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¶De britannia ¶ Capitulum 39
AFter the Ilond of Occean now brytayn shal be descryued By cause of britayn al the trauayll of this storye was by∣gōne. The first poynt that shal be told shal be of the names of the ylōd / thenne of the stede & place of lengthe and brede / the thyrdd of the worthynes of the londe· the fourth of merueylles and won¦ders that ben therinne / the fyfthe of the chyef partye of the londe· the sixth of ylondes that ben bisides that londe· the seuenth of the kynges heyhe wayes· the viij of famous ryuers and stremes· the ·ix· of olde cytees and townes· the tenthe of prouynces and shi∣res / the .xj / of lawes and of names of lawes / the ·xij of kynge∣doms of boundes and of merkes bytwene kyngdoms / the / xiij / of bysshopriches & of bisshops sees / the .xiiij how many maner mē ha¦ue dwelled in that ylond / the fyftenth of langage of maners & of vsage of men of that londe
¶ De varia insule nuncupacione
FYrst this londe heyte albyon / as it were the whyte lande of whyte rokkes about the clyues of the see that were seen fro ferre. Afterward bruyte conquerd this londe / And called it bry∣tain after his owne name. thenne saxons or englysshe men con∣querd this londe and called it anglia that is englond or it is cal∣led anglia of a quene that owed this lond that was named an¦gela / and was a noble dukes doughter of the saxons· or as ysid seyth eth / 15 / Anglia hath that name as it were an angle and a corner of the world / or ellys as beda sayth libro primo· Seynt gre¦gory sawe englysshe children to selle at Rome. And he acorded to the name of the londe and sayde they ben sothly anglis. For her face shyneth as angels / For the noblete of the londe shone in the children faces. Alfred ¶ The brytysshe Anglia is cleped the other world and for grete plente of al good the grete charles called hit his owne chambre / Solynus / The edge of the frēsshe clyf sholde be the ende of the worlde yf the ylonde of brytayn ne were not· whiche is worthy to haue the name of another world / ¶Al••o This Ilond is called Insula· For it is in sa•••• that is the see and is beten of with dyuerse cours of waters with stre∣mes and with wawes of the see