The descrypcyon of Englonde Here foloweth a lytell treatyse the whiche treateth of the descrypcyon of this londe which of olde tyme was named Albyon and after Brytayne and now is called Englonde and speketh of the noblesse and worthynesse of the same

¶Of the gretnes and qualyte of that londe. ca. xxiiij. (Book 24)

IRlonde is an ylonde grettest af∣ter Brytayne / & stretcheth north warde from Brendas hylles vnto the londe Columbina & conteyneth .viij. dayes Iourney / euery Iourney .xl. my¦le / & from Deuelyn to Patryks hylles & to the see in y^t syde in brede .iiij. Iour¦neys / & Irlonde is narower in y^• myd∣del than in thendes / al otherwyse than Brytayne is / as Irlonde is shorter northwarde than Brytayne / soo is it lenger southward / y^e londe is not play¦ne but full of montayns of hylles of wodes of mareys & of mores / the londe is softe rayny wyndy & lowe by y^e see sy¦de & within hylly & sondy. ¶Solinus Ther is grete plente of noble pasture & of leese / therfore the best{is} must be oft dryuen out of theyr pasture lest they ete ouermoche for they sholde shende hem self yf they myght ete at theyr wyll / ¶Gir. Men of y^t londe haue cōmune¦ly theyr helth / & straūgers haue ofte a perylous flux bycause of the moysture of y^e mete. The flesshe of kyen is there holsome / & swynes flesshe vnholsome. Men of y^t londe haue no feuer but on∣ly the feuer ague & y^t ryght selde. Ther¦fore the holsomnes & helth of y^t londe & the clennes out of venyme is worth all the boost & rychesse of trees of her∣bes of spycer of ryche clothes & of pre∣tyous

stones of the cest londes. The cause of the helth & holsomnes of y^t lon¦de is the attemperate hete & colde y^t is therin. In ••bz rebz sufficit. In this lon¦de ben mo kyen than oxen / more pastu¦re than corn / more gras than seed / ther is plente of samon / of lamprayes / of celes & of other see fysshe. Of egles / of cranes / of pecoks of curlewes / of sper¦haukes / of goshaukes & of gentyl faw¦cons. Of wolues & ryght shrewed myse Ther ben attercoppes / blood soukers cettes y^• done none harme / ther ben ••ey¦res lytell of body & full hardy & stron∣ge / ther ben bernacles foules lyke to wylde ghees whiche growen wonderly vpon trees / as it were nature wrought agayne kynde. Men of relygyon eteth bernacles on fastyndayes bycause they ben not engendred w^t flessh / wherin as me thynketh they erre / for reason is a∣yenst that. For yf yf a man had eten of Adams legge he had eten flesshe / & yet Adam was not engendred of fader & moder / but y^t flesshe come wonderly of the erthe / & so this flesshe come wonder¦ly of y^e tree. In this londe is plente of hony & of mylke of wyne & of vyneyer¦des ¶Solin{is} & Ysid. wryten y^t Irlon¦de hath no bees Netheles it were better wryten y^t Irlonde had bees & no vyne yerdes ¶Also Beda sayth y^t ther is gre¦te huntynge to roobuckes / & it is kno∣we y^t there ben none. It is no wonder of Beda for he sawe neuer that londe but some man told hȳ suche tales. Also ther groweth y^t stone Saxagonus & is called Iris also as it were y^e raynbowe yf y^e stone be holde agaynst the sonne anone it shall shape a raynbowe / ther is also foūden a stone y^t is called Ga∣gates & whyte margery perles