¶Of the greenes and qualyte of that londe. ca. xxiii. (Book 23)
IRlonde is an ylonde grettest after Bry∣tayne / and stretched north warde from Brendas hylles vnto the londe Columbyna and conteyneth .viii. dayes Iourney euery io¦urney .xi. myle and from Deuelyn to Patryks hylles and to the see in that syde in brode .iiii. de•• thanne in the endes / all other wyse thanne Brytayne / is as Irlonde is shorter north war¦de than Brytayne / so is it lenger south warde the londe is not playne but full of mountayns of hylles of woodes of maryes and of moores the londe is soft rayny wynde and lowe by the see syde and within hylly and sondye. ¶Soli¦nus. There is greate plente of noble pasture and of leese / therfore the beestes muste be ofte dryuen out of theyr pasture leste they eete ouer moche for they sholde shend hym self yf theye myghte ete atte theyr wyll. ¶Gir. Men of that londe haue communely theyr helth. And straungers haue ofte a perylous flue by cause of the moysture of the mete. The flesshe of ky∣en is there holsome / and swynes flesshe vnhol∣some· Men of that londe haue noo feuer but oonly the feuer ague and that ryghte selde. ¶Therfore the holsomnes of that londe and the clennes oute of venyme is wroth alle the boste and rychesse of trees herbes of spycery of ryche clothes and of precyous stone of the Eest londes. The cause of the helthe and hol∣somnes of that londe is attemperate heete and colde that is therin. In quibus rebus sufficit. In thys londe ben moo kyen thanne oxen / mo∣re pasture thanne corne / more gras thanne se∣ed / there is plente of Samon / of lamprays / of eeles and of see fysshe. Of Egles / of carnes / of pecockes / of curlewes of sparouhaukes of goshoukes / and of gentyll fawcons. Of wul¦ues and ryght shrewed myse there ben atter∣coppes / bloode souke••s eeftes that doone none harme / there ben fayres lytell of body and full hardy and stronge / there ben barnacles foules lyke to wylde ghees whyche growen wonder∣ly vppon trees / as it were nature wroughte a∣gaynste kynde. Men of relygyon ette the bar¦nacles vppon fastyngdayes by cause they ben not engendred with flesshe. wherin as men thin¦keth they erre for reason is ayenst that. For yf a man hadde eten of Adams legge he hadde e∣ten flesshe / and yet Adam was not engendred of fader nor moder / but that flesshe come won¦derly of the tree. In this londe is plente of ho¦ny and of mylke of vyne and of veynerdes. ¶Solinus and ysyder. wryten that Irlonde hath noo bees Netheles it were better wryten that Irlonde hadde bees and no vyneyerdes. ¶Beda saythe that there is greate huntynge to roobuckes / and it is knowen that ther ben none. It is noo wonder of Beda for he sawe neuer that londe but some man tolde hym suche tales. Also there groweth that stone Saxa¦gonus.