Prolicionycion [sic]

¶De Insulis maris. magni ¶ Capitulum. 30

GAdes is co••••nably fyrst sette amonge the Ilondes of the grete see and stondeth in the west ende of spayne in a mouth of the west Occean / there the grete see Occean breketh in to the In¦ner londes and departeth a sonder Affryca and Europa· Tiries cam seylyng out of the reed see and occupyed that ylond & called it gades in his langage / And gades is to saye byclypped / For it is byclypped al about with the see. And is from the lond an hon¦derd paas and ten there. as hercules sette his pilers whiche ben right wonderful as it were in the vttermest ende of the world· And tho pylers ben called after the name of the Ilond· Gades also· ¶Hug / capitulo gade And to gyue knowleche that there is no place ne lond ferther westward that stronge man hercules sette tho pylers there by gades· thenne estward from these pylers and from the Ilond gades ben the Ilondes baleares that ben cal¦led maiorica and minorica / thenne is there the Ilond Sardina ¶And hath in the south syde Affryca and in the north Scicilia / and hath nether addres ne venym but ther groweth an herbe that is called apium whiche maketh men lawgh hem self to deth· this ylond hath hoote welles and holsom which water maketh theuys and men that forswere hem self blynde yf theyr eyen touche the water of thylke welles / The Ilond Corsica is cornerd with ma¦ny forlondes stretchyng in to the see / therinne is noble leese and pasture for beestes. therinne is a stone that is named aconites / Corsica hath in the est side the see Tirenus. In the south the ylond Sardima / xxx / myle thens. In the west the ylondes baleares. & in the north the see ligusticus. and liguria a prouynce of ytalia / & is eyht score myle in lengthe and .xxvj in brede And hath that name Corsica of a woman that heyght Corsa / This Corsa had a bole that ofte left company of other beestes and swam in to that Ilond and cam home in moche better poynt than he wente out Corsa sawe that and wayted her tyme and toke a boote and folo∣wed after the bole in to that ylond / ¶ And sawe that ther was· londe for to bere corne and grasse / and brought theder first men that were called ligures / aradia that is called aradium al¦so is an ylond that is al one cyt••· not fer from the cyte tirus and

hath many shipmen that ben ful stronge in fyghtynge / Ciclades ben / liij / ylondes to gydre & ar named of Cyclon in grewe whiche is a cercle in englysshe. For they ben set al round as it were a cer∣cle aboute the ylond that highte delon / Netheles som men seyn that they be so called by cause of highe rockes that ben al about them The first of them is rodes toward the eest / And these ylondes en∣de toward the north in the clyf of the lasse asia / & hath out of the south in to the north fyfty myle / and out of the eest in to the west two honderd myle / the myddel ylond of them is named delon that is to saye y shewed / For it was somtyme byschyne with the son∣ne to fore other londes after no••s flood / the same delon is called Ortigia. For ortigie ben called conturnices curlewes. whiche ben there grete plente. ¶ And in that place lacona bare Appolyn delphycus. Samos otherwyse called Samia is an Ilond. in whiche pyctagoras Iuno and sibilla were born. In that londe is whyce cleye and reed· Of whiche cleye men make erthen vessel at beste / Cyprus that lond heyght paphon and cichym also / And is beclypped in the south with the see of phenicia / in the west with the see pamphilicus / and in the northwest with scicilia· & is .viij. score mile in lengthe / & / vj / score & / v. in brede / In that yle bras and craft of brasse was first y foūden / the wynes of that lond is strē∣gest of all wynes / Creta hath that name of one cretus that dwel¦lyd therin· that ylonde heyght centapolis also. that is a londe that hath an .C· cytees· for therin were somtyme an / C· cytees somtyme & there was saturnus & Iupiter born· & were first kynges there & of right it longeth to grecia of old tyme / and hath in the. south side the see libicus / And in the north the see of grecia & stretcheth oute in to the eest and in to the west / and was the first londe that was parfyght and noble in crafte of rowyng with oores / Armes & shotyng with arowes. and yaf lawe wreton. and taught men ride on horsbak And ther was the craft of musike and syngynge of ydeis dactilis founde / ¶ They of Creta made it more and yaf it in knowleche to other londes aboute / ¶That londe is now called Candia / In that ylond ben many sheep and g••eet / & fewe roes & hertes· therin be no foxes ne wolues ne addres ne such venemo{us} beestes / And that lond hateth so venym that yf men brynge ony venemous beestes or wormes of other londes they deyen anone· & though ther be no grete venemo{us} beestes in that lond yet ben ther Attercops venemous that ben called Spalangya in· that londe Oro{us} seith that this ylōd is viij score & vij mile in lēgthe / & an / C

