Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Degrecia et eius prouincijs. ¶ Capitulum 22

AVctours tellen that Grece with the prouynces therof is lady of kyngdomes noryce of knyghthode and of chyual¦rye / Moder of philosophie fyndar and mayster of Arte. and of science And hath the name of one grecus that regned there somtyme / Netheles that londe is called comynly Ilyricus / ¶ The men therof ben called greci / Graij· Achei. Achim / Argini·. Acciti. Ioues Ionij and Ellenes ¶ But whan the grete con∣stantin made constātinopolim the chyef cyte of thempyre of rome Thenne were the Grekes called Romanij / as it were men of ne∣we Rome so seyth Rabanus ¶ And vnto this ••aye the Gre∣kes be but Romayses. And were somtyme stalworth. orped / and best men of Armes and natheles subget to lawes ¶ Ysi∣dorus / d. Capitulo / 17 ¶ In this londe was somtyme the study¦e / and the Scole of Pallas and minerua· of grettese Arte and seyence of knyghthode and of Chyualrye ¶ And the Clergye and the chyualrye helde so to geders that in the comyn prouffyte was alwaye good ••peed / ¶ And the old Graij auentured and gate many thynges by Clergye and dedes of Armes / But that vertue keled and withdrowhe in hem that cam after∣ward and passed from the Grekes to the Latyns. So that to fo¦re where welles / were ben now but lakes. or more veryly drye chanels without water For now they holde synonys feynyng v∣lyxes gyle / atrenis cruelnes and fyghte with sleyghte and with

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cawtelis and not with Armure and wepen / This londe Grecia is fast by the grete see· & conteyneth many prouynces that ben Tracia / lacedimonia / Macedonia. Achaia Archadia· Thessalia. elladia and boecia / tracia is called epyrus also for epyrote dwel lyd therin and hath in the south syde the see Egyus / In the west Macedonia / In Macedonia dwellyd somtyme dyuerse men that hyghte massagete sarinate and gothy. ysid lib^o. / 15 / In this lon¦de is a welle that quenchyth brennyng brondes· & tendeth bron¦des that be acquenchyd. The chyef cyte of this londe is constanti¦nopolis in the est syde openly y seen bytwene the two sees ponti∣cus & propontydes / and openly y seen out of water and of londe And was somtyme the chyef Cyte of the eeste / right as Rome was of the weste / and higthe somtyme Bisanciū / of this Cyt•• W / libro quarto Regum speketh in this maner The grete con∣stantinus bylded and made this Cyte euen and pere to Rome / and demed that the emperour shold not be the chyef the apostlis were chyef and namely y crowned / / And he brought also ma∣ny relyquyes of holy seyntes that myght helpe ayenst theyr e∣nemyes / ymages of false goddes and tripodes delphycos that were Appollynes ymages he brought to be scorned and spyght to them that behelde hem and sawe. So this Emperour vouched sauf to bylde· the Chyef Cyte of thempyre in good corne coun∣tree· where there is good temprure of heuen and of weder beside the londe Misia that hath grete plente of corn and fruyte That Cyte is y seen and shewed to alle shipmen that sayllen thy∣derward oute of what londe that they come of Asia and of Eu∣ropa· And is wel nygh byclypped al aboute with the grete see and is cornerd within the clyppyng of the wallys fast by the see sydr. And is byclypped with a walle of twenty thousand paas. therwith heepes and huppels of stones and of grauel caste in to the see besydes the cyte / the londe is eched and made more· Also the Ryuer danubius that is callid hister also is y lete and y lad in to dyuerce places of the Cyte by goters vndrr erthe ¶ In this maner whan the water shal renne in to the cyte men take oute a barre that the water is stopped with. and lete the water renne / and stoppen whan hem lyken / And so Danubius fyndeth water ynough to an hunderd stretes· In this cyte con∣stantinus arered & bylded two famous chirches but Iustinian{us} the emperour buylded afterward the thyrd chirche in worship of Diuina Sophia that is oure lord Criste that Agia calleth

