OF THE LONDE OP . 349

Jhesu Crist him selven is so corteis, For ous he soffrede deth, ase the hoc hit seys. Alle we shule deye, be we never so proude, Tor alle owre toures heye, ligge we shule throute, In forstes ant in snowes, in shures ant in cloude, Of alle oure riche clothes tid us never a shroude. Whose hath don for Godes love, he may be ful stoude. (? proude) Her we haveth houses of lym ant of ston, Ant alle we shulen hem leven everuchon; Fare we shule to a hour that is oure long horn, Nouther more ne lasse bote from the hed to ton, Ther shal rotie ure fleyshe al to the bon. When the flor is at thy rug, the rof ys at thy neose, Al this wolrdes (sic) blisse nis nout worth a peose. Bote jef Jhesu Cristes merci among us more were, To wrothere-hele that ever we in londe comen here; To thin holy halewen, Crist, bring us alle y-fere.—Amen.

F.— EPITOME. (P. 131.)

English, of the Fifteenth Century.

[From Trevisa's translation of the Polycron. Caxton, Westminster, 1480.]

Of the londe of Wales. And then preyse the lond and welle ; Now this book taketh on honde Then I shall write with my penne Wales after Englond, Alle the maners of the menne; So take I my tales, Thenne I shall fonde And wende into Wales, To telle mervailles of the londe. To that noble brood Of Priamus blood, Of the name, hoiv it is named Walls. Knoleche for to wynne Wales now is called Wallia, Of grete Jupiters kynne, And somtyme it heet Cambria, For to have in mynde For Camber Brutes sone Dardanus kynde. Was prince, and there dyde wone. In thise foure titles I fonde Thenne Wallia was to mene To alle thestate of that londe; For Gwalaes the quene, Cause of the nam I shall telle ; Kyng childe, 350 OF THE LON F WALES.

Was wedded thider mylde, Northwales from the south And of that lord Gwalon Twy delith in places full couth. Withdrawetb. of the soun, The south heet Demecia, And put to 1. i. a. And the othir Venedocia. And thou shalt finde Wallia. The first shoteth and arowes beres, And though this londe That othir deleth all with speres. Be moche lesse than Englond, In Wales, how it be, As good glebe is one as othir, Were somtyme courtes thre: In the doughter as in the moder. At Carmarthyn was that one ; And that othir was in Mone ; Of the commoditees of the lond of The thirde was in Powisy, Wales. In Pengwern, that now is Shrousbury. Though that londe be luyte, There were bisshops seven, It is full of corn and of fruyte, And now ben .iiij. even. And hath grete plente y-wys Under Saxons all atte honde, Of flessh and eke of fissh, Somtyme under princes of that land. Of beestis tame and wylde, Of horse, sheep, oxen mylde ; Of the maner and rites of the Walssh- Good londe for all seedes, men. For corn, gras, and herbes that spredes. The maner lyvyng of that londe Ther ben woodes and medes, Is well diverse from Englond, Herbes and flours there spredes ; In mete and drynke and clothyng, Ther ben rivers and welles, And many othir doyng. Valeyes and also hilles, They be clothed wondre well, Valeyes bringe forth llode, In a shirt and in a mantell, And hilles metals goode. A crisp breche well fayn, Cool groweth under londe, Bothe in wynde and in rayne ; And gras above atte honde. In this clothyng they be bolde There lyme is copyous, Though the weder be right colde, And slattes for house. Withoute shetes alway, Hony and mylke white Evermore in this aray There is deynte' and not lyte. They goo fighte, playe, and lepe, Of braket, methe, and ale, Stonde, sitte, lye, and slepe, Is grete plente in that vale. Without surcot,goun, cote, and kirtell, And alle that nedeth to the lyve, Without jopen, tabard, clok, or bell, That lond bringeth forth ryve. Without lace and chaplet that her But of grete riches to be drawe, lappes, And close many in ahorte sawe, Without hode, hatte, or cappes. Hit is a corner small, Thus araid gon the segges, As though God first of all And alway with bare legges. Made that londe so fele, They kepe none othir goyng, To be selere of all hele. Though they mete with the kyng. Wales is deled by With arowes and short speres A water that heet Twy ; They fight with them that hem deres ; OF THE LONDE OF WALES. 351

