[Sidenote: [THE DIVISION OF THE EARTH.]] Of what matiere it schal be told,[976] A tale lyketh manyfold [Sidenote: Hic loquitur vlterius de diuisione Terre que post diluuium tribus filiis Noe in tres partes, scilicet Asiam, Affricam et Europam diuidebatur.] The betre, if it be spoke plein: Thus thinke I forto torne ayein And telle plenerly therfore[977] Of therthe, wherof nou tofore I spak, and of the water eke, So as these olde clerkes spieke,[978] And sette proprely the bounde After the forme of Mappemounde, 530 Thurgh which the ground be pourparties Departed is in thre parties, That is Asie, Aufrique, Europe, The whiche under the hevene cope, Als ferr as streccheth eny ground, Begripeth al this Erthe round. Bot after that the hihe wrieche The water weies let out seche And overgo the helles hye, Which every kinde made dye 540 That upon Middelerthe stod,[979] Outake Noë and his blod, His Sones and his doughtres thre, Thei were sauf and so was he;-- Here names who that rede rihte, Sem, Cam, Japhet the brethren hihte;--[980] [Sidenote: =P. iii. 103=] And whanne thilke almyhty hond Withdrouh the water fro the lond, And al the rage was aweie, And Erthe was the mannes weie, 550 The Sones thre, of whiche I tolde, Riht after that hemselve wolde,[981] This world departe thei begonne. [Sidenote: De Asia.] Asie, which lay to the Sonne Upon the Marche of orient, Was graunted be comun assent To Sem, which was the Sone eldeste; For that partie was the beste And double as moche as othre tuo. And was that time bounded so; 560 Wher as the flod which men Nil calleth Departeth fro his cours and falleth Into the See Alexandrine, Ther takth Asie ferst seisine Toward the West, and over this Of Canahim wher the flod is Into the grete See rennende, Fro that into the worldes ende Estward, Asie it is algates, Til that men come unto the gates 570 Of Paradis, and there ho. And schortly for to speke it so, Of Orient in general Withinne his bounde Asie hath al. [Sidenote: De Aufrica[982] et Europa.] And thanne upon that other syde Westward, as it fell thilke tyde, [Sidenote: =P. iii. 104=] The brother which was hote Cham Upon his part Aufrique nam.[983] Japhet Europe tho tok he, Thus parten thei the world on thre. 580 Bot yit ther ben of londes fele In occident as for the chele, In orient as for the hete, Which of the poeple be forlete[984] As lond desert that is unable, For it mai noght ben habitable.