Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ De hybernia •• •• ¶ Capitulum 32

HYbernia that is Irlond. And was of old tyme incorperate in to the lordship of britain so seith Giraldus in sua topo∣graphia where he descriueth it at fulle yet it is worthy and semely to praise that lond with larger praysing. For to come to clere and ful knowleche of that lōd· these tytles that folowe opene the way Therfor I shal telle of the stede and place of that lond how grete and what manere londe it is / Wherof that londe hath plente. and wherof it hath defawte· ¶Also of what men that dwellid therinne firste. Of men Of maners of that lond of the wondris of that lond of and worthynes of halowes and saintes of that lond. ¶De situ hibernie locali. / ¶Irlonde is the laste of alle the weste ylondes and height hibernia of one hiberus of spayn that was hermonius broder For these two bretheren gate and wan that lond by conqueste / ¶ Or it is called hibernia of that Riuer hiberus that is in the weste ende of spayne And that lond

heyghte Scotland also / For scottes dwellyd there somtyme er they cam in to that other Scotland that longed to brytayne Therfor it is wreten in the martiloge· Suche a day in Scotland seynt bryde was bore / and that was in Irlond / this londe hath in the southest side spayne thre dayes sayllyng thennes a sydehalf And hath in the eest syde the more brytayn· thennes a dayes sayllyng In the weste syde it hath the endels occean. and in the northsyde Iselond thre dayes sayllyng thens Solinus but the See that is bytwene Britain and Irlond is al the yere ful of grete wawes and vnesy· So that men maye selde saylle sikerly bytwene / that see is six score myle brood / ¶ De eius quan∣to et quali / Irlond is an Ilond grettest after brytayn and stret∣cheth northward from brendans hilles vnto the londe Columbina and conteyneth. viij / dayes iourneyes Euery iourney of .xl / myle And from deuelyn to patriks hilles· and to the see in that syde in brede is four iourneyes And Irlond is narower in the myddel than in thendes al otherwyse than brytayn is· as Irlond is shor¦ter northward than brytayn / so it is lenger southward / the lond is not pleyn but ful of montaynes· of hilles / of wodes of ma∣reys and of mores. the londe is soft rayny· wyndy· and lowe by the see side and withyn hilly and sondy. Solynus / there is grete plente of noble pasture and of leese / therfor the beestes must be of¦te dryue oute of theyr pasture leeste they ete ouermoche for they shold shende hein self yf they myght ete at theyr wylle· Gir· Men of that lond haue comunely theyr helth / and straungers haue of¦te a peryllous flux by cause of the moysture of the mete / the flessh of kyen is there holsome and swynes flesshe vnholsome· Men of that londe haue no feuer but onely the feuer ague. and that right selde / therfor the holsomnes and helthe of that londe and the clen¦nes oute of venyme. is worth al the boost and rychesse of trees of herbes of spycerye / of ryche clothes and of precious stones of the eeste londes / ¶The cause of the helthe and holsomnes of that londe is the attemperat hete and colde that is therinne / ¶ In quibus rebus sufficit In this londe ben moo kyne than Oxen / more pasture than corne. more gras than seed / ¶ There is grete plente of samon of lamprayes of Eelis and of other see fysshe Of Egles / of Cranes of pecokes / of Curlewes of sperhaukes / of goshaukes and of gentil faucons. Of wolues / and right shrewd myse / there ben attercoppes blood soukere and eeftes that doon none harme / Ther ben feyres lytil of body and ful hardy and

stronge / There ben bernacles fowles like to wylde ghees / whiche growen wonderly vpon trees as it were nature wrought agayn kynde / Men of Religyon ete bernacles on fastyng dayes by ••au∣se they ben not engendryd of fflesshe wherin as me thynketh they erre· For reson is ayenst that· Fro yf a man. had eten of Adams legge· he had eten flesshe· And yet Adam was not engendred of fader and moder· but that fflesshe cam wonderly of therthe & so this fflesshe cometh wonderly of the tree / In this londe is plente of hony and of mykle of wyn and not of vyne yerdes / Solinus and ysidorus wryten that Irlond hath no bees Netheles it we¦re better wryten that Irlond hath bees and no vyneyerdes Also Beda sayth that ther is grete huntynge to robuckes / And it is y knowe that ther ben none. It is no wonder of beda for he sawe neuer that lond but somme men had told hym suche tales / Also ther groweth that stone saxogonus and is called Iris al¦so / as it were the rayne bowe / yf that stone be holde agaynste t••e sonne anon it shal shape a reynbowe· there is also founden a stone that is called gagates and whyte margery perlis In auibus rebus deficit· whete cornes ben there ful smale vnnethe y clen∣sed with mannes hond Reserued men· alle beestes ben smaller there than in other londes. there lacked wel nygh alle / maner ffys¦she of Fresshe water that is not gendred in the see· ther lacken vn¦kynde fawcons gerfawcons. partrychis Fesaunte Nyghtyngale and pyrs / ther lacken: also Roo and bucke and ylespyles won∣tes and other venemous beestes therfore somme men ••••ynen and that fauorably that seynt patrik clensed that lond of wormes & of venemous beestes· But it is more probable and more skylful that this londe was from the begynnynge alway without suche wormes· For venemous beestes and wormes dyen there anone if men brynge hem theder oute of other londes / And also venyme & poyson brought theder oute of other londes / lesen theyr malyce as sone as it passeth themyddel of the See / ¶Also powdre and er∣the of that londe caste and sowen in other londes dryuen awaye wormes so ferforth that yf a turf of that londe be putte aboute a worme it sleeth hym or maketh hym thrille the erthe for tescape awaye / In that londe cockes crowe but lytil to fore day· so that the first crowyng of cockes in that lond and the thyrdde in other londes ben like ferre to fore the day