little red and vpon that rock dropped the bloud of the wounds of our Lord when hée was pained on the crosse and that is called Galgatha and men go vp to that Galgatha vpon steps and in that mortyes was Adams head found atter Noes Floud in token that the sins of Adam should be redéemed in the same place and aboue that rock made Abraham sacrifice to our Lord and there is an aulter and before that aulter lyeth Godfray of Boleyn Bawdewin and other that were Christians kings of Hierusalem And there as our Lord was crucified is this written in Gréek O Theos basilon ysmon persemas ergast sothyas ayos That is to say in Latin Hic Deus Rex noster ante secula operatus est salutem in medio terrae That is to say This God our king before worlds hath wrought health in the midst of the earth And also vpon this rock where the Crosse was fixed is written within the rock Gros guyst basys tou pestes thoy thesmosy That is to say in Latine Quod vides est fundamenta totius mundi huius fidei And it is to say that thou séest is ground of all the word and of this faith And yée shall vnderstand that our Lord when hée dyed was thirtie and two yéere olde and thrée monethes and the prophesie of Dauid saith that hée should liue fortie yéeres when hée sayth thus Quadraginta annis proximus fui generationi huic That is to say Fortie yéere was I neighbour to this kinde and thus should it séeme that Prophesie were not true but it is For in old time men called yéeres of ten moneths of the which March was the first and December the last But Caius Caesar that was Emperour of Roome did set to these two Monethes Ianuary and Februarie and ordained the yéere of twelue moneths That is to say thrée hundred dayes without leape yéere the proper course of the Sun and therefore after the accounting of ten moneths to the yéere hée dyed in fortie yéere after our yéeres of twelue moneths it is thirtie two yéere and thrée moneths Also within mount Caluery at the right side is there an alter where the piller lyeth that our Lord was bound to when he was scourged and thereby are thrée other pillers that alway drop water some say that those pillers wéepe for our Lords death and néere this aulter in a place xlii steps déepe was founde the verie Crosse by the assent of Saint Eleyne vnder a rock where the Iewes had hyd it and it was assayed for they found thrée crosses one of our Lord and two of the théeues And saint Eleine assaied them on a dead body that rose as soone as the very crosse of our Lord was layd vpon him And thereby in the vale is the place where the foure nayles of our Lord were hid for hée had two nayles in his hands and two in his féete and with one of those nayles the Emperour of Constantinople did make a bridle for his horse to beare him in battaile for by the vertue that it had hée ouercame his enimies and won all the land of Asia Turky Damasse the more and the lesse Surry and Hierusalem Araby Persia and Mesopotamie the kingdome of Alebe Aegypt the high and the low and other kingdomes many full nigh all vnto Ethyope the low and also vnto Inde the lesse that then was christned and there was in that time many good men and holy hermits of whom the booke of the Fathers liues speaketh and there are now in them Panims and Sarasins but when God will as these lands are lost through the sin of Christian men so shall they bée won againe by christian men through the helpe of God And in the middest of this Church is a compasse in the which Ioseph of Aramathia laid the body of our Lord when he had taken him oft the crosse and vpon the same place did he wash the féete of our Lord and that compasse men say is the middest of the world Of the Church of the holy Sepulcher Chap. xxi IN that Church by the Sepulcher on the North side is the place where our Lord was imprisoned and there is a part of the chaine with the which he was bound and there hée appeared first to Marie Magdalene when hée was risen from death and shée thought hée had béene a gardiner In the Church of the Sepulcher was wont to bée Cannons of saint Benet and they had a Priourie and the Patriarke was their Soueraigne and without the doores of the Church on the right side as men goe vp xviii steps our Lord said to his mother Mulier Ecce filius tuus That is to say Woman behold thy Sonne Deinde dixit discipulo Ecce mater tua That is to say Then said hée to his Disciple Beholde thy mother And these words hée said when hée hanged vpon the Crosse and vpon the steps went our Lord when hée bare the Crosse vpon his shoulder and vnder these staires is a Chappell where the Priests sing And néere there is the stone where our Lord rested him when hée was weary with bearing of the Crosse And yée shall vnderstand that before the Church of the Sepulcher is the Cittie most strong and the great plaine that is betwéene the Cittie and the Church on the East side without the walles of the Cittie is the vale of Iosophat that commeth to the walles In this vale of Iosophat without the Cittie is the Church of Saint Stephen where he was stoned to death and thereby is the gate builded that may not bée opened Through this gate our Lord entered on Palme Sunday vpon an Asse and the gate opened vnto him when hée would goe to the Temple and yet are the steps of the Asse séene in thrée places the which stand in full hard stones Before the Church of the sepulcher two hundred paces is a great hospitall of Saint Iohn in the which hospitall are liiii pillers made of stone And to goe toward the East from the hospitall is a right faire church that men call our Lady the great and then is there another church by that that men call our Lady of the Latine and there it was that Mary Cleophe Mary Magdalene rent their haire when our Lord was put to death Of the temple of God Chap. xxij AND from the Church of the sepulcher toward the East at xvii paces is Templum Domini That is a faire house and it is all round and right high and couered with lead and it is well paued with white marble but the Sarasins will suffer no Christians ne Iewes to come therein for they say that so sinful men should not come into that holy place but I was suffered to go in and into other places where I would for I had letters of the Souldan with his great seale commonly other men haue but of his signet and men beare his letter with his seale before them hanging on a Speare and men doe great worship
