England is a good land, rich in wool, though a corner of the world
England is full of pleasures & full of noble people fully deserving enjoyment, fine men with noble tongues, noble hearts & everything about them noble
Their hands are more gracious & more generous than their tongues
In addition, England is a beautiful country, flower of all surrounding countries. The land is very pleasantly endowed with its own fruit & products
It offers relief to foreigners in need & when hunger afflicts other countries, it feeds them
The country is truly pleasant, whilst people live in peace
East & West, in every country, England’s havens are well known
It is provided with ships which often help other countries
In it, people always hold their food & money much more in common, & they gladly give gifts in exchange for learning
Far & wide, by land & sea, people speak of England
This island must surpass the rest in land, honey, milk & cheese
It has no need for other countries; they all have to ask for help from this one alone
King Solomon might well marvel at the delightfulness of this native land, & the Emperor Octavian might well long for the riches it contains
A Poet, quoted in Caxton's Description of Britain (1480)
The manuscript notebook
