there venged the pope of his enemyes And than he crowned Karolus and he late afore crowned confermed hym agayne ¶ Ludouicus yâ— meke the fyrst begoten sone of Karolê° was emperour after his fader .xxvi. yere in whose time was put away that clerkes sholde vse no gyrdels with precyous stones ne strauÌ„ge arayment This Ludouicê° on his fyrst wyfe gate two childreÌ„ bothe had an yll ende In all thynge yâ— went agaynst hym he was pacyent in the last ende euer he ouercame it for towarde god he abode deuoute his chyldren folowed his condicyons and he decessed a blyssed man ¶ Stephanus the fourth was pope after Leo .iij. yere This Stephanus redemed many captyue men crowned Lodewyke the emperour than he decessed was buryed at Rome ¶ Paschall was pope after Stephanê° This Paschall gaue grete dilygeÌ„ce to relykes of sayntes he toke vp innumerable bodyes of sayntes buryed them worshipfully as in the visyon of saynt Cecile he was coÌ„mauÌ„ded ¶ Eugenius yâ— fourth was pope after Paschall and he was a very holy man and those thynges that were for Chryst he toke hede to This man was crowned a martyr by yâ— lay men of Rome he was buryed in saynt Peters chirche yerde ¶ Circa annuÌ„ duÌ„i viij C .xliiij. TAlentinus was pope after Eugeny .xl. days lytell of hym is wryten ¶ Gregory yâ— fourth was pope after him .xij. yere This Gregory sawe many heuy tymes for yâ— plages among the comyn people And at this mannes peticion Lodewyke yâ— emperour Marchio the prynce of Lombardy exyled all sarasyns from ytaly at the last he decessed after innumerable good dedes werkes yâ— he had done at saynt Peters ¶ Lotherius the first sone of Lodewyke was emperour .xv. yere in Ytaly and in Rome in the partes of Germayn nexte to the hylles of Alpy This Lothertus rose agaynst his broder Lodewike Karolus for the kyngdom of Duchelonde the whiche somtyme Pippinê° theyr broder helde they fought at a place called FontanetuÌ„ where Lothery was discoÌ„fyted there was suche slaughter made on bothe sydes that they had no men to resist theyr aduersaryes This vnderstode a fals chrysten man sent vnto yâ— Sowdan of the sarasyns that he sholde come anone And he toke Rome saynt Peters chirche was made a stable for theyr horses But Lodewyke with the frenshmen and lombardes all that infynyte multytude destroyed that with grete shedynge of chrysteÌ„ blode ¶ Sergius yâ— second was pope after Gregory two yere This maÌ„ was fyrst called Os porci in englisshe hogges mouth wherfore that man after all yâ— popes names are chauÌ„ged whan they be chosen And that for thre causes The first for Chryst chauÌ„ged yâ— names of those men whiche he made popes The secoÌ„d for as moche as they are chauÌ„ged in name so sholde they be chauÌ„ged in pfeccyon of lyfe The thyrde leest he whiche is chosen to an excedynge degree shold be hurte in name ¶ Leo was pope after Sergius .viij. yere This Leo was an holy maÌ„ also he was in prudence as sharpe as a serpent in his dedes as meke as a doue And he was brought forth vertuously in a monastery And whan that he was made pope he laboured to repayre his chirches agayn the whiche the fals sarasyns one after an other had destroyed This man was a myghty wryter and a grete precher a myghty labourer in watche prayer and so dyed and was buryed lyeth at saint Peters ¶ Bene dictus a Romayn was pope after Leo two yere This Benedictus had the name of the thynge for in all thynge was he blyssed And he ordeyned that clerkes shold go ordynatly honestly ¶ Ludouicus yâ— sone of Lothery was emperour this tyme anoynted of Sergio yâ— pope a whyle regned with his fader after he regned .xxi. yere alone This man had a sone yâ— hight Karolê° in to whom a deuil entred vexed hyÌ„ afore his fader thaÌ„ he conspyred his faders deth in his tyme fell many meruayles ¶ Nota. IohaÌ„nes Anglicê° of yâ— nacyoÌ„ of Maguntyn about this tyme was pope she was a womaÌ„ arayed in maÌ„nes garmeÌ„tes But she ê“fyted moche in holy scripture ThaÌ„ she was chosen pope but she was afterwarde with childe goynge openly in ê“cession she trauailed decessed And this is yâ— .vj. pope that to this tyme had yâ— name of holynes were vicious this ê‘son as other cursed popes were was punisshed of god nor she was not noÌ„bred in yâ— boke of popes ¶ Nicolaê° a Romayn was pope after this womaÌ„ .ix. yere This man exceded all other in holynes saue saynt Gregory after decessed lyeth in sayÌ„t peters chirch yerd ¶ Adrian a Romayn was pope after Nicolas This man cursed Lothery yâ— emperours broder king of Lothering for his aduoutry But whan he came with his noble men to Rome to excuse hyÌ„ for his auoutry he sayd he was cursed wrongfully all dyed in one yere yâ— king dyed goyng to yâ— cite of PlaceÌ„ciaÌ„ ¶ This tyme came the Danes in to Englonde Alured ¶ Anno dnÌ„i viij C .lxxiij. ¶ Of kynge Alured how the Danes in his tyme prayed hym of mercy that they myght go out of the londe AFter yâ— deth of Eldred regned his broder Alured yâ— Dolfynes was called Than weÌ„t yâ— Danes assembled them went forth to seke Alured yâ— tho was newly made kyng of Southsex there they fouÌ„de hym at Wylton with a lytell power neuerthelesse he fought with them but at yâ— last he fledde thens from the felde went in to westser ordeined of his owne realme of other yâ— he had a strong power so yâ— the Danes coude not withstande hyÌ„
And he came to London with his hoost where yâ— Danes soiourned wolde haue fought with them But the Danes durst not but prayed hyÌ„ of peas that they myght go agayn in to theyr owne couÌ„tree neuer more to come in to engloÌ„d agayn ony harme to do gyuyng hym hostages suche as he wolde aske ¶ How Hubba Hungar were slayne at Chyppenham and how the Danes brought theyr kynge vnto our kynge ANd the same daye yâ— the Danes departed fro London they rode so fast bothe nyght day neuer rested tyl that they came vnto Excestre toke the towne there helde them ¶ Whan kynge Alured herde these tydynges anone he let take the hostages and went from thens vnto Excestre with all yâ— power that he had And whan yâ— Danes herde tell of his comyng they went froÌ„ thens vnto Westsex came to Chippenham and there they dyd moche harme in the countree they robbed folke and brught them in to pryson The kynge Alured pursued them came vpon them with all his people and fyersly them assayled And there were slayne bothe Hubba and Hungar his broder Buerne Bocard And in this batayle was moche people slayne on that one parte on that other But the gree of that felde abode with yâ— Danes for as moche as the kyng came with lytell company The kyng hasted hyÌ„ as moche as he myght to go agayn And whan yâ— Danes fouÌ„de Hubbaes body lyenge deed they buryed it made vpon it a grete lodge let call it Hubbeâ— lowe so it is called vnto this daye that place is in Deuenshyre The barons of Somerset Wyltshyre Dorset herde tell how theyr king was discomfyted ordeyned all yâ— power that they myght came to the kyng where as he was thanked god that they fouÌ„de hym alyue for they had wende yâ— Danes had slayne hym Than the kyng his barons concluded to go seke the Danes to fyght with them And so they rode all yâ— nyght and on the morowe aboute pryme came to Abyngdon where as yâ— Danes were Thankkyng Alured his barons assem bled them egerly assayled the Danes there gaue them a stronge batayle the Danes long tyme put them of that no man wyst whether parte lost moost folke But thus it befell as god wolde that the kyng Alured had the victory with moche honour For the Danes were so dryuen that they ne wyst whether to turne And .xv. dayes the kyng them pursued at his wyll that glad fayne they were for to speke of peas toke to hym good hostage sayd they wold neuer warre more vpon hyÌ„ And more ouer they promysed kyng Alured that they wolde go brynge theyr owne kyng vnto hym that theyr kyng they all shold be baptised And vpoÌ„ this coÌ„dicyon king Alured graunted them lyfe lymme sayd to them that they shold go seke theyr king and at a certayne daye that was set to come agayne to hym And so they went forth fast came agayne at theyr daye that was assigned yâ— Danes brought theyr kynge with them Kynge Alured anone let them be baptysed theyr names were chaunged so that the kynge of Denmarke was called Athelstone xxx of his felawes names were chaunged also the other were baptysed to yâ— ryght byleue And all this was done at Westmynster after that kyng Alured helde with hym kyng Athelston and all his Danes .xij. dayes at soiourne with grete solempnite and gaue them grete gyftes After that they toke theyr leue departed Than was king Alured well at ease whan he had ouercomen his enemyes and that they were turned to the ryght byleue of almyghty god ¶ How yâ— Danes yâ— went in to FrauÌ„ce with Gurmond came agayn in to Englonde And of the deth of kynge Alured ANd thus it befel afterward that the Danes of Northumberlond that were paynyms came with a grete strength an huge hoost of frauÌ„ce that is to be vnderstande with them yâ— went into FrauÌ„ce with Gurmond of Affryke whan he had coÌ„quered Englond gaue it to the saxons And those that came fro frauÌ„ce arryued in Kent sent in to Northumberlonde that they sholde come to them And whan those two hostes were comen assembled anone they went to destroye all yâ— chrysten people of englond from place to place dyd moche sorowe ¶ In this tyme dyed kyng Alured that was wont to abbate