default of water and it falleth oft where a man findeth water one time hée findeth it not another time and therefore make they no houses in those countries These men that I speake of till not the Land for they eate no bread except it bée such as dwell néere a good towne and they rost their fishes and flesh vpon hot stones against the Sun and they are strong men and well fighting and they doe nothing but chase wilde beasts for their sustenance and they set not by their liues therefore they dread not the Souldan nor no Prince of the world And they haue great war with the Souldan and the same time that I was with the Souldan they bare but a shield and a speare for to defend them with and they vse none other armour but they winde their heads and necks in a great linnen cloth and they are men of full ill kinde As men are passed this wildernesse againe comming to Hierusalem Chap. xiiij AND when men haue passed this wildernesse toward Hierusalem they come to Barsabe that was somtime a faire and a rich towne of Christian men and yet is their some of the churches left and in that towne dwelled Abraham the Patriarke this towne of Barsabe founded Vrias wife of whom Dauid begat Salomon the wise that was king of Hierusalem and of the xii Tribes of Israel and he raigned xl yéere and from thence men goe the vale of Ebron that is from thence néere xii mile and some call it the vale of Mambre also it is called the vale of Teares forasmuch as Adam in that vale bewailed an hundred yéere the death of his sonne Abel that Caine slew And this Ebron was somtime the principal cittie of the Philistines and there dwelled giants there it was so frée that all that had done euill in other places were there saued In Ebron Iosua and Caleb and their company came first to espie how they might win the land of promise In Ebron Dauid raigned first viii yéere and a halfe and in Hierusalem hée raigned xxxij yéeres and a halfe and there bée the graues of the Patriarks Adam Abraham Iacob and their wiues Eue Sara Rebecca and they lye in the side of the hill and beside this hill is a right faire Church builded after the fashion and manner of a castle which the Sarasins kéepe right well and they haue the place in great worship for the holy Patriarkes that lye there and they suffer no christian men ne Iewes to come therein except they haue speciall grace of the Souldan for they hold christian men Iewes but as hounds that should come to the holy place and they call the place Spelunke or double caue or double graue or one lyeth on an other and the Sarasins call it in their language Caryatherba that is to say the place of the Patriarkes and the Iewes call it Arboth and in that same place was Abrahams house and that was the same Abraham that sate in his doore and saw thrée persons worshipped but one as holy writ witnesseth saying Tres vidit vnum adorauit That is to say He saw thrée and worshipped but one and him tooke Abraham into his house Here followeth a little of Adam and Eue and other things Chap. xv AND right néere to that place is a caue in a rock where Adam and Eue dwelled when they were driuen out of Paradise and there got they their children And in that same place was Adam made as some men say for men called that place sometime the field of Damasse for it was in the worship of Damasse and from thence he was translated into Paradise as they say and afterward he was driuen out of Paradise and put there againe for the same day that he was put into paradise the same day he was driuen out for as soone hée sinned And there beginneth the I le of Ebron that lasteth néere to Hierusalem and the Angell bad Adam that hée should dwell with his wife and there they begat Seth of the which kinred Iesus Christ was borne And in that vale is the field where men draw out of the earth a thing the which men in that country call Camball and they eate that in stead of spice and they beare it to sell and men cannot graue there so déepe nor so wide but it is at the yéeres end full againe vp to the sides through the grace of God and two miles from Ebron is the graue of Lot that was Abrahams brother Of the dry Tree Chap. xvj THen a little from Ebron is the mount of Mambre of the which Mount the dale tooke his name and there is an oke trée that the Sarasins cal dypre remaining since Abrahams time that men cal the dry trée and they say that it hath béene from the beginning of the world and was sometime gréene and bare leaues vnto the time that our Lord dyed and so did all the Trées of that kinde in the world and yet is there many of those in the world And some prophesies say that a Lord or Prince of the West side of the world shall win the land of Promise that is the holy land with the helpe of christian men and he shal worship God vnder that Trée and the Trée shall waxe gréene and beare fruite and leaues and through that miracle many Sarasins and Iewes shall bée turned to the Christian Faith and therefore they doe great Worship thereto and