standeth grete lordes no man is so hardy to speke to hym but it be mynstrels for to solace themperour And all the vessell that is serued in his halle or chambres are of precyous stones and namely at tables where grete lordes ete that is to saye of Iasper crystall amatyst or fyne golde the cuppes are of emeraudes saphyres topaces and other many maner of stones of syluer haue they noo vessell for they prayse syluer but lytell to make vessell of but they make of syluer greces pylers and pauymentes of halles of chambres And ye shall vnderstande y ◠my felowe I was in soudy with hym .xvi. monethes agayne the kynge of Mancy vpon whome he made warre the cause was for we had so grete desyre to se the nobley of his courte yf it were suche as we herde speke of forsoth we foūde it more rycher solempne than euer we herde speke of we sholde neuer haue byleude it had we not seen it but ye shall vnderstande y ◠mete drynke is more honest amonge vs than it is in those coūtrees for all the comons ete vpon skynnes of beestes on theyr knees ete but flesshe of all maner bestes whan they haue all eten they wype theyr hondes in theyr skyrtes they ete but ones on the daye ete but lytell brede but the estate of the lordes is full nobley full rychely ¶ Wherfore that the Emperuor of Cathay is called the grete Chane ca. lxviij ANd ye shall wete why he is called the grete Chane ye wote well that all the worlde was destroyed with Noes flood but Noe his wyf his childern Noe had thre sones Sen Cham and Iapheth C ham was he y t sawe his faders balockes naked whan he slepte scorned it and therfore was he cursyd and Iapheth couered it agayne Thyse thre brethern had all the londe C ham toke the best parte eestwarde y ◠is called Asia Sem toke Affryke Iapheth to Europe C ham was the myghtyest rychest of his brethern of hym are come the paynem folke dyuers maner of men of the yles some hedles other men dysfygured for this Cham the Emperour there called hym Cham lorde of all But ye shal vnderstande that the Emperour of Cathay is called Chane not Cham and for this cause it is not longe gone y t all Tartary was in subgeccyon thrall to other nacyons about they were made herdemen to kepe beestes amonge theym was .vij. lynages or kyndes the fyrst was called Tartary y e is the best the seconde lynage is called Tanghot the thyrde Eurace the fourthe Valayre the fyfthe Semoth the sixth Menchy the seuenth Sobeth Thyse are all holdynge of the grete Chane of Cathay Now it befell so y t in the fyrst lynage was an olde man he was not ryche men calle hȳ Changyus This man laye slepte on a nyght in his bedde there came to hym a knyght all whyte syttynge vpon a whyte hors sayd to hym Chane slepest thou god that is almyghty sente me to the it is his wyll y ◠thou saye to the .vij. lynages y t thou shalt be theyr Emperour for ye shall conquere all the londes y ◠are about you they shall be in your subgeccyon as ye haue be in theyrs And whan morowe came he rose up sayd it to the .vij. lynages and they scorned hym sayd he was a fole And the nyght after the same knyght came to the .vij. lynages badde theym of goddes behalf to make Changyus theyr Emperour they sholde be out of all subgeccyon And on the morowe they chose Changyus to Emperour dyde hym all worshyp y t they myght do called hym Chane as the whyte knyght called hym and they sayd they wolde do as he badde theym Than he made many statutes lawes the whiche he called Ysakan The fyrste statute was that they sholde be obedyent to god almyghty byleue y ◠he sholde delyuer theym out of thraldom y ◠they sholde calle on hȳ in all theyr werkes An other statute was that all men y ◠myght bere armes sholde be nombred to eche .x. sholde be a mayster to an hondred a mayster to a thousande a mayster Than he cōmaūded to all the grettest pryncypalest of the .vij. lynages that they sholde forsake all that they hadde in herytage or lordshyp and that they sholde holde theym payed of that he wolde gyue theym of his grace and they dyde so And also he badde theym y ◠eche man sholde brynge his eldest sone before hym and slee his owne sone with his owne handes and smyte of theyr heedes and as soone they dyde his byddynge And whan he sawe they made no lettynge of y t he badde theym do than badde he theym folowe his baner than he put in subgeccyon all the londes about hym ¶ How the grete Chane was hydde vnder a tree so scaped his enmyes by cause of a byrde ca. lxix ANd it befelle on a daye that the Chane rode with a fewe men to se the londe that he hadde wonne he mette with a grete multytude of his enmyes and there he was cast downe of his hors and his hors slayne And whan his men sawe hym at the erthe they wende he had be deed fled and the enmyes folowed after and whan he sawe his enmyes were ferre he hydde hym in a busshe for the wood was thycke there and whan they were come agayn fro the chass◠they wente to seke amonge the wood yf ony were hydde there they