They fight better, yf they neden, Telleth that a grete prise, Whan they go than whan they riden. To yeve a caudron with gruwele In stede of castell and tour, To hem that siten on his mele; They take wode and mareys for socour. He deleth his mete atte mele, Whan they seen it is to do, And yeveth every man his dele ; In fighting they wollbe a go. And alle the overpluse Gildas seyth they ben variable He kepeth to his owne use ; In pees, and not stable. Therfor they have woo, Yf men axe why it be, And myshappes also. It is no wonder for the see, They eten hote samon alway, Though men put oute of londe All though phisik say nay. To put out othir wold fonde. Her houses ben lowe withall, But all for noujt at this stonde, And made of yerdes small; For al many wodes ben at gronde, Not as in citees nyhe, And upon the see amonge But fer asonder and not to hihe. Ben castels buylded stronge, Whan all is eten at home, The men may dure longe un-ete, Then to hir neyhbours wyl they rome, And love well comune mete. And ete what they may finde and see, They can ete and ben mury, And then torne home aye. Withoute grete cury; The lyf is ydle that they ledes, They ete breed cold and hoote, In brenning, sleping, and such dedes. Of barly and of ote, Walsshmen use with her myght Brode cakes rounde and thynne, To weshe their ghestes feet a nyjt; As well semeth so grete kynne ; If he wessh her feet all and somme, Selde they ete brede of whete, Then they knowe that they be welcome, And selde they done ones ete. They lyve so esily in a route, They hane gruell to potage, That selde they bere purs aboute ; And lekes kynde to companage ; At her breche out and home Also butter, mylke, and chese, They hong their money and combe. Y-shape endlong and corner wese. It is wondre they be so hende, Suche messes they ete snell, And hate crak atte nether ende, And that maketh hem drink wel And withoute ony core Methe and ale that hath myght, Make their wardrope atte dore. Theron they spende day and nyght. They have in grete mangery Ever the redder is the wyn, Harp, tabour, and pip for minstralcie. They holde it the more fyn. They bere corps with sorow gret, Whan they drynke atte ale, And blowe loude homes of gheet. They telle many a lewd tale ; They prayse fast Trojan blode, For whan drink is an hondling, For therof come all her brode; They ben full of jangling. Neyh kyn they wyll be, Atte mete and after eke, Though they passe an c. degre. Her solace is salt and leke. Above othir men they wil hem di^t, The husbond in his wyse. And worship prestes with her myjt, 352 OF THE LONDE OP WALES.

As angels of heven right Of the noyse that is ther under. They worshipe servauntes of God Yf the prince of the londe hote Briddes singe well mery note, Oft giled was this brode, As merily as they can, And yerned bataill all for wode, And singen for none othir man. For prophecie, Besides Carleon, And oft for sortelegye. Two myle from the toun, Best in maners of Britons, Is a roche well bright of leem For companye of Saxons Right ayenst the sunne beem; Ben torned to better right, Goldclyf that roche hihte, That is knowen as clere as light. For it shyneth as go[l]d ful brijt. They tillen gardens, felde, and dounes, Such a flour in stone is nou3t, And drawe hem to good tounes; Withoute fruyt, if it were soujt, They ride armed as wole god, If men coude by craft undo And goo y-hosed and y-shood, The veynes of therthe and com therto. And sitten faire at hir mele, Many benefice of kynde And slepe in beddes fair and fele ; Ben now hid fro mannes minde, So they seme now in mynde And ben unknowe yet, More Englissh than Walsh kinde. For defaute of mannes witte. Yf men axe whi they now do so Grete tresour is hid in grounde, More than they wont to do ; And after this it shal be fonde, They lyven in more pees, By grete studye and besines Bicause of their riches ; Of hem that comen after us. For their catel shold slake That olde men had by grete nede, Yf they used ofte wrake ; We have by besy dede. Drede of losse of her good In bokes ye may rede, Trevisa. Make them now stille of mode. That kynde failleth not at nede ; All in one it is brought, Whan no man had craft in minde, Have nothing and drede nought. Then of craft halp God and kynde; The poet seith a sawe of preef, Whan no techer was in londe, The foteman singeth tofore the thef, Men had craft by Goddes honde. And is bolder on the waye, They that had craft so thenne, Than the horseman rich and gaye. Taught forth craft to othir menne; Some craft that yet come not in place, Of the mervailles and wondres of Some man shall have by Gods grace. Wales. JR. Anilond is with nois and strif, Ther is a pole at Brechnok, In West Walis at Kerdyf, Therin offish is many a flok ; Fast by Sevarn stronde, Oft he changeth his hewe on cop, Barry hight that ilonde. And bereth above a gardin crop. In that hither side in a chene Ofte tyme, how it be, Shall thou here wonder dene, Shape of hous ther shalltou see ; And diverse noys also, Whan the pole is froze, it is wonder If thou put thyn eere to ; OP THE LONDE OF WALES. 353

