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

De Wallia. Capitulum tricesimum octavum.

How [Now, α.; now this, Cx.] þe book takeþ in [on, α.] honde Wales to fore Engelonde; So I take my tales And wende forþ [forþ] om. Cx.] in to Wales, To that noble brood Of Priamus his [his] om. Cx.] blood, Knoweleche for to wynne Of greet Iubiter his [Jupiters, Cx.] kynne, For to haue in mynde Dardanus [So α. and Cx.; Bardanus, MS.] his kynde. In þis [thyse, Cx.] foure titles I fonde To telle þe state [mervayll, α.] of þat londe. Cause of þe name I schal telle, And þan preise þe lond I [I] om. α.; and welle, Cx.] welle. Than I schal write wiþ my pen Alle þe maneres of þe men. Than I schal fonde To telle mervailes of þe londe.

Wales hatte now [now hatte, α.; now is called, Cx.] Wallia, And somtyme hiȝte [heet, α.; it heet, Cx.] Cambria, For Camber, Brutes sone, [Of the name, how it is named Wales. [Marginal summaries added everywhere from Cx.] ] Was kyng, [prynce, α., Cx.] and þere dede wone; Þan Wallia was to mene, For Gwalaes the quene, Kyng Ebrank his childe, Was wedded þider mylde. And of þat lord Gwaloun Wiþdraweþ lettres of þe soun. And putte to L, I, and A, And þow schalt fynde Wallia. And þey þat this [though this, Cx.] londe Be wel [moche, Cx.] lasse þan Engelonde, As good glebe is oon as other, In þe douȝter and [and] as, Cx.] in [in] om. α. (not Cx.)] þe moder. They þat londe be luyte, [Of the commo|dytees of the lond of Wales.] Hit is ful of corne and fruyte; [of fruyte, α.] And haþ grete plente i-wys [ywys, Cx. (conjunctim.)] Boþe of flesche, and of [Of flesshe and eke of, Cx.] fische; Of bestes, tame and wylde, Of hors, schepe, and oxen mylde; Good lond for alle sedes For corn, herbes, and gras þat [Here and elsewhere in these verses, Caxton has printed the word thus: þ^t; but perhaps in every other instance he replaces þ by th.] spredes.

There beeþ wodes and medes, Herbes and floures þere spredes; There beeþ ryuers and welles, Valeies and also helles; Valeys bryngeþ forþ food, And hilles metal riȝt good, [metals good, Cx.] Col [So α.; Cool, Cx.; Gold, MS.] groweþ vnder lond, And gras aboue at þe hond; [atte honde, Cx. (a frequent va|riation.)] There lyme is copious, And sclattes also for hous. Hony, mylk, and whyte [Hony and mylke whyte, Cx. (wrongly; see text.)] There is deyntees, [deynte, Cx.] and not lyte. Of braget, [braket, Cx.] meth, [mede, α.] and ale Is grete plente in þat vale. [So α. and Cx.; and þat in vale, MS.] And al þat nedeþ to þe lyue Þat lond bryngeþ forþ ful ryue. But of greet riches forto [forto] to be, Cx.] drawe Meny in a schort [And close many in short, Cx., probably rightly.] sawe, Hit is in a corner smal; And [And] om. Cx.] as þei God first of al Made þat lond so feele [So α; fele, Cx.; freele, MS.] To be celer [selere, Cx.] of al heele. Walys is deled by A water þat hatte Twy. [So also Cx.; Tiwy, α.]

