Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ De Incolarum moribus Solynus· ¶ Capitulum / 34

SOlinus sayth that men of this lond ben straunge of nacion houseles and grete fyghters / and acounte right and wrong al for one thyng and ben syngel of clothyng scarce of mete cruel of herte and angry of speche. and drynketh first blood of dede mē that ben slayn and thenne wesshen theyr vysages ther with / and holde hem paid with fflesshe and fruyt in stede of mete and with mylke· in stede of drynke / & vse moche pleyng Idlenes & hūtyng & trauaylle ful lytil / In theyr childhode they ben hard norys∣shed & hard fedd & they be vnsemely of maners & of clothyng and haue breche and hosen alle one of wolle and strayt hodes that scretcheth a cubyte ouer the sholders behynde and foldynges in stede of mantels and of clokes / Also they vse no sadles / bootes ne spores whan they Ryde. But they dryue theyr horses with a Chambred yerd in the ouer ende· in stede of byttes with trenches and of brydles of Reest they vse brydles that lette not theyr horse to ete theyr mete / they fyghte vnarmed naked in bodye netheles with two dartes and speres· and with brood sparthes they fight with one hande / these men forsake tylyeng of lond and ke∣pen pasture for beestes / they vse long berdes & lōg lockes hanging doun behynde her heedes· they vse no crafte of flaxe of wolle of metal ne of marchaundyse but yeue hem to ydlenes and to slou¦the and rekene reste for likyng and fredom for Rychesse / And though Scotland the doughter of Irlond vse harpe tymbre and

tabour. Netheles Irysshe men be connyng in two manere Instru∣mentis of musike in harpe & tymbre that is armed with wyre & strenges of brasse. In whiche Instrumentes though they playe hastely and swyftly / they make right mery Armonye and melo∣dye with thyck tewnes werbles and notes. And begynne from bemol••and playe secretely vnder dymme sowne in the grete stren¦ges and torne agayn vnto the same. So that the grettest party•• of the craft hideth the craft / as it wold seme as though the cra•••• so hydde shold be ashamed / yf it were take / these m••n ben of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 maner in her lyuyng they paye no tythes· they wedde lawful•••• they spare not theyr alyes but the broder weddeth the brode•••• wif they ben besy for to betraye theyr neyghbours & other. they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sparthes in their hondes in stede of staues and fyghte ayens•• them that truste moost to them· these men ben variable and vnst••••faste trechours and gyleful· who that deleth with them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 more to be ware of gyle than of crafte of pees than of brennyn•• brondes / of hony than of galle· of malyce than of knyghthode •• They haue suche maners that they ben not stronge in warres in batayll ne· trewe in pers. they become gossibs to them that they wil falsely bitraye in the gossibrede & holy kynrede / eueryche dryn¦keth others blood whan it is shed. they loue somdele her no••ice •• her pleyfers whiche that souke the same mylke that they souked while they were childeren And they poursiewe their bretheren their cosins and their other kyn· And despisen their kyn while •• they lyue / And auenge their deth whan they be slayn / So long•• hath the vsage of euille cu••tomme endured emonge them that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath goten the maistrye ouer them and torned treson in to kynde so ferforth that they ben traitours by nature / and alyens and m••n of straunge londes that dwelle amonge them folowen their ma∣ners that vnnethe ther is none but he is besmitted with their tre∣son also / Amonge them many men pissen syttyng and wymmen standyng. ther ben many men in that londe fowle shapen in lym∣mes and in bodye / For in their lymmes they lacke the benefi••e· of kynde / So that nowher ben none better shapen than they that be there wel shapen & none worse shapen than they that be euil shapen And skylfully nature hurt and defowled by w••ckednes of ly∣uyng bryngeth forth suche foule gromes and euyl shapen of hem that with vnlawful delyng with fowl maners and euyl ly∣uyng so wyckedly defowleth kynde. and nature / In this londe and in wales olde wyues and wymmen were woonte and ben

yet as men seyne ofte for to shape them self in likenes of hares for to mylke their neyghbours kyne and stele her mylk / And of¦te gerhoundes rennen after hem and poursiewe them and wenen that they be hares / Also somme by crafte of nygromancye make fat swyne for to be reed of colour and selle them in markettis and feyres· But assone as the swyne passe ony water they tourne in to their owne kynde / whether it be strawe / heye gras or turues / But these swyne may not be kept by no craft for tendure in like¦nes of swyne ouer thre dayes / Among these wonders and other take hede that in the vttermost ende of the world falled ofte new merueylles and wondres. As though kynde playde with larger loue secretely and fer in thendes than openly and neygh the myd∣del / therfore in this Ilonde ben many grysly wonders and mer∣uaylles