Noys of leves* and of wynde, Ambrose-hille in Englissh. Noys of metall thou shalt finde, Kyng Vortigere sate on Froting of iren and westones thou shalt The waterside, and was ful of wone ; here, Then Ambrose prophecied, Heting of ovens then with fire. To-fore hym right tho. Trevisa. All this may well be What witte wold wene By wawes of the see, That a fend myght gete a child? That breketh in thare Somme men wold mene, With such noys and fare. That he may no such werk welde. At Penbrok in a stede That fende that goth a nyght, Fendes doo ofte quede, Wymmen full ofte to gyle, And throweth foull thyng in, Incubus is named by right; And dispiseth also synne; And gyleth men othir while, Neythir craft ne bedes may Succubus is that wight. Do thens that sorow away ; God graunte us none such vyle! Whan it greveth soo, Who that cometh in Mr gyle, To the men it bodeth woo. Wonder happe shall he smyle, At Crueinar in West Wales With wonder dede. Is a wonder burials ; Bothe men and wymen seed Every man that cometh it to see, Fendes wole kepe Semeth it even as moche as he ; With craft, and bringe an hepe ; Hool wepen there a nyght So fendes wylde Shall be broken er day light. May make wymmen bere childe ; At Nemyn in Northwalis Yet never in mynde A litill ilonde there is Was child of fendes kynde ; That is called Bardisey, For withouten eye Monkes duelle there alway; Ther myghte no suche child deye. Men lyve so longe in that hurst, Clergye maketh mynde, That the oldest deyeth first. Deth sleeth no fendes kynde ; Men saye that Merlin ther buried is, But deth slowe Merlin; That hihte also Silvestris. Merlin was ergo no goblin. There were Merlins tweyne, [R.] Anothir Merlin of Albyn lond, And prophecied veyne; That now is named Scotland; One hyte Ambrose and Merlin, And he had names two, And was y-goten by gobelin, Silvestris and Calidonius also, In Demecia at Carmerthyn, Of that wode Calidoni, Under kyng Vortigerin. For there he tolde his prophecie ; He tolde his prophecie And heet Silvestris as well, Even in Snowdonye, For whan he was in batell, Atte hede of the water of Coneway, And sawe above a grisly kynde, In the side of mount Eriri, And fyl anon out of his minde, Dynas Embreys in Walssh, And made nomore abood,

* The translator has here read foliorum instead oifollinm. CAMD. SOC. 17; 2 Z 354 OF THE LONDE OF WALES.

