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

The secunde Preface vn to the storye. Capitulum tertium.

AND for cause that this cronicle presente conteynethe the gestes of mony tymes, I haue studiede that hit schal be called Policronicon of the pluralite of tymes whom it dothe conteyne. In whiche werke y haue subdiuidede in to vij. bookes, after the exemple of the firste Maker makenge alle thynges vnder the nowmbre of vj. and rest|enge in the vij^the. The firste boke of whom describethe the places of the worlde, other vj. bookes describe the gestes of the worlde after the nowmbre of vj. ages. Mappa mundi is describede in the firste boke of this werke, in the maner of a diuision genericalle in to a di|uision specificalle. After that the worlde is diuidede as in to his partes principalle. In the thrydde euery par|cialle province is discussede, till hit be commen to Breteyne the last prouince, as vn to a specialite moste specialle for

whom his present storye was made. In whiche place xv. chapitres bene contexte, not as summary, but as conteyn|enge necessarily the knowlege of the yle of Bryteyne. The secunde boke tretethe of the gestes of the worlde, with a descripsion of the lesse worlde. Sythe the gestes of euery age be not egalle in multitude, and euery booke chalang|ethe his particion in contentes, þerfore the secunde boke conteynethe the gestes of the iiij. ages of the world, from the plasmacion of Adam vn to the incension of the temple of the Iewes. The thrydde boke conteynethe from the trans|migracion off the peple to the commenge of Criste. The iiij^the from Criste to the commenge of Saxones. The v^the from theym to the commenge of Danes. The vj^the from that to the commenge of Normannes. The vij^the from theyme to our age. And soe this presente story is smyten in to vij. ryuerers, after the prophecy of Ysay that men y-schoede may goe by hyt, and þat the weye may be patente to the residu peple of God.