Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Anglia. cap. 14.

ENgland is the most greatest Iland of the Occean, and is inclosed all about with the sea, & departed from y^e roundnes of the world, and was called sometime Albion: and had that name of white Rockes, which were séene on the Sea cliffes. And by continuaunce of time, Lords and noble men of Troye, after that Troye was destroyed, went from thence, & were accompanied with a great nauie, and fortuned to the cliffes of the foresaid Iland, & that by Oracle of theyr fained Goddesse P••llas, as it is sayd.

And the Troyans fought with Giaunts long time that dwelled therin, and ouer∣came the Giaunts both with crafte and with strength, and conquered the Iland, and called the Lande, Britaine by the name of Brute that was Prince of that Hoaste, and so the Ilande is named Britaine, as it were an Ilande con∣quered of Brute, that time with armes and with might. Of this Brutes Of∣spring came most mightie Kings.

And who that hath lyking to knowe their déedes, let him read the Storye of Brute.

And long time after the Saxons wan the Iland with manye and diuers harde battailes and strong, and their Ofspring had possession after them of the Iland, & the Britons were slaine or exiled & Sax∣ons departed the Iland among them, & gaue euery prouince a name, by the pro∣pertie of his owne name and nation, and therefore they called the Iland An∣glia, by the name of Engelia y^e Quéene, the worthiest Duke of Saxons daugh∣ter, that had the Iland in possession af∣ter many battailes, Isid. sayth, that this land is Anglia and hath that name of Angulo, a corner, as it were lande sette in the ende or a corner of the world.

But Saint Gregory séeing English chil∣dren to sell at Rome, when they were not christened, and hearing that they wer called English children: according with the name of the countrey, he aunswered and sayd. Truly they be English, for they shine in face right as Angells, it is néede to sende them message with word of saluation: for as Beda sayth, the no∣ble kinde of the Land shone in their fa∣ces. But of this land Plinius and Oro∣sius speaketh much. Isidore sayeth and toucheth in some more opēly, than other, that speake thereof more darklye. Bri∣taine, that now is called Anglia, is an Iland set afore Fraunce and Spaine, & cōtaineth about xlviii. times .lxxv. miles. Also there be many riuers and great, & hot welles. There is great plentie of mettalls, ther be plentie of the stones A∣gates, and of Pearles: the grounde is speciall good, most apt to boare corne and other good fruite. There be namely ma∣ny shéepe with good wooll, there be many Harts and other wilde beasts: there bée fewe wolues or none, therefore there be many shéepe, and maye be safelye lefte without ward in pasture and in fieldes, as Beda sayth.

Therefore one describeth the Englysh land in metre, as it followeth.

Anglia terra ferox, & fertilis, angu∣lus orbis. Insula praediues, quae toto vix eget orbe. Et cuius totus indiget orbis ope. Anglia plena iocis, gens libera, apta iocari. Libera gens, cui libera mens, & libera lingua. Sed lingua melior liberior{que} manus.

These verses shew, that England is a strong land and sturdie, and the plen∣teoust corner of the worlde, so rich a land that vnneth it néedeth helpe of any land, and euery other land néedeth helpe of England. England is full of mirthe and of game, and men oft times able to mirth and game, frée men of heart and with tongue, but the hand is more bet∣ter, and more frée than the tongue.

And he accounteth much other wor∣thinesse, both of the men and of the I∣land, which were too long to set héere all arowe. Looke within the chap. of Brit. (* 1.1Anglia, the realme of England, part of the Ile called Britaine. The people are called Angli, of a people of Saxony, which wer at y^e time most of reputatiō, & therefore their name longest continu∣ed, as well in the people as in the coun∣trie. Read more thereof in Brit. as fol∣loweth cha. 28.)

Notes

• * 1.1

  Additiō.