the Danes .xxx. yere he regned had ben a good king well coude chastyse his enemyes also he was a good clerke let make many bokes a boke he made in englysshe of auentures of kynges of batayles that had ben done in yâ— loud many other bokes he let wryte of grete wisdom good lernynge on whose soule god haue mercy lyeth at Wynchestre IOhaÌ„nes the .viij. was pope after Adryan .viii. yere This Iohn anoynted Karolus yâ— emperour he suffred grete wronge of yâ— Romayns for he fauoured not the sayd emperour therfore he put yâ— sayd pope in kepynge Also he degraded yâ— bisshop of Portuense that was yâ— cause of al his sorowe ¶ Karolus yâ— second was emperour after Ludouicê° This Karolê° had a broder yâ— was called Lodwyke he was kyng of Germayn he ordeyned a batayle agaynst his broder but Karolê° or they fought was poysoned and he made many a monastery ¶ Martinus was pope after Iohn one yere This Martyn lytell ê“fyted for he lyued but lytel tyme. ¶ Adrianê° yâ— thyrd was pope after hyÌ„ one yere of hyÌ„ is nothyÌ„ge wryten ¶ Stephanê° the .v. was pope after hyÌ„ .vi. yere no thinge of hyÌ„ is wryten but yâ— he translated yâ— body of saynt Martyn ¶ Karolus yâ— thyrd was emperour after yâ— second .xij. yere This Karolus peasybly had in possessyon all frauÌ„ce Germayn was crowned emperour of Iohn yâ— pope And after his gloryous victory he turned all Normandy to yâ— fayth And he myght no more resyst the frensshmeÌ„ but .iiij. yere he regned on them he was vnprofytable to them therfore they put hym away ¶ Arnulphus was emperour after Karolus â—ij yere This man vtterly coÌ„strayned the Normans yâ— destroyed yâ— frensshmen rl yere Than he sekened had no coÌ„fort of no leche for he was in a meruaylous sekenes so yâ— he was coÌ„sumed with lyfe and was deed ¶ Formosus was pope after Stephen .v. yere This man fyrst was bysshop of Portuensis of pope Iohn was depryued for his inobedieÌ„ce was degraded to yâ— lay fe but by Martyn the pope he was restored agayÌ„st his othe he came not al onely to rome but to offre him yâ— dignite of yâ— pope for which there was grete altercacion ¶ Bonufacius yâ— vj. was pope .xv. days ¶ Stephanus the .vj. one yere .iij. monethes ¶ Ioâ—a thre monethes .xij. days ¶ Theodorê° the second .xx. days ¶ IohaÌ„nes the. 〈◊〉 was two yere
that there sholde neuer be suche a flode agayne And the Raynbowe hath two pryÌ„cypal colours the whiche represent the two iudgementes The water colour representeth the flode that is passed The fyre colour betokeneth the iudgement to come fyre the whiche we certaynly abyde in the ende of this worlde bycause couetyse shall habouÌ„de by fyre it shall be brente as golde and syluer by the fyre is wonte to be clensed THis Noe was a rightwyse man fouÌ„de grace anâ—nst god Whan Noe was .v .c. yere of age he had goten Cham Sem and Iaphet That tyme by the coÌ„maundement of god he began to make a shyppe he made it perfyte in an C. yere the C. yere coÌ„plete our lorde appered agayne to hym coÌ„mauÌ„ded that he with his wyfe his chyldren the wyues of them shold entre the shyppe with all maner of beestes al maner of foules also c. And anone the flode came and stode aboue all hylles â—v cubytes Vide plura genÌ„ .vij. ¶ After the flode came grete dronkennes â—eâ—yd vnto Noe. And through the occasion of that dronkeÌ„nes he blyssed his two sones Sem and Iaphet for the faders honour that they had to him for the honest shame that they couered mekely theyr faders membres whan he was slepynge And his sone Cham for his scornynge his vnreuerence he cursed ¶ And here after saynt Austyn is made the fyrst mencyon of bondage and of noblenes coÌ„trary to it For Noe sayd that Cham sholde be seruauÌ„t in bondage to Sem and Iaphet for his â—ureuerence Neuerthelesse ye shall not trowe that all that descended of Cham were vnnoble men of no power For they began fyrst to be myghty men of the erth As it is open of Nemroth and the kynge of Chanaan Astorum Nor all of Sem Iaphet were vertuous noble myghty men whan almoost euerychone fell vnto the cryme of ydolatrye and were oftentymes oppressed of other men But this blessynge and this cursynge hath a respecte to vertue vyce for that whiche a man is called truly a noble man or an vnnobleman For he that is vertuous is a noble man and he that is vnuertuous is not noble The same maner of wyse those that foloweth the faythe of Abraham rather were called his chyldren than the Iewes the whiche carnally descended from hym Neuertheles they had a spirytuall preuylege of god for the faders merytes and his blessynge And of these thre sones of Noe he beynge alyue after the hystory of Philoms were borne .xxiiij. M. and an C. men without women and chyldren And they had on them thre prynces Nemroth Iectan and Sulphen ¶ Anno mundi .ij. M. ij C .xlij. Et ante Christi natiuitateÌ„ .ij. M. vj C .lvij. SEm sone to Noe the seconde yere after the flode gate Arphaxat otherwhyle he is called Melchisedech the whiche fyrst after the flode made the cite of Salem now is called Iherusalem ¶ Cham his broder obteyned AfffricaÌ„ gate two sones Chus Mesraym these two gate sones doughters and many a regyon they enhabyted vnknowen to vs in occidentall ynde ¶ Iaphet was broder vnto Cham and was blyssed of his fader And this Iaphet had seuen sones as Gomor Magog Maday Ianam Tubal Mosog and Iras. And these .vij. gate sones doughters and of them came many a regyon Vide plura genesis .xv. ¶ Arphaxat soneto Sem lyued CCC and xxx yere and gate Elam Assur Lude and Aram they gate many chyldren Vt patet gene ¶ This Assur bycause he wolde not rebell agaynst god in the edyfyenge of the toure of Babylon as Nemroth dyd therfore he was dryuen vnto the londe of Sennaar londe whiche was ryght strauÌ„ge to hym was not before enhabyted the whiche was called after his name Assuria and there he edyfyed a cite afterwarde named Ni niue the whiche was the metropolytane of all the kyngdome of AssurioruÌ„ ¶ Chus sone vnto Cham was fader to Nemroth this Nemroth was a gyauÌ„t of .x. cubytes longe and he began to be myghty in the worlde and he is called a boystous hunter before god This man began that wretched vyce of couetousnes by his tyranny with that whiche vice euermore after this worlde is fulfylled And the pryncypallest kyngdome that he had was Babylon he had Archade Edyssa Selencia the londe of Sennaar ¶ Sale sone to Arphaxat lyued CCCC and .xxxiij. yere and of hym in scripture is nothynge wryten but that Moyses nombred hym in the lyne that cometh of Chryst This Sale gaâ—e a sone that was named Heber the whiche after the Hebrewes had the spiryte of prophecye And of this Heber the Hebrewes ben named For the Hebrewes tongue abode alone in his hous in the confusyon of the language And that language was called maÌ„nes laÌ„guage the whiche euery man vsed afore the toure of Babylon was buylded ¶ This Heber had two sones and one was called Iectan and that other Phaleg This Iectan through ensample of Nemroth descendynge fro Cham toke the pryncehode vpon the children of Sem. And he had .xiij. sones But these people after Ierome are not knowen of vs for fernes of the couÌ„tree or mutacyon and chaungynge of the people or elles of some other maner cause ¶ Anno muÌ„di .ij. M. vj C .xliij. Et ante Christi natiuitatem .ij. M .v. C. lvj ¶ Turris Babilonis Two hondred and .xxxix. yere lyued Phaleg This Phaleg was the yonger sone of Heber in his dayes was made the confusyon of languages For in his hous abode the olde tongue alone and that was hebrewe Wherfore after saynt Austyn in hym appered a grete stedfastnesse of ryghtwysnesse for this hous was free of that payne as not coÌ„sentynge to the buyldynge of the toure Et scoÌ„m Aug. there was .lxxij. generacyons so there were .lxxij. languages ¶ Iectan broder to Phaleg of Sem Nemroth prince of Cham Sulphen of Iaphet these thre prynces with theyr people gadered them togyder in the felde of Sennaar dredynge the flode to come agayn sayd Let vs buylde a toure that shall reche to heuen c. Gene .xj. Our lorde seynge the folysshenes of the people coÌ„fouÌ„ded theyr toÌ„gues for theyr synnes In so moche that none vnderstode other so they were disperpled through all the worlde Of the malyce of this Nemroth bokes ben wryten full And after the confusyon of the language he went to the londe of Perce and there he taught them to adoure the fyre as god He lefte his sone Belus in Babylon whiche succeded after hym And so his progenye obtayned that realme after many yeres In this tyme began many kyngdomes the moost of all those kyngdomes was the kyngdome of ScitaruÌ„ But there were so many rude people in it that the cite was no worshipped yet was it a myghty regyon of dystauÌ„ce And about this tyme began the kyngdome of Egypte the whiche was chauÌ„ged many tymes with dyuers alteracyons
