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

De oceano. Isidorus, libro decimo tertio. Capitulum nonum.

THE see of occean byclippeþ al þe erþe aboute as a garlond, and by tymes comeþ and gooþ cbbynge and flowynge, and sweloweþ [floweth, Cx. (typ. error.)] in sees, and casteþ hem vp; and wyndes bloweþ þerynne. Plinius, libro secundo, capitulo 99. Þe hiȝe flood of occean ariseþ vp [vpon, Cx., α.] þe costes of Bretaine foure score cubitis hiȝe. And þat risynge and depnesse is better i-knowe by þe cleues þan in the hiȝe see; for betynge of veynes is bettre i-knowe in þe vttre parties of bodies [the body, Cx.] þan ynward and [Om. Cx.] in þe myddel wiþynne. Euerich flood arist [aryseth, Cx.] more in occean

þan in þe grete see; þat is, for þe hoole to gidre is myȝtier and strenger þan any partie by hem [him, α.] self, oþer for þe hole occean is grete and huge and fongeþ [receyueth, Cx.] more worchynge of þe mone þan eny partie by hym self þat is smallere and lasse. Þerefore lakus, ryueres, pondus, and oþere fresche wateres noþer [ne, Cx.] ebbeþ ne floweþ as occean doþ. Plinius, libro secundo, capitulo sexto. [septimo, α. See the Latin text.] Occean spredeþ and schedeþ in to dyuers mouthes and costes toward þe lond, and in many places wel nyh toucheþ þe ynner sees so nygh þat þe mouþe [þat is cleped Arabicus, and is þe mouþ] [Added from α.] and þe coste of þe Rede see [is fro the see of Egypte; but fifty thousand paas; also the mouth and see] [Added from Cx. and α.] þat is i-cleped [called, Cx.] Caspius is but þre hundred þre score and fiftene myle from þe grete see þat is i-cleped [called, Cx.] Euxinus. Beda, de Naturis. Amonge alle þe mouthes and sees þat comeþ toward þe londe and out of occean, [the ocean, Cx.] þre been most famous i-holde. Þe firste [Om. Cx.] mouthe and see haþ tweie names, and is i-cleped [called, Cx.] Gaditanus and Atlanticus also. Þe secounde is i-cleped [called, Cx.] Caspius, and entreþ toward þe norþ est, [out of north east, Cx.] and departeþ by twene þe norþside of Inde [So α.; Inda, MS.] and Seythia þat londe, and so [that, Cx.] streccheþ towarde þe grete mouþe and see þat is i-cleped

Euxinus. Þe þridde mouþe and see is þe Rede see, and comeþ of þe north est, and departeþ þe south side of Inde from Ethiopia and Egipte from þilke tweye londes. Þan þe Rede see streccheþ forþ, and departeþ in tweie mouthes and sees. Þat oon is i-cleped [i-cleped] named, Cx. (twice.)] Persicus, and streccheþ norþ|ward, þat oþer is i-cleped [i-cleped] named, Cx. (twice.)] Arabicus, and streccheþ westward and toward þe grete see. Þe [þis, α.] Rede see is nouȝt rede of kynde, but aflascheþ [it flassheth, Cx.] and wascheþ oon [on the, Cx.] rede clyues and stones, and so is i-died rede as a rose. Þerfore of þe clyues and strondes of þe Reed see is i-gadered vermylon and rede precious stones. Solinus. By þe see þat is i-cleped [called, Cx.] Caspius beeþ hulles, þat beeþ i-cleped þe hilles of Caspi, [Caspii, α, and so MS. below.] and haueþ in lengþe seuen þowsand paas, and in brede vnneþe þe space of a cart wey. In þe sides of þe hulles of Caspii salt veynes mulleþ [melte, Cx.] and woseth oute humours, and moysture i-dried and i-clunge by hete of þe sonne ioyneþ and cleueþ to gideres, as is oþere [as yse or, Cx.] glas; and somme [so men, Cx.] may nouȝt clymbe on þe hilles, þe wey is so slider. Also euerich drauȝt is ful drawe in þe space of eyȝte and twenty þousand paas; þe londe is drie wiþoute socoure, and adders and serpentes falleþ

þerto; so þat, but it be wynter, þere may no man come þerynne. ℞. Martianus seiþ þat þe [α. omits þe.] ȝates of Caspij beeþ i-steke [faste shette, Cx.] wiþ yren barres, and in springyng tyme faste i-barred for serpentes and addres; and þe Maister [So Cx., (who has of historyes); maistres, MS.] of þe stories sayth, [sayth] Added from Cx. and α.] þat at þe prayeres of kyng Alisaundre Caspij hulles were i-closed and ioyned to gidres. Paulus, in historia Longobardorum, libro primo. Þere beeþ many swolwynges and whirlynges of wateres by þe see brynkes; tweyne beeþ in þe see of myddel erþe bytwene Itali and þe londe [ilonde, Cx.] Sicilia. Þilke tweie swolwes beeþ i-cleped [called, Cx.] Scylla and Charybdis; of þe whiche spekeþ Virgil, and seiþ: Scylla is perilous in þe riȝt side, and Charybdis in þe lift side. Oþere swelowes and periles of wateres [water, Cx.] beeþ in occean; oon is in þe west clif of litel [Om. Cx.] Bretayne, and is i-cleped [called, Cx.] þe nauel of þe see; þe toþer [other, Cx.] is bytwene Bretayne and Gallicia, and it is i-seide þat þese swelowes twyes in þe nyȝt and day sweloweþ ynne stremes and flodes, and casteþ hem vp aȝe. [agayn, Cx. (not α.)] Also he [it, Cx.] draweþ in schippes, and casteþ hem vp aȝen, [casted hem agayn, Cx.] as swiftliche as an arwe to a manis sight. [So the MS. (not, as usually, siȝt.)]