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

De partibus Britanniœ principalibus. Capitulum quadra|gesimum tertium.

After þe firste Brutes [Brutys, α. (not Cx.)] tyme þe ilond of Bretayne bygan for to haue þ[r]e [þe] So MS., α. β., and Cx.; but the correction is certain.] principal parties, þat beeþ Loegria, and [and] om. α. and Cx. (Interline|ated in MS.)] Cambria, þat is Wales, and Albania, þat is now [now is, α.] Scotlond. Loegria had þat name of Locrinus [þat was Brut his sone eldest, and hatte Loegria, as hit were Locrinus] [Added from α. and Cx., who has a few deviations.] his lond; but now Loegria hatte Engelond. Þe meeres and þe marke [merkes, Cx., which is better.] were þerof somtyme þe Frensche see boþe by est and by souþ. Beda, libro primo, capitulo duodecimo. [vicesimo, Cx., wrongly.] And by north tweie armes of þe see þat brekeþ fer in to þe lond, eyþer aȝenst oþer. But he [they, Cx.] recheþ nouȝt to gidres; þe est arme of þilke tweyne bygynneþ aboute a tweie litel myle fram þe ministre of Ebbercuryng [Ebburcuring, Cx.] in þe west side of þe citee of Penultoun; in þat arm [So α. and Cx.; armes, MS.] is [Added from α. and Cx.] a toun, þat hatte Guydy. Þe west arme of þilke tweyne haþ in þe

riȝt [right, α.] side a strong citee þat hatte Alclud, [Alcluid, α.; Alcliud, Cx., who has Clintstone, and Clynt below.] þat in hire longage hatte Cluitstoun, and stondeþ vppon a ryuere þat hatte Cluit also. [℞.] [Reference added from Cx.] Som men wolde mene þat Loegria endeþ at Homber, and streccheþ no ȝonder [ferther, Cx.] northward. Þe secounde party of Bretayne hatte Albania, þat is Scotlond, and haþ þat name of Albanactus Brutis [Brut his, α.; Bruytes, Cx.] sone, and streccheþ from þe tweye forsaide armes of þe see norþward anon to þe see of Norwey. Noþeles þe souþ partie of Albania þere [where as, Cx., who varies the construction.] Pictes woned somtyme, and lith from þe water of Twyde anon to þe Scottische see; al þat longed somtyme to þe kyngdom of Norþhumberlond Bremencorum, [Brennicorum, α.; Brenycorn, Cx.] þe north side of Norþhumberlond, from þe firste tyme of [Englisch kynges to þat tyme] [Added from α. and Cx.; α. has children for kynges.] whanne Kynadius, kyng of Scotlond, þat was Alpinus his sone, dede away þe Pictes, and so ioyned þe [þat, α., Cx.] contray to þe kyngdom of Scotlond. Þe þridde party of Bretayne is Wallia, [Wales, Wallia, α., Cx.] þat hat Cambria also, and hadde þat name Cambria of Camber, Brut his sone; for he was prince of Wales. In þe est side [side of, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] Seuerne departed somtyme bytwene Engelond and Wales. [But now in þe north side þe ryuer Dee at Chestre, and in þe south þe ryuer þat

hatte Vaga, at þe castel of Strygeleum departeþ Engelond and Wales.] [Added from α. β. and Cx., who has Strygelyn.] Also kyng Offa, forto haue a distinccioun for euermore bytwene þe kyngdoms of Engelond and of Wales, made a long deche [diche, α.] þat streccheþ forþ oute of þe souþ side by Bristowe vndir þe hilles of Wales norþward, and passeþ þe reuers Seuarne and Dee almost at [to, Cx.] þe hedes, and anon to þe mouþ of þe ryuer Dee byȝonde Chestre faste by þe castle, and [it, Cx.] renneþ forþ bytwene Colhille and þe ministre of Basyngwere [Basingwerke, β., Cx.] in to þe see. Þis diche is ȝit in many places i-seyn. In Seint Edward his tyme Walsche men schulde not passe þat diche wiþ wepoun vppon a grete payne, and þat was at erle Harolde his procurynge, as hit is i-saide wiþ ynne. [as it shal be sayd here after, Cx.] Bot now in eiþer side boþe of [of] a, α., Cx.] ȝond half and on [a, Cx.] þis half þe diche, and specialliche in þe schires of Chestre, of Schrouysbury, and of Herford in meny places beeþ Englische men [and Walsche men] [Added from α. β. and Cx. (Walsshmen.)] i-medled to gidres.