that is to wyte Ianus Picus FaÌ„nus Latinus the whiche vnto Eneas regned about two hondred yere Than afterwarde from Eneas to this Romulus it was regned vnder .xv. gouernours CCCC .xxxij. yere After that fro the cite was made vnto the last yere of Tarquyn the proude it was regned vnder .vij. kynges aboute CC. and .xliii. yere Than afterwarde vnder Senatours couÌ„seyllers vnto Iulius Cezar emperour by CCCC and. lxiiij yere Romulus the first of Romayns of whome they be called in latyn Romans made the Cite to be named Rome after his name the whiche gadered togyder the people on euery syde an hoÌ„dred of the wysest men wytty he chose through the counseyle of whome all thynges he disposed the whiche he named Senatours for the time of theyr age he made theyr names to be wryten in golden lettres wherfore we write noble faders thynges so yet Also he called a. M. men of armes milites a numero millenario but these were of no noble blode Therfore as saynt Austyn sayth de ciuit dei And also there was loÌ„ge warre betwixt the Sabyns them for Romulus toke many women of the noble blode of Sabyns maried them to the vnnoble blode of this Romulus Orosius writeth moche yll Vt pêª patet in libro suo ¶ About this tyme Merodoch the kynge of Babylon sente grete gyftes to Ezechie the kynge of iewes Vt pêª patet .iiij. reguÌ„ .xx. And than the kyngdome of Babylon began ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M .lxxij. Et ante Christi natiuitatem vij C .xxvij. Ezechias the .xiiij. kynge of iewes a good chylde of a cursed fader regned with a perfyte herte to our lorde he restored the hous of god there was none lyke hym afore ne after amonge the kynges of iewes therfore our lorde god gloryfyed hym for whan Sennacheriâ— kyng of Assuriorum came against Ezechie with a myghty host our lord stroke his people â—lewe au C .lxxxv. of fyghtyng men Sennacherib fledde shamefully vt pêª patet .iiij. reguÌ„ .xix. et .ij. para .xxxij. Sadoch this tyme was hye bysshop there ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M .v. C. j. Et ante Christi natiuitateÌ„ vj C lxxxxviij MAnasses kyng of Iewes regned lv yere and he was a full euyll chylde of a good fader For he dyd more cursedly than ony that was before hyÌ„ For he slewe the ê“phetes of god that the stretes in IerusaleÌ„ were all blody And he made ysaie the prophete to be sawen in peces with a sawe of tree Wherfore the kyng of Assuriorum wasted the Iewry toke Manasses put hym in pryson And after Manasses repented him of his trespace cryed for mercy to god was herde Than he was restored to his kyngdom he ameÌ„ded his lyfe Vt pêª patet .iiij. reg .xxj. et .ij. para .xxxiij. ¶ SelluÌ„ was bysshop Echias after hym This tyme the. vij wyse men had worshyp in Grece that is to saye Tales Solon Chylon Poriandê° Eldobolus Bias Pitacus This Tales fouÌ„de fyrst the defaute of the sonne the mone Vide pl’a plura Aug .viij. de ci dei ¶ Numa the seconde kynge this tyme regned in Rome .xlij. yere the whiche was a grete worshipper of fals goddes He fylled Rome so full that he myght haue no place for hymselfe to dwell in This man put Ianuary February to the begynnynge of the yere Vide pl’a plura in Aug. de ciui dei Aboue all reason it is meruayle that suche men so excedyng in wytte in all thynges that was yll receded fro the knowlege of the very god ¶ Amon kyng of Iewes regned two yere the whiche was nought in his lyuynge he was stryken of his seruauntes and he dyed without ony repentaunce ¶ Anno muÌ„di .iiij. M .v. C. lviij Et ante Christi natiuitatem vj C .xlj. IOsias the sone of Amon at .viij. yere of age began to regne regned .xxxj. yere a good chylde of a ê‘uerse fader in his yoÌ„ge age he sought the grace of god in that grace laudably abode vnto his ende His relygyous lyfe his holy werkes ye may se .iiij. regum xxij et .ij. para .xxxiiij. ¶ Azastas the sone of Elchie was bysshop ¶ Tobias aboute this tyme dyed he was a very holy man he ê“phecyed the destruccion of IerusaleÌ„ ¶ Tulius Hostileê° was the thyrde kyng in Rome And saynt Austyn sayth in his boke de ciui dei that from Rome was made vnto August the emperour there was so contynuall batayle that it was taken for a meruayle they were one yere wtout batayle excepte .xlij. yere in Nume dayes in that whiche was coÌ„tynual peas And this Tul 〈…〉 s bycause he had rest he dyd cursedly to his neyghbours and than he was slayne all his housholde with a stroke of lyghtnynge ¶ Nabugodonosor this tyme was kynge of Babylon a manly man a v 〈…〉 oryous For he was the scourge of our lord to punysshe the synnes of moche people This man was kyng of Babylon afterward he coÌ„quered the kyngdom of Assuriorum and made it one monarchy But many wayes scripture speketh of this man now good now yll for bycause scripture concludeth that he ended his lyfe in the louynge of god by the prayer of Danyel in the knowlege of one very god some doctours saye he is saued some say it is doubte ¶ Auâ—us Marcius the fourth kyng of Rome regned 〈◊〉 yere This man for grace trust that he had to Tarquinê° Priscus made hym the gouernour of his chydren heyres he yll rewarded hyÌ„ ¶ Danyel yet a childe delyuered saynt Susan stode in the coÌ„â—â—tre of the kyng with his felawes afterward he discussed the dremes of the kyng was made a man of grete honeste Vt pêª patet Danielis .j. ¶ Ioathas the second sone of Iosie regned on the Iewes thre monethes was made kynge by the people he was not good And Pharao toke him ladde hym in to Egypte made his elder broder kynge Vt pêª patet .iiij. reguÌ„ .xxiij. ¶ Anno muÌ„di .iiij. M .v. C. lxxxviij Et ante Christi natiuitatem .v. C. xj IOachym or Ieconias the sone of Iosie was made kyng of Iewes by Pharao regned .xj. yere bycause he lyued nought ne herd not the ê“phetes Nabugodonosor toke hym made hym his seruauÌ„t .iij. yere And he rebelled agaynst hym afterwarde he toke hym was about to haue ladde hym to Babylon but his couÌ„seyle was chauÌ„ged so Nabugodonosor slewe hym in IerusaleÌ„ cast his body ouer the walles after the ê“phecy of Ieremy toke with hym the vessels of our lorde put them in his teÌ„ple Vt pêª patet .ij. para vlj ¶ Samias was bysshop Vrias prophete was slayne of Iecony the kyng Ieremy was present ¶ Ioachim sone to Ieconias regned in the Iury .iij. monethes lyued nought therfore he was meued that he sholde regne
abode styl at Ierusalem after the electyon of his fader destroyed the cite and slewe there as the story sayth with batayle hungre .xi. hoÌ„dred thousande iewes and an hondred thousand he toke solde .xxx. for a peny bycause they solde our lord Iesu Chryst for .xxx. pens brought theus all thynge that was precyous put them in his hous at Rome whithe was called TeÌ„pluÌ„ pa cis But now is the place fallen downe for the moost party And all these precyous iewelles be distrybuted to certayn chirches in Rome This Citus was so full of vertue that all men loued hym so feâ— forth that they called hym the moost delectable of men He was full lyberall to all men in so moche that he sayd often tymes that there sholde no maner man goo front an Emperoure with an heuy herte but he sholde no somwhat of his peâ—icyon He wolde be sory that day in the whiche he had graunted no man no benefyte Whan he was deed euery man that was in Rome wepte for hym as that they had lost theyr fader ¶ Domician broder to Titus regned after hym xiiij yere .v. monethes Fyrst he was easy and afterwarde full vnreasonable For moche of the senate was destroyed by his malyce also moche of his kynrede He began the seconde persecucyon after Nero agaynst chrysten men In that whiche persecucyon John the euaÌ„gelyst was exiled in to Pathmos after the emperour had put hyÌ„ in to a tonne of breÌ„nyng oyle hurte hym not So this man was not the folower of his fader Vaspasyan ne his broder Titus but rather lyke Nero his kynrede And for his wycked â—oÌ„dicyons he was slayne in his own palays at Rome in the .xxvij. yere of his age ¶ ClemeÌ„s a martyr was pope .ix. yere and he succeded Cletus This Clemens fyrst of saynt Peter as it is sayd was ordeyned to be successour to him And for peryll he wolde LinuÌ„ CletuÌ„ sholde be popes afore hyÌ„ lest that through the ensample prelates sholde ordeyne vnder them who someuer they wolde This man made the lyfe of martyrs to be wryten by regyons he made many bokes He ordeyned that a chylde sholde be coÌ„fyrmed as soone as it myght manerly after it was chrystened And at the last he was martyred vnder Traian ¶ Nerua was emperour after Domician one yere two monethes And whaÌ„ he was chosen he meued the senate to make a lawe that all thyÌ„ge whiche Domician coÌ„mauÌ„ded to be kept shold be broken By which meane saynt Iohn the euangelyst was losed out of his exile suffred to come agayn to Ephese This man dyd an other thynge ryght coÌ„mendable that he assygned so wyse a man as Traian was to gouerne the people after hym Nota. ¶ Traianê° hyspa uicus was Emperour .xix. yere This Traianê° many men sayd he was the best amonge all the Emperours but in one thynge alone he was vicyous in so moche as he for the loue of yeâ—als goddes was aboute to destroye the chrysten fayth iudgynge in hyÌ„selfe so moost to please god Some men saye not by hymself but by other he pursued the christen fayth in the ende of his lyfe he dyd but fewe to deth And all his louyng I set at nought But at saint Gregory meued with pite wepyng prayed to our lorde for hym that he wold haue mercy vpon hym by his prayer haue hym out of hell in to whiche place he was dampned And now yf he be saued or not a grete alteracyon is amoÌ„ge doctours And to vs that wryte Cronâ—ties it is no parte of our charge to determyn But all the eest parte of the worlde Babylâ— Selencia the veter partes of the yâ—de Germayne the seconde after Alexander he helde vnder In all these thynges so pyteous so mekely he guyded hym to euery man as a kynge He was gentyll and to no man vngentyll the whiche is red of fewe All the dayes be