But ran anon unto the wood. On nyght it goth home his way ; Silvestris is wode, Trevisa. That he fonde by assaye Other wylde of mode, Hughe therle of Shrewsbury Other ellis In tyme of the first Harry ; That atte wode duelles. For he wolde the soth finde, R. Silvestris Merlin That stone to anothir he gan binde Tolde prophecie well and fyn, With grete cheynes of iren, And prophecied well sure And threwe all y-feren Under Kyng Arthure, Y-bounde at one heepe Openly, and not so cloos Into a water depe, As Merlin Ambros. Yet a-morow that stone Ther ben hilles in Snowdonye Was seyne erly in Mon. That ben wonderly hye, A cherle helde him self ful sligh, With heyght as grete alwaye And bonde this stone to his thye ; Asa man may goo a daye ; His thygh was roten or day, And heet Eriri on Walssli, And the stone wente away. Snowy-hilles in Englissh. Yf men don lechery In these hilles ther is Neyh that stone by, Leese ynouh for al bestis of Walis ; Swote cometh of that stone, These hilles on coppe beres But childe cometh ther none. Two grete fissh weres ; Ther is a roche right wonderly, Conteyned in that one ponde The Roche of Hering by contre[r]y, Meveth with the wynde an ilond, Though ther crie ony man born, As though it dyde swymme, And blowe also with an horn, And neyheth to the brymme, Noyse ther made though thou abide, So that heerdes have grete wonder Thou shalt here none in this side. And wene that theworld meveth under. Ther is anothir ilonde In that othir is perche and fissh, Fast by Mon at honde, Every one [one] -eyed is ; Hermytes ther ben rive. So fareth all well Yf ony of hem don strive, In Albania the mylwell. Alle the myse that may begete, In Rutlond by Tetingel Come and ete all their mete ; Ther is a litill welle, Thanne seceth never that woo That floweth not alwaye Tyll the strife sece also. As the see twies a daye, As men in this londe But somtyme it is dreye, Ben angry as in Irlonde, And somtyme full by the eye. So seintes of this contreye Ther is in Norwallia, Ben also wrechefull alweye. In Mon that heet Anglesia, Also in this londe, A stone according well neyhe In Irlond and in Scotlonde, As it were a mannes thyhe; Ben belles and staves How ferre ever that stone That in worshipp men haves, Be borne of ony mon, And ben worshiped so thenne VERSUS DE NUMMO. 355

Of clerkes and of lewd men, Ben founde rede sperklid stones, That dreden also In token of the blode rede To sweren on ony of tho, That the mayde Wenefrede Staff eyther belle, Shad at that pitte, As it were the Gospelle. Whan her throte was kytte. At Basingwerke is a welle, He that dyde that dede, That sacer hete as men telle ; Hath sorow on his seede Hit springeth so sore, as men may see, His children at all stoundes, What is cast in it throweth aye. Berken as welpes and houndes, Therof spvingeth a grete stronde, For to they pray that mayde grace, It were ynowh for all the londe ; Ryght at that welle place, Seke at that place Eyther in Shrewsbury strete, Have bothe hele and grace. There that mayde rested swete. In the welmes ofter than ones

G.—DE CRUCE DENARII (P.223.) AND DE NUMMO (P.226.)

1. Latin Leonines, probably of the Thirteenth Century.

[MS. Cotton, , A. xix. fol. 55, r°.; MS. Harl. No. 3362, fol. 8, v°. and fol. 54, v°.] Versus de Nummo. IN terris summus rex est hoc tempore nummus. Nummum mirantur reges et ei famulantur ; Nummo venalis favet ordo pontificalis ; Nummus in abbatum cameris retinet dominatnm ; Nummum nigrorum veneratur turba priorum ; Nummus magnorum judex est consiliorum ; Nummus bella gerit, nee si vult pax sibi deerit; Nummus agit lites, quia vult deponere dites ; Erigit ad plenum de stercore nummus egenum ; Omnia nummus emit, venditque, dat, et data demit; Nummus adulatur, nummus post blanda miuatur ; Nummus mentitur, nummus verax reperitur ; Nummus perjuros miseros facit et perituros ; Nummus avarorum deus est et spes cupidorum ; Nummus in errorem mulierum ducit amorem ; Nummus venales dominas facit imperiales ; Nummus raptores facit ipsos nobiliores ; Nummus habet plures quam coelum sidera fures ; Si nummus placitat cito cuncta pericula clamat;