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

Of the principalle partes of Briteyne. Capitulum quadragesimum tertium. [folio 62a]

THE yle of Briteyne began to haue iij. principalle partes in hit after the firste tymes of Brute, that is to say, Loegria, whiche is callede now Englonde, takenge the name of hit of Locrinus the firste son of Brute, and Wales, and Albania that is now Scottelande. The merkes of whom were firste the see of Fraunce at the este and at the weste. Beda, libro primo, capitulo duodecimo. Also in the northe partes of that cuntre be ij. floodes brekenge vp eiche from other by a grete space, thauȝhe thei towche not to gedre, the este parte of whom begynnethe allemoste by the space of ij. myles from a monastery callede Eburcuring, at the weste of a cite callede Penulton, whiche hathe in hit a cite calledde Tweda. The oþer parte of the weste see begynnethe at

the ryȝhte parte of Alcluid, a cite whiche is putte nye to Cluid, a floode of that name. ℞. Some men wille Loegria, now callede Englonde, to haue an ende at the floode off Humbre, and not to be extended forther towarde the northe. The secunde principalle parte of Englonde was callede Albania, other Scottelande, takenge the name of hit off Albanactus the son of Brute, which extendethe hit from the seide ij. waters to the see of Norway towarde the northe. Neuerthelesse, the sowthe parte of Scotlande, whiche is from the water of Twide vn to the Scottes see, was inhabite somme tyme of the Pictes, whiche perteynede somme tyme to þe cuntre of Northumbrelonde in the firste tymes of kynges of Englonde, vn tylle that Kinadius, kynge of Scottes, son to Alpinus, destroyede the Pictes, and annecte that parte to the realme of Scottelande. The thrydde parte of Bri|teyne is callede Wales, callede Cambria of Camber the son of Brute, whom the water of Seuerne departede somme tyme from Englonde, where now the floode of Dee departethe hit in the northe at Chestre, and the water other floode callede

Vaga departethe Wales from Englonde in the sowthe at the castelle Strigulense. Also kynge Offa causede a longe diche to be made vn to a perpetualle distinccion of the realmes of Englonde and of Wales, whiche extendethe hit [folio 62b] from the sowthe nye to Bristolle, vnder the hilles of Wales, in to the northe; whiche diuidethe as the begynnenges of the waters of Seuerne and of Dee, and protendethe hit vn to the durre of the floode of Dee behynde Chestre nye to the castelle of Flynte, betwene Coolehille and the monastery of Basingwerc. As ȝitte the stappes of that famose dyche remayne, whiche diche to passe was a grete peyne to Walche men, beenge in armes in the tyme of kynge Edwarde, that erle Haraldus procurenge that, as hit schalle be expressede afterwarde, but now Walche men bene permixte with Englische men ouer either diche, and specially in the prouinces of Chestre, of Schroppeschyre, and of Hereforde.