kéepe it right charily And yet though it be drye it hath a great vertue for certainely hée that hath a little thereof about him it healeth a sicknesse called the falling euill and hath also many other vertues and therefore it is holden right precious From Ebron to Bethlehem Chap. xvij FRom Ebron men goe to Bethlehem in halfe a day for it is but fiue mile and it is a fayre way and through Woods full pleasant Bethlehem is but a little cittie long and narrow and was walled and enclosed with a great ditch and it was wont to be called Ephrata as holy writ saith Ecce audiuimus eum in Ephrata c. That is to say Loe wée heard of the same at Ephrata And toward the end of the cittie toward the East is a right fayre and goodly Church and it hath many towres and pinnacles full strongly made and within that Church is foure and fortie great pillers of marble and not farre from this Church is the field which flourished very strangely as yée shall heare Of a fayre mayden that should bee put to death wrongfully Chap. xviij THe cause is forasmuch as a fayre mayden that was blamed with wrong that shée had done fornication for the which cause she was déemed to die and to be brent in that place to the which shée was lead And as the wood began to burne about her shée made her prayer to our Lord as shée was not guiltie of that thing that hee would help her that it might bée knowne to all men And when shée had
THE Voyages and Trauailes of Sir John Maundeuile KNIGHT Wherein is treated of the way towards Hierusalem and of the meruailes of Inde with other Lands and Countries LONDON Printed by Thomas Este The Preface Heere beginneth a little treatise or booke named Iohn Maundeuile Knight borne in England in the Towne of S. Albone and speaketh of the wayes to Hierusalem to Inde and to the great Caane and also to Prestor Iohns land and to many other countries and also of many meruailes that are in the holy land FOrasmuch as the land ouer the Sea that is to say the holie land that some call the land of Bihest among all other lands is most worthie and soueraigne for it is blessed hallowed and sacred of the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ in the which land it liked him to take flesh and bloud of the Virgin Marie and to enuiron that land with his owne feete and there he would do many miracles preach and teach the faith and the law of christian men as vnto his children and there he would suffer manie reproues and scornes for vs and hee that was king of heauen and hell of earth of aire of sea and land and of all things that are contained in them would alonely be called king of that land when hee said Rex sum Iudaeorum I am King of the Iewes For at that time it was the land of Iewes and that land he chose before all other lands as the best and most worthie of vertues of all the world And as the Philosopher saith Virtus rerum in medio consistit that is to say the vertue of things is in the midst and in that land hee would lead his life and suffer passion and death of the Iewes for vs to saue and deliuer vs from the paines of hell and from death without end the which was ordained to vs for the sinne of our father Adam and our owne sins also for as for himselfe he had none euill done nor deserued for he neuer thought ne did any euill for he that was king of glory and of ioy might best in that place suffer death For hee that will doe any thing that he will haue knowne openly he will proclaime it openly in the middle place of a towne or of a Citie so that it may be knowne to all parties of the citie So he that was king of glorie and of all the world would suffer death for vs at Hierusalem which is the midst of the world so that it might be knowne to all nations of the world how deare he bought man that hee made him with his hands to his owne likenesse for the great loue that he had to vs Ah deare God what loue hee had to his subiects when hee that had done no trespasse would for his trespassours suffer death for a more worthie cattel he might not haue set for vs then his owne blessed body and his owne precious bloud the which he suffered for vs right well ought men to loue worship dread and serue such a Lord praise such an holy land that brought forth a Lord of such fruite through the which each man is saued but if it be his owne default This is that land prepared for an heritage to vs and in that land would he die as seased to leaue it to his children For the which each good christian man that may and hath wherewith should strength him for to conquere our right heritage purchase out of the euill peoples hands for we are cleped christian men of Christ our father and if we be the right children of Christ we ought to challenge the heritage that our father left vs take it out of strange mens hands But now Pride Couetise and Enuie hath so inflamed the hearts of the Lords of the world that they are more busie to disherite their neighbours then to challenge or conquere their right heritage aforesaid And the common people that would put their bodies and their cattell for to conquere our heritage they may not do it without lords for assembling of the people without a chiefe Lord is as a flock of sheepe without a shepheard the which depart asunder and wot not whither they shall go But would God the worldly Lords were at a good accord with other of their common people would take this holy voyage ouer the sea I trust well that within a little time our right heritage before said should be reconciled and put into the hands of the right heirs of Iesu Christ And forasmuch as it is long time that there was any generall passage ouer the sea that many men desire to heare speaking of the holy land