lyued men sayd he was the moost worthy man in all his empyre And he thought sayd euermore that no man was more vnworthy to be emperour than he ¶ Anno domini C .iiij. ANacletê° a martyr was pope iâ— yere he was a Greke He monysshed all christeÌ„ men the preestes sholde be worshipped aboue all other men say enge the preestes doynge sacrefyce to god sholde be borne out not vâ—red but be worshypped And whan preestes sayd masse they sholde haue wytnes with them and namely bysshops Also he decreed the clerkes sholde were no â—erdes nor longe heer Also that a bisshop shold be coÌ„secrated of thre dyuers other thynges At the last the .xij. yere of Traian he was mar tyred buryed by the body of saynt Peter ¶ Plinius the second oratour philosopher wrote grete thinges This man meued Traian that he shold withdraw the sentence gyuen agaynst chrysten folke wrytyng to hym that they dyd none yll but that they as vertuous folke rose afore day and worshypped Iesu Chryst theyr god secretly in the nyght ¶ Euaristus a greke and a martyr was .x. yere and .vij. monthes pope after Anacletê° This man ordeyned that man womaÌ„ sholde be wedded openly and that they sholde be blyssed openly of the preest fader moder And he was martyred the thyrd yere of Adrian buryed by saynt Peter ¶ Alexander a Romayn was pope .viij. yere .v. monethes This man the moost parte of the senatours he coÌ„uerted to our lorde And he ordeyned the holy water sholde be kest in chrysten mennes houses that breed to synge with shold be made of clere breed and that in lytell quantite At the last he was martyred vnder Adrian that was emperour and many he coÌ„uerted to the fayth of Chryst ¶ Sixtus a Romayn was pope .x. yere and .iij. monethes This man ordeyned Sanctus sanctus sanctus c. sholde be sayd in the masse that the holy thynges of the chirche sholde not be touched but of mynystres of the chirche Also that the corporas shold not be made of sylke but of pure lynnen cloth wouen not dyed and that a woman sholde not touche the holy vessell of the awter ne the pall Also he ordeyned that yf ony bysshopryke were vacauÌ„t that no bysshop sholde be receyued in to his benefyce but with the popes lettres Also that no masse sholde be sayd but vpon an awter at the last he was martyred ¶ Adrian was emperour .xxi. yere This Adrian in many thynges is coÌ„mended to chrysten men otherwhyle he was gracyous and certayn of them that wold not do sacrifyce to the fals goddes he slewe He was an vnyuersall man almoost in all scyences Peas he had all his dayes but with the Iewes and many a lawe he made And than he coÌ„maunded that chrysten men sholde not be dampned to deth but with due processe Ierusalem he subdued agayne and forbade that no Jewe sholde dwell therin by no wyse Chrysten men he suffred there to dwell Agaynst
his wyll he came to the empyre but he gouerned hym very well Whan the senatours prayed hym to call his sone emperour after hym he sayd It is ynough to me that agaynst my wyl I haue regned whiche I haue not deserued For the empyre of Rome sholde not go by succession of blode but to suche men as deserue it through theyr merytes Many tymes he regneth vnuertuously that is a kyng borne and vertue shold come before his kyngdome ¶ Eustachius otherwyse called Placidus Therospita his wyfe and two of theyr sones of whome meruaylous thynges ben redde were martyred by the coÌ„maundement of Adrian This Placidus was mayster of the emperours knyghtes ¶ Ierusalem was restored by Adrian and made larger so that the place where Chryst dyed was within the walles that whiche was without before And this is the thyrde buyldynge agayne of that cyte For it was thryes destroyed that is to saye of Cal dees in the tyme of zedechie of Anthiocus in the tyme of Machabeorum of Titus in the tyme of Vaspasian ¶ Anno domini C .xliiij. â—Elesphorus a Romayn was pope .xi. yere This man ordeyned this auÌ„gelles ympne to be songen in the masse Gloria in excelsis deo c. and the gospel to be redde afore the sakeryng on Chrystmas day .iij. masses to be songen And he ordeyned there shold no masse be sayd afore .iij. of the last he was martyred buryed at sayÌ„t Peters ¶ Ignius a greke was pope .iiij. yere This man ordeyned that a childe sholde haue a godfader a godmoder at baptym coÌ„fyrmacyon Also that no archebysshop excepted the pope sholde condempne his suffrygan but yf that the cause were shewed in the prouyncyall couÌ„ seyle of bysshops Than he was martyred buryed at sayÌ„t Peters ¶ Anthonius Pius was emperour .xxij. yere with his sones Aurolio Lucio This man was myghtely wyse naturally fayre of speche the whiche lyghtly in one maÌ„ is not fouÌ„de Nota. Excedynge men in wysdom comynly are not fayre speched nor peasfull namely of nature Nor contrarywyse Excedynge men in fayre speche comynly are lesse than wyse This maÌ„ was meued with bothe these ê“pertees Therfore many kyngdomes the which receded from other emperours wylfully to this man returned agayne And to chrysten men was none so gentyll He sayd through the ensample of Cipio I had leuer kepe one heere of a man than slee an hondred of myne enemyes And some martyrs were made vnder hym but they were made vnder the coÌ„maunde ment of the emperours afore And the chrysteÌ„ people were so hatefull to the bysshops to the preestes of the teÌ„ple of the fals goddes that they prouoked the princes alwaye agaynst them For they supposed that the chrysteÌ„ fayth shold destroye them Ther fore it was no meruayle all though the prynce was yll pleased for they sayd all theyr goddes were deuyls yf lower iudges pursued christeÌ„ folke martired theÌ„ ¶ This tyme .x. M. martyrs were crucifyed in Armenia on an hye hyll called Arath ¶ Pompeius trogus isto â—eÌ„pore historias toâ—iê° orbis a Nino vsque ad Occauianum deduxit ¶ Anno domini C .liiij. PIus ytalicus was pope .xj. yere iiij monethes .xij. dayes This man ordeyned the feest of eester euermore sholde be halowed on the sonday And also an heretyke comynge fro the secte of the Iewes shold be receyued be baptysed ThaÌ„ he was martyred buryed in fast Peters ¶ Anicetê° was pope after Pius almoost .x. yere This man made manâ— decrees of the Canon for bysshops Vt in ca. violatores c. ¶ Galienus a lâ—â—â—e goten in pergamo was in grete fame â—â— Rome that whiche not all onely expowned the bokes of Ypocras but he put many of them to his bokes And of this mâ—â—â— sayd for his discrete abstinence that 〈…〉 he lyued an C. and. â—l yere be neuer â—â— ne dranke his fyll Nota abstinentiaÌ„ He neuer toke rawe fruytes alway he had a swete breth He dyed all onely through age no sekenes ¶ Martus Antonius the true Lucius Comodus were emperours .xix. yere These two toke the empyre after Anthony the meke And than began two emperours to regue but Iucius Comodus decesed Anthony was emperour alone that whiche was a 〈◊〉 ryous man a noble but that he made the fourth persecucyon to slee chrysten men This Marcus was of so grete sad nes stedfastnes that for no chauÌ„ce he neuer laughed ne chaunged no there neyther for gladnes ne for sorowe And whan he was a chylde he was of suche manhode that on a certayne tyme whaÌ„ he loked his tresour had not that whiche he myght gyue his knyghtes his men whan he went to fyght agaynst the Germayns the SciauoÌ„s Sarmatas he wolde hurte ne greue no body but had leuer to sell his wyues golden vessell her arayment her beddyng all her ryall stuffe than take taxe of the senatours or of his prouynce vnder hym But he gate the victory of his enemyes recouered all agayn releaced the prouynces of theyr tributes And those yâ— wold sell hyÌ„ his wyues tresour agayne he restored them theyr money those yâ— wolde not he neuer greued them But the tables of theyr dettes betwixt hyÌ„ them he brent openly in the market place thaÌ„ked them that they helped hym in his necessite ¶ How kynge Lucie regned after his fader whiche was a good man after he became chrysten AFter kynge Coyll regned Lucie his sone that was a good man to god and to all the people He sente to Rome to Eleuther that than was pope sayd that he wolde become a chrysten man receyue baptym in the name of god turne to the right fayth byleue Eleuther sente two legates that one was called Pagan and that other Elibayn and came in to this londe baptised the kynge all his meyny And after went from towne to towne and baptysed the people tyll all the londe was baptysed And this was in the yere an C. and. lvj after the incarnacyon of our lorde Iesu Chryst And than this kyng Lucie made in this londe two archebysshops one at CauÌ„terbury an other at yorke and many other bysshops that yet be in this londe And whan these two legates had baptysed all this londe they ordeyned preestes for to baptyse chyldren and for to make the sacrament And after they went agayne to Rome And the kynge dwelled in this londe and regned with moche honour .xij. yere and after dyed and lyeth at Glocestre ¶ How this londe was long without a kynge how the brytons chose a kynge THis kyng Lucie had none heyre of his body begoten that was after warde grete harme sorowe to the londe For after this kynge Lucies deth none of the grete lordes of the londe wold suffre an other to be kyng but lyued in warre debate amonge themselfe .l. yere wtout kyng But it befell afterwarde yâ—
