Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ De shiris Anglie siue prouyncijs / ¶ Capitulum 49

TAke hede that Englond conteyneth .xxxij· shyres and pro∣uynces / that now ben called Erldomis / reserued Cornewayl and the Ilondes ¶Alfr These ben the names of the Erldoms & Shyres· Kent Southsex / Sortherey. Hampshire. barokshire that hath his name of a bare ook that is in the forest of wyndesore For at that bare ooke men of that shyre were wonte come to gy∣ders and make their tretis and there take counseyl and aduys Also wildshyre that heet somtyme the prouynce of semeran So∣mersete Dorsete / deuenshire that now is called deuonia in latyn. These .ix. southshires tamyse departeth frō the other dele of englōd whiche were somtyme gouerned and Rewled by the westsaxon lawe / Estsex Myddelsex· Southe folke north folk hertfordshire. Huntyndonshyre. Northamptonshyre / Cambryggeshyre / bedford¦shyre / Buykynghamshyre Leycetre shyre Derby shyre / notyng¦hamshyre Lincolnshyre yorkshyre / Duramsihre· Northumberhand Caerlelshyre with Cumberlond Appelbisshyre with westmer∣lond lancasshyre that conteyneth fiue litil shires / These fyftene northe and eest shyres were somtyme gouerned and rewled by that lawe whiche is called denelawe / But Oxenforshire War∣wikshire. gloucestreshyre ▪ wircetre shire Herdforshire shropshire sta¦ffordshire Chestresire ¶These viij middel and west shires were

somtyme gouerned and Rewled by the lawe called mercia in latyn and merchene lawe in englysshe· It is to wete that york¦shyre stretcheth from the ryuer of humbre vnto the Ryuer of tey¦se. and yet in yorkshyre ben / xxij hondredis hundred and candred is al one. candred is one word made of walsshe and prysshe And is to menyng a countrey that conteyneth an honderd tow∣nes / And is also in englyssh called wepentak· For somtyme in the comyng of a new lord. tenauntes were wonte to yelde vp her wepē in stede of homage. durāshire stretcheth frō the ryu{er} teise vn¦to y^e riu{er} of tine / & for to speke proprely of Northumberlād it stret¦cheth fro the ryuer Tyne vnto the Ryuer of Twede that is in the begynnyng of Scotland / thenne yf the countray of Northū∣berland that was somtyme from humbre vnto Twede be now a∣compted for one shire And for one erldom as it was somty∣me· Thenne ben in englond but / xxxij shires but yf the countray of Northumberland be departed in to vj shires that ben euer wik∣shire duramshire Northumberlond carleylshire Appelbyshire and Lancasshire· thenne ben in englond xxxvj shires withoute Cor∣nuale and also without the ylondes Kynge william conquerour made alle these prouynces and shires to be descryued and meten thenne were fonden xxxvj shires and half a shyre / Townes L / ij / M / four score Parissh chirches / xlv M and ij / knyghtes fees / lxxv·M Wherof men of Relygyon haue xxviij thousand .xv. knyghtes fees / But now wodes ben hewen doun and the lande newe tylled and made moche more than was at that tyme and many townes and vyllages buylded and so ther ben many moo vyllages and townes now than were in that tyme And where as a fore is wreton that cornuayll is not sette amonge the shi∣res of englond it may stonde amonge them wel ynowgh For it is neyther in wales ne in scotland but is in englond And ioy∣neth to deuensshire / And so may ther ben acompted in englond xxxvij shires and an half with the other shires