and haue thereof great solace and comfort Wherefore yee shall heare by me Iohn Maundeuile Knight which was borne in England in the towne of Saint Albones and passed the sea in the yeare of our Lord Iesu Christ a thousand iii. C. on the day of Saint Michael and there remained long time and went through many lands many prouinces kingdomes Iles and haue passed through Turky and through Armony the little the great through Tartary Persia Surry Araby Egypt the high and the low through Libia Chalde and a great part of Ethiope through Amazony through Inde the lesse the more a great part and through many other Iles which are about Inde where many people dwelleth of diuers lawes and shapes Of the men of which lands Iles I shall speake more plainly and I shall declare part of the things what they are when time shall be after it may best come to my minde and specially for them that will and are in purpose for to visite the holy citie of Hierusalem and the holy places that are thereabout and I shall tell the way that they shall hold thether for I haue many times passed and ridden it with good company and with many Lords The Voyages and Trauailes of Sir Iohn Maundeuile Knight Hee that will goe toward Hierusalem on horse on foote or by sea Chap. j. IN the name of God Almightie Hée that will trauaile to Hierusalem may goe many waies both by sea and by land after the country that he commeth from but thincke not I will tell all the Townes Cities and castels that men shall go by for then should I make too long a tale but onely the most principall countries cities and townes that men shall go by and through to go the right way First if a man come from the West side of the world as England Ireland Wales Scotland and Norway he may if hée will goe through Almaine and throughout the kingdome of Hungary which King is a great lord and a mightie and holdeth many lands and great for he holdeth the land of Hungary Sauoy Camony a great part of Bulgary that men call the land of Bugres and a great part of the kingdome of Russie and that lasteth to the land of Milland and marcheth on Ciprus and men passe thus through the land of
Knights who are called Templers and they were the founders thereof and of their order and in that Templum Domini dwelled Chanons From this Temple toward the East xxvi paces in a corner of the Cittie is the Bathe of our Lord and this Bathe was wont to goe to Paradise and beside is our Ladyes bed and néere there by is the Tombe of saint Simeon And without the Cloyster of the Temple toward the North is a right fayre Church of Saint Anne our Ladies mother and there was our Lady conceiued and before that Church is a great trée which began to grow that same night And as men go downe from the Church xxij steps lyeth Ioachim our Ladyes Father in a Tombe of stone and there néere was layd sometime Saint Anne but Saint Eline did translate her to Constantinople In this Church is a well in manner of a cesterne that is called Probatica piscina that hath fiue entrings and in that cesterne was wont an Angell to descend and stir the water and what man that bathed him first therein after the stirring was made whole that was sicke what sicknesse so euer hée had and there was the man of the Palsie made whole that was sicke xxxviii yéere and our Lord sayd to him in this manner of wise Tolle grabatum tuum et ambula That is to say take vp thy bed and walke And there beside was the house of Pilate and a little thence was the house of king Herode that did slay the Innocents Of Herod the King Chap. xxiiij THis king Herode was a full wicked man and a fell for he did first and formost slay his wife whom hée loued full well and for the great loue of her hée went out of his witte and so was hée a long time and afterward hée came againe to himselfe And after hée slew his owne children that hée had begotten of the said wife and commaunded likewise his second wife to bée slaine and a sonne that hée had begotten of her and after that hée slew his owne mother and hée would also haue slaine his owne brother but his brother dyed sodainely and thus hée did all the ill that he might And then he fel sick and when hée saw that hée should dye hée sent for his sister all the great Lords of the country and when they were there hée did put all the Lords into a towre and said to his sister hée wist well that the men of the country would make no sorrow for him when hée was dead and therefore hée made her for to sweare vnto him that shée should smite off the heads of the Lords euery one after his death and then would men of the Country make sorrow for his death in regard of the Noble mens death and then he made his last testament But his sister fulfilled it not as pertaining vnto the death of the Lords for as soone as hée was dead she deliuered the Lords out of the towre and sent euery one home to their houses and told them what her Brother commanded her to doe vnto them And yée shall vnderstand that in that time was thrée Herodes of great name This of whom I speake was called Herode Ascolonite and hée that did smite of Saint Iohn Baptists head was called Herod Antipa and the third was called Herod Agrippa and hée did slay Saint Iames and put Saint Peter in prison Of Saint Saluators Church Chap. xxv Also mount Sion is within the cittie and it is a little higher then the other side of the cittie and that Cittie is stronger on that one side then on the other for at the foote of mount Sion is a faire castle and strong which the Souldan did cause to bée made there On mount Sion was king Dauid buryed and Salomon and many other kings of Hierusalem and there is the place where Saint Peter wept full tenderly when hée