_Ancient MS. Account of Britain_.--I find the following note in Cooper's
_Thesaurus Linguæ Romanæ et Britannicæ_, Impressum Londini, 1573, under
the word _Britannia_:--
"About 30 yeares since it happend in Wilshire, at Juy church, about
twoo miles from Salisbury, as men digged to make a foundation, they
founde an hollowe stone covered with another stone, wherein they
founde a booke, having in it little above xx leaves, (as they
sayde) of verye thicke velume, wherein was some thing written. But
when it was shewed to priestes and chanons, which were there, they
would not read it. Wherefore after they had tossed it from one to
another (by the meanes whereof it was torne) they did neglect and
cast it aside. Long after, a piece thereof happened to come to my
handes; which notwithstanding it was al to rent and defaced, I
shewed to mayster Richarde Pace, then chiefe Secretarie to the
kinges most Royall maiestie, whereof he exceedingly reioysed. But
because it was partly rent, partly defaced and bloured with weate
which had fallen on it, he could not find any one sentence perfite.
Notwithstanding after long beholding, hee showed mee, it seemed
that the sayde booke contayned some auncient monument of this Ile,
and that he perceyved this word _Prytania_ to bee put for
_Brytannia_. But at that time he said no more to me."
Cooper's conjecture founded on this is that Britain is derived from the
Greek word Prytania, which, according to Suidas, "doth," with a
circumflexed aspiration, "signifie metalles, fayres, and markets."
"Calling the place by that which came out of it, as one would say, _hee
went to market_, when he goeth to Antwarpe," &c. Has this been noticed
elsewhere?