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

Of the Occean. Isidorus Eth. libro tertio decimo. Capitulum nonum.

THE occean compassethe the erthe in the maner of a cercle, foldenge abowte the regiones of londes, commethe to, and recedethe; the wyndes respirenge and restenge in the profundite of hit, auþer hit flowethe furthe or retractethe the sees in to hit. Plinius, libro secundo, capitulo 99. The heete and feruence of the occean swellethe on Bre|teyne viij^c [A blunder for 80.] cubites and moore, the movenges be depre|hendede raþer abowte the sides of the sees then in an oþer hie sec. For the pulses of the veynes be felede moore in the extremites than in the myddes of the body. Euery heete and feruence hathe more invndacion in the

occean then in the grete see. The cause is for euery thynge is of more animosite and audacite in his vniversalle then his parte parcialle. And also for the patente magnitude felethe by more efficacite the strenȝhte of þe moone then a see coartate; wherefore a lake and other waters be not y-movede in that maner. Plinius, libro 2^o, capitulo 7^o. The occean infusede in to diuerse places towarde londes towchethe alle moste the entiere sees in mony places, in so moche that a parte of the Redde see whiche is callede Arabicus is vnnethe distante from Egipte a c. l^ti m^l of passes. The see callede Caspius is distante by ccc. lxxv. m^l passes from the see callede Eusyne. Beda, De Naturis. Amonge alle the armes of the occean, that hit dothe cause, thre be of moste nowble fame. The firste is the see Gaditan, or Autlantike, whiche brekenge vp from the weste makethe the grete see in the myddes of the erthe. The secunde see is callede the see of Caspius, whiche goenge from the sowthe este, diuidethe the northe parte off Ynde from Scythia, and goethe from that to the see Eusyne. The thrydde is

callede the Redde see, which entrenge from the este parte of the worlde diuidethe the sowthe parte of Ynde from Ethioppe and Egipte, which takenge his progresse from thens is departede in to ij. armes, of whom the [þe . . . the] So Harl. MS., and similarly the MS. of Trevisa on this page has mulleþ and woseth; whence the inconstancy of the use of þ clearly appears, when they were written. See also p. 31.] arme Per|sicalle, or of þe [þe . . . the] So Harl. MS., and similarly the MS. of Trevisa on this page has mulleþ and woseth; whence the inconstancy of the use of þ clearly appears, when they were written. See also p. 31.] cuntre of Perse, dothe aske the northe. The see of Araby askethe the weste towarde the grete see. That Redde see, takenge his name of a redde color whom hyt hathe not naturally, but of nye places to hyt, whiche be redde like to the colour of bloode, where redde precious stones be founde. Solinus. The hilles callede Caspii be nye the see callede Caspius, as longenge to them, hauenge in longitude vij. m^l of passes, in latitude vnnethe [folio 23b] permeable with oxen, the stonys of whom as meltenge thro the veynes of salte mixte amonge theyme causethe an humor affluente; whiche compacte and constructe thro the heete of the sonne, is incorporate as in to yse, and soe the slipper waye deneyethe commenge to theyme. That drye grownde thurstethe as with owte presidye. Then the serpentes take

theire confluence to hyt on euery syde, in so moche that commenge to theyme is denyede, but in wynter. ℞. And after Martian the ȝates of theyme be lockede with cheynes of yrne, whiche be stopped in the somer tyme with serpentes. And after the Maister in storyes, those hilles wente to gedre at the preyers of kynge Alexander. Paulus, in historia Longobardorum, libro primo. Also there be monye deipe places of waters nye to the sydes of the sees, of whom tweyne be in the grete see betwene Ytaly and Sicille. Also there be other swaloes of the see in the occean. Oon of theym is in the weste side of Briteyne the less, y-namede the navelle of the see. That oþer is betwene Briteyne and Fraunce, whiche be seyde to deuoure waters and evomette theyme twyes in a day, drawenge to theyme schippes and puttenge theyme aweye with suche a swiftenesse, that thei appere to folowe the schote of an arowe.