had denyed our Lord and a stones cast from that is another place where our Lord was iudged for at that time was Caiphas house there and betwéene the Temple of Salomon and mount Sion is the place where Christ raised the mayden from death to life Vnder mount Sion toward the vale of Iosaphat is a well that men call Natatorie Silo there was our Lord washed after he was baptised And thereby is the trée on the which Iudas hanged himselfe for dispaire when hée had sold betraied Christ And thereby is the Sinagogue where the Bishops of the Iewes and Pharasies came to hold their counsell and there Iudas cast the xxx pence before them and said Peccaui tradens sanguinem iustum That is to say I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloud Of the field of Acheldemack which was bought with the xxx pence Chap. xxvi ON the other side of mount Sion toward the South a stones cast is the field that they bought with those xxx pence for the which Christ was sold that men call Acheldemack that is to say the field of blood in that fild is many tombes of Christian men for there bée many pilgrims grauen And also in Hierusalem toward the West is a fayre Church where the trée grew of the which the crosse was made and thereby is a fayre Church where our Lady met with Elizabeth when they were both with childe Saint Iohn stirred in his mothers wombe and made worship to our Lord his maker and vnder the aulter of this Church is a place where Saint Iohn was borne and thereby is the Castell of Emax Of Mount Ioy. Chap. xxvij TWo mile from Hierusalem is the mount Ioy that is a faire place and a liking and there lyeth Samuel the prophet in a faire tombe and it is called mount Ioy for there those that trauaile sée first Hierusalem And in the middle of the vale of Iosaphat is a little riuer that is called Torrens Cedron and ouerthwart this lay a trée of the which the Crosse was made that men passed ouer Also in this vale is a Church of our Lady and there is the sepulcher of our Lady and shée was lxxij yéeres of age when shée dyed and there néere is the place where our Lord forgaue Saint Peter all his sinnes and misdéedes that hée had done And béeside that is a Chappell where Iudas kissed our Lord that men call Gethsemaine and hée was taken of the Iewes and there left Christ his Disciples before his passion when hée went to pray and said Pater si fieri potest transeat a me calix ista that is to say in English Father if it may bée done let this Cup passe from me And therby is a Chappel where our Lord swet both blood and water and there is the tombe of king Iosaphat of whom the vale had the name and on the side of that vale is the mount Oliuet and it is called so for there groweth many Oliue trées and it is higher then Hierusalem and therefore from that hill men may sée into the stréetes of Hierusalem and betwéene the hill
best that is in the world for all the stares of his hall and chambers are made one of gold and another of siluer and all the walles are plated with fine gold and siluer and in those plates are written stories of knights and battailes and the floures of the hall and chambers are of gold and siluer so that no man would beléeue the great riches that are there except hée had séene it and the king of this I le is so mighty that hée hath many times ouercome the great Caane of Cathay which is the mightiest Emperor that is in all the world there is often war betwéene them for the great Caane would make him hold his land of him Of the kingdome of Pathen or Salmasse which is a goodly land Chap. lvij ANd for to goe forth by the Sea there is an I le that is called Pathen and some call it Salmasse for it is a great with many faire citties In this land growes trées that beare meale of which men make faire bread while of good sauour it séemeth like as it were wheate And there be other trées which beare venim against the which is no medicine but onely to take of the leaues of the same trées and stampe them and temper them with water and drinck it or else hée shall dye sodainely for nothing else may helpe him And if yée will know how these trées beare meale I shall tell you men hewe with an hatchet about the roote of the trée by the earth they pearce it in many places and then commeth out a licour the which they take in a vessell and set it in the Sunne and drie it and when it is drie they carry it vnto the mill to grind and so it is faire meale and white Also hony wine and venim are drawne out of other trées in the same manner and they put it in vessels to kéepe In that I le is a dead sea which is a water that hath no bottome and if any thing fall therein it shall neuer bée found beside that sea groweth great Canes and vnder their rootes men finde a precious stone of great vertue for hée that beareth one of those stones about him ther may no Iron gréeue him nor draw bloud on him and therefore they that haue those stones fight full hardly for there may no weapon that is of Iron grieue him therefore they that know the manner make their weapons without yron and so they slay them Of the kingdome of Talonach the king whereof hath many wiues Chap lviij THen is there another I le that men call Talonach the same is a great land and therein is great plentie of fish other goods as you shal hereafter heare And they king of that land hath as many wiues as he wil a thousand and moe and he neuer lyeth but once by any one of them also in that land is a great meruaile for all manner of fishes of the sea commeth thether once a yéere one after another and lyeth néere the land somtime on the land and so lie thrée dayes and men of that land come thether and take of them what they will and then go those