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

Of yles adiacente and nye to Briteyne. Capitulum quadragesimum quartum.

AND the yles excepte whom Claudius Cesar causede to perteyne to Briteyne, that londe hathe iij. yles nye to hit as corespondente to thre principalle partes of Briteyne: for the yle of Wyȝhte lyethe nye to the sowthe parte of Englonde. And at the northe parte of Wales is an yle whiche is callede Monia other Anglesey, and also the yle of Man at the weste parte of Scotlande, whiche be allemoste of oon quantite, of whom hit schalle be seide by ordre. Beda, libro primo, capitulo tertio. That yle of Wiȝhte, whom Vespasian sende [So Harl. MS.] from Claudius did subiugate, is pro|tended from the este in to the weste by xxx^ti myles, beenge from the sowthe in to the northe by xij. myles, and from the side of the sowthe see of Briteyne by vj. myles in the este parte of hit, and by thre myles in the weste. Beda, libro quarto capitulo quinto decimo. The measure of that

yle after the estimacion of peple of Englonde is of m^lcc. townes [places, MS. (first hand).] other howseholdes. Giraldus in Itinerario. The yle of Monia, whiche otherwise callede Anglesey, is de|partede from Northe Wales by ij. myles, as by a lytelle arme of the see, whiche conteynethe ccc. lx. and iij. townes, and [folio 63a] hit is acomptede as for thre cantredes, hauenge as xxx^ti myles in longitude and xij. myles in latitude; and a cantrede is callede as welle in the langage of Englonde, as in the langage of Irlonde, a porcion of erthe other grownde con|teynenge an c. townes. In to the lawde of whom hit is wonte to be seide prouerbially in Walesche, Monia mam [man, Harl. MS.] Kymry, whiche sowndethe in Englische, Anglesey is the moder of Wales; for other londes wontenge vitelles that cuntre is habundante, in so moche that Angleseye in corne and Snawdon hilles in pasture scholde suffice as by esti|macion alle the peple of Wales and alle the bestes of that

cuntre to theire pasture. Also there is a swalo in that arme of the see whiche dothe departe Northe Wales from that yle, drawenge schippes to hit, with owte that schippemen passe hit subtily at the fulle see. ℞. The reder of this processe may fynde of other mervayles of that cuntre in the chapitre of Wales. Giraldus, in Itinerario. That other yle whiche is callede Euvonia, other elles the yle of Man, is seide to be as in the mydde see betwene Vlster in Yrlonde, and the Scottes of Galaweye. Beda, libro primo, capitulo nono. Of whiche yle a contencion was made wheþer hit scholde perteyne to Englonde, other elles to Yrlonde, and men brouȝhte wormes and vermyn to hit, and for cause that londe suffrede the wormes to lyve, thei seide that grownde to longe to Englonde and not to Yrlonde.

℞. In whiche yle wycchecrafte ys exercisede moche, for. women þer be wonte to selle wynde to the schippemen commenge to that cuntre, as includede vnder thre knottes of threde, so that thei wylle vnloose the knottes lyke as thei wylle haue the wynde to blawe. Beda, libro secundo. That yle was inhabite firste of the Scottes. Also there is an yle nye to Kente callede Thanatos, namede so of the dethe of serpentes, the erthe of whiche yle brouȝhte in to other cuntres sleethe serpentes; whiche yle is plentuous; and mony men say that yle to haue bene blessede by Seynte Austyn, the firste doctor of Englonde londenge there firste.