Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶De gentis huius moribus. Gir. in 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪

FOr the maners and doynge of walsshe∣men and of scottes ben to fore somwhat declared. Nowe I purpose to telle and decla∣re the condycyons of the medled people of Eng¦londe. But the Flemynges that been in the west syde of wales ben now all torned as they were Englysshmen by cause they companye with Englysshmen. And they be myghty and stronge to fyghte / and ben the moost enemyes that walsshemen haue / and vse marchaundyse and clothynge and ben full redy to put themsel¦fe in auentures and to peryll in the see and lon¦de bycause of grete wynnynge and bē redy som¦tyme to the plowe and somtyme to dedes of ar¦mes whan tyme and place areth. It semeth of these men a greate wonder that in a boon of a wethers ryght sholder whan the flesse is soden awaye and not rosted they knowe what haue be done / is done / and shall be done as it were by spyryte of prophecye and a wonderfull crafte. They telle what is done in ferre coūtres towe¦nes of peas or of warre / the state of the royame sleynge of men and spousebreche suche thȳges they declare certayne of tokenes & sygnes that is in suche a sholder bone. ¶R. But the Englysshemen that dwelle in Englonde ben medled in the ylonde & ben ferre fro the places that they spronge of fyrste tornenne to the con¦trarye dedes lyghtelye withoute entysynge of ony other men by her owne assent. And vnesy also vnpacyent of peas / enemyes of besynes / and full of slouth. ¶Wilhel. de pon .li.iii. sayth

That whan they haue destroyed theyr enemy¦es all to the grounde / then̄e they fyghten wyth theymself and sleeth eche other / as voyde and an empty stomak werketh in it selfe. ¶R. Ne∣theles men of the southe ben esyer & moree myl∣de than men of the North. For they ben more vnstable and more cruell & more vnesy. The myddell men ben parteners with bothe. Also they vse them to glotony more than other men and ben more costlewe in mete and clothynge Men suppose that that they toke that vyce of kynge Herceknot y^t was a Dane. For he heer sette forth twyes double messe att Dyner and at souper alsoo. These men ben spedefulle on hors and a fote. Able and redy to all maner de¦dys of armes / and be wonte to haue vyctorye and maystrye in euery fyght where noo trea∣son is walkynge / and been curyous and can well telle dedys and wonders that they haue seen. Also they gone in dyuerse londes vnnethe ben ony men ryche in her owne londe or more gracyous in ferre and in straunge londe / they can better wynne and gete new than kepe thyr owne herytage / Therfore it is y^t they be sprade soo wyde and wene that euery londe be owne. The men be able to all manere sleyght & wyt∣te / but to fore the dede blonderynge and hasty. And more wyse after the dede than tofore. an leuen of lyghtly what they haue begon. ¶So¦linus li.vi. Therfore Eugenius the pope sayd that Englysshmen were able to do what euer they wolde / and to be sete & put tofore all other ne were that lyght wytletteth. And as Hany∣ball sayd that y^e Romayns myght not be ouer comee but in ther owne coūtre so: Englysshmē maye not be ouer come in straunge londes but in ther owne countre they be lyghty ouercome ¶R. These men despysen her owne & prayse other mennes. & vnneth be pleased nor apayd with theyr owne estate what befalleeh & beco∣meth other men / they wyll gladly take to them self. Therfore it is that a yeman arayeth hym as a squyre: a squyre as a knight a knyght as a duke / a duke as a kynge / yet some go abote & wyll be lyke to all manere state & ben in no sta¦te. For they take euery degre that be of no de∣gre for in derynge out ward they be myntrals and herowdes. In talknynge grete spekers In etynge & drynkynge glotons / In gaderyng of catell hucksters and tauerners. In araye tor∣mentours. In wnynynge argry. In trauayle tantaly. In takynge hede dedaly. In beddes Sardanapaly / In chyrches mawmetes. In courtes thōdre only in preuylege of clergy and in prebendes they knowle••he themself clerkes. ¶Treuysa As touchynge the termes of latyn as argi / tantali / dedali / serdanapali / ye muste vnderstonde them as y^e poctes feyned of them. Argus was an harde and kept bestes he had an hōdred een. and Argus was also a shyp / a shyp man & a chapman / & so argus myght se before & behynde & on euery syde. Therfore he y^t is wy¦se & ware & can se that he be not deceyued may be called Argus. And so the Cronycle sayth in plurell nombre y^t Englysshmen ben argy. that is to saye they se about where as wynnynge is That other worde tantaly / the poete feyneth that Tantalus slewe his owne sone wherfore he is dampned to perpetuall penaūce / & he stan¦deth alwaye in water vp to the neyther lyppe & hath alwaye rype apples & noble fruyte han∣gynge downe to the ouerlyppe. But the fruyte ne the water maye not come wythin his mou∣te. He is soo holde and standeth bytwene me∣te and drynke and maye neyther eete ne dryn∣ke / and is euer an hongred and a thyrste that woo is hym alyue by thys manere lykenesse of Tantalus they that do ryght nought there ys moche is to do in euere syde ben called tantaly It semeth that it is to saye in trauaylle they be tantaly / for they do ryght nought therto. The thyrde worde is deda••e / take hede that Deda∣lus was a subtyll and a slye man. And therfo∣re by lykenes they that ben subtyll and slye they becalled dedaly. And the fourth worde is sar∣danapaly / ye shall vnderstonde that Sarda∣napalus was kynge of Assyryens & was fulle vnchast / & vsed hym for to lye softe. And by a maner of lykenys of hym they y^t lyue vnchast∣ly ben called sardanapaly. ¶R. But amonge all Englysshmen medled togyders is soo grete a chaungynge & dyuersyte of clothynge & of a raye & so many maners and dyuerseshappes that well nyghe is there ony man knowen by hys clothynge & hys araye of whate some euer degre that he be Ther of prephecyed an hooly Anker in kyng Egelfredes tyme in this mane¦re. Henry li.vi. Englysshmen for as moche as they vse them to drynkel••wn••es / to treason & to rechelesnes of goddes hous / fyrst by Danes & then by Normans / and at the thyrde tyme by the Scottes y^t they holde the moost wretches &

lest worth of all other they shall be ouercome. Thenne the worlde shall be so vnstable and so dyuerse and varyable that the vnstablenes of thoughtes shall be bytokeneth by many mane¦re dyuersytees of clothynge.