diuina sophya· in Englysshe the wysedom of god. And men telle that the werke passeth al the buyldyng of the world. And is more noble than men can telle· ¶ Thyder brought seynt helene the holy crosse that our lord Criste deyde on. There resten thappostles Andrewe and Iames that was called frater domini / In En∣glysshe oure lordes broder / there resteth Mathias and Prophetes also. Helyseus samuel. and Daniel. and also luke the euangelist and marters ful many / also confessours Iohan with the golden mowth / vasyleus and gregorius Nasasenus and vyrgyns Aga¦tha and Lucia / Lacedomonia that heyghte spartanya / also· is a prouynce of grecia fast besides Tracia / Men of that prouynce ben called lacedomones of lacedomon Semelis sone / and ben callyd spartani also· Trogus libro 3 ¶ These men somtyme beseged the Cyte Mesena ten yere to gyder / And were wery and agreued of pleyntes and of grucchyng of her wyues / And dradd also that longe abydyng from home in warre and in bataylle shuld make hem Childeren at home / And ordeyned therfor that maydens of her londe shold take yonglynges eueryche after other· For they hoped to haue the serenger Childeren yf euery womman assayed many men / ¶ But for the shameful doyng of the moders the childeren that were goten and brought forth in that maner we∣re called spartani· And whan they were .xxx· yere old they dred de sore of nede and of meschyef· For none of them wyst who was his owne fader therfore they take hem a leder and a Capytayne one phalantis Aracius sone / And toke no leue of her Mode••s· but. wente forth and were cast•• hether and theder by dyuerse for∣tunes / And atte laste cam in to ytalya. and droof oute the men that dwellyd there / And made the chyef Cyte Artarentum. ma∣cedonia hath the name of macedo deucalyons neuew. And was called somtyme Emathya of Emathyus the kynge / that hath in the ees•• side the see egeus / In the south achaia / In the west dal∣macia / and in the north misia / In this prouynce is the hylle mons olimpus & departeth two londes Tracia· and Macedonia. Petrus ca / 3· The hille passeth the cloudes in the vpprist of that hylle come no clowdes reine ne wynde / vpon that hille lettres that were wre¦ton in powdrr were founden withoute hurtynge or wemme atte yeris ende so fowles maye not lyue there For the ayer is to clere ¶ And philosophers maye not dwelle there to lerne the cours of the sterres withoute sponges watred and holden at her nose thirles to make thycker the Ayer. that they drawe to cole wyth

her herte· ¶ There is also mons athos that retcheth to the cloude•• the shadowe of that hylle arecheth to the Ilond lempnum. That Ilond is from that hylle / lxx myle· ¶ Dalmacia that lond hath in the eest syde Macedonia. In the west histria. In the north Misia. And in the south the See Adryaticus / Achia hath the na∣me of Acheus the kynge. And is wel neyghe an ylond closed in the see· For it hath in the eeste syde the see Tirenus· And in the north the see Creticus / In the southe the see Ionius And only in the •• west it ioyneth to Macedonia and to Attica· The chyef cyte of that londe is named Corinthus / there kynge Alysaunder gadred his hoost for to wynne al the world. thyder paule wrote his pistel ad corintheos / archadia that heygte Scicionia also & hath the na¦me of Archas Iupiters sone / and is an angle or a corner of A∣chaia & lyeth bttwene the two sees Ionius and egens and is sha¦pen as a playn leef· there in is albeston that •• wole neuer quenche be it ones sette a fyre· there ben also whyte Ousels though Ou∣sels be black emonge vs ther ben whyte ¶ Thessalia ioyneth in the southsyde to Macedonia / And was somtyme Achylles coun∣trey. And there began laphyte / thylke men chastysed and tamed horses firste with brydles / and satte on her backes / therfore the lewde pepple supposed that it had. be al one body man and horse that they satte vpon / ¶ And therfore an hunderd horsemen of thessalia were called Centauri· that name is gadred of tweyne of Centum that is an honderd and aura that is the wynde· And so that name was to hem gyuen Centauri / as it were an honderd wynde waggers / for they wagged the wynde faste in her redyng ¶ Trogus / li. 14 ¶ In this prouynce is the hille pernasus Poe∣tes acounte that hille noble and famous and hangeth with two copped stones / In the toppe therof is the temple of Delphicus ap¦pollyn. & in the wendyng of the myddel playn is a pytte / oute of that pytte philosophers were euspired / And dyuerse answers / we¦re yeuen oute of that pytte. Therfor yf noyse of men or of trompes sownen in a valeye / the stones answere eueryche other. ¶ And diuerse ecco sowned / ¶ Ecco is reboundyng of noyse Ysido∣rus libro tercio decimo In this prouynce ben two ryuers. sheep that drynke of that one shal wexe blac / and sheep that drynke of that other shal wexe whyte / And yf they drynke of bothe they shal wexe splekked of dyuerse colour / Also in this prouynce ben thylk likyng places to walke in that philosophres & poetes callē tempore florida· that is lykyng place with floures / Of this place

wryten theodolus and ouidius / ¶ Also in this prouynce was the thyrdd particuler flood and fylle in deucalyons tyme pryn∣ce of that londe / that Prynce saued men that fledde to hym in shippes and bootes / Therfore poetes feyned that he and his wyf pirra caste stones and made men / ¶ Elladia that londe hath the name ellena the kyng that was / deuo••lyons sone and pirras also