fought with Emilianê° were slayne And Emilianê° the thyrde moneth was slayn ¶ Valerian was emperour with his sone Galyene .xv. yere This man was vertuous manly in the begynnyng but after he was gyueÌ„ to vyce moche wretchednes and so was his sone Galyene This Valerian went to the lond of Perse there for the blode shedynge of martyrs he was taken of the kynge of Perse And whan he had taken hyÌ„ he put out bothe his eyen kepte hym in grete bondage to this entent he kept hym that whan so euer he shold ryde this Valerian sholde lye down he shold set his feet vpoÌ„ his backe whaÌ„ he wold take his hors This herde Galiene his sone that was left at Rome that caused hym that he was not so cruell agaynst chrysten men And here was the .viij. persecucyon of the chirche made by this emperour made the Romayns to lese theyr kyngdomes the whiche were neuer recouered agayne to the emperour a generall pestylence was through all the worlde for theyr trespace ¶ Stephanus a martyr after Lucius was pope .iij. yere This man ordeyned that no maÌ„ shold vse no halowed clothes but to the worshyp of god ¶ Sixtê° a martyr and a Romayn was pope after Stephanus .ij. yere This man ordeyned that the masse shold be sayd vpoÌ„ an awter the whiche afore was not than he dyed ¶ Dionisius a Romain was pope after Stephanê° .ij. yere This man deuyded parysshes chircheyerdes assygned to chirches certayne preestes ¶ Felix a martyr was pope after Dionisius two yere He ordeined that for the memory of martyrs masses shold be sayd Also he ordeyned the Dedicacion of the chirche euery yere shold be said ¶ Claudius was emperour after Valerian This man subdued Gothas nobly than decessed ¶ Anno Christi CC .lxxiiij. EVticianê° a martyr was pope after Felix .viij. yere This man ordeyned yâ— corne benes sholde be blyssed on the awter And he buryed iij C. xliiij martyrs with his owne haÌ„des ¶ Aureliê° was emperour after Claudius .v. yere This Aurelius fyrst to christeÌ„ men was gentyll wherfore he had the vyctory in euery place gloryously whan he was deceyued by cursed men pursued chrysten men myghtely namely in frauÌ„ce for there he abode after that he had neuer good fortune but was slayne And this was the .ix. ê‘secucyon of the christen fayth ¶ Tacitus was emperour after this man he regned but .iii. monethes was slayne in Ponto ¶ Probus was Emperour after hym .v. yere .iiij. monethes This man recouered FrauÌ„ce agayne the whiche was occupyed with barbary men And he gaue them Pannonias lycence to haue vynyerdes And whan he had made almoost all thyÌ„ges well in peas he sayd Knyghtes within a lytell tyme shall not be necessary And anone after he was slayne at SyrmiuÌ„ ¶ Carus his two sones Carmê° Numerianê° were emperours after Probus but soone they dyed theyr fader was drowned the two sones were slayne All these regned but .ij. yere ¶ Dioclesian Maximyan came after these thre emperours the one regned in the eest the other regned in the west The fyrst thynge that Dioclesian dyd he brent all the chrysten mennes bokes that myght be fouÌ„de These two tyrauÌ„tes dyd more harme to christeÌ„ men than euer dyd ony other For .x. yere lasted theyr ê‘secucyon And as we rede wtin .xxx. dayes .xx. M. men were slayne for chrystes cause And in Englonde all the fayth was almoost destroyed in the tyme of Maximyan ¶ Gaius was pope after Euticianus This man ordeyned that no man sholde accuse a bisshop or an other clerke to ony seculer iudge And that a pagan or an heretyke shold not accuse a christeÌ„ man Also he ordeyned that he that was worthy shold ascende gree by gree to his ordres fyrst benet than â—ollet subdeken deken than preest And at the last he was martyred vnder Dioclesian ¶ Marcell 〈…〉 ê° a martyr was pope after Gaius .xi. yere .iiij. monethes This maÌ„ was sore ê‘secuted for drede of deth he offred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nes of encense to the sacrifyce of the ydolles And afterward he openly repented and suffred deth for the fayth of Chryst His body laye vnburyed thre days for drede of the curse of god And after through a visyon of saynt Peter Marcell he was buryed at saynt Peters foâ—e ¶ Marcellus was pope after Marcell 〈…〉 ê° .v. yere This man ordeyned that a generall couÌ„seyle myght not be ordeyned without the auctorite of the pope vt pêª patet .xvij. d◠〈◊〉 sinoduÌ„ Also he chose .xv. cardynalles in the cyte to bury men chrysten At the last whan he had kepte beestes longe tyme in a hous closed in with them by the commaundement of Maximian he dyed for faute ¶ Eusebius a martyr was after this man two monethes and certayne days This man of a lay man was made pope he ordeyned that no laye man shold accuse his bisshop but yf he went from his fayth Vâ— pêª patet .ij .ix. vij .x. lai 〈…〉 s. ¶ Nota. This tyme saynt Albon was martyred in brytayn This Albon whaÌ„ he was a pagan he lodged a certayn maÌ„ the which coÌ„uerted hym to the fayth after was iudged vnto deth and moche people he turned vnto our lorde that were nygh the water the which he made drye through his prayer And he suffred deth nygh the cite of Veâ—elom Vide plura in vita sctiÌ„ Albani ¶ Melchiades a martyr succeded Eusebius foure yere This maÌ„ forbode the men shold fast on sondays on thursdays in so moche as pagans fast on those dayes At the last he was martyred as al his predecessours were ¶ And knowe ye that there were xxxiij popes of Rome martyred eche one after other Peter was the fyrst this Melchiades was the last And than it was laudable after Gregory a maÌ„ to desyre a bysshopryche ¶ Galerius was emperour after Dioclesian two yere and an other with hym called Constancius so was the empyre in those dayes deuyded This Constancius after he had conquered all Spayne he came in to grete Britayn there he wedded a kyÌ„ges doughter on whom he gate grete CoÌ„stantyne And this same CoÌ„stancius dyed in Brytayn lyeth at Yorke as Martin sayth in his cronycles lefte on lyue CoÌ„stantyne that was goten on Eleyne was kynge of Brytayne of Fraunce ¶ Anno Christi CCC .viij. SIluester was pope after Melchiades This was a gloryous confessour many wayes he worshypped the chirche of god what in wrytynge and what in myracles He receyued the patrimony of saynt Peter that is for to saye the kyngdome of Ytalye with the cite of Rome of Constantyne the emperour to the worshyp of the chirche of god he turned it He baptysed Eleyne the Iewes and than he decessed a confessour ¶ Constantyne the myghty was emperour this tyme. This CoÌ„stantyne was a gloryous man and a victoryous in
dyscoÌ„fyted And froÌ„ thens a Dane that was called Roynt went to Redyng with his hoost destroyed all that he myght take And kynge Eldred fought with hym but he was so wouÌ„ded that he dyed And he regned but .v. yere and lyeth at Womburne ¶ Circa annuÌ„ dnÌ„i iiij C .xlix. LEo the first was emperour after Marcianus .xvij. yere In his tyme were yâ— Rogacyon dayes ordeyned afore yâ— ascencyon of saynt Mamert bysshop of Vienne The pope of Rome at yâ— tyme hyght Leo a noble clerke with hym had many clerkes ¶ Hilariê° was pope after Leo .vij. yere This man ordeyned yâ— no bysshop sholde ordeyne his successory Vt pêª patet .viij. â—x 〈◊〉 ¶ Simpliciê° was pope after hym He ordeyned that no clerke shold take no garment to be clo thed in after the secte or maner of a lay man through the reason of his office or of his benefyce ¶ zeno was emperour after Leo .xv. yere this man was an heretyke cruell agaynst chrysten men And in this mannes dayes yâ— bodyes of saynt Mathew yâ— euaÌ„gelist saynt Bar nabe yâ— apostle were fouÌ„de with them the gospell that saynt Mathewe wrote Aboute this tyme there was a certayn comyn woman bart .vij. children at one byrth of yâ— whiche one was after made kyng of Lombardy ¶ Felix the thyrde was pope after Simplicius thre yere viij monethes This maÌ„ ordeyned yâ— respyte shold be gyuen to a man that was accused that he myght auyse hym how he sholde auswere And yâ— the iudges yâ— accusers sholde be suche yâ— they sholde take all suspeccion spotte ¶ Gelasius a Romayn was pope after Felix .v. yere This maÌ„ ordeyned yâ— canon of yâ— masse with the preface ympnes tractes oreysons as sayÌ„t Ambrose made them yâ— ordres sholde be gyuen foure tymes in the yere ¶ Anastasius was emperour after zeno xxvij yere he was a curfed man an heretyke hatefull to god man he was slayne with lyghtnynge And in his tyme dyed saynt Patryk yâ— fyrst bysshop of Irlond in the C. and .xxij. yere of his age his felawe was the abbot of Columba saynt Brigida whome saynt Patryk made a nonne they were butyed in one tombe at dyuers tymes And this is theyr Epytaphe Hij tres in gelido tumulo tumulant in vno Brigida Patricius atque Columba pius ¶ Anastasius a Romayn was pope after Gelasius two yere thre monethes He ordeyned that no preest for wrath ne hate sholde leue of to saye his diuyne ser uyce in the chirche excepte the masse he cursed the emperour Anastasius for he was an heretyke And it is writen of him that afterward he turned for drede to the opynyon of the emperour And he is called the seconde yll famed pope that is in Catholico poÌ„tificuÌ„ And afore hym was Liberius famed in heresy ¶ Anno domini iiij C ixxxxiiij SImachê° was pope after hyÌ„ .xv. yere with hyÌ„ was ordeyned an other pope yâ— was called Laurencius bytwene them was a grete disceÌ„cyon they bothe put them to yâ— Iudgement of Theoboria yâ— kyng And he iudged that he that was first ordeyned that moost men