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

De Numidia. [Numedia, MS. (not Cx.) Va|rious other unimportant deflections from the classical forms will not be noticed.] Capitulum vicesimum.

NUMIDIA haþ in þe est side Syrtes minores, þe lasse Syrtes, a perilous place, [α. and Cx. add in the see.] in þe southe Ethiopia, in þe west Mauritania, and in þe norþ þe see Siculus. In þat lond is Rusicada [Ruscida, MSS. of both versions and Cx.] and Carthago [Cartago, MSS. of both versions and Cx., here and below. Cartage has been retained below, as an En|glish form.] þe grete citee, þat was in þis manere arered and i-buld, as auctors telliþ. Isidorus, libro quinto decimo, capitulo tertio decimo. Phenices, men of Phenicia, þat lond, wente from þe Rede see and bulde [buylded, Cx.; who has buyld below.] þese citees: first in Syria þei bulde Sidon [Sydoun, MS.] and Tyrus, [So α. and Cx.; of Tirus, MS.] in Affrica Utica, in Beotia Thebe, and in þe mouþ of þe west occean Gades; for in olde tyme þe Phenices were grete marchaundes, and passed into dyuers londes wiþ marchaundise þat þei brouȝte, and feng [feng] resseyued, Cx.] þerfore londe and place to bulde on citees and townes. Trogus, libro

octavo decimo. Dido, þat hiȝte Elissa also, went oute of Phenicia wiþ a grete companye of ȝonglynges i-chose, and seilede first into Cyprus. [Cipres, MS., α., Harl. MS.; Cipris, Cx.] And þere þis womman Dido toke wiþ hir foure score maydens for to brynge forþ chil|dren, and com into Affrica, and þere fore ese and reste of here men, þat were wery of seillynge, sche bouȝte as moche lond as sche myȝte byclippe wiþ an oxe hide, [oxe huyde, α.; oxes hyde, Cx.] and kutte [kytte, Cx.] þe hyde into [to, α.; vnto, Cx.] a þong þat was ful long and ful [Cx. omits the second ful.] smal, and biclipped þerwiþ a grete place, and cleped hit Byrsa, þat is a þwong. Isidorus, libro quinto decimo. Oþer Car thada, [Cartada, MSS. of both versions, and Cx.] þat was a newe toun. After þat þe name was chaunged and þe [So Cx. (the); to þe, MS.] place i-cleped Carthago. [thus, Cx.] And so Car|thago was i-buld þre score ȝere and twelue to fore þe citee of Rome. ℞. Papias seiþ þe same; and [and] added from α., and Cx.; the latter has historyes.] stories telleþ þat Rome was i-bulde þe fourþe ȝere of Achaz, kyng of Iuda. Þan ȝif we acounte rediliche and putte to giders foure ȝere of Achaz, xvi. ȝere of Iotham, [Iothas, MS., α.; Ionathas, Cx.] and two and fifty ȝere of Ozias, þat regned to fore Achaz, hit folweþ þat Carthago was i-founded aboute þe firste ȝere of Ozias þe kyng. Neuerþeles Isidorus, libro quinto Eth., and Magister, in [in] added from Cx.]

Historia Scholastica, seiþ þat [as, Cx.] it semeþ þat Carthago was i-founded aboute þe foure and þritty ȝere of kyng Dauid. Marianus seiþ þat Carthago was i-bulde aboute þe fourþe ȝere of Amazias, kyng of Iuda. Þan it may nouȝt stonde þat Virgilius and Phrygius Dares in his storie of þe bataille of Troye seiþ, þat Eneas sih þat womman Dido, for Eneas was dede þre hondred ȝere and more or [ar, α.; er, Cx.] Cartage was i-founded þat Dido foundede; oþer þere was anoþer Dido, an [and, Cx.] elder þan sche; oþer Cartage was raþer [raþer] added from α.] i-founded. [i-buld, α. and Cx.] Þerfore Seynt Austyn, libro primo Confessionum, seiþ þat wise men denyeþ þat Eneas siȝ Carthago oþer Dido þat womman. Þerfore Orosius, libro quarto, seiþ þat Carthago [þat Carthago] added from Cx.] is al aboute two and twenty þowsand paas, and euery wal is fourty cubites [cubit, α.] hiȝe, and þritty foot brood; and þe citee is byclipped wiþ þe see wel nyh al aboute, ou[t] [out, α.; oute, Cx. Trevisa and the Harl. translator seem to have been puzzled with the Latin text.] take faucibus quæ tria milia aperiebantur. [that iij. m. were opend, Cx.]

Mauritania is þe name of twei londes, þe firste Cesariensis, þat haþ in þe est side Numidia, in þe souþ þe grauel of þe see [Cx. omits see.] occean, in þe west þe ryuer Malua, and in þe norþ þe gewes of þe grete see.

Tingitana is þe laste prouince of Affrica, and haþ in þe est side þe ryuer Malua, in þe north þe see Gaditanus, in þe west þe hulle Atlas, and the see

occean. Mauritania haþ þe name of mauron, þat is blak, as it were þe contray of black men. In þis Affrica is þe hulle Atlas in þe west side and ende, nouȝt fer from occean. And Atlas is so hiȝe ouer þe [þe] other, Cx.] hulles, þat lewed men weneþ þat it recheþ to þe mone. Þere is ofte by nyȝte i-seie fire, fauni, and satyri, þat beeþ spiritus [spiritis, α.; sprytes, Cx.] of þe [þe] om. α. (not Cx.)] aier dyuersliche i-schewed. Also þere is ofte i-herde tymbers, pipes, and trompes. Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro octavo decimo. Atlas was an astronomyour, Prometheus broþer; þerfore [for, α.] som men [Cx. omits men.] feyneþ þat Atlas bereþ heuene. And of þis man Atlas þe hul haþ his name and hatte Atlas also, and [it is, Cx.] is so hiȝe þat þe lewed peple weneþ þat he [it, Cx. (and so often.)] bereþ heuene. Take hede þat Puni, Peni, Punici, and Punices also beeþ i-cleped Phenices, Afri, and Cartha|ginienses, as þei were men of Phenicia, of Affrica, oþer of Cartage. For þat womman Dido, [Didoo, α.] þat founded Carthago, was a comlynge, and com of [fro, Cx.] Phenicia.