An Old English miscellany containing a bestiary, Kentish sermons, Proverbs of Alfred, religious poems of the thirteenth century,

XVIII. The Shires and Hundreds of England. [Jesus Coll. MS. 29, leaf 267.]

Her bigynneþ þe syren. and þe hundredes of enge|londe.

ENgle lond is. eyhte hundred Myle long. from penwyþ steorte. þat is fyfténe Mylen by-yonde Mihhales steowe. on cornwale. fort þat cume. to katenes. þe breade of Engle londe is. þreo hundred myle brod. from Dewyes steowe. to Doueran. On engle londe syndon. two and þrytti schire. summe more and summe lasse. And þreottene byscopryche. And two erchebiscopryche. þat is alles. vyftene biscopryche. On is þe erche|biscophryche of Kanterbury. Oþe þe leod biscopryche. on Rouecestre. þe þridde on lundene. þe feorþe. on Norþwych. þe fyfte; on Cicestre. þe sexte. on wyncestre. þe seoueþe on saresbury. þis bispryche wes hwylen. two bispriche. þeo oþer stól. wes at remmesbury. And þe oþer at schireburne. Ac eadward king. bitauhte þeos two. Heremon biscop. And he myd þes kinges leaue Adylegade. þa twa noman. and makede enne; at sares|buri. þe eyhteoþe. on excestre. þis wes ek two bispriche. Oþer on cornwale. and þe stol wes at seynte Germane. and þe oþer stol; at Bridyport. Ac leofrych biscop. hit makede to one; myd eadwardes kynges leaue. And sette hit to excestre. þe Nyeþe; on Baþun. Ac þes stol; wes at welle. [folio 267b] And Baþe wes Abbodryche. And on willames daye þe yonger kynges. wes þat Abboddie by-numen. And imaked þer Bisscop stol. þurh

iohan. þe teouþe on wirecestre. þe eollefte on hereforde. þe tweolfte. on lycchesfeld. þe þreotteoþe. on lyncholne. Ac þis wes hwile. þreo bisscop-riche. for-þi her-to hereþ .viii. store schire. and on half schire .xiiii. on Dunholme. xv. on Euerwich. þis wes .v. bispriche. On þe erche|bisscop-riche. Oþer. on oþer half þes wateres .iij. on Rypun .iiij. on hwytebi .v. at beuerley. Her beoþ .xv. bispryche.

Swo we biforan queþen .xxxij. schiren. syndan. on engelonde. And Norþhumbre; is wiþ-vtan. And loðen. and westmara-lond. and Cumberlond. And Cornwale. On Cornwale syndan .vii. lutle schire. And scotlaund. And Brutlaund. And wyht. Þes .xxxij. schire syndon. to-delede on þreo lawan. On is west-sexene lawe. Oþer Dene lawe. þe þrydde Mercena lawe. To west-sexene lawe; bi-lympeþ .ix. schiren. [.i.] Kent [ii.] suþsexe. [.iii.] suþeray. [.iiii.] Bearruc schire. [.v.] wiltone schire. On wiltone schire. syndon .xlviii. hundred hida. [.vi.] suþ|hampton. schire. [.vii.] sumerseth schire. [.viii.] Dorset schire. [.ix.] Deuena sch[i]re. To Dene lawe. bilympeþ. xv. schire. Everwich schire. Snotingham. Deoreby schire. Leycestre schire. Lyncolne schire. Hertford schire. Bukingham schire. suþfolk. Norþfolc. Bedeford. sch[i]re .xii. hun|dred hyda. Eastsexe. Grauntebrugge schire .xxv. hun|dred hida. Huntyndune schire; viij. hundred hida. and half hundred. Norhamtone schire .xxxij. hundred. hida. Middelsex. To Mercene lawe; bilimpeþ .viij. schiren. Gloucestre schire; xxxiiij. hundred hida. wyricestre schire; .xij. hundred hida. Hereford schire; xij. hundred hida. warewik schire; xij. hundred hida. Oxeneford schire; xxiiij. [folio 268] hundred hida. Slobschire; xxiiij. hundred hida. Chestre schire; .xij. hundred hida. Stafford schire .v. hundred hida. þis is vnder al; xxvi. þusend hida. and on half hundred.