fishes away and an other sort commeth and lyeth also thrée dayes men take of them and thus do all manner of fishes till all haue béene there and men haue taken what they will But no man can tell the cause why it is so But they of that country say that those fishes come so thether to doe worship to their king for they say hée is the worthiest king of the world for he hath so many wiues and getteth so many children of them And that same king hath xiiij M. Elephants or moe which bée tame and they be kept for his pleasure by the men of the country so that hée may haue them ready at his hand when hée hath any warre against any King or Prince and then hée doth put vpon their backs castles and men of war as the vse of the land is and likewise doe other kings and princes thereabout Of the Iland called Raso where men be hanged as soone as they are sicke Chap. lix AND from this I le men goe to another I le called Raso and the men of this I le when their friends are sicke and that they beléeue surely that they shall dye they take them and hang them vp quicke on a trée and say it is better that birds that are Angels of God eate them then wormes of the earth From thence men goe to an I le where the men are of an il kind for they nourish hounds for to strangle men And when their friends are sicke that they hope they shall dye then doe those hounds strangle them for they will not that they die a kindely death for then should they suffer too great paine as they say and when they are thus dead they eate their flesh for venison Of the Iland of Melke wherein dwelleth euill people Chap. lx FRom thence men goe by sea through many Iles vnto an I le called Melke and there bée full ill people for they haue none other delight but for to fight and slay men for they drinke gladly mans blood which blood they call good and they that may slay most is of most fame among them And if there bée two men at strife and after bée made at one then must they drinke eyther others blood or else the accord is of no value From this I le men goe to an other I le that is called Traconit where all men are as beasts for they are vnreasonable and they dwell in caues for they haue not wit to make houses these men eate Adders and speake not but make such a noise as Adders doe one to another and they make no force of riches but of a stone that is of forty coulours and it is called Traconit after that I le they know not the vertue thereof but they couet it for the great fairenesse Of the Iland named Macumeran whereas the people haue heads like hounds Chap. lxi FRom that I le men goe to an other that is called Macumeran which is a great Ile a faire and the men and women of that country haue heades like hounds they are reasonable and worship an Oxe for their God they goe all naked but a litle cloath before their priuie members they are good men to fight and they beare a great Target with which they couer all the body and a speare in their hand and if they take any man in battaile they send him to their king which is a great Lord and deuout in his faith for hée hath about his neck on a Corde thrée hundred Pearles great and orient and as wée say our Pater noster and other prayers right so their king saith euery day thrée hundred praiers to his God before hée eyther eate or drinck and he beareth also about his neck a Ruby orient fine and good that is néere a foote and fiue fingers
flesh of all manner of beasts when they haue all eate they wipe their hands in their skirts and they eate but once on the day and eate but little bread but the manner of the Lords is full noble Wherefore the Emperour of Cathay is called the great Caane Chap. lxviij ANd yée shall vnderstand why hée is called the great Caane yée know that all the world was destroyed with Noes floud but Noe his wife and children Noe had thrée sons Sem Cham and Iapheth C ham when hée saw his fathers priuities naked when hée slept hée scorned it and therefore hée was cursed and Iapheth couered it againe These thrée brethren had all the land C ham tooke the best part Eastward that is called Asia Sem tooke Afryke and Iapheth tooke Europe C ham was the mightiest and richest of his brethren and of him are come the Panim folke and diuers manner of men of the Iles some headlesse and other men disfigured for this Cham the Emperour there called him Cham and Lord of all But ye shall vnderstand that the Emperour of Cathay is called Caane and not Cham and for this cause it is not long agoe that all Tartary was in subiection and thrall to other nations about and they were made heardmen to kéepe beasts and among them was vii linages or kinds the first was called Tartary that is the best the second linage is called Tamahot the third Furace the fourth Valaire the fift Semoth the sixt Menchy and the seauenth Sobeth These are all holding of the great Caane of Cathay Now it befell that the first linage was an old man and he was not rich and men called him Chanius This man lay and slept on a night in his bed and there came to him a knight all white sitting vpon a white horse and said to him Caane sléepest thou God that is almightie sent mée to thée and it is his will that thou say to the vii linages that thou shalt be their Emperour for yée shall conquere all the land about you and they shall bée in your subiection as you haue béene in theirs and when morrow came he rose vp and said to the seuen linages and they scorned him and said hée was a foole and the next night the same knight came to the vii linages and bad them in Gods behalf to make Chanius their Emperour and they should be out of all subiection And on the morrow they chose Chanius to be Emperour and did him all worship