foūde many And as they came to y e place where he was they sawe a byrde sytte vpon a tree the whiche byrde men calle an oule than sayd they y ◠there was no man for that byrde sate there so wente they awaye thus was the Chane saued fro deth so he wente awaye on a nyght to his owne men whiche were gladde of his comynge And fro that tyme hyderwardes men of that coūtree haue do grete worshyp to that byrde for that cause they worshyp that byrde aboue all the byrdes of the worlde And than he assembled all his men rode vpon his enemyes destroyed theym And whan he had wonne all the londes that were about hym he hetde them in subgeccyon And whan the Chane had wonne all the londes to mount Belyan the whyte knyght come to hym in a vysyon agayne sayd vnto hym Chane the wyll of god is that thou passe the moūt Belyan and thou shalt wynne many londes for thou shalt fynde no passage go thou to moūt Belyan that is vpon the see syde knele ix tymes theron agaynst the eest in the worshyp of god he shall shewe the a waye how thou shalt passe the Chane dyde so and anone the see that touched the hylle withdrowe hym and shewed
of whiche they were dronken he sayd to them yf they wolde deye for his sake that whan they were deed they sholde come in to his Paradyse anâ— they sholde be of the age of those maydens sholde dwelle alwaye with theym and he sholde put theym in a fayre Paradyse where they sholde se god in his Ioye in his mageste and than they graunted to do what he wolde and he badde them go slee suche a lorde or a man of the couÌ„tre that he was wroth with that they sholde haue no drede of no man and yf they were slayne themselfe for his sake he sholde put theym in his Paradyse whan they were deed And so wente those bachelers to slee grete lordes of the countree and were slayne themselfe in hope to haue that Paradyse thus he was auenged of his enemyes thorugh his deserte And whan ryche men of the countree perceyued this malyce and cautele the wyll of this Catolonabes they gadred theym togyder assayled the castell and slewe hym and destroyed all his goodes and his fayre places rychesse that were in his Paradyse the place of the walles is there yet and some other thyÌ„ges but y t rychesse is not there and it is not longe ago syth he was destroyed ¶ Of a meruaylous vale that is besyde the ryuer of Physon ca. lxxxxi ANd a lytell fro that place on the lyfte fyde besyde the Ryuer of Physon is a grete â—â—teruayle There is a vale bytwene two hylles that is foure myle longe and some men calle it the valay enchaunted some the valey of deuyâ—les some the valey peryllous in that valey are many tempestes and a grete noyse and hydeous euery daye and nyght and somtyme as it were a noyse of Taburynes of â—akers and of trompettes as it were at a grete feest This valey is all full of deuylles hath ben alwaye men saye there y t it is an entre to helle In this valey is moche golde and syluer wherfore many crysten men other go thy der for couetyse of that golde syluer but fewe of theym come out agayne for they are anone strangled with deuylles in myddes of that vale vpon a roche is a vysage the heed of a fende bodyly ryght hydeous dredefull to se there is no thynge seen but the heed to the sholders but there is no crysten man in the worlde no other soo hardy that he ne sholde haue grete drede for to beholde it for he beholdeth eche man so sharpely so felly his eyen are so sterynge so sprenkelynge as fyre and he chaungeth so often his couÌ„tenauÌ„ce that no man dare come nere for all the worlde and out of his mouth his nose cometh grete plente of fyre of dyuerse colours somtyme is the fyre so stynkynge that no man may suffre it but alwaye a good crysten man that is stable in the fayth may go there in without harme yf they shryue theym well and blysse theym with the token of the crosse than shall the deuylles haue no power of theym And ye shall vnderstande y t whan my felowes I were in thaâ— valey we had full grete thought yf we sholde put our bodyes in auenture to go thrugh it some of my felowes accorded therto some wolde not accorde therto there was in our company two freres mynours of Lombardy they sayd yf ony of vs wolde go in they wolde also as they had sayd so vpon truste of theym we sayd that we wolde go and we dyde synge a masse we were shryuen houseled and we wente in .xiiij. and whan he came out we were but .x. and we wyste not wheder our felowes were lost there or y t they torned agayne but we sawe nomore of theym other of our felowes y t wolde not go in with vs wâ—nte about â—p an other waye for to be before vs so they were we wente thrugh the valey sawe there many meruayllous thynges golde syluer precyous stones Iewelys grete plente on many sydes as vs thought wheder it was as it semed I wote not for I touched theym not for the deuylles are so subtyll queynt y t make many tymes a thynge to seme y â— it is not for to deceyue men therfore I wolde touche