The Spurious Chronicle of Richard of Cirencester
[An eighteenth century forgery.]
[SPURIOUS.]
Richard of Cirencester on the Ancient State of Britain
Book I
Chapter I
1. The shore of Gaul would be the boundary of the world, did not the island353 of Britain claim from its magnitude almost the appellation of another world; for if measured to the Caledonian promontory354 it extends more than eight hundred miles in length.355
2. Britain was first called by the ancients Albion,356 from its white cliffs; and afterwards in the language of the natives, Britain. Hence all the islands hereafter described were denominated British.357
3. Britain is situated between the north and west,358 opposite to, though at some distance from, Germany, Gaul, and Spain, the most considerable parts of Europe, and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean.
4. On the south of Britain lies Belgic Gaul, from which coast passengers usually sail to the Rhutupian port.359 This place is distant from Gessoriacum,360 a town of the Morini, the port most frequented by the Britons, fifty miles, or according to others, four hundred and fifty stadia. From thence may be seen the country of the Britons whom Virgil in his Eclogues describes as separated from the whole world,—
“—penitus toto divisos orbe Britannos.”
5. By Agrippa, an ancient geographer, its breadth is estimated at three hundred miles; but with more truth by Bede at two hundred, exclusive of the promontories.361 If their sinuosities be taken into the computation, its circuit will be three thousand six hundred miles. Marcian, a Greek author, agrees with me in stating it at MDIƆƆLXXV.362
Footnotes
353 The early Greeks and Romans doubted whether Britain was an island, or part of the continent. This uncertainty gave rise to a controversy which was not settled till the time of the proprætor Julius Agricola.—Tac. Vit. Agric. c. 38. Dio. Cass. Hist. Rom. lib. 39.
354 Dunnet Head.
355 Richard gives too great an extent to our island, which, according to the most accurate observations, stretches only from lat. 49° 48’, the most southern point, to Dunnet Head, which is in lat. 58° 40’ or scarcely 540 geographical miles.
356 Various explanations have been given of the names of Albion and Britain, applied to our island. Some derive Albion from the white rocks which bound the coast; some from Albion, a son of Neptune, who is represented as its first discoverer and cultivator; others have likewise derived the name Britain from the Phœnician or Hebrew Baratanac, signifying the land of tin. It was also called by the natives, Hyperborea, Atlantica, Cassiteris, Romana, and Thule.
According to the British Triads, “the three names given to the isle of Britain, from the beginning, were: before it was inhabited, the name of Clas Merddyn (or the green spot defended by water); after it was inhabited, Y Vêl Ynys (the honey island); and, after it was brought under one government by Prydain, son of Aedd, it was called Ynys Prydain (or the isle of Britain).”
In some old writings it is also termed, Yr Ynys Wen, (or the white island.)
357 This part is taken from Pliny, who enumerates the British isles in the following order:—Orcades, 40; Acmodæ, 7; Hæbudes, 30. Between Britain and Ireland, Mona, Menapia, Ricnea, Vectis, Silimnus, Andros; beneath, Siambis and Axuntos: on the opposite side, towards the German Sea, the Glessariæ, called Electrides by the later Greek writers, from the amber found there: and last of all, Thule.
He refers to others mentioned by different authors, viz., Mictis, Scandia, Dumnia, Bergos, and Nerigos.
358 That is, from Rome. Richard, in copying the Roman writers, adopted their expressions in regard to the relative positions of places.
359 Richborough, Kent.
360 Boulogne.
361 Richard errs in supposing the estimation of Bede more accurate than that of Agrippa.
362 The numerals are here so incorrect that it is difficult to discover what number was meant by Richard. Marcian observes that the circuit of our island is not more than 28,604 stadia, or 3575 miles, nor less than 20,526, or 2576 miles. Hence Bertram is led to prefer the greater number.