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

Of Briteyne, otherwise callede Englonde. Capitulum tri|cesimum nonum.

AFTER the yles of the occean hit pleasethe vs to describe [folio 59a] Briteyne, for cause of whom this presente story and cronicle was compilede. Where hit schalle be seide firste of the diuersite of names of that yle. In the secunde of the site of hit and dimencion. In the thrydde of the prerogatiues of hit to be extollede. In the iiij^the of meruayles in hit to be hade in wondre. In the v^the of the principalle partes in hit. In the vj^the of yles colateralle to hit. In the vij^the of the kynges hye weyes. In the viij^the of famose floodes. In the ix^the of olde cites. In the x^the of prouinces and of schires. In the xj^the of lawes and of the hard wordes of hit. In the xij^the of the realmes and of the merkes of theyme.

In the xiij^the chapitre of byschopryches, and of the setes of þeim. In the xiiij^the of how mony, what peple, and when that londe was inhabite. In the xv^the of the lan|gage of the inhabitatores of hit, and of the maneres of theyme. Of diuersite of names of the yle of Briteyne. That yle was callede firste Albion, of white hylles ap|perenge a ferre abowte the brynkes of the see. And at the laste hit was callede Briteyne by Brute gettenge hit. After that hit was callede Englonde of the Saxones other Englishe men conquirenge hit. Other elles hit was callede Anglia, of Angela qwene and doȝhter of the nowble duke of Saxones, whiche hade that londe in possession by mony yeres. Other elles, after Ysoder, Ethi., xv^o li^o, Anglia, whiche is callede Englonde, toke the name of hit of an angle of the worlde: other elles, after Bede in his firste booke, blessede Gregory seenge childer of Englonde to be sette furthe to be solde at Rome seide: Now truly thei may be callede Englishe men (Angells or Angellysmen), for the

chere of theyme dothe ȝiffe grete resplendence lyke to an angelle; for the nobilite of the londe schewethe in the siȝhte of the childre. That londe of Englonde is callede as that other worlde, whom Grete Charles the kynge [folio 59b] callede his chambre for þe habundaunce of plente of alle goode thynges. Solinus. For the costes of Fraunce scholde be as an ende of the worlde, but that Briteyne deseruethe allemoste the name of an other worlde. Alfr. That londe of Englonde is callede an yle, in that hit is trowblede ofte with waters and with þe incurses of enmyes.

Notes

• This is marked cap. xl. in Harl. MS.; but the capitulation is here and elsewhere brought into agree|ment with the Latin text.
• The words in a parenthesis are inserted in a later hand.