no thynge for drede of enemyes y â— I sawe in many lykenesses what of deed bodyes y t I sawe lye in the valey but I dare not saye that they were not all bodyes but they semed bodyes thrugh makynge of deuylles we were often casted downe to y â— erthe thrugh wynde thonder tempests but god heâ—ped as alway so passed we thrugh y â— valey without peryll harme thanked be god almyghty y â— kepte vs well ¶ Of an ylonde where in dwelled people as grete as geauntes of .xxviij. or .xxx. foot of length and other thynges ca lxxxxij ANd beyonde that valey is a grete yle where people are as grete as geauÌ„tes of .xxviij. foot or .xxx. foot longe they haue no clothynge but bestes skynnes that hange on thém they ete no brede but flesshe rawe drynke mylke they haue no honses they ete gladlyer flesshe of men than of other men sayd vs that beyonde y t yle is one yle where are gretter geauÌ„tes as of .xlv. or .l. foot longe some saye of .l. cubytes longe but I sawe not theym amonge those geauÌ„tes are grete sheep as it were yonge oxen and they bere grete wolle thyse sheep haue I seen many tymes An other yle is there northwarde where are many yil felle women they haue precyous stones in theyr eyen they haue suche kynde y t yf they beholde ony man with wrath they slee theym of the beholdynge as the baselyske doth An other yle is there of fayre folke good where the custome is suche y t the fyrst nyght y t they are wedded they take a certayne man that is ordeyned therfore do hym lye by theyr wyues to haue theyr maydenhede they gyue hym grete rewarde for his trauayle those men are called Gadlybyryem for men of y â— couÌ„trâ— holde it a grete thynge to make a woman no mayden yf it be so y t the husbonde fynde her a mayden the next nyght after for perauenture he that laye by her was dronken or for ony other cause the husbonde shall playne of hym to the lawe that he hath not done his deuoure he shall greuously be punysshed chastysed but after y â— fyrst nyght they kepe theyr wyues well y â— ther speke not with those men I asked what was the cause why they had that custome they sayd somtyme men laye with theyr wyues fyrst none other theyr wyues had serpentes in theyr bodyes stonged theyr husbonde on theyr yerde theyr bodyes so was many man slayne therfore had they
hym a fayre waye of .ix. foot brood bytwene the hylle and the see and so he passed ryght well with all his men and than he wanne the londe of Cathay that is the moost londe and the grettest of all the worlde and for those .ix. knelynges the .ix. foot of waye the Chane and the men of Tartary haue the nombre of .ix. in grete worshyp ¶ Of the grete Chanes letters and the wrytynge aboute his seale ca. lxx ANd whan he had wonne the londe of Cathay he deyed than regned after Cythoco the eldest sone of Chane and his other broders wente to wynne theym londes in other couÌ„trees they wanne the londe of Pruysse of Russy and they dyde calle themself Chane but he of Cathay is the grete Chane and the grettest lorde of all the worlde so he called hyÌ„ in his letters sayth thê° Chan filiê° dei excelsi vniuersaÌ„ terraÌ„ colenciuÌ„ suÌ„mê° imê‘ator dnÌ„s dominaÌ„tiuÌ„ That is to say Chane goddes sone Emperour of all those y t tylle all the londe lorde of all lordes And the wrytynge aboue his grete seale is Deus in celo et chan suê‘ terraÌ„ eiê° fortitudo oiÌ„m hoiÌ„m imê‘atoris sigilluÌ„ That is to saye God in heuen Chane vpon erthe his strengthe the seale of themperour of all men And y â— wrytynge about his preuy seale is Dei fortitudo oiÌ„m hoiÌ„m iÌ„ê‘atoris sigilluÌ„ That is to saye The strengthe of god seale of the Emperour of all men And all yf it be so y t they be not crysten yet themperour and the Tartaryns byleue in god almyghty ¶ Of the gouernaunce of the courte of the grete Chane ca. lxxi NOw haue I tolde you why he is called the grete Chane Now shall I telle you of the gouernynge of his courte whan they make grete festes he keped four pryncypall festes in the yere the fyrst is of his byrth the seconde whan he is borne to the Temple to be circuÌ„cysed the thyrde is of his ydols whan they begynne to speke and the fourth whan the ydoll begynneth fyrst to do myracles at those tymes he hath men well arrayed by thousandes and by hondredes echone wote well what he shall do For there is fyrst ordeyned foure thousande ryche barons myghty for to ordeyne the feest to serue themperour all thyse barons haue crownes of golde well dyght with precyous stones perles and they are cladde in clothes of golde and camathas as rychely as they may be made they may well haue suche clothes for they are there of lesse pryce than wollen cloth is here And thyse four thousande barons are departed in four partyes eche company is clad in dyuerse colour ryght rychely whan y e fyrst thousande is passed hath shewed theym than come the seconde thousande than the thyrde thousande and than the fourth none of theym speketh a worde And