Norþ Wales from þe south Twy [Tiwy, α.] deleþ in place ful couþ. [fu kouth, α.] The south hatte Demesia, And þe oþer Venedocia; The firste scheteþ and arwes [arowes, Cx.] beres, And þe oþer [That other, Cx.] deleþ alle wiþ speres. I [In, α., Cx.] Wales how it be Were somtyme contrees þre; At Karmarthyn was þat oon, And þat oþer was in Moon; [Mone, Cx. (who prints one above.)] The þridde was in Powisy In Pengwern, þat now is Schroysbury. [Shrousbury, Cx.] There were bisshopes seuene, And now beeþ foure euene, Vnder Saxons al at honde; Somtyme vnder princes of þat lond. The manere leuynge of þat lond [Of maner and rites of the Walss|men.] Is wel dyuers from Engelond, In mete and drynk and cloþinge. And many oþer doyng. They beeþ cloþed wonder wel In a scherte and in [in] om. α. (not Cx.)] a mantel; A crisp breche wel fayn Boþe in wynd and in rayn.

In þis cloþynge þey beeþ bolde, Þeyȝ þe weder be riȝt colde; Wiþ oute schetes alway Euermore in þis array They gooþ, fiȝteþ, pleieþ, hoppeþ, and [hoppeþ and] om. Cx.] lepeþ, Stondeþ, sitteþ, liggeþ, [lye, Cx.] and slepeþ, Wiþ oute sorcot, gowne, coote, [koot, α.] kirtelle; Wiþ gipoun, [iopen, Cx.] tabard, cloke, and [or, Cx.] belle; Wiþ oute lace and chapelet, þat hire lappes, Wiþ oute hodes, hatte, or cappes. Thus arraied gooþ þe geggis, [So α.; segges, β., Cx. (quid?); gigges, MS.] And alle [alwey, α.] wiþ bare legges; He [They, Cx. (twice.)] kepeþ non oþer goyng, [So Cx.; þing, MS.] Þey he [They, Cx. (twice.)] mete wiþ þe kyng. Wiþ arwes and schort speres Þey fiȝteþ wiþ hym [hem, α.; them, Cx.] þat hem deres. They fiȝteþ better, ȝif hit nedeþ, [they neden, Cx.] Whan þey gooþ þan whan þei rideþ. [The metre requires redeþ.] Instede of castel and toure They taken mareys and wodes [wode and marys, α.] for socour, Whan þey seeþ þat hit is to do, [So α. and Cx.; I doo, MS.] In fiȝtinge þey wil be a goo. Gildas seiþ þey be variable In pees, and no þing stable. Ȝif me axeþ why hit be, Hit is no [no] om. Cx.] wonder forto se,

They men i-putt out of londe To putte out oþere wolde fonde. But al for nouȝt at þis stounde, For [For al, Cx.] meny wodes beeþ at grounde; And vppon þe see among Beeþ castellis [So α.; castell, MS.; castels, Cx., who omits ful.] i-buld ful strong. The men may dure longe vnete, And loueþ wel comune mete; They conne ete and be [ben, Cx.] mury [So also Cx.; merye, α.] Wiþ oute grete kewery. [cury, Cx.] They eteth brede, colde and hote, Of barliche and of oote; Brood cakes, round and þynne, As wel semeþ so grete kynne. Seelde þey eteþ brede of whete, And seelde þey dooþ oues ete. They haueþ growel [grewel, α.; gruel, Cx.] to potage, And a leke is skyn [a leke his kyn, α.; And lekes kynde, Cx.] to compernage; [companage, Cx.] Also butter, melk, and chese [chyse, α.] I-schape euelong and cornered wise. [corner wese, Cx.] Swiche [suche, α., Cx.] messes þey eteþ snel; And þat makeþ hem drynk wel. Mede [Methe, Cx.] and ale, þat haþ myȝt, Ther ynne [Theron, Cx] þey spendeþ day and nyȝt. Euere þe redder is þe wyn, Þey holdeþ it þe more fyn;