of the chirche helde with sholde be pope And Simachus preuayles the whiche loued the clergy poore men for Pascalius the deken cardynall helde agaynst Simachus with the parte of Lau rence to his deth therfore he was put to the paines of purgatory to kepe yâ— baths after his deth as Gregory sayth in his boke of Dialogues This maÌ„ ordeyned that Gsâ—a mexcelsis sholde be sayd euery sondaye and feestes of martyrs ¶ Nota That Englonde was longe tyme chrysten Fraunce CLodouius the fyrst chrysteÌ„ kyng of FrauÌ„ce was this tyme baptysed of saynt Remigio he had a christen woman to his wyfe she meued hym many tymes to yâ— fayth sayd he shold be fortunable yf he wolde turne so he was neuer afore ¶ Hornusoa was pope after Simachê° .ix. yere This maÌ„ was of grete mercy grete almes vnto pooremen he gaue many ornameÌ„tes to chirches And he reconsyled yâ— grekes yâ— were cursed for theyr heresy ¶ Iustinus was emperour after Anastasiê° .ix. yere was a very chrysteÌ„ man And all that euer the emperour Anastasius had done agaynst the chirche he reuoked obeyed the pope Hornusoa and calleâ— agayne the bysshops that were exiled by his predecessours ¶ Priscianê° graÌ„matieus was this tyme. And this yere the whiche is the .lxxi. fro the comynge of yâ— saxons began yâ— kingdom of westsaxon and Cerdico was kynge ¶ Iohannes was pope after Hornusoa thre yere and ix monethes And Theodoricus yâ— kyng of ytaly an heretyke toke the pope with other senatours sent them to the emperour Iustinyan determynynge that and he wolde not let the heretykes be in peas he sholde 〈◊〉 all the chrysten folke in ytaly And after he â—oke pope Iohn SimachuÌ„ Patricisi and Boicium the senatours slewe them in pryson But Bois defended hym by the reason of the aurtorite of yâ— senatours he sent hym to the cite of Papy for perpetuall exyle where he made the boke De â—solatione philosophie And at the last in the couÌ„tre of Mediolanensis he caused Bois throte to becutte and so he dyed ¶ Felix pope succeded Iohn .iiij. yere This man coÌ„mauÌ„ded that seke men sholde be anâ—led afore theyr deth but Chryst ordeyned it fyrst ¶ Iustinianus was Emperour xxxviij yere This man drewe the lawe of the Romayns or of Ciuyll out of almoost .ij. M. bokes and .ccc. M. verses ouer longe yll accordynge in to one volum of .xij. bokes called it Iustinyan He made also the digestes and deuyded them in to thre bokes ¶ Bonifacius the seconde was pope after Felix two yere And lytell of hyÌ„ is wryten ¶ IohaÌ„nes the seconde was pope after Bonifacius And this maÌ„ had a grete stryfe with Iustinian yâ— emperour wheder yâ— Chryst was of two natures or one The pope sayd he had two natures one of god an other of man The emperour sayd eyther coÌ„sent to vs or yâ— shalte go to perpetuall exyle The pope answered I desyred to come to Iustinyan the moost chrysten emperour but as me semeth I haue founde Dioclesyan yâ— pursewer of chrysten men but certaynly I drede not thy malyce ne I â—ere not thy thretenynges Than the empetour meked hyÌ„selfe fell downe to the grouÌ„de asked mercy absolucion ¶ Anno dâ—i .v. C. xxxiiij AGapitus a confessâ—ur was pope after Iohn two yere This Agapitus turned Iustinyan sully from the errour of the Euticetes This man ordeyned that processyons sholde be done on sondayes than he dyed at Constan tynople ¶ Siluerius a martyr was pope after this man thre yere He was exiled fro chrysten fayth slayne by the proctour of Theodory for he wolde not restore the bysshop of Athenes an heretyke to his benefyce agayn ¶ Virgiliê° was pope after hym .xvij. yere And he
couÌ„tre But the .xij. yere of Herachê° Cosoras was slayne of Heraclius the crosse was brought agayn the people were delyuered And whan Heraclius wold haue entred yâ— cite proudly the gates of yâ— cite by yâ— power of god shette by themselfe the emperour meked hyÌ„ to god aboue the gates opened And thaÌ„ was the feest of yâ— exaltacyon of yâ— crosse made ¶ Deê° dedit was pope after Boniface thre yere This was an holy man For on a certayn daye whan he kyssed a lepre anone the lepre was hole ¶ This tyme a citezin of London through yâ— mocyon of Ethelbryght buylded a chirche of saynt Peter in the west parte of London in a place yâ— was called Thorney ¶ Circa annuÌ„ dnÌ„i vj C .xliiij. BOnifacius the fyfthe was pope after Deus dedit fyue yere the whiche ordeyned that no man sholde be taken out of the chircheyerde And lytel elles of hym is wryten ¶ Nota Machomitum MAchomyte the duke of sarasyns and turkes was this tyme. And he was the deceyuer of all the worlde a false prophete the messenger of the deuyll the foregoer of Antechryst the fulfyller of heresy and of all false men the meruaylest of whome the dominacyon thus began ¶ There was a certayne famous clerke at Rome and coude not spede in his maters that he desyred to haue spedde in than he receded froÌ„ Rome ouer the see and procured many a man to go with hym amonge whome was this fals Machomyte a grete man of wytte And this clerke ê“mysed hym to make hym duke of his couÌ„tree yf he wolde be guyded after hym There he nourysshed a doue put all yâ— corne that the doue ete in to Machomytes ere so this doue had neuer no meet but in his ere The foresayd clerke on a daye called the people meued them to chose suche a prynce as the holy ghost wolde shewe to them in fourme of a doue And anone this clerke secretly let this doue flee the whiche after his olde custome came to Machomyte put his byll in his eere And whan the people sawe this anone he was chosen duke of that people And whan he was made duke of this people of Corosame he sayd yâ— he was the very prophete of god ThaÌ„ he made a boke of his lawe yâ— was called Alcaron But he dyd it by the informacyon of thre of his maysters to whom yâ— deuyll mynistred the auctorite the connynge The fyrst mayster was a iewe a grete astronomer a nygromancer the second was Iohn de Antiochia the thyrde was Sergius an heretyke And these thre made an vn gracyous lawe an vnhappy what someuer was hard of byleue tedyous to do they lefte yâ— out of the lawe they put that thinge in theyr lawe yâ— worldly men were prone redy to do that is to saye glotony lechery rapyne suche other And also this Machomyte ordeyned yâ— a man shold haue as many wiues as he myght occupy fynde and refuse them twyse or thryse or .iiij. tymes take them again And many meruaylous fals thinges he made in his lawe the whiche were to loÌ„ge to reherse here but they be playne in his boke of Alcaron euer he wrote i his boke yâ— our lord spake to Machomyte his ê“phete sayenge on this wyse or on this Thus by his fals meanes he deceyued yâ— people And whaÌ„ his maysters he had made this yâ— was so delectable he wrote it in a boke with lettres of gold nourysshed a camell secretly in a pryuy place all onely with the haÌ„des of Machomyte was alway fedde And there pryuely he tyed this boke of the lawe yâ— he had made about yâ— camels necke put this camell forth on a tyme in to a felde a fore daye and this camell ioyed in his lyberte for he was neuer lose afore And he wold suffre no man to come touche hym And so there was a grete fame of suche a camell and all the people ranne to se hym amonge whom was this Machomyte But whan the camell sawe hym that alway had fedde hym anone he ranne vnto hym And he had taught this camel afore tyme to fal downe on his knees lycke his handes And so he dyd afore all the people The people thaÌ„ cryed sayd that there was a very ensample that he was the true prophete of god Than they prayed Machomyte to open yâ— holy boke with his holy handes the whiche was sent froÌ„ heuen euermore to be kepte In yâ— whiche boke is shewed how the people shall worshyp god And Machomyte sayd This boke was wryten with auÌ„gels handes So by these false meanes he turned to his lawe all the londe of Perse all the eest imperyall agaynst Heraclius the emperour And he occupyed vnto the ende of Alexandre and Egypte Libia Arabia Siria Than after he enfected all Affrica but that the grace of god with stode hym he had enfected all spayne frauÌ„ce And many other thynges he dyd that were to moche to wryte in this boke COnstantyne the thyrde the sone of Heracliâ— was emperour .xxvij. yere This Constantyne was a cursed man a grete tyraunt and an heretyke false subtyll obyous to chrysten men nor he gaue no place to pope Martyn he reysed a grete host agaynst the Lombarbes there he lost the felde fledde to Rome And honourably was receyued of the pope Vitellianê° and other of the cite And he rewarded them not lyke after theyr merytes as a prynce sholde haue done but vsed forth tyranny heresye wherfore at yâ— last he was slayne of his owne knyghtes in a bath yâ— whiche wolde no longer suffre his tyranny And so he wretchedly lyued dyed vnhappely ¶ Martinê° the first was pope after TheodoruÌ„ .vj. yere This Martinus was a very holy man and strongly stroue for the fayth of god And whan he sayd masse on a certayne daye at the awter there pursued hym to slee hym a man whiche was called Spaâ—arius of Olymphe and whan he wolde haue â—nytten hym he was blynde sodeynly This same man called a Sinody in the cite of Rome and he dampned Syrum AlexandruÌ„ SergiuÌ„ Pyrum PauluÌ„ heretykes Wherfore Constantyne the emperour exiled hym he dyed a saynt ¶ Eugenius a Romayn was pope after Martyn almoost thre yere and was an holy maÌ„ but of hym lytell actes ben wryten ¶ Vitellianus was pope after hym .xiiij. yere This maÌ„ made yâ— songe that the Romayns vseth and accorded it also with yâ— organes And he also had the grace of the emperour the whiche was wroth with his predecessours neuerthelesse afterward he stode not in his coÌ„corde Ne hytherto I coude not fynde that euer the chirche of Rome had fully after the deth of CoÌ„stantyne yâ— myghty the lordshyp of the cyte and of other the whiche he gaue to the chirche ¶ Anno dnÌ„i vj C. xâ—â—iij Adeodatus a Romain was pope after Vi 〈…〉 s .iiij. yere
