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

Capitulum septimum.

Augustinus de Civitate Dei, libro octavodecimo, capitulo primo. Whanne men were departed and to schift [to schufte or skatred, Cx.] in to dyuers londes, and euerich folowed his owne likynge and wille, while

[þat] [Added from α. β. γ. and Cx.] it semede þat what þat [Possibly þat should be cancelled; it is found however in α. β. γ., as well as in MS.] was desired was i-now to no man. Mankynde was departed aȝenst hym self, and þe strenger party bare doun þat [oþer], [Added from α. and Cx.] and tolde more prys of fredom þan of sauacioun and of hele; so þat it was greet wonder of hem, þat hadde leuere be lost and i-spilde þan be vnderlynges and servy. [seruauntes, Cx.] And ȝit be [by, α. and Cx.] lore of kynde, bettre is to [to] om. α. and Cx.] be vnderlynge and seruaunt þan be put out of lyf. Þerfore by Goddes ordenaunce hit is doo þat som men beeþ kynges and lordes and some beeþ sugettis and seruauntes. Isidorus, libro octavo, capitulo tertio. Þan men þat come of Sem, Noe his [firste] [Added from α. and Cx.] sone, hadde þe souþlond from þe rysynge of þe sonne anon to þe Fenices, men þat so hatte. [Þese men, þat so hatte,] [Added from α. and (partly) Cx.] þat come of Sem, occupied foure hondred contrees and sixe vnder seuene and twenty longages. Þey þat come of Cham helde þe londe by þe souþ occean anoon to þe see Gaditan, þre hondred contrayes [contrayes and sixe] MS. (first hand.)] foure score and fourtene vnder þritty longages and tonges. Augustinus, libro sexto. Þey that come of Iapheth helde þe lond from þe hil þat hatte mons Taurus in Cilicia norþward toward þe norþ occean, þe haluendel [to half dele, Cx.] of Asia, and al Europa anon to þe Brittische see, [occean, α.] þat is þe Englische see, þre hundred contrayes vnder fiftene longages and tonges, and lefte eche lond and

puple his name; of the whiche meny beeþ now i-changed oþer of kynges of londes, oþer of the same londes, oþer of maneres [So α. and Cx.; manere, MS.] of men of londes. Oþer thinges stondeþ, as it were; [stande as they were, Cx.] so þat ȝit it is sene of whom þey come; as þe Assures come of Assur, and the Hebrewes come of Heber. Of som is no resoun i-knowe, as þat þat me seieþ þat þe Egipcians perteyneþ to Mesraim and Ethiopes to Chus. Iosephus, libro primo, capitulo quinto. Of Chus forto now þe Ethiopes beeþ i-cleped Cusey [Chusei, α.] and þe Egipcians Mesrei. And so, when men were to schift into dyuers londes, som chaungede names as hem likede, as the Grees, oþer for fairenesse of wrytinge, oþer for likynge of rederes, oþer forto make her owne [selfe the] [Added from Cx.] noblete of hir forfadres. Hugo, capitulo Frigia. [Frisia, MS. and α.] Ofte names beeþ i-sette for a manere of doynge. [Dyverce namys after dyverce con|dycyouns in margin of MS. and α.] As whan we wole mene þat þe [So α. and Cx.; þei, MS.] Troians beeþ feerful, we cleped hem Frigios; and ȝif we wole mene þat þey beþ gentil and noble, we clepeþ hem Dardans; ȝif we wil mene þat þey beeþ stronge, we clepeþ hem Troians; ȝif hardy, we clepeþ hem Hectores. [So α. and Cx.; Ector, MS.] Isidorus, libro 14^o, capitulo secundo. Men of the est sowneþ her

wordes in þe þrote as Hebrewes and Siries; [Syres, α.] men of myddel londes in þe roof of þe mouþ, as Grees and Asyans; men of þe west brekeþ here words bytwene þe teeþ, as Spaynardes [Spaynols, Cx.] and Romayns. Augustinus de Civitate, libro sextodecimo, capitulo octavodecimo. [Cx. prints octodecimo (at length, and so below.)] But siþe þat men were first to schift [firste skatred, Cx.] into dyuerse londes, þey þe kyngdoms of Assiries [Assyriens, Cx.] in þe est, of Egipcians in þe souþ, and of Sithes [Schytes, α.; Shites, Cx.] in þe norþ, þat is in þe [þe] om. α.] Grees, begunne as it were at ones: Augustinus, libro octavodecimo, capitulo primo:—noþeles the kyngdoms [of] [Added from α.] Assiries, of Medes, þat is of Perses, of Grees, of Romayns, folowede eche after oþer, and were principal among oþere. Noþeles þe firste and þe laste were more noble, and durede lengere. [lengere þan, MS. (not α. or Cx.)] Oþer kyngdoms [and kynges longede to þese kyng|doms]. [Added from α. and Cx.] Also berynge and dedes of men of Athenys beeþ gretter in loos and in fame þan þey beþ in dede; so seiþ Salustius and Varro [Farro, MS. and α.] also. And þat is for [for that, Cx.] writers and philo|sofres of Athenes were solempne of witt, and preysede þe dedes hugeliche and ouermesure. ℞. And for þe tretysis [tretys is, MSS. and Cx.] ful and general of þe forsaide foure cheef kyngdoms, from þe begynnynge of þe kyngdom of Assiries to þe ende of þe kyngdom of Romayns, axeþ longe writyne and proces; þerfore

of þre þe [þre þe] So MS., α. β. γ.] firste kyngdoms, as it were of þe same age wiþ þe kyngdom of Assiries, firste we schal write.