Middle English Literature

parts, namely Asia, Africa, and Europe, and that Europe is divided into
four kingdoms. These are: first that of Rome, next that of Constantinople,
third that of Hibernia, which has now been transferred to the English, and
the fourth kingdom is Spain. From which it is clear that the king of Eng-
land and his kingdom come from those more eminent and ancient kings
and kingdoms of all Europe. This prerogative is not said to obtain for the
kingdom of France.
Therefore, from what quarter has this unfair comparison of the kingdom
of France to the kingdom of England arisen? From what quarter do those
lords who write thus find the boldness to write that the kingdom of France
is comprised of six or more divisions than the kingdom of England? For it
is reckoned that, just as some who favour France for the sake of their
individual glory depict, in the mappamundi, the city of Paris as occupying
more space than the entire kingdom of England, so too, it seems, those
who write about the aforementioned inequality between kingdoms in terms
of the extent of their land and other qualities would like to presume. But
the opposite is true, as was said earlier.
In addition to this, with regard to the point they do not hesitate to write,
it accords with neither law nor reason to consider the Gallic nation, as it is
generally understood, as equal to the English nation, keeping in mind
several points taken above on their own: we say, having made our protesta-
tion in advance, that one must wonder in no small way at the hatred of
these men for the glorious English nation, who do not want it to be
compared to the Gallic. Surely, are not the two nations equal in their laws,
30
Albert the Great (ca. 1200–80) and Bartholomeus Anglicus (ca. 1240).

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claims, and many writings? For present are all the necessary elements of an
autonomous nation with respect to the fourth or fifth part of obedience to
the pope,
31
just as with the Gallic nation, whether a nation be understood as
a people distinguished from another by its blood relationships and habit of
unity or according to the diversity of its languages, which are the strongest
and truest proofs of nationhood and its essential nature according to both
divine and human law (as will be said later) or whether a nation should be
understood as it ought to be as a territory equal even to the French nation in
that it is one of four or five nations in obedience to the pope. The glorious
English or British nation is of as great vigour and authority, if we may speak
all the same without making comparison or prejudice against anyone, as the
glorious Gallic nation . . .
Also, whereas the Gallic nation has for the most part a single language
intelligible among the people on the whole at any rate or in part through
the whole extent of the nation, the glorious English or British nation has in,
of, and under its power five languages, nations which cannot understand one
another, namely English (which the English and Scots share), Welsh, Irish,
Gascon, and Cornish. And so with every right it should be able to represent
as many nations as it has distinct languages.
Also, by the most powerful right it ought to represent as a single principal
nation the fourth or fifth part in obedience to the pope in the general
council and in other places, especially since in itself the English or British
nation has equality in size and nature but also in extent of lands, kingdoms,
dukedoms, counties, baronies, and other temporal dominions, and also in
the excellence and size of its cathedrals, monasteries, colleges, and parochial
churches, and other respects, and speaking without prejudice, just as the
Gallic nation has in and of itself.