myle in brede / In this Ilonde is one of the foure laborintus as it shal be sayd afterward / Treuisa / For to late men haue knowle¦che what laborint{us} is· it is an bous wōderly buylded & wrought with halkes & huyrenes tornynges & windynges so diuersly by wōderful wayes & wrynclis that who that gooth in to that hows & wold come out / agayn though he retorne hytherward & thyder ward ceste west north or southward whyther euer he drawe & for alle the wayes he can chese / though he trauaylle neu{er} so sore / he shal be so mased that out can he not goo / but yf he haue the craft that serueth therfore. Scicilia. that Ilond was somtyme called trinatria as it were thre square by cause of thre hilles that ben therin / The hilles ben called pelorū pachinū / libeū· & afterward was called sci¦cilia of sciculus that was ytalus brother· & that londe hight som¦tyme scicania of scicanus the kyng / & hath in the northsyde apu∣lia a partye of ytalie & is departed fro that part with grete waters of an arme of the see· or clouen by erthskakyng thus seyth salus¦tius / & the see bytwene secilia & ytalye is now thre myle brode· & is called regium that is to saye broken of In that see ben two grete perylls wonderful & wyde y knowe / that one is scilla / that other is caribdis· men of that lond calle scillā a grete stone that is seen aboue the water shapen as· a mā byclypped about with hoū∣des heedes & feynen & saye that it semeth. that the wawes berketh that beteth therupon / caribdis is a perillo{us} whirlyng see that cas∣teth vp water & wawes & swoloweth hem in agayn thryes in a day / ysid / li / 14. In this ylond men ered first with plowe for to so∣we in corne and other seedes. & ther was comedia / songe of gestes first foūden / Beda de naturis· The londe of scicilia is holowe & ful. of caues· & moch sulphur or brymstone. & glue. so that the a∣yer & fire hath way ynowgh therto / & fire closed in the caues & in the chinnes within the erthe. stryueth with the ayer & other thyn¦ges that ben contrarye to fyre / And that causeth ofte smoke and brennyng leyte to breke out in many places ¶ And somtyme the strengthe of the wynde that is within maketh to breke oute heepes of grauel and of stones / For suche doynge it is that the brennynge of the hille that is called the mount Ethna dureth so longe / ysid li· 14 / That hille mount ethna toward the south∣eest hath many chynnes and holowe dennes or caues within the erthe ful of brymstone that resseyueth moche wynde and engen∣dryth fyre and smoke / R. In that place ben seen dyuerse figures and shappes and herde ruful voys and gronyng. ¶ Therfore

somme men wenen that sowles ben there in payne / as it semeth that seynt gregory maketh mynde in his dyaloge· Gir· in to / there is a welle in scicilia yf aman cometh therto clothed in red. anone the water of that welle spryngeth vp as high as that mannes hede ¶ And for ony other colour or hewe the water meueth not. There ben also •• Cicades birdes that syngen wel in the best wys•• and they haue a pype open vnder the throote / And syngen better whan the heed is of than whan it is on. And better whan they ben dede than whyle they ben a lyue· Therfor herdes of that londe bihede them for to haue the swetter songe / ¶ And in that londe is a Cyte called Palarna that yeldeth euery yere more of certayn rente than the kyng of Englond. hath of siker rente of Englond ¶ Ysidorus libro 13 / In Scicilia ben two welles that one of hem maketh a barayn woman to bere childeren / And that other maketh a childyng woman barayn· In Scicilia is salt agrigen¦tinus wonderful and contrarye to other salt ffor it melteth in fy∣re and lepeth and sperclyth in water· byside Scisilia is an Ilond that is called Eola· and hath that name of Eolus· Poetes fey∣nen and saye that Eolus is god of wyndes· For whyle he was Ruler of the ix Ilondes eueryche of hem heyght / Eola. By ry∣synge of moysture of myste and of smoke he wolde telle whan it shold rayne / And therfore symple men supposed that he had the wynde in his power and myghte / ¶ The same nyne Ilon••es hight wl••ane that is fyry. for fyre brenneth there alwaye· There ben other Ilondes in the see Eusinus / That see Eusinus is a grete partye of the see of myddel erthe / Amonge the whiche ylon¦des the ylond of Colchos is famous. there as Iason fette the gol¦den fflyes as it shal be. declared after about the bataylle of troye ¶And pathmos is an Ilond in the same see / there as seynt Io∣han the euāgelyst was whan he was exyled sute of other londes