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

Capitulum septimum.

Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro decimo octavo, capitulo primo. This peple diuided in to the worlde, and folowenge the lustes of ambicion, seenge that thynge not to be suffici|aunte that was desirede, was diuidede amonge theyme selfe;

and the stronger parte oppressede the parte more feble, preferrenge liberte to theire sawle healethe, to be hade in grete meruayle, wyllenge raþer to die then to be subiecte; sythe nature willethe rather to be subiecte then to be de|stroyede: whiche thynge was not doen with owte the proui|dence of God, that somme scholde be gouernoures in realmes and somme subiectes. Isidorus, libro octavo, capitulo tertio. Therefore peple descendenge from Sem, the firste son of Noe, hade in possession the londe meridien, whiche was from the rysenge of the son to the Feniceannes vnder xxvij^ti langages, occupienge cccc. and vj. cuntres. And men that come of Cham occupied ccc. xc. cuntres and iiij., vnder xxx^ti langages, from Sydon by the sowthe ocean vn to the see Gaditan. Augustinus, libro sexto. And men that come of Iapheth occupiede from the mounte callede Taurus towarde the northe, and halfe parte of Asia, and alle Europa vn to the see of Briteyne, conteynenge cc. cuntres, vnder xv. langages, levenge to the places and to

the peple names. Of whom mony thynges be chaunged now, other of kynges of those places, other of the places, other elles thro the maneres of the inhabitatores of theym. Other thynges be permanente as thei were, as men of As|siria toke theire name of Assur, men of Hebrewe of Heber. Ozee, libro primo, capitulo quinto. Men of Ethiope be callede vn to this tyme Chusei, of Chus, and men of Egipte Mesrei, of Mesra. Soe this peple, diuided by regiones and cuntrees, some men haue ȝiffen names to places, somme men haue ȝiffen names to them after theire pleasure, like to men off Grewe. Somme men haue chaungede the names for feirenesse of scripture, other for the delectacion of men redenge, other elles that thei myȝhte ascribe to theyme the lawde of olde men as theire propre lawde. Hugutio, capitulo Frigia. Diuerse names be assignede ofte for the qualite of labores, as callenge men of Troy Frigios, when we wille calle thyeme afrayede, callenge theyme Dardanos when thei be gentille, and Troianes when we wille calle theyme myȝty, and Hectores when we calle theyme bolde. Isidorus, libro decimo quarto, capitulo se|cundo. Peple of the este sownde the wordes in the throte,

as men of Hebrewe and of Siria, peple of the myddel cuntre breke theire wordes in the hier parte of the mowthe, as men of Grece and of Asia, men and peple of the weste breke theire wordes amonge the teithe, as men of Rome and of Speyne. Augustinus de Civitate, libro octavo de|cimo, capitulo primo. Neuerthelesse the realmes of Assiria, Media, or of Persia, of Grekes and of Romanes, by succes|sion were realmes moste principalle amonge other realmes, as vn to progresse, the firste of whom and the laste were moste clere and durable. And other realmes and kynges were as dependenge to theyme; for the gestes of kynges of Athenes were made more glorious in fame than thei were in trawthe, and that was causede by the actes of phi|losophers and of other discrete men inhabitenge that study, exaltenge the gestes with grete lawde. ℞. And for cause that a generalle tracte of the iiij. principalle realmes afore seide, from the begynnenge of that realme of Assiria vn to the ende of the reigne of the Romanes, dothe require a large [folio 78b]

processe, þerfore we wylle procede and determinate of the thre firste realmes as egalle to hit.

Notes

• So Harl. MS. for Iosephus.