that they might doe and called him Caane as the white knight called him they said they would doe as hée bad them Then he made many statutes and lawes the which they called Isakan The first statute was that they should be obedient to God almighty beléeue that hée should deliuer them out of thraldome and that they should call on him in all their works Another statute was that al men that might beare armes should be numbred and to each ten should bée a master and to a hundred a master and to a thousand a master Then hée commaunded to all the greatest and principallest of the vii linages that they should forsake all that they had in heritage or lordship and that they should hold them payed of that he would giue them of his grace they did so And also he bad them that each man should bring his eldest son before him and slay his owne Son with his owne hands and smite off their heads and as soone they did his bidding And when hée saw they made no letting of that he bad them then bad hée them follow his banner and then he put in subiection all the lands about him How the great Caane was hid vnder a tree and so escaped his enimies because of a Bird. Chap. lxix AND it befell on a day that the Caane rode with a few men to sée the land that he had won and hée met with a great multitude of his enimies and there hée was cast downe off his horse and his horse slaine and when his men saw him at the earth they thought hée had béene dead and fled and the enimies followed after and when hée saw his enimies were far he hid him in a bush for the wood was thick there and when they were come againe from the chase they went to séeke him among the wood if any were hid there and they found many and as they came to the place where hée was they saw a bird sit on a trée the which bird men cal an Owle then said they that there was no man for the bird sate there and so went they away and thus was the Caane saued from death and so he went away on a night to his owne men which were glad of his comming and from that time vnto this day men of that Country haue that Bird in great reuerence and for that cause they worship that bird aboue all other birds of the world And incontinent hée assembled all his men and rode vpon his enimies and destroyed them and when hée had won all the lands that were about him hée held them in subiection And when the Caane had won all the Lords to mount Belyan the white knight came to him in a vision againe and said vnto him Caane the will of God is that thou passe the mount Belyan and thou shalt win many lands and because thou shalt finde no passage goe thou to the mount Belyan that is vpon the sea side and knéele nine times thereon against the East in worship of God and hée shall shew thée a way how thou shalt passe the Caane did so anone the sea that touched the hill withdrew it selfe and shewed him a faire way of nine foote broad betwéene the hill and the sea and so he passed right well with all his men and then hée wan the land of Cathay that is the best land and the greatest of all the world and for those ix knéelings and the nine foote of way the Caane and the men of Tartary haue the number of nine in great worship Of the great Caanes letters and the writing about his Seale Chap. lxx AND when hée had won the land of Cathay hée dyed and then raygned after Cythoco the eldest Son of Caane and his other brothers went to win them lands in other countries and they wan the land of Pruisse of Rusie they did call themselues Caanes but hée of Cathay is the greatest Lord of all the world and so he called him in his letters and saith thus Caane filius Dei excelsi vniuersam terram colentium sumus imperator Dominus Dominantium That is to say Caane Gods son Emperour of all those that till all the land and Lord of Lords And the writing about his great seale is Deus in coelo Caane super terram eius fortitudo omniū hominum Imperatoris sigillum That is to say God in heauen Caane vpon earth his strength the seale of the Emperour of
the fire so stinking that no man may suffer it but alway a good Christian man and one that is stedfast in the faith may goe therein without harme if they call to God onely for forgiuenesse of their sinnes then shall the Diuels haue no power ouer them And yée shall vnderstand that when my fellowes and I were in that valley we had full great doubt if wée should put our bodies in a venture to goe through it and some of my fellowes agréed thereto and some would not and there were in our company two Fryers minours of Lombardie who said if any of vs would goe in they would also as they had sayd so vpon trust of them wée sayd that wée would goe and wée dyd make our prayers to God for our safegard and so wée went in xiiij men and when wée came out wée were but x. and we wist not whether our fellows were lost there or that they tourned againe but wée saw no more of them other of my fellowes that would not goe in with vs went about another way for to bée before vs and so they were and wée went through the valey and saw there many meruailous things gold siluer precious stones and Iewels great plenty as wée thought whether it were so or no I know not for diuels are so subtill and false that they make many times a thing to séeme that it is not for to deceiue men and therfore I would touch nothing for dread of enimies that I saw there in many liknesses what of dead bodies that I saw lye in the valey but I dare not say that they were all bodies but they were bodily shapes through making of diuels and wée were often cast downe to the earth by wind thunder and tempest but God helped alway and so passed wée through that valey without perill or harme thankes bée to