¶Of the ylondes that ben therto adiacent. Capitulo. vi. (Book 6)
BRytayne hathe thre ylondes that ben nyght and longynge therto all without the ylondes Orcades / as it were answerynge to the thre chyef partys of Brytayne. For the yle of wyghte longeth & lyeth to Leogrya that is Englonde. The ylonde Mon that is called Angleseya also longeth to wales / and the ylon∣de Enbonia that hathe two other names and is called Meneuia and Man also whiche lon∣geth to Scotlonde. And all these thre ylondes wyght Mon and Man ben almoost alyke mo¦che and the quantyte / of the whyche thre all a¦rowe foloweth our speche. ¶Beda .li.i. ca. iii· Claudius sent Vespasianus. and Vespasian{us} wāne wyght / And wyght stretcheth out of the eest in to ye west .xxx. myle long. And out of the south in to the north .xii. myle / and is in the eest syde .vi. myle fro the south clyfe of Brytayne. And thre myle fro the west syde. ¶Beda .li.iiii ca. v. The mesure of this ylonde as Englyssh∣men gesse is a thousande heusholders and two hondred. ¶Gir. in itinere. mon that is called. Angleseya also his departed from north wales by a shorte arme of the see as it were two myle brode. In Mon ben thre hondred townes .lx.iii. And ben accompted for Cādredes that ben .iii. hondredes. The ylonde is as it were .xxx. my••e longe and .xii. myle brode Candredus is so moche londe as conteyneth an hondred tow¦nes / that name candredus is made out of two langages of Brytysshe and of Irysshe In pray¦synge of this ylonde walsshmen were wonte to saye a prouerbe and an olde sawe. Mon Man¦kembri / that is to saye in Englysshe that londe is so good that it semeth that it wolde fynde cor¦ne ynough for all the men of wales. Therfore Virglys verses maye be accordynge therto / as moche as guawes / bestes longe Inneth dawes So moche efte bryngeth colde dewe in a nygh∣te ¶In that arme of the see that departed this londe and north wales / is a swolowe that that draweth shyppes to it that sayleth by and swoloweth them in ryyght as dothe. Cylla and Carybdis that ben two peryllous places in the see of myddel erthe. Therfore men maye not sayll by this swalowe but slyly at ful see. ¶R. Of the merueylles and wondres of the ylonde of Mon thou shalt fynde in the chapytre of wa¦les. Gir. in itinere. The thyrde ylonde that is called both Eubonia & Meneuia that is Man¦stondeth in the myddell bytwene the Irysshe vlstere and the Scottesshe galle waye as it we¦re in the nauell of the see. ¶Beda .iiii. ca. ix. This ylondes. The fyrste is southe warde the more condtree. And the better corne londe and conteyneth .ix. hondred and .••x. housholdes· The secon••e conteyneth the space of .CCC. & moo as Englysshmen gesse. Gir. in ••op: Som¦tyme was stryf whether this ylonde Man shol¦de longe to Brytayne or to Irlonde and for as moche as venemous wormes that were brou∣ghte thyder ly••ed there / It was Iuged that the ylonde of Man sholde longe to Brytayne. ¶R. In that ylonde is ••ortylege and whyche crafte vsed. Fer women there selle to shypmē wynde as it were closed vnder thre knottes of threde. So that more wynde he wyll haue the moo knottes he muste vndo. Chere often by daye tyme men of that londe seen men that bē deed to fore honde byheded or hoole and what dethe they deyed. Alyens sette theyr fete vpon feeet of the men of that londe for to see suche sy¦ghtes as the men of that londe done. ¶Be¦da .li.ii. Scottes dwelled fyrste in thys ylonde ¶Thanatos that is Tenet and is an ylonde besydes Kente o and hath that name Thana¦tos of dethe of serpētes for there bē none. And ye erthe therof sleeth serpētes yborn in other lō∣des. There is noble corne lōde & fruyt••u••. It is supposed that this ylonde was halowed & bles¦syd of saynt Austen the fyrste doctoure of Eng¦lysshmen for there he arryued fryste.