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

De Hibernia. Capitulum tricesimum secundum.

HIBERNIA, þat is Irlond, and was of olde tyme incorporat in to þe lordschippe of Bretayne, so seiþ Giraldus in sua Topographia. Þere he descryueþ it at þe fulle, ȝit it is worþy and semelich to preise þat lond wiþ large preysinge. For to come to cleer and ful knowleche of þat lond, þese tyteles þat folweþ oponeþ þe way: þerfore first me schall telle of [þe] place and stede of þat lond, how greet and what manere lond it is; where of þat lond haþ plente; and where of he haþ defaute; of men þat woned þere first; of maneres of men of þat londe; [of the wondres of þat lond;] of worþynesse of halewes [and] of seyntes.

De situ Hiberniæ locali. Irlond is þe laste of alle þe west ilondes, and hat Hibernia of oon Hiberus of Spayne, þat was Hermonius his broþer. For þese tweie breþeren

gat and whan þis lond by conquest. Oþer it hatte Hibernia of þat ryuer Hiberus, þat is in þe west ende of Spayne. And þat londe hatte Scotland also, for Scottes woned þere somtyme, or þey come into þe oþer Scotland, þat longede to Bretayne. Þerfore it is i-write in þe martiloge: "Suche a day in Scotland Seint Bryde was i-bore;" and þat was in Irlond. Þis lond haþ in þe souþ est side Spayne þre dayes seillynge þennes aside half, and haþ in þe est side þe more Bretayne, þennes a dayes seillynge; in þe west side he haþ þe endeles occean, and in þe norþ side Iselond þre dayes seillynge þennes. Solinus. But þe see þat is bytweene Bretayne and Irlond is al þe ȝere ful of greet wawes and vnesy, so þat me may seelde siker|liche seille bytwene. Þat see is six score myle brood.

De ejus quanto et quali. Irland is an iland grettest after Bretayne, and streccheþ norþward from Brendans hilles anon to þe ylond Columbyna, and conteyneþ eiȝte dayes iorneis, euerich iorney of fourty myle. And from Deuelyn to Patrykes hilles and to þe see in þat side in brede is foore iorneyes. And Irlond is narwer in þe myd|del þan in þe endes, al oþerwise þan Bretayne is i-schape.

As Irlond is schorter norþward þan Bretayne, so is he lenger souþward. Þe lond is not playne; but ful of mountaynes and of hilles, of wodes, of mareys, and of mores: þe lond is nesche, reyny, and wyndy, and lowe by þe see syde, and wiþ ynne hilly and sondy. Solinus. Þere is grete plente of noble pasture and of lese; þerfore bestes moot ofte be dreue out of hir lese, leste þey fede hem self to ful and schende hemself, and þey moste ete at hir owne wille. Giraldus. Men of þat lond haueþ here hele alwey, and straunge men haueþ ofte a perilous fluxe by cause of moysture of mete; þere cowes flesche is hol|som and swynes flesch vnholsom. Men of þat lond haueþ no feuere, but onliche þe feuere agu, and þat wel silde whanne. Þerfore þe holsomnesse [and helþe] of þat lond and þe clennesse wiþoute venyme is worþ al þe boost and richesse of treen, of herbes, of spicerie, of [riche] cloþes, and precious stones of þe est londes. Hit semeþ þat þe helþe

of þat lond is bycause þat þere is noȝt gret passynge and exces in hele noþer in hete.

In quibus rebus sufficit. In þis lond beeþ mo kyn þan oxen, more pasture þan corne, more gras þan seed. Þere is grete plente of samon, of lampreys, of eles, and of oþer see fisch; of egles, of cranes, of pekokes, of corlewes, of sperhaukes, of goshaukes, and of gentil faucouns, and of wolfes, and of wel schrewed mys. Þere beþ attercoppes, blood soukers, and enettes [þat dooþ noon harm]. Þere beeþ veyres litel of body and ful hardy and strong. Þere beeþ bernakes foules liche to wylde gees; kynde bryngeþ hem forþ wonderliche out of trees, as it were kynde worchynge aȝenst kynde. Men of religioun eteþ bernakes in fasting dayes, for þey comeþ nouȝt of flesche noþer beeþ i-gete flescheliche bytwene fader and moder: but þey beeþ ful lewedliche i-meued, for resoun is contrarie to þat doynge. For ȝif a man hadde i-ete of Adams þigh, he had i-ete flesch; and ȝit Adam com nouȝt of flesch,

noþer was i-gete flescheliche bytwene fader and moder. But þat flesch com wonderliche of þe erþe, so þis flesche comeþ wonderliche of þe tree. In þis lond is plente of hony and of mylk and of wyn, and nouȝt of vyneȝerdes. [Solinus and Isidorus wryten that Irlond hath no bees; netheles it were better wryten that Irlond hath bees and no vyneyerdes.] Also Beda seiþ þat þere is grete hunt|ynge of roobukkes, and it is i-knowe þat roobukkes beeþ noon þere. It is no wonder of Beda; for Beda knew neuere þat ilond wiþ his eyȝe; bot som tale tellere tolde hym suche tales. Also þere groweþ þat stoon Saxagonus, and is i-cleped Iris also, as it were þe reynebowe; ȝif þat stoon is i-holde aȝenst þe sonne, it schal schape a reyn|bowe. Þere is i-founde a stoon þat hatte gagates, and white margery perlis.

