Ranulf Higden, The Description of Britain (1480)
Full Text
EEBO/TCP
Date
18 August 1480
Author
Ranulf Higden Note: 30/09/2005
Translator
John Trevisa Note: 15/10/2005
Book title
Hit is so that in many and diuerse places the comyn cronicles of englond ben had and also now late enprinted at westmynstre And for as moche as the descripcion of this londe whiche of olde tyme was namyd albyon / and after Britayne is not descriued ne comynly had / ne the noblenesse and worthynesse of the same is not knowen / Therfor I entende to sette in this booke the discipciion of this said Isle of Britayne with the commoditees of the same
Edition
1st
Publication place
Westminster
Publisher
William Caxton
Transcription source
EEBO/TCP
Text type
printed book
Genre
Treatises
Subject area
place name
Summary
(a) "The names of this Iland Capitulo. j." (b) "De legibus legumque vocabulis." (c) "Of the langages of maners and vsages of the peple of that londe Ca. xv."
Colophon: "Here endeth the discripcion of Britayne the / whiche conteyneth englond wales and scotland / & also bicause Irlonde is vnder the reule of englond & of olde tyme it hath so continued therfore I haue sette the descripcion of the same after the said britayne / Which I haue taken oute of Policronicon / And bicause it is necessarie to alle englisshmen to knowe the propretees commoditees & meruailles of them / therfore I haue sette them in enprinte according to the translacion of Treuisa / whiche atte request of the lord Barkeley translated the book of Policronicon in to englissh / Fynysshed by me william Caxton the xviij. day of August the yere of our lord god M.CCCC.lxxx. and the xx. yere of the regne of kyng Edward the fourthe"
Colophon: "Here endeth the discripcion of Britayne the / whiche conteyneth englond wales and scotland / & also bicause Irlonde is vnder the reule of englond & of olde tyme it hath so continued therfore I haue sette the descripcion of the same after the said britayne / Which I haue taken oute of Policronicon / And bicause it is necessarie to alle englisshmen to knowe the propretees commoditees & meruailles of them / therfore I haue sette them in enprinte according to the translacion of Treuisa / whiche atte request of the lord Barkeley translated the book of Policronicon in to englissh / Fynysshed by me william Caxton the xviij. day of August the yere of our lord god M.CCCC.lxxx. and the xx. yere of the regne of kyng Edward the fourthe"
Language
headwords: English
explanations: English
explanations: English
explanations: English
explanations: English
Word-group
type: undifferentiated
Word-entry
type: other
Schafer
1480 T
STC
13440a
Catalog
Duff, E. Gordon. "Early Printed Books to 1558." Bibliotheca Pepysiana. Part II. London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1914. 113. view record
Other editions
1498 (STC 13440b), 1502, 1504, 1510, 1515, 1520, 1528 (STC 9997-10002)
Modern editions
Higden, Ranulf. Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden monachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century. Ed. Joseph Rawson Lumby. Trans. John Trevisa. Rerum britannicarum medii aevi scriptores; or, Chronicles and memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the middle ages, no. 41. 9 vols. London: Longman, 1865-86. view record
