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

Of the olde Cites in hit. Capitulum quadragesimum septimum.

Beda, libro primo, capitulo primo. The region of Briteyne was made nowble somme tyme with xxiij^ti nowble cites, ex|cepte castelles innumerable, whiche were made with sure walles, towres, ȝates, and lokkes. Alfridus. These were the names of the cites:—Caerlud, London; Caerbranc, Yorke; Caerkente, Caunterbery; Caergorangon, Worcestre; Caerlirion, Leircestre;

Caerclaw, Gloucestre; Caercolden, Colchestre; Caerrece, Chi|chestre, whiche was callede somme tyme by the Saxones Cis|sanchestre; Caerceri, Cirencestre, called now Ciciter, shortely; Caerwente, Wynchestre; Caergraunte, Cambrige; Ligubalia, Caerliel; Caerperis, Portechestre; Caerdrom, Dorchestre; Caerludcoil, Lyncolne; Caermerthyn, the cite of Merlyne; Caersegen, Silchestre, whiche [is] on Thamys nye to Radynge; Caerthleon, other Caerlegion, that is the cite of legiones, whiche was callede Legecestre, now callede Chestre; Caer|badon, Bathe, whiche was callede somme tyme the city of Achamannus; Caerpaladin, whiche, callede somme tyme Septon, is callede now Shaftesbury. ℞. Also there be other names of cites founde in cronicles obscure to the intellecte, of whom we schalle say somme thynge by ordre. Willelmus de Ponti|ficibus, libro secundo. London is a nowble cite sette on Thamys, hauenge in it nowble marchauntes, wherefore when derthe off vitayles is in Englonde, there thei be moste dere;

and the cause is perauenture other thro the compendiousenes of sellers, other elles thro the dispendy of byers. Gaufridus. Brute, the firste kynge of Briteyne, made that cite of London as the firste and principalle cite of Briteyne in to the memorye of Troye y-loste, callenge hit Trinouantum, that is to saye Newe Troye. After that kynge Lud callede hit after his name, Kaerlud, wherefore the Britones hade indignacion, as Gildas rehersethe, and at the laste Englische men callede hit London. Kynge Ruthudibras, the son of kynge Leille, edifiede Cawnterbury, the princi|palle cite in Kente, whom he callede Caerkente, whiche was callede afterwarde of Englische men Dorobernia; for there is an other towne in that cuntre that is callede Dovernia, [folio 65a] other elles Douoria, whiche is Dover, sette on the brynke of the see of Fraunce; whiche be a sundre by xij. myles of Englische accomptenge, and Dorobernia was callede at the laste Cawnterbury. Kynge Ruthudibras aforeseide made the cite of Wynchestre, whom he callede Caerwente, whiche was callede afterwarde Wenta by Englische men,

or Wynchestre, after an Englische man callede Wyne beenge bischoppe there, to whom alle the weste plage of Saxones was subiecte. Also the same kynge made that cite callede Paladur, and nowe Shaftesbury, where men of Briteyne say an egle to have propheciede somme tyme. Bladud, a nigromancier, and the ix^the kynge of Briteyne, son of kynge Leille, made the cite of Bathe, whom he callede after his propre name Caerbadun, and afterwarde of Englische men Achamannia, and at laste Bathonia, other elles in Englische Bathe. Willelmus de Pontificibus, libro secundo. In that cite be bathes, of whom Iulius Cesar was seide to be auctor. ℞. But Gaufridus Mone|metensis seithe in his boke of Briteyne that kynge Bladud was the firste auctor of theyme; and perauenture William, that see not the boke of Briteyne, seide so by the rehersenge of other men, other elles of his propre con|iecture, lyke as he did wryte mony other thinges. Never|thelesse, thauȝhe kynge Bladud made that cite of Bathe, the bathes scholde seme to be cause [causede, Harl. MS.] that the water ren|nenge

there thro the veynes of sulphur is made hoote natu|rally by that whiche causethe those bathes to be hoote, where scabbes and corrupcion be healede oftetymes. Claudius Cesar made that cite callede Gloucestre, other Claudiocestre, in the tyme of weddenge of his doȝhter, whom he mariede to Aruiragus kynge of Britones. That cite was callede firste of Britones Caerclau, by Claudius afterwarde callede Gloucestre, of Glora duke of that region, whiche is sette ouer the water of Seuerne in costes of Engelonde and of Wales. Shrewsbury is a cite sette in the toppe of an hille on Seuerne, in the costes of Englonde and of Wales, callede somme tyme Schrobbesbury, of busches and trees with frute groenge in that hille somme tyme, whiche is [folio 65b] callede also Pengwern, whiche sowndethe as the hedde of a firre tre, whiche was also somme tyme the principalle place of Powiselonde, extendenge hit ouerthwarde the myddes of Wales vn to the see of Yrlonde. Notyngham

is sette on the water of Trente, callede somme tyme Snotyngham, that sowndethe the mansion of dennes, whom the Danes made there of ston as hit is seide. Lincolne is the chiefe place of the province of Lyndesey, callede firste Caerludcoite, after that Lincolne; the edifi|cacion of whiche cite is not to be hade in certitude withowte that kynge Ludde made hit, as the interpretacion of the name semethe to sownde, for caer, after the langage of Britones, sowndethe a cite, and coyte, a woode, where|fore Caerludcoit is seide as the cite fulle of wood of Ludd. Leir, the x^the kynge of Britones, son to kynge Bladud, made the cite of Leircestre as in the mydelle place of Englonde on the water of Sore, and on the hieweye and diche of the kynge.