De Europa et ejus partibus. Capitulum vicesimum primum.

ISIDORUS, libro quarto, seiþ þat Europa haþ the name of Europa, Agenores douȝter, king of Libya; and Iupiter, Page  171, vol.1 kyng of Creta, rauisched Europa, Agenores douȝter. But þis Europa is þe þridde deel of þis worlde wyde,*. [wyde world, Cx.] and bygynneþ fro þe ryuer Tanais*. [Thanai, MS., α.; Thanay, Cx.] and þe water Meotides, and streccheþ dounward by þe norþ occean anon to þe endes of Spayne at þe*. [at þe] atte, Cx.] ylond Gades, and is byclipped by þe*. [Cx. omits þe (twice).] est and also by þe*. [Cx. omits þe (twice).] souþ wiþ þe grete see. In Europa beeþ many prouinces and ylondes, þe whiche now schal be descreued;*. [descryued, Cx.] but firste take hede þat in þe north side of þe world þe water*. [wateris, α.] Meotides and þe ryuer Tanais departeþ atwynne*. [a sonder, Cx.] þe more Asia and Europa. Þe ryuer Tanais haþ þe name of Thanus, þe firste kyng of Scythia. Þat ryuer Tanais bygynneþ from þe hulles Ripheis, and gooþ doun to*. [into, α.] þe see of myddel erþe. Isidorus, libro quarto decimo. Þe lower Scythia þat lond is ful colde,*. [ful of cold, Cx.] and by|gynneþ from þe ryuer Tanais, and streccheþ bytwene þe ryuer Danubius and þe*. [þe] om. α.] norþ occean anon to*. [anon to] vnto the, Cx.] Germania þat contray. Alania is a party of þe lower Scythia, and streccheþ somdel from þe wateres Meotides toward Daciam. Mesia*. [Misia, MSS. of both versions, and Cx., and so below.] þat lond is i-closed in þe north est wiþ þe mouþ of Danubius, and ioyneþ in þe souþ est to Thracia,*. [Tracia, MSS. of both versions, and Cx.] and Page  173, vol.1 in þe south to Macedonia, in þe west to Histria,*. [and in þe . . . Histria] added from α. and Cx.] and in þe south west to Dalmatia. Mesia is a prise*. [pris, α.; good, Cx.] lond of corne and of whete, þerfore þe olde cereris*. [This absurdity is found also in α. and Cx.] cleped hit a berne. Sclauia is a partie of Mesia; þere beeþ also two londes, eiþer hatte Sclauia. Þe more hatte properliche Sclauonia, and conteyneþ som of Dalmatia and Sarmatas, and haþ wylde men and see þeues. Þe lasse Sclauia streccheþ from Wandalia and Bohemia anon to Saxone; and þere ynne beþ more mylde*. [α. and Cx. add men and after mylde.] peple. Pannonia haþ þe name of Penninis Alpibus, þat beeþ*. [beoþ, α.] hulle,*. [hulles, α.] þat beeþ i-cleped Alpes, and þilke hilles departeþ Pannonia and Italia: þere is anoþer Panno|nia be ȝonde þe wateres Meotides in þe ȝonder Scythia. Out of þe more Pannonia Hunni*. [Humi, MS.; Hinny, Cx.] went an huntynge, and passed long by marys and wateres, and folwed þe trace of hertes, ut dicit Herodotus,*. [as Erodotus seyth, Cx.] and so at þe laste*. [atte laste, Cx., and so often.] þei founde þe lasse Pannonia, and torned home aȝen, and fette to*. [toke with, Cx.] hem grete strengþe and com eft*. [agayn, Cx.] in to þe lasse Pannonia, and put out þe men þat were þerynne, and cleped þe lond Hungaria.*. [Hungeria, MS.; Hongaria, Cx.] But a partie þerof hatte Bulgaria, and haþ in þe est side Mesia, in þe souþ est Histria,*. [So α. and Cx.; Historia, MS.] in þe west Alpes, (þe hilles þat so hoteþ,) in þe west Gallia Belgica, þat is Page  175, vol.1 Fraunce, and in þe norþ þat ryuer Danubius and Germania þat lond. Þis lond Bulgaria haþ veynes of golde*. [So α. and Cx.; colde, MS.] and hilles in þe whiche me diggeþ marbel and salt goode at þe best.