In quibus rebus deficit. Whete cornes beeþ þere ful smal, vnneþe i-clansed wiþ manis hond; out take men, alle bestes beeþ smallere þere þan in oþer londes. Þere lackeþ wel nyh al manere of fresche water fische, þat is

nouȝt gendred in þe see; þere lakkeþ vnkynde faukouns, girefaukouns, partriche, fesauntes, nyȝtingales, and pies. Þere lakkeþ also roo and bukke and ilspi[les], wontes, and oþere venemous bestes; þerfore som men feyneþ and fauor|abliche seiþ þat Seynt Patryk clensed þat lond of wormes and of venemous bestes. Þerfore som men feyneþ þat it is more probable and more skilful, þat þis lond was from þe bygynnynge alwey wiþ oute suche wormes. For vene|mous bestes and wormes deyeþ þere anon, and me brynge hem þider out of oþer londes; and also venym and poysoun, i-brouȝt þiderward out of oþer londes, leseþ his malys anon as he passeþ þe myddel of þe see. Also powder of erþe of þat lond i-sowe in oþer londes vseþ awey wormes so fer forþ, þat a torf of þat lond i-doo aboute a worme sleeþ hym oþer makeþ hym þrulle þoruȝ þe erþe for to scape a way. In þat lond cokkes croweþ wel litel to fore day; so þat þe firste cokkes crowe in þat lond and þe þridde in oþer londes beeþ i-liche fer to fore day.

Notes

• where, Cx.
• it] Added from Cx.
• larger, α.; Cx.
• I shal, Cx.
• Added from α. and Cx.
• Added from α. and Cx.
• of halowes and saintes of that lond, Cx.; and so α., omitting of that lond.
• height, Cx.
• wan, α., Cx.
• that, Cx.
• So α. and Cx.; more half, MS.
• is] Added from Cx.; ben would be more correct. Several minute variations below are unnoticed.
• þat, MS. (not Cx.)
• soft, Cx.
• Added from Cx.
• must, Cx.
• dryue oute of theyr pasture, leeste they ete ouermoche, for they shold shende hem self, yf they myght ete at theyr wylle, Cx.
• haue comunely theyr helth, Cx.
• straungers, Cx.
• flixe, α.
• flessh of kyen, Cx. (with other slight variations.)
• that right selde, Cx.
• Added from α. and Cx.
• wiþoute] oute of, Cx.
• Added from α. and Cx.
• Thus in Cx: The cause of the helthe and holsomnes of that londe is the attemperat hete and colde that is therinne.
• chele, α.
• keen, α.
• and, α. (not Cx.)
• So α., Cx.; and pekokes, MS.
• eeftes, Cx.
• Added from α. and Cx.
• feyres, Cx.
• bernacles, Cx.
• whiche growen wonderly vpon, Cx.
• nature wrought agayn kynde, Cx.
• on, Cx.
• Cx. thus: by cause they ben not engendryd of flesshe, wherin, as me thynketh, they erre; for reson is ayenst that.
• eten, Cx.
• legge, Cx.
• was not engendred, Cx., with other slight variations, and some omissions.
• So α.; fesche, MS.
• and] om. α.
• This sentence added from Cx.
• to, α.
• that ther ben none, Cx.
• he sawe neuer, Cx.
• somme men had told, Cx.
• sexagonus, Cx.
• anon it, Cx.
• So Cx.; gogathes, MS. and α.
• bee, α.
• i-clensed, α.
• reserued men, Cx.
• of] om. Cx. (a frequent varia|tion); alle manere fische of fresshe water, α.
• partrichis, Cx.
• ilspiles, α.; ylespiles, Cx.
• and that fauourably, Cx.
• But it is, Cx.
• if men, Cx. (as usual).
• theyr, Cx., who has not very consistently replaced he by it just afterwards.
• and, α., Cx.
• caste and sowen, Cx.
• veseþ, α.; driuen, Cx.
• be putte aboute (with other slight variations), Cx.
• þoruȝ] om. α.; thrille the erthe, Cx.
• but, Cx.
• like, Cx.