Whan þey drynkeþ at þe [at þe] atte, Cx., and so commonly.] ale, They telleþ meny a lewed tale. For whan drynk is in handelyng Þey beeþ ful al [al ful, α.] of iangelynge. At þe mete, and after eke, Hir solace is salt and leke. The housbonde in his wise Telleþ þat a grete prise, To ȝeue a caudron [gawdron, α.] wiþ grewel To hym þat sitteþ at [hem that sitten on, Cx.] his mel, He deleþ his mete at þe mel, And ȝeueþ eueriche manis del, [The lines are transposed in MS. (not α.)] And alle the ouer pluse He kepeþ to his owne vse. [house, α.] Therfore þey haueþ woo And myshappes also, They eteþ hote samoun alway, They [All though, Cx.] phisik seie nay. Here hous [howses, Cx.] beþ lowe wiþ alle, I-made [And made, Cx.] of ȝerdes smalle; Nouȝt, as in citees, nygh, But fer atwynne, and not to hiȝe. [So α.; nygh, MS.] Whan al is i-ete [eten, Cx.] at home, Þanne to her neighebores wil þey rome; And ete what þey may fynde and see, And þanne torne home aȝe.

The lyf is idel, þat þei ledes, In brennynge and [and] om. Cx., perhaps rightly.] slepynge and such dedes. Walsche men vseþ wiþ hir myȝt To wasche here gestes feet at nyȝt; [anyȝt, α., Cx.] Ȝif he wasche here feet, al and some, Þanne þey knoweþ þey beeþ welcome. They leueþ so esiliche in arowte, [a rowte, Cx. (which is also good.)] Þat seelde þey bereþ purse aboute. At here breche out and at home They hengeþ [hongeþ, α.] boþe money and come. [combe, Cx.] Hit is wonder þey beeþ so hende, And hateþ a crak of þe neþer ende, And with oute [ony] [Added from Cx. (not in α)] core Makeþ her wardrope at þe dore. They haueþ in greet mangerie Harpe, tabor, and pype for mynstralcie. They bereþ forþ cors [corps, Cx., who has also sorow.] wiþ sorwe grete; Þey bloweþ [And bloweþ, α.; And blowe, Cx.] lowde hornes of geete. They preiseþ faste Troian blood, For þere of come al hir brood; Nigh [Nyȝ, α.] kyn þey wil [wole, α.] bee Þey he [they, Cx. (not α.)] passe an hondred gree. [degree, Cx.] Aboue oþer men þey wil hem [So α.; hym, MS.] diȝte; And worschippeþ preostes wiþ her myȝte;

As aungeles of heuene riȝt Þey worschippeþ seruantes of God almyȝte. Oft gyled [So α. and Cx.; Of giles, MS.] was this brood, And ȝerned batail al for wood, For Merlyns prophecie, And ofte for sortelegie. [So α. and Cx.; sortelogie, MS.] Bestial [So γ.; Ms. best in.] maneres of Bretouns, [Cx. puts a full stop after Bri|tons. It is almost certain that for best in we should read bestly.] For companye of Saxouns, Beeþ i-torned to beter riȝt; Þat is knowe as clere as liȝt. Thei tilieþ [tillen, Cx.] gardyns, feeld, and downes, And draweþ hem to gode townes; They rideþ i-armed, as wolde [wol, α.; wole, Cx. The text seems corrupt.] God, And gooþ i-hosed and i-schod; And sitteþ faire at hir mele, And slepeþ in beddes faire and wele. [fele, Cx.] So þey semeþ now in mynde More Englische men þan Walsche kynd; Ȝif me axeþ whi þey dooþ now soo, [now doo so, Cx.] More þan þey were woned [they woonte, Cx.] to doo, They leueþ in more pees, By cause of hir riches. For hir catel schulde slake, And [If, Cx.] þey vseþ ofte wrake. Drede of losse of here good Makeþ hem now stille of mood;

