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

De mari magno medio, sive Mediterraneo. Plinius, libro tertio, capitulo primo. Capitulum octavum.

THANNE þe grete see of myddel erþe bygynneþ in þe west at Hercules pilers; þere þe see of occean of Athlant brekeþ out, and makeþ the see Gaditan. Þe lengþe of þat see is fiftene þowsand paas, and þe brede fyue þowsand paas, and haþ in þe riȝt side Affrica, and in þe lefte side Europa; and þerof springeþ þe ynnere sees. Þe endes þerof is þe water Thany an þe norþ side, and Nilus in

þe souþ side. Isidorus, libro decimo quarto. Þe grete see flowynge oute of occean [the occean, Cx.] turneþ into þe souþ, and þan into þe north. Balearis, þe firste greet hauen and passage of þat see, [Cx. adds and.] schedeþ into Spayne. Þan þe oþer mouth Gallicus passeþ by þe prouince of Narbon; þan Ligustius by Ianua, a citee; þan Tyrrhenus to Ytaly arecheþ; [archeth, Cx.] þan þe hauen of Sicilia passeþ to Creta; þan þe passage of Creta streccheþ in to Pamphylia and Egipte. Þere han þe streen [Sic MS.; streem, α. and frothens the streme, Cx.] of þe grete hauene and mouþe Hellespontus brekeþ oute abrode in greet wawes and stremes, and torneþ norþwarde. But bisides Grees at Bo[s]forum, he [Bofornit, Cx.] wexeþ narwe and straiȝte as þe space of seuen forlonge; [furlonges, Cx.] and þere Xerxes [Exerces, MS. and α.; Xerses, Harl. MS. Here and elsewhere the classical orthography is restored, when the word does not appear to be in a manner anglicised, e.g., Affrica.] þe kyng made ouer a brigge [brydge, Cx.] of schippes for to passe in to Grees and werre þere ynne. Plinius, libro sexto, capitulo primo. Þere þe see is so narwe bytwene Europa and Asia, þat me [men, Cx.] may hire in eyþer side oute of oþer houndes berke, and foules synge, but [but yf, Cx.] weder and wynde lette. Giraldus, distinct. prima, capitulo decimo. Þat narwe see [place, Cx.] is i-cleped [named, Cx.] Seint Georges Arme, and streccheþ forþ by Constantinopolim,

and bytwene Europa and Asia; and in þat see is þe Ilond Abydos. Isidorus, libro nono. Þanne þe see schedeþ norþ|ward, and makeþ þe see Propontides. Þenne he narweþ to þe narwenesse of sex hondred paas, [and] [Added from Cx., and α.] is þe se [þese, MS.; the see, Cx.] Trach. Þanne þe grete see [the see, Cx.] Ponticus þat passeþ by north by Thracia and Mœsia, streccheþ to þe wateres and marys of Mæotides, and fongeþ [receyueth, Cx.] þere þe ryuer Thanays. Þenne he streccheþ estward, and passeþ by þe lasse Asia, anon to [Asia vnto, Cx.] þe endes of Iberia and Armenye. And þat see is i-cleped [named, Cx.] Euxinum. Isidorus, libro nono. And þat see is swetter, schorter, and more mysty, for fresshe ryueres al aboute turneþ and falleþ [renne and fallen, Cx.] þerto. In þat grete mouthe and baye [So Cx.; þay, α.; þey, MS., which adds and baye after oþere in the line following.] beþ ilondes Calchos, Patmos, [Patmos] Pathmos, MS. and Harl. MS.] and oþere. Plinius, libro sexto. And þe see Ponticus floweþ not noþer [ne, Cx., who omits as oþere sees dooþ.] turneþ aȝen as oþere sees dooþ, but euere turneþ [renneth, Cx.] into þe see Propontidem and Hellespontum. ℞. Þe cause þere of is myȝte and strengþe of ryueres and bakwateres, þat renneþ þerto, dryueþ forþ þe see Euxinum alway in oon cours. And þe strengþe and þe flood of þe see Hellesponticus, þat is fer from occean,

may nouȝt wiþstonde þe course and þe strengþe of þe strong stremes þat renneþ [eorneþ, α.] þat course. Isidorus, libro nono. As þe erþe þat is oon haþ dyuerse names by cause of dyuers [places, so the [þis, α.] grete see by cause of dyuerse] [Added from Cx. and α.] kyngdoms, ylondes, peple, citees, and townes þat he [it, Cx.] passeþ by, and happes þat falleþ þerynne is dyuersliche i-nempned [named, Cx.] and haþ dyuers names.