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

Prœfatio secunda ad Historiam.

AND for þis cronicle [for as moche as this cronkye, Cx.] conteyneþ berynges and dedes of meny tyme, [tymes, Cx. (not α.)] þerfore I clepe [So Cx. and α.; cleped, MS.] it Pollicronicon, þat is þe [So Cx. and α.; in, MS.] cronicle of meny tymes. In þe whiche work, by þe en|saumple of þe firste Worchere, þat wrouȝhte alle his werkes in sixe dayes and reste in þe seuenþe (for his doynge is oure lore [doctryne, Cx.] ), þis werke I departe and dele in seuene bookes. Þe firste book descryueþ placis and contrees and londes and alle þe worlde wyde. [wyde world, Cx., and so just below, with other slight variations.] Þe oþere sixe bokes, by þe noumbre of vi. ages, þat conteyneþ berynge and dedes from þe bygyn|nynge of þe world vnto oure tyme. Neþeles in þe firste book of þis werk, as who [So Cx.; first who, MS.; first as who, α.] descriueþ general, comoun and special, mappa mundi is purtrayed and i-peynt, þat is þe cloþe þat þe schap of þe worlde wide is i-peynted ynne. Þanne in his cheef parties þe world is i-deled; and for þis storie is bytrauailled [is trauaylled, Cx.] by cause of Brytayne, eueriche pro|uince and londe is descryued for to me [for to me] vntil we, Cx.] come to Britayne þe laste of alle, as most special; and þere ynne is i-conteyned

xv. chapitres nedful to þe knowleche of the ylond of Britayne, as þeiȝ it were an [and, MS.; txt, Cx.] in-bryngynge to gretter knowleche in oþer [þe oþere, α.] bookes þat foloweþ; þat who þat may nouȝt come to ful knowleche of þe ful storie, mowe by such forledynge haue [lykynge] [Added from Cx. and α.] to leeue schrewednes and synne. Þe secunde book auntreþ [auentureth, Cx.] forto telle berynge and dedes wiþ descrip|cioun of the lasse world; and for þe ages of þe world beeþ nouȝt all euene of beryng and of dedes, and cuery book is euene and conteyneþ i-liche; þerfore þe secounde book conteyneþ þe berynge and dedes of the foure ages from þe makynge of oure formest fader to þe brennynge of þe temple of Iewes. Þe þridde book from þe transmygra|cioun of þe peple to the comynge of Crist. Þe fourþe from Crist to þe comynge of Saxouns. Þe fifte from Saxons to þe Danes. Þe sixte from þe Danes to þe Normans. [fram (sic) Danes to Normans, α.] Þe seuenþe fro Normans to oure tyme, þat is, reignynge [vnder þe reignynge, α.; vnder the regne, Cx.] of kyng Edwarde þe þridde after þe Conquest. And so by þe prophecie of Isay, þis grete storie is departed in seuene streemes, so þat boþe i-hosed and i-schod Goddes peple may passe þerby.