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

De partium orbis descriptione. Plinius, libro sexto; Priscianus in Cosmographia. Capitulum septimum.

ASIA is most in quantite, Europa is lasse, and pere [lyke, Cx.] in noumbre of peple; bot Africa is lest of alle þe þre

parties boþe in place and in noumbre of peple; and þer|fore somme men, þat knowe [knewe, α.] men and londes, acountede but tweie parties of þe erþe onliche, Asia and Europa; and þey acountede þat Affrica longeþ to Europa, for Affrica is narwe in brede; and yuel doers, corrupte ayre, wylde bestes and venemous woneþ [dwellen, Cx.] þerynne. Þerfore þey þat acounteþ Affrica þe þridde part acounteþ not by space and mesure of lengþe and brede, bot by dyuerse disposiciouns better and worse, and departeþ Affrica from Europa and Asia, as a sore membre þat is nouȝt from membres þat beeþ hole and sounde and in good poynt at þe beste. Also Affrica in his kynde haþ lasse space, and for þe sturnesse of heuene he haþ þe more wildernes. [And though Affryca be lytil, it hath more wyldernes] [The words in brackets added from Cx. and α, which latter has he for it.] and waste londe, for grete brennynge and [of, Cx.] hete of þe sonne, þan Europa, for all þe chil and greet colde þat ofte [Omitted in Cx.] is þerynne. For why all þat lyueþ and groweþ may bettre endure wiþ colde þan wiþ hete; bote mesure rule [ruleth, Cx. (not α.)] boþe. Plinius, libro sexto. Þerfore it is þat Europa norischeþ and bryngeth forþ men huger and gretter of body, myȝtier of strengþe, hardier and bolder of herte, and fairer [So Cx.; faire, MS.]

of schap, þan Affrica. For þe son beme al wey abideþ vppon þe men of Affrica, and draweþ oute þe humours, and makeþ hem schort of body, [bodyes, Cx.] blak of skyn, crips of heer, and by drawing oute of spirites makeþ hem coward of herte. Þe contrarie is of norþeren [norþrene, α.] men, in þe whiche [Omitted in Cx. (typ. error.)] colde wiþ oute stoppeþ smale holes and poorus, and holdeþ the hete wiþ ynne; and so makeþ hem fatter, gretter, and whitter and hatter [and hatter] omitted in Cx.] with inne, and so hardier and boldere of herte.