after that he had forgyuen Estrilde the quene her trespace bycause that she was cause of kyng Edwardes deth and saynt Dunstan had her alloyled enioyned her penaunce and she lyued after a chaste lyfe and a clene This kyng Eldred wedded an Englysshe woman on her he begate Edmund Iren syde and an other sone that was called Edwyne And after dyed the quene theyr moder And in that tyme came Swyne in to Englonde that was kyng of Denmarke for to chalenge and conquere all that his auncestres had before the tyme And so he conquered and had it all at his askynge For the good erle Cuthbert of Lyndesey all the people of Northumlonde and almoost all the gretest men of Englond helde with Swyne that was king of DeÌ„marke for as moche as they loued not kyng Eldred bycause that his good broder Edwarde was falsly slayne for the loue of hym and therfore no man set but lytell by hym Wherfore kynge Swyne had all his wyll toke all the londe And Eldred the kyng than fledde in to Normandy and so spake to the duke Rycharde that the duke gaue hym his syster Emme to wyfe vpon the whiche he gate two sones that one was called Alured and that other Edwarde And whan kyng Swyne had coÌ„quered all the londe he regned nobly lyued .xv. yere and than he dyed and lyeth at yorke ¶ How kyng Eldred came agayn from NormaÌ„dy and how Knoght the Dane regned and of the warre bytwene hym and Edmunde Irensyde AFter the deth of Swyne that was a Dane Knoght his sone dwelled in Englonde wolde haue ben king And thaÌ„ came agayn Eldred out of Nor mandy with a grete nombre of people a stronge army that Knoght durst not abyde but fledde thens in to Denmark The kynge Eldred had agayne his realme and helde so grete lordshyp that he begaÌ„ to destroye all those that helped Swyne that was a Dane agaynst hyÌ„ And afterwarde this Knoght came agayn from Denmarke with a grete power so that kynge Eldred durst not fyght with hym but fledde from thens vnto London and there helde hym Than came Knoght and besyeged hym so longe tyll that kynge Eldred dyed in the cite of London and lyeth in saynt Paules chirche And he regned .ix. yere BOnus was pope after Benedict one yere This man abode but a lytell tyme. ¶ Bonifacius was pope after hym fyue monethes ¶ Benedictus was pope after hym .x. yere This man crowned Otto the seconde made many Romayns to be taken he gadered a couÌ„seyle agaynst the kynge of FrauÌ„ce where Gylbert the nygromancer was deposed ¶ IohaÌ„nes the .xiiij. was pope after hym .viij. monethes he was put in the castell Aungell and was famysshed to deth ¶ IohaÌ„nes that .xv. was pope after hym .iiij. monethes ¶ IohaÌ„nes the .xvj. was pope after hyÌ„ almoost xj yere This man was taught in armes made many bokes elles lytell of hym is wryten ¶ Gregorius the .v. was pope after this man almoost thre yere This Gregory was made pope at the instaunce of the emperour Otto the thyrde for he was his cosin And whan he had ben a lytell whyle pope and the emperour receded from the cite of Rome PlaceÌ„tinus was put in by Crescencius a consull for money than was stryfe a fewe dayes But the emperour came soone after agayn toke Crescencius the consul stroke of his heed put out the eyen of this man that put out his cosyn of the dignite of the poperyche maymed hym in other membres and his dukes ne his knightes helped hyÌ„ no thyÌ„ge For he dyd that thynge that he shold not haue done and he suffred that that he deserued ¶ Nota. This Gregory with the emperour Otto ordeyned there the chosers of the empyre the whiche from thens forth hath abyden vnto this day For the frensshmen nor none other myght not breke the ordynaunce And those chosers of the Empyre by the pope Otto were not made for ony blame of the saxons but to eschewe the petylles to come And theyr names ben wryten in latyn for lerned men in these verses Magun â—inensis Treuerensis Coloniensis quilibet imperij fit cancellarius horum Et Palatinus dapifer Dux portitor ensis Marchio prepositus camere Pincerna Bohemus Hij statuunt dominuÌ„ cuÌ„ctis per secula summuÌ„ Palatiâ—ê° est comes Reni Marchio est Brandeburgensis Dux SaxonuÌ„ Et rex BohemoruÌ„ VeruÌ„ vt quidam dicunt Through this occasyon the Egle hath lost many a fether and in the ende he shall be made naked ¶ Otto the thyrde was emperour .xviij. yere This man was a worthy man all the dayes of his empyre And after the wysdome of his fader he was a very faythfull man to the chirche And in many batayles he ê“spered bycause he was deuoute to almyghty god his sayntes And gaue myghty worshyppyng vnto the relykes of sayntes And oftentymes he visyted holy places This man was crowned by Gregory his cosyn And at the last he decessed at Rome ¶ Anno domini M .iiij. Nota. SIluester the second was pope after Gregory .iiij. yere he was made pope by the helpe of the deuyll to whome he dyd homage for he sholde gyue hym all thynge that he desyred he was called Gylbert And his enemy gate hym the grace of the kynge of frauÌ„ce and he made hym bysshop of Remensis but anone he was deposed And after he gate the grace of the Emperour was made bysshop of Rauennie after pope but he had an ende anone so haue all that put theyr hope in fals deuyls Yet men trust in his saluacyon for certayne demonstracions of his sepulture for the grete penauÌ„ce that he dyd in his last ende For he made his handes legges to be cut of dismeÌ„bred all his body made them to be cast out at the dore to foules than his body to be drawen with wylde beestes and there to be buryed where so euer they rested as an houÌ„de And they stode styll at saynt Iohn de Latrans there he was buryed that was signe of his saluacyon ¶ IohaÌ„nes the .xviij. was pope .v. monethes ¶ Iohannes the .xix. was pope after hym fyue yere And these two dyd lytel thyÌ„ges ¶ Henricus the fyrst was emperour in Almayn xx yere This Henry was duke of Barry and all accordyng he was chosen for his blyssed fame good name the whiche he had And it is redde that many of these dukes of Barry were holy men not all onely in absteynynge them from flesshly desyres but also in vertuous lyuyng And this Henry had a syster that was as holy as he whome he gaue to wyfe vnto the kynge of Hungary And she brought all Hungary vnto the right byleue and chrysten fayth And his wyues name was Sanâ—â—a Roâ—â—ogundis with whome he lyued a virgyn all the dayes of his lyfe And he made many a batayle as well in ytaly as in Almayn agayust them
abbot of saynt Anastasy by Rome came to the churche of saynt Cesary was chosen pope by the cardynals he no thynge knowynge therof and for drede of the senatours he was coÌ„secrated without the cite This man was an holy man suffred tribulacyon And at the last with moche holynes he decessed and lyeth at saynt Peters And anone after decessed sayÌ„t Bernard ¶ Petrus Lombardus the bysshop of Parys broder to Gracian compyled the foure bokes of the sentence this tyme. ¶ Petrus coÌ„mestor broder to Grarian to Pyers Lombarde made historiaÌ„ scolasticaÌ„ other bokes ¶ Frederiâ—us primus after Conradus was emperour in Almayn and in Rome .xxxiij. yere This man after the deth of Adryan the pope the whiche crowned hym dyd cursedly with Alexander to hym grete preiudyce For he dyd helpe foure the stroue agaynst the apostles sect And he fought mightely agaynst the kyng of FrauÌ„ce through power of the danes other nacyons But Rychard the kyng of Englond holpe for to expulse him And he destroyed Medio lanii to the grouÌ„de of the whiche circ the walles were hyer than the walles of ony other cite This man at the last after that he had done many vexacyons to the pope he was recoÌ„syled For he dradde lest the lombardes wold haue rebelled agaynst hym he asked forgyuenes of the pope toke the crosse vpon hym went to the holy londe dyd many meruaylous thinges there almoost as moche as euer dyd Ka rolus magnus And there he came by a towne that men called Armeniam in a lytell water he was drowned at TiruÌ„ he was buryed ¶ Anastasius was pope after Eugenius .iiij. yere and more This man was abbot of Rufy than he was chosen cardynall after pope ¶ Of kynge Henry the seconde that was the empresse sone in whose tyme saynt Thomas of Caunterbury was chaunceler ANd after this kynge Stephen regned Henry the empresse sone and was crowned of the archebysshop Theobald the .xvij. daye before Chrystmasse And in the same yere Thomas Beket of London archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury was made the kynges chaunceler of Englonde The second yere the he was crowned he let cast downe all the newe castels that were longynge to the crowne the whiche kynge Stephen had gyuen to dyuers men them had made erles and barons for to holde with hym to helpe hym agaynst Henry the empresse sone ¶ And the fourth yere of his regne he put vnder his owne lordshyp the kyng of Wales And in the same yere