on one syde of themperours table sytteth many phylosophres of many scyences some of astronomy nygromancy geometry pyromacy other many scyences some haue before theym astrolabes of golde or of precyous stones full of sonde or of coles brennynge some haue orloges well dyght rychely other many Instrumentes after theyr scyences at a certayne houre whan they se tyme they saye to men y e stande before theym make peas and than saye those men with a loude voyce to all the halle now be stylle a whyle than sayth one of y e phylosophres eche man make reuerence enclyne to themperour y t is goddes sone lorde of the worlde for now is tyme houre than all men enclyne to hym knele on the erthe and than byddeth the phylosophre theym ryse vp agayne at an other houre an other phylosophre byddeth theyÌ„ all put theyr fynger in theyr eerys they do so and at an other houre an other phylosophre byddeth y t all men shall laye theyr honde on theyr heed they do so than he byddeth theym take awaye they do so and thus fro houre to houre they bydde dyuerse thynges I asked pryuely what this sholde mene and one of the maysters sayd y t the enclynynge the knelynge on the erthe at y t tyme hath this token that all those men that kneled so shall euermore be true to themperour that for no gyfte ne hetynge they shall neuer be traytours ne fals to hyÌ„ And the puttynge of y e fynger in the eere hath this token y â— none of those shall here none ylle be spoken of the Emperour or his couÌ„seyll And ye shall vnderstande y t men dyght no thynge clothes brede drynke nor none suche thynges to themperour but at certayne houres that the phylosophres telle yf ony man reyse warre ayenst that Emperour in what countree so it be thyse phylophres wote it soone tell the Emperour or his counseyll and he sendeth men thyder for he hath many men And he hath many men to kepe byrdes as garfaukons sperhaukes faucons gentyls laners sacres popyniayes that are spekynge many other .x. thousande olyfauÌ„tes baboynes marmosettes other he hath euer about hym many physycyens more than two hondred that are crysten men and .xx. sarasyns but trusteth more in crysten men than in sarasyns And there is in that couÌ„tree many barons other seruauÌ„tes that are crysten conuerted to the good fayth thorugh prechynge of good crysten men that dwelle there but there are many that wyll not that men wete that they are crysten ¶ Of the grete rychesse of this Emperour and of his dyspendynge ca. lxxij THis Emperour is a grete lorde for he may dyspende what he wyll without nombre by cause he spended nother syluer nother golde he made no money but of leder or shynnes and this same money gooth thorugh all his londe and of the syluer and golde buylded he his palays And he hath in his chambre a pyler of golde in the whiche is a Ruby and a carbuncle of a foot longe the whiche lyghteth all his chambre by nyght and he hath many other prycyous stones rubyes but this is the moost This Emperour dwelleth in the somer towardes the North in a cyte that men calle Saydus and there it is colde ynough and in the wynter he dwelleth in a cyte that men calle Camalache and there it is ryght hote but for the moost parte is he to Cadon that is not ferre thens ¶ Of the ordynauÌ„ce of the lordes of themperour whan he rydeth from one couÌ„tree to an other or to warre ca. lxxiij ANd whan this grete Chane shall ryde froÌ„ one couÌ„tree to an other they ordeyne four hoostes of people of whiche the fyrste gooth before a dayes Iourney for y t hoost lyeth at euen where the Emperour shall lye on the morowe there is plenâ—e of vytayls And an other hoost cometh at y t ryght syde of hym and an other at the lyfte syde in eche
And whan they se this foxe they shall haue grete meruayle of hym for they sawe neuer suche beest for other beestes haue they amonge theym many and they shall chase this foxe pursue hym vnto that he be fledde agayne in to his hole that he came fro And than shall they dygge after as he wente vnto they come to the gates y t Alexander dyde make of grefe stones well dyght with syment they shall breke thyse gates so shall they fynde the yssue ¶ Of the londe of Bactry and of many gryffons and other beestes ca. lxxxv FRom this londe men shall go vnto the londe of Bactry where are many wycked men and fell In that londe are trees y t bere wolle as it were shepe of whiche they make cloth In this londe are many Ypotaynes that dwelle somtyme on londe somtyme on water are halfe man and halfe hors they ete not but men whan they may gete theym In this londe are many gryffons more than in other places some saye they haue the body before as an agle behynde as a lyon and they saye soth for they are made so but the gryffon hath a body gretter than .viij. lyons and gretter stalworthyer than an hondred egles For certaynly he wyll bere to his nest fleynge an hors and a man vpon his backe or two oxen yocked samen as they go at plough for he hath longe