Alle in oon hit is brouȝt; Haue no þing and drede nouȝt. The poete seiþ a sawe of preef, Þe foot man lereþ synge [foteman singeth, Cx.] to fore þe þeef, And is wel bolder on his [is bolder on the, Cx.] way Þan þe horsman [horsmen, Cx.] riche and gay. There is a pole at Breigheynok, [Brechnok, Cx.] [Of the marueylles and won|ders of Wales.] There ynne of fische is many a flok; Ofte he chaungeþ his hewe on cop, And bereþ aboue a gardyn crop; Ofte tyme, how it be, Schap of hous þere þou schalt [shal (sic) thou, Cx.] see, Whan þe pole is frore, hit is wonder Of þe noyse þat is þere vnder; Ȝif þe prince of þe lond hote, Briddes syngeþ wiþ mery [singe wel mery, Cx.] note, As mery [merily, Cx.] as þey kan, And syngeþ for noon oþer man. Bysides Carleoun, [Carlion, Cx.] Tweyne [Twa, Cx.] myle from þe toun, Is a roche wel briȝt of leme Riȝt aȝenst þe sonne beme; Gold clif þat roche hiȝte, For he [it, Cx. (and so often.)] schyneþ as gold ful briȝte; Suche a floure in stoon is nouȝt Wiþ oute fruyt, and [if, Cx. (and so often.)] hit were souȝt;

Ȝif me kouþe [men coude, Cx.] by craft vndo Þe veynes of þe erþe, and come þerto. Many benefices [benefyce, Cx.] of kynde [knynde, MS.] Beeþ now i-hidde fro manis mynde, And beeþ vnknowe ȝit, For defaute [deuaute, α.] of manis wit. Grete tresour is hid in grounde, And after þis it schal be founde By greet studie and besynesse Of hem þat comeþ after vs. Þat olde men hadde by grete nede, We haueþ be [by, Cx.] besy dede. Treuisa. [This and the following reference added from α. and Cx. (the former has only a space for ℞.)] In bookes ȝe may rede, Þat kynde failleþ not at nede; Whanne no man hadde craft in mynde, Þan of craft halp God and kynde; Whan no techere was in londe, Men hadde craft by Goddes sonde; [honde, Cx.] Þey þat hadde craft so þenne Tawȝte forþ craft to oþere menne; Som craft, þat ȝit come nouȝt in place, Somme men schal haue by Goddis grace. ℞. An [And, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] ilond is wiþ noyse and strif In West Wales at Cardif, [and Kardyf, α.; Kerdyf, Cx.] Faste by Seuerne [Seuarn, Cx.] stronde; Barry hiȝte þat ilonde. In þe hider [hiȝ hider, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] side in a chene [chyne, α.] Þow schalt here a wonder dene, And dyuerse noyse also, Ȝif þou putte þyn ere to.

Noyse of leues and of wynde, [This line is absent from MS.] Noyse of metal þou schalt fynde; Frotinge of iren and whestones þou schalt hire, Hetynge ouenes [of ouenes, α.] þan wiþ fire; Al þis may wel be By wawes of þe see, Þat brekeþ in þare Wiþ suche noyse and fare. At Penbrook in a stede Fendes dooþ ofte quede, And þroweþ foule þing ynne, And despiseþ also synne. Noþer craft ne bedes may Do [So α. and Cx.; De, MS.] þennes þat sorwe away; Whan hit greueþ soo To þe men hit bodeþ woo. At Crucinar [So α. and Cx.; Crucina, MS.] in West Wales Is a wonder buriales; Euerich man, þat comeþ hit to see, Semeþ it euene as moche as he; Hool wepoun þere a nyȝt Schal be i-broke er day lyȝt. At Nemyn [So MS. and α.] in Norþ Wales A litel ilond þere is, Þat hatte Bardeseie; [Bardysey, Cx.] Monkes woneþ þere alweie.