the kynge of Scotlonde had in his owne handes that is to saye the cyte of Karleyll the castell of Bamburgh the newe castell vpon Tyne the erledom of Lancastre ¶ The same yere the kyng with a grete power went in to Wales let cast down wodes made wayes made stronge the castell of Rutlonde Basingwarke amonge the castels he made an hous of the temple ¶ And in the same yere was Rychard his sone borne that afterward was erle of Oxforde And the fourth yere of his regne he made Gaufryde erle of Brytayn And in that yere he chaunged his money ¶ And in the .vj. yere of his regne he ladde a grete hoost to Tolouse and coÌ„quered it And the .vij. yere of his regne dyed Theobald the archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury And than almoost al the cite of Caunterbury through myschefe was brent ¶ The .ix. yere of his regne Thomas Beket that was his chauÌ„celer was chosen archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury And vpon saynt Bernardes daye he was sacred And in the yere was borne the kynges doughter Elenore ¶ And in the .x. yere of his regne saynt Edwarde the kynge was translated with moche honour ¶ And the .xi. yere of his regne he helde his parlyament at Northamton and fro thens fled saynt Thomas arche bysshop of CauÌ„terbury for the grete debate that was bytwene the kyng hym For yf he had ben fouÌ„de on the morowe he had beÌ„ slayne therfore he fled thens with thre felowes on fote onely that no man wyst where he was went ouer the see to the pope of Rome And this was the princypall cause For as moche as the kyng wolde haue put clerkes to deth the were atteynted of felony wout ony preuylege of holy chirche And the .xij. yere of his regne was Iohn his sone borne And the xiij yere of his regne dyed Maud the empresse the was his moder The .xiiij. yere of his regne the duke of Saxon spoused Maude his doughter he begate vpon her thre sones the is to say HeÌ„ry Othus Willyam And the .xv. yere of his regne dyed the good erle Robert of Glocestre the founded the abbey of Nonnes of Eton. And in the saine yere Marke kyng of Ierusalem coÌ„quered Babylon ¶ And the xvâ— yere of his regne he let crowne his sone Henry at westmynster hyÌ„ crowned Roger the archebisshop of yorke in harmyng of Thomas the archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury wherfore the same Roger was accursed of the pope ¶ Of kynge Henry the was sone of kyng Henry the empresse sone of the debate that was bytwene hym and his fader whyle that he was in Normandy AFter the coronacion of kyng Henry the sonne of kynge Henry the empresse sone that same Henry the empresse sone went ouer in to Normandy there he let mary Elonore his doughter to the Dolfyn that was kyng of Almayn ¶ And in the .vij. yere that the archebysshop saynt Thomas had ben outlawed the kynge of Fraunce made the kynge saynt Thomas accorded And thaÌ„ came Thomas the archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury agayn to his owne chirche And this accorde was made in the begynnyng of aduent And afterward he was slayne martyred the fyfth daye of Chrystmasse next folowyng For king Henry thought vpon saynt Thomas the archebysshop vpon Chrystmasse day as he sate at his meet and these wordes said That yf he had ony good knyghtes with hym he had ben many a day passed auenged vpon the archebysshop Thomas And anone syr WillyaÌ„ Breton syr Hugh Moruyle syr Willyam Tracy syr Reynold fitz vrse beers sone in englisshe pryuely went to the see and came in to Englond vnto the chirche of CauÌ„terbury there they hyÌ„ martyred at saynt Benets awter in the moder chirche And that was in the yere of the incarnacyon of Iesu Chryst M C .lxxij. yere ¶ And anone after Henry the newe kyng began to make warre vpon Henry his fader and vpon his brethern Willyam Othus And so vpon a daye the kyng of FrauÌ„ce all the kynges sones and the kyng of Scotlond the gretest lordes of Englonde were rysen agaynst kynge Henry the fader And at the last as god wolde he coÌ„quered all his enemyes And the kyng of FrauÌ„ce he were accorded And than sent kyng Henry the fader specyally vnto the kynge of FrauÌ„ce and prayed hym hertely for his loue that he wold sende to hym the names by
closed the pyt aboute with a wall is now in the chirche yerde at the eest ende of the chirche fast shette with a stronge dore for no man sholde nycely go in without leue of the bysshop or of the pryour of yâ— place Many men went in and came out agayne in saynt Patrykes tyme tolde of paynes Ioye that they had seen and the meruayles that they sawe ben there yet wryten and bycause therof many men turned were conuerted to ryght byleue Also many men went in came neuer out agayne In kyng Stephens tyme kyng of Englonde a knyght yâ— hyght Owayne went in to saynt Patrykes purgatory came agayn dwelled euer after duryng his lyfe in the nedes of the abbey of Ludensis that is of yâ— ordre of Cysteaux tolde many wonders that he had seen in Patrykes purgatory That place is called Patrykes purgatory and the chirche is named Reglis No man is enioyned for to go in to that purgatory but couÌ„seyled that he sholde not come therin but take vpon hym other penauÌ„ce And yf a man haue auoided be saable and wyl nedes go therin he shall fyrst go to the bysshop and than he shall be sent with lettres to the pryoue of yâ— place they bothe shall couÌ„seyle hym to leue And yf he wyll nedes go therto he shall be in prayers in fastynge .xv. dayes and after .xv. dayes he shall be houseled ladde to the dore of the purgatory with processyon letany and yet he shall be couÌ„seyled to leue it yf he be stedfast and wyll enâ—â—e the dore shall be opened he blyssed go in goddes name holde forth his waye and the dore shall be fast shette tyll the nexte daye and whan the tyme is the pryour shall come and open the dore and yf the man be comen he ledeth hym in to yâ— chirche with ê“cessyon and there he shall be xv dayes in prayers and fastynge ¶ Of the meruayles of sayntes of Irlonde Ca .xxix. HEre Giraldê° maketh mynde that as men of this nacyon ben more angry than other men more hasty for to take wreche whyles they ben alyue so sayntes halowes of this londe ben more wrechefull than sayntes of other londes Clerkes of this londe ben chaste and saye many prayers done grete abstynence a daye drynke al nyght so is accouÌ„ted for a myracle y◠〈…〉 ery 〈…〉 th not there as wyne regneth and ben chasen out of abbeys in to the clergy done as monkes sholde But they yâ— ben â—â—yll of them ben worste of all other So good men amonge them though they ben but fewe ben good at the best Prelates of that countree ben full â—â—owe in cor 〈…〉 oâ— trespace and besy in coÌ„templacyon and not in prechyng of goddes worde Therfore it is that all yâ— sayntes of that londe ben coÌ„fessours and no martyrs amonge them no wonder for al the prelates of this londe clerkes and prelates sholde do is to them vnknowen Therfore whaÌ„ 〈◊〉 was put agaynst the bysshop of Cassyll how it myght be that so many sayntes ben in Irlonde neuer a martyr amoÌ„ge them all sythen yâ— the men beÌ„ so shrewed and so angry the prelates so recheles and slowe in corâ—eccyon of trespace The bysshop answered frowardly ynough sayd Our men ben shrewed and angry ynough to themselfe but to goddes seruauÌ„tes they ley neuer haÌ„de but do them grete reuerence worshyp but englyssh men come in to this londe that can make martyrs were wont to vse that crafte ¶ 〈◊〉 The bisshop sayd so bycause yâ— kyng Henry the seconde was tho newe comen in to Irlonde fresshely after the martyâ— dome of saynt Thomas of CauÌ„terbury ¶ Gir. In this londe in wales in 〈◊〉 londe ben belles and staues with croked hedes other suche thyÌ„ges for retykes in grete reuerence worship so yâ— men of this londe drede more for to swere vpon one of those belles golden staues than vpon the gospels The chefe of all suche relykes is holden Iesus staffe that is aâ— Deuelyn with yâ— whiche staffe they say that yâ— fyrst saynt Patryke droue yâ— wormes out of Irlond ¶ Augê° de ci dei ca .vij. yf men aâ—e how it may be yâ— dyuers maner of beestes of dyuers kynde that 〈◊〉 kyndly goten bytwene male female come 〈◊〉 ben in ylondes after Noes flode Men suppose that suche beestes â—waÌ„me in to ylondes aboutâ— fyrst to the nexte and â—o forth in to other Or els men saylynge in to ylondes brought with them suche beestes for loue of huntynge Or aungels at god almyghtyes camaunde meÌ„t brought suche beestes in to ylondes aboute or the erth brought them forth fyrst and fulfylled tho goddes coÌ„maundement that coÌ„mauÌ„ded yâ— erth to brynge forth grasse and quycke beestes ¶ Here endeth the descripcyon of Brytayne the whiche conteyneth Englonde Wales and Scotlond and also bycause Irloude is vnder the â—ule of Englonde of olde tyme it â—ath so contynued ther fore I haue set the descripcyon of yâ— same after the sayd Brytayn whiche I haue taken out of 〈…〉 cronycon And bycause it is necessary vnto all Englysshemen to knowe yâ— propertees 〈…〉 modytees meruayles of them I â—illyaÌ„ Caxton haue set them fyrst in imprynt accordynge to the translacyon of Treuisa whiche at yâ— request of the lorde Barkeley traÌ„slated yâ— boke of Polyeronycon in to Englysshe ¶ Lately fynyssheâ— and Impaynted at London in Fletestrete at the sy 〈…〉 of the Sonne by wynkyn de Wo 〈…〉 the yere of our lorde god M CCCCC 〈…〉 viij the .ix. daye of Apryll