Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden maonachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century.

Capitulum vicesimum.

NUMIDIA hath on the este parte to hit the lesse Syrtes, [Numidia.] of the weste men of Ethiope, on the weste Mauritany, [Mauritamy, Harl. MS., and so below.] and on the northe parte the see of Sicilia. [Silicia, Harl. MS.] This region hathe in hit Rusicada [Ruscida, MSS. of both versions and Cx.] and Carthago, [Cartago, MSS. of both versions and Cx., here and below. Cartage has been retained below, as an En|glish form.] whiche was edifiede in this [Carthago.] maner after auctores. Isidorus, libro vicesimo quinto, capi|tulo tertio decimo. Men off Phenicia, goenge from the Redde See, made the cites of Sidon and of Tyrus in Syria, Utica in Affrike, Thebas in Beotia, Gades in the mowthe of the occean. For a consuetude was vsede amonge theyme somme tyme to goe in to ferre regiones from theire cuntres, and when thei perceyvede the hertes of straunge peple to haue theyme in fauour, thro the merchaundise of newe thynges thei toke places apte to make cites. Trogus, libro

octavo decimo. Dido goenge furthe from theyme, whiche was callede by an other name Elissa, takenge a multitude of yonge men with here, come firste to the yle of Cyprus, [Cipres, MS., α., Harl. MS.; Cipris, Cx.] and [folio 33b] lxxx. virgynes to norysche multiplicacion, come to Affrike, whiche byenge a place þer for noryschenge of men, trauayl|enge as ferre as the skynne of an ox myȝhte extende, causede hit to be kytte in as smalle partes, and so the grownde to be compassede abowte, whiche place was callede Byrsa, [Birisa, Harl. MS.] that is to say, leder. Isidorus, libro xv ^o. Or elles that cite was callėde Carthada, [Cartada, MSS. of both versions, and Cx.] and afterwarde Carthago, whiche cite was edifiede lxx^ti yere afore the cite of Rome. ℞. Papias seythe the same, sythe after alle wryters histo · ricalle Rome was made in the iiij^the yere of Achaz kynge of the Iewere. If these iiij. yere, and xvi. yere of kynge Ioachim, [So the Harl. MS., but Iotham is intended.] and lij^ti yere of kynge Ozias, whiche precedede kynge Achaz, be annumerate, hit is expressede that lij^ti yere resulte þat Carthago was made in the iiij^the yere of Achaz kynge of Iewery. Neuerthelesse Isidorus wille,

Ethimolog., libro v^o, and the Maister in his story scholas|ticalle, that Carthago was edifiede abowte the xxxiiij^ti yere of kynge Dauid; wherefore the seyenge of Virgille and of Phrygius Dares in his story of the batelle of Troye, that Eneas see Dido; or elles hit is to ȝiffe a more elder Dido then this. For Eneas dyede more then iii^c yere afore the edifienge of Carthago, or elles hit wille folowe that Carthago was made a fore. Where of Seynte Austyn seythe in his booke of confessiones, libro primo, in the ende, that wyse men denye Eneas to have seen Carthago. Therefore after Orosius, libro iiij^to, Carthago hade with in the circuite of the walles, xxij. ml. passes. The altitude of the walle was of xl^ti cubites, the latitude of xxx^ti foote alle moste compassede abowte with the water of the see. There be [Maurita|nia.] tweyne Mauritanyes, that firste is Mauritany Cesariense, whiche hathe at the este of hit Numidia, at the sowthe the gravelles of the occean, at the northe the floode callede Malua, of the weste the chekes of the occean. Mauritania

takethe the name of hit of mauron, that is blacke, as the cuntre of blacke men. In whom is the mownte callede Atlas at the weste, not ferre from the occean, whiche is so eleuate [Mons Atlas.] ouer other hilles that is ȝiffen to credence the altitude of hit to towche the cercle of the moone, where claryones and symbales be herde oftetymes in the nyȝhte. Augustinus de Civitate, libro octavo decimo. Atlas was an astronomier [folio 34a] and the broder of Prometheus, whiche was feynede to berre heuyn, of whom this hille callede Atlas toke the name of hit, whom commune peple suppose to berre heuyn for the huge altitude of hit. Also hit is to be attendede that Puni, Peni, Punici, and Punices be callede as welle men of Phenicia of Affrike and of Carthago, for Dido dwellenge in it was of the londe of Phenicia.