Men lyueþ so longe in þat hurste, Þat þe eldest deiȝeþ furst. Me seiþ þat Merlyn i-buried þere is, Þat hiȝte also Siluestris. There were Merlyns tweyne And prophecied alle [alle] om. α. and Cx.] beyne. Oon hiȝte Ambrose and Merlyn, And wes i-gete of [y-goten by, Cx.] gobolyn. In Demecia at Caermerthyn, Vnder kyng Fortigeryn, [Vortigerin, Cx.] He tolde oute his prophecie; Euene in Snawdonye. At þe heed of þe water of Conewy, [Coneway, Cx.] In þe side of mount Eryry, Dynays Embreys a [α] in, Cx. (not α.)] Walsche, Ambrose his hille on [on] in, Cx. (not α.)] Englisch, Kyng Fortigern [Vortigere, Cx.] sat on Þe water side, and was wel ful of woon. Þan Ambrose Merlyn prophecied so To fore hym þere riȝt þoo. [tho, Cx.] [Trevisa] [This and the following reference omitted in MSS. and Cx.] What wight [witte, Cx., who omits now below.] wolde wene Þat a fend myȝt now gete a [Om. α.] childe? Som men wolde mene, Þat he may no werk soche wilde. [no such werk welde, Cx.] That fend þat gooþ a nyȝt, Wommen wel [ful, α., Cx.] ofte to begile, [gile, Cx.] Incubus hatte be ryȝt; And gileþ men oþer while, Succubus is þat wight: God graunte vs non suche vile. Who þat in hir myȝt [So also β., γ.; Who that cometh in hir gyle, Cx. The text is very obscure, and per|haps corrupt.] Comeþ wonder hap schal [Wonder happe shal he, Cx. [So also β., γ.]] smyle.

Wiþ wonder dede Boþe men and wommen sede Fendes wyl kepe Wiþ craft, and brynge in on hepe. [bringe an heepe, Cx.] So fendes wilde May make wommen bere childe; Ȝit neuere in mynde Was childe of fendes kynde. For wiþ oute eye There myȝte childe non suche [no suche child, Cx.] deye. Clergie makeþ mynde Deeþ sleeþ nouȝt [no, Cx.] fendes kynde; But deth slowe Merlyn, Merlyn was ergo no gobelyn. [℞.] Anoþer Merlyn of Albalonde, [Albin lond, Cx.] Þat now hatte Scottelonde, Hadde [And he had, Cx.] names two, Siluestris and Calidonius also, Of þat wode Calidonie, For þere [So Cx. (there); þat, MS., α.] he tolde his prophecie; And heet Siluestris as wel, For whan he was in [a] [Added from α.] batel, And sigh [sawe, Cx.] aboue a grisliche kynde, And fil anon out of his mynde; And made no more bood, [abood, Cx.] But ran [ran anon, Cx.] to þe wood. Treuisa. [This and the following refer|ence added from Cx.] Siluestris is wood, Other wilde of mood; Other elles, Þat at þe wode he dwelles. [welles, α.] ℞. Siluestris Merlyn Tolde prophecie wel and fyn, And prophecied ful sure [soure, α.] Vnder kyng Arthure,

Openliche, nouȝt [and not, Cx.] so cloos As Merlyn Ambros. There beeþ hilles in Snowdowye, Þat beeþ wonderliche hiȝe, Wiþ heiȝte as grete way [a waye. Cx.] As a man may goo a day; And hiȝte [hatte, α.; heete, Cx.] Eryry in Walische, [on Walsshe, Cx.] Snowy hilles on Englische. In þese hilles þere is Leese i-now for al [al beestes of, Cx.] Walis; Þis hil in þe cop berys Tweye grete fische werys, Conteyned in þe oon [that one, Cx.] pond; Meueþ wiþ the wynd an ilond, As þeigh he dede swymme, And neiȝeth [neiȝheþ, α.] to þe brymme; So þat herdes haueþ greet wonder And weneþ þat þe world meueþ vnder. In þe oþer is perche and trouȝtis, [trowȝtis, α.; and fysshe, Cx.] Euery fysshe one eyed is; [So Cx., omitting fysshe; And oþer fische on euery side is, MS., α.] So fareþ as wel In Albania þe Milewel. [Meluel, α.; Mylwel, Cx.] In Ruthlond by Tygentil [Tegentil, α.; Tetingel, Cx.] There is a litel [lite, α.] welle,