Of this Ellena the grekes were called ellenes· This londe is na¦med Attyca also of Athys that was grauius dougther· and ly¦eth bytwene Macedonia and Achaya / and ioyneth in the northe side to Archadia· This londe is very grecia / and hath two partyes Boecia ys that one. And peloponensis is that other / The Chyef Cyte of this londe is called Athenes / there was somtyme a grete studye of lecture and of Clergye / And men of alle nacions and londes come theder for to lerne Athenes that Cyte was buyld in this maner. Aug / de / ci / li / 18 ¶ That tyme that Egypte was sme••on with god almyghtyes wretthe vnder moyses hande somme Egypciens dradde beste Egypte shold be loste / And fledde out of Egypte to other londes / And so Cicrops fledde oute of Egypte in to Grecia / And there he buylded the Cyte of Attenes that was called afterward Athenes· In this maner as barr•• seyth· An Olyu•• was sodenly seen in that Cyte Attenes· And a water braake oute sodenly in an another place / ¶Thenne Cy¦crops axed counseyl of Appolyn· delphycus a maumete in the mount pernasus / and axed what these shold be to mene / And be answerd & sayde that the Olyue bitokened the goddesse min••rua And the water betokened Neptunus / And sayde that it was in power and choyse of cyteseyns after whether of the ·ij. goddes the Cyte shold be named / therfor the Cytezeyns both men & wom¦men gadred hem to gyders as it was the manere that tyme· that bothe men and wymmen shold come to comyn counseil / Thenne in that counseyl men yaf the dome for neptunus and wymmen for minerua / And for ther was one womman moo than men / My∣nerua had the. maistrye. And the Cyte was called by her name Athene. ffor mynerua in the speche of grue is called Athena Then̄e was Neptunus wroth wode & made the flode•• of the see tarise & ouerflowe & hele the londes of them of athenes as d••uels maye lyghtly doo suche chekkes. Thenne for to plese 〈…〉〈…〉 for to abate his wrath & his anger wymmen were punysshed b•• double payne / that one was that no woman shold afterward come in comyn counseyl ¶That other payne was that no childe

shold afterward bere his mod••es name· ¶ To that prouynce Ellaida lyeth Ele••pontus the grete mouth· of the grete see and hath the name· of elle ffryxus suster that fledde the malyce and the pursiewte of her stepdame and was drowned in that mouth and see· And for that happe / ••hat see and the londe aboute is na∣med after elle Elespontus ¶Varro. seyth that fast besides that place ben men that hele smytyng of serpentes with touche and with spotyl. Trogus libro secundo ¶Athemensis men of athe¦nes vsed fyrst crafte of wolle of wyne and of oyle / and taught to eere and sowe / and to ete acornes / they florysshed fyrst in lore of clergye and of lawe / ¶ The fyrste kynge of that londe hight Cy∣crops / after hym come granus that hight Granans also· Then¦ne his sone Athys yaf his name to that londe and cleped it after hym self Atheniensis / ¶Thenne after Athys regned Amphy∣gyonydes In his tyme wa•• the grete flood in thessalia / Thenne afterward the kyngdom descended to Erictonius· After hym reg¦ned egeus. & after hym his sone theseus / The theseus sone of de∣mophon / he helpe the grekes ayenst the troyans Boecia ¶Oxe lond that name of bos / that is an oxe· whan Cadm{us} Agenores sone at his faders heste sought his suster Europa that Iupiter had rauesshed & myght not fynde her he dradde his faders wratthe And he coude none other rede but fledde· as an outlawe / It hap∣ned that he folowed the foote of an oxe. and fonde the place that the oxe laye in. and called it Boecia / And buylded there the cyte thebe· In that Cyte bella Ciuilia debanuerunt / and there was ap¦pollo born and hercules in thylk more thebanus also / ¶In that londe is a lake wonderful and wode· For who that drynketh ther of shal· brenne in wodenes of lecherye· ther ben also two wellys in that londe. who that drynketh of that one he shal be foryetful. And who that drynketh of that other· he shal haue good mynde / ¶ Petrus· take hede that men of thebe in egypte ar called thebei / And men of thebe that is in grecia ar called thebani / and the men of thebe in Iudea ben called thebyt••