nayles on his feet and grete as it were hornes oâ— oxen and of those they make cuppes there to drynke of and of his rybbes they make bowes to shote ¶ Of the waye for to go to prester Iohans londe whiche is Emperour of Ynde ca. lxxxvi FRo this londe of Bactry men goo many a dayes Iourney to the londe of prester Iohn that is a grete Emperour of Ynde and men calle his londe the yle of Pantoxore This Emperour prester Iohan holdeth grete londe many good cytees good townes in his kyngdom many grete yles large For this londe of Ynde is all departed in yles by cause of grete flodes that come out of Paradyse also in the see are many grete yles The best cyte that is in the yle of Pantoxore is called Nyse for that is a noble cyte and ryche Prester Iohan hath vnder hym many kyngee many dyuerse people and his londe is good and ryche but not so ryche as the londe of the grete Chane for marchauntes come not so moche thyder as they do in to the londe of the grete Chane for it is to longe a waye And also they fynde in the yle of Cathay all that they haue nede of as spycery clothes of golde and other rychesse And all yf they myght haue better chepe in the londe of preester Iohan than in the londe of Cathay and more fyner neuertheles they wolde lette it for the longe waye grete peâ—yls in the see for there are many places in the see where are grete Roches of a stone that is called adamande the whiche of his owne kynde draweth to hym yron and for as moche that there sholde passe no shyp that had nayles of yron for it sholde drawe it to hym therfore they dare not wende in to that countree with shyppes for drede of adamandes I wente ones in that see and sawe as longe as it had ben a grete yle of trees and stockes and braunches growynge and the shypman saydâ— to me that those was of grete shyppes that were dwellynge there thorugh the vertue of the adamandes and of thynges that were in the shyppes were those trees sprongen and waxen and suche Roches are there many in dyuerse places of that see and therfore dare no shypman passe that waye And an other also that they drede the longe waye and therfore they goo moost all to Cathay and that is nerer vnto theym And yet is it not so nere but theym behoueth fro Venys or fro Geene be in see towarde Cathay .xi. or .xij. monethes The londe of prester Iohn is longe marchauÌ„tes passe thyder thorugh the londe of Persy and come vnto a Cyte that men calle Hermes for a phylosophre that men called hermes fouÌ„ded it they passe an arme of the see come to an other cyte that men calle Saboth there fynde they all marchauÌ„dyses popyniayes as grete plente as larkes in our countree In this countree is lytell whete or barley and therfore they ete ryse and mylke chese and other fruytes This Emperour prester Iohan weddeth comonly the doughter of the grete Chane and the grete Chane his doughter In the londe of prester Iohn is many dyuerse thynges many precâ—ous stones so grete so large that they make of theym vessels platers cuppes and many other thynges of whiche it were to longe to telle but som what of his lawe of his fayth shall I telle you ¶ Of the fayth byleue of prester Iohan but he hath not all y e full byleue as we haue ca. lxxxvij THis Emperour prester Iohan is crysten a grete parte of his londe also but they haue not all the artycles of our fayth but they byleue well in the fader the sone and the holy goost and they are full deuoute true one to an other they make no force of catell and he hath vnder hym .lxxij. prouynces couÌ„trees and in echone is a kynge those kynges haue other kynges vnder theym And in this londe are many meruayles for in that londe is the grauelly see y â— is of sonde of grauel no droppe of water and it ebbeth and floweth with ryght grete wawes as an other see doth and it is neuer styll ne neuer in rest no man may passe that londe beyonde it And all yf it so be that there is no water in y t see yet men may fyÌ„de there in ryght good fysshe of other facyon and shape than is in ony other sees and also they are of full good sauour swete and good to ete And at thre Iourneys fro that see are grete hylles thrugh whiche renneth a grete flood that cometh fro Parady se and it is full of precyous stones and no drope of water it renneth with grete wawes in to the grauelly see And this flood renneth thre dayes in the weke so fast stereth grete stones of the rockes w t hym that make moche noyse as soone as they come in to the grauelly see they are nomore seen in those thre dayes whan it renneth thus no man dare come in it but the other dayes men may goo therin where they wyll And also beyonde y â— flood towarde the wyldernesse is a grete playne also sâ—ndy grauelly amonge hylles and in y t playne gro we trees that at the rysynge of the sonne eche daye begynne to growe so grewe they to myddaye bere fruytes but no man dare ete of that fruyte for it is a maner of yron â–ª and after myddaye it torned agayne in