Þat floweþ nouȝt alway, As þe see twies a day; But somtyme it is drye, And somtyme al ful vp to [to] by, α., Cx.] þe yȝe. There is in North Wallia In Mon, þat hatte Angleseia, A stoon, acordynge ful [wel, α.] nyhe As hit were a manis þyghe; How fer euere þat stoon Be i-bore of eny moon, A [On, Cx.] nyght he gooþ hoom his way. Þat he fonde by assay How, [Hughe, Cx.] þe erle of Schroisbury, [Srouysbury, α.; Shrewsbury, Cx.] In tyme of þe firste Henry; [Harry, Cx.] For he wolde þe soþ fynde, Þat stoon to anoþer he gan bynde [So α. and Cx.; another kynde, MS.] Wiþ grete cheynes of ire, And þrewe al in fyre [So α.; al in þe fyre, MS.; al y feren, Cx.] I-bounde at oon hepe In to a water depe. Ȝet a morwe þat stoon Was i-seie erliche in Moon. A cherl helde hymself ful sligh, [slyȝ, α., which has both þigh and þiȝ below.] And bonde þat stoon to his þigh; His þigh was roted [roten, Cx.] or day, And þe stoon went away.

Ȝif me dooþ [men don, Cx. (as usual.)] leccherie Nigh þat stoon faste bie, [that stone by, Cx.] Swoot comeþ of þe stoon, But child comeþ þere noon. There is a roche wel [right, Cx.] wonderly, Þe roche of herynge be contrary, Theyȝ þere crie eny man i-born, And blowe also wiþ an [So Cx.; wiþoute, MS., a.] horn, Noyse þat is þere i-made, þeiȝ þou abide, Þow schalt here non in þis side. Þere is anoþer ilond Faste by Mon at þe hond, Heremytes þere beeþ ryue; Ȝif·ony of hem dooþ stryue, Alle þe mys þat may be gete Comeþ and eteþ al hir mete; Þanne ceseþ neuere þat woo, Ar þe strif [So a. and Cx.; firste, MS.] cese also. As men in þis londe Beeþ angry, as in Irlond, So seyntes of þis contray Beeþ also wrechefull alway. Also in þis lond, In Irlond, and in Scotlond

Ben [So Cx.; Boþe, MS., a.] belles and staues [That] [Added from Cx.] in worschippe men haues, And beeþ worschipped [so] [Added from a. and Cx.] þanne [Of] [Added from Cx.] clerkes and lewed menne, Þat dredeþ also To swere by [on, Cx.] ony of þo Staf oþer belle, As hit were þe gospelle. At Basyngwere [Basyngwerke, Cx.] is a welle, Þat sacer hiȝt, as men dooþ telle. Hit springeþ so sore, as men may see, What is cast yn, it þroweþ aȝee. Þere of springeþ a grete stronde; Hit were i-now for al þat londe. Seke at þat place Haueþ boþe hele and grace. In þe welmes ofter þan ones Is y-founde reed splekked [plekked, a.; sperclid, Cx.] stones; In tokene of [þe] [Added from a. and Cx.] blood reed, Þat þe mayde Wynefrede Schadde at þat putte, [put, a.; pytte, Cx., and kytte, below.] Whan hire þrote was i-kutte. He þat dede þat dede Haþ sorwe on his sede; His children at alle stoundes Berkeþ as whelpes of houndes.

For þy [So MS. and a.; For to they, Cx.] pray þat mayde grace Riȝt at þat welle place, Oþir in Schroysbury [Shrowsbury, Cx.] strete; Þere þat mayde resteþ swete.