God Of an Iland wherein dwell people as great as Giants of xxviij or xxx foote of lenght and other things Chap. xcij. ANd beyond that valey is a great I le where be people as great as Gyants of xxviii foot long and they haue no clothing but beastes skinnes that hang on them and they eate no bread but flesh raw and they drink milke and they haue no houses and they eate gladlier flesh of men then other and men say to vs that beyond that I le is an I le where are greater Giants as xlv or l. foote long and some sayde l. cubites long but I saw not them and among those Gyants are great shéepe as it were young Oxen they beare great woll these shéepe haue I séene many times An other I le is there Northward where are many euill fell women and they haue precious stones in their eyes and they haue such force that if they behold any man with wrath they slay them with béeholding as the Basalyke doth An other I le is there of fayrer folke and good where the custome is such the first night that they are wedded they take a certaine man that is ordained therefore and let him lye by their wiues to haue their maidenhead and they giue him great reward for his trauaile and those men are called Gadlybrien for men of that country hold it a great thing to make a woman no maiden and if it be so that the husband finde her a mayden the next night after for peraduenture hée that lay by her was dronken or for any other cause the husband shall complaine of him to the Lawyers that hée hath not done his deuour and he shall grieuously bée punished and chastised but after the first night they keepe their wiues well that they speake not with those men and I asked what was the cause why they had that custome and they sayd heretofore men lay with their wiues first and no other and their wiues had serpents in their bodies stong their husbands in the yard or on their bodyes and so was many men slaine and therefore had they that custome to let other men haue their maidenhead for dread of death and thus they suffer them to assay the passage or they aduenture Of women which make great sorrow as their children are borne and great ioy when they are dead Chap. xciij AN other I le there is where women make great sorrow when their children bée borne and when they are dead they make great ioy and cast them in a great fire and burne them and they that loue well their husbands when then are dead they cast them in a fire to burne them for they say that fire shal make them cleane of all filth and vices they shall bée cleane in an other world and the cause why they wéepe when their children are borne and that they ioy at their death they say a childe when hée is borne commeth into this world to haue trauaile sorrow and heauinesse when they are dead they goe to Paradise where Riuers are of Milke and Hony and there is life and ioy and plenty of goods without trauaile or sorrow In this I le they elect their kings by voyces they chuse him not for his riches and noblenesse but him that is of good conditions and most righteous and true that iudgeth euery man truely little and much after their trespasse and the king may iudge no man to death without counsell of his Barons and that they all assent And if it so bée that their King doe a great trespasse as stay a man or such like hée shall dye also but hée shall not be slaine but they shall charge and forbid that no man bée so hardie to beare him company nor to speake to him ne giue him meate nor drink thus hée shall die for they spare no man that hath done a trespasse for loue lordship riches nor noblenesse but they doe him right after that hée hath deserued Of an Iland where men wed their owne daughters and kinswomen Chap. xciiij THere is an other I le where is great plentie of people and they neuer eate flesh of Hares nor of Hens nor Géese yet is there many of them but they eate of all other beasts and they drink milk in this country they wed their owne daughters and other of their kin as them liketh and if there bée ten or eleuen men in one house each one of their wiues shall bée common to other and at night one haue one of the wiues and an other night an other and if shée haue any child shée may giue it to whom she will so that no man know it to bée his In this land and many other places of Inde are many Crocodrilles that is a manner of long Serpent and on nights they dwell on water and on dayes they dwell on land and rocks and they eate not in winter These serpents slay men and eat them wéeping and they haue no tongue In this country and many other men cast séede of cotten and sow in each yéere and it groweth as it were small trées and
then xxx thousand men beside commers and goers but xxx thousand there or in the court of the great Caane spendeth not so much as xij thousand in our countrie Hée hath euermore vii kings in his court to serue him and each one of them serueth a moneth and with these kings serue alway lxxii Dukes CCC Earles and euery day eate in his court xii Archbishops and xx Bishops The Patriarke of Saint Thomas is as it were a Pope and Archbishops Bishops and Abbots all are kings in that country and some of the Lords is Maister of the hall some of the chamber some steward some Marshall and other Officers and therefore hée is full richly serued And his Land lasteth in breadth foure monethes iourney and it is of length without measure Of the wildernesse wherein groweth the trees of the Sunne and the Moone Chap. xcix AND béeyond this place is a great wildernesse as men that haue béene there say In this wildernesse as men say are the trées of the Sunne and of the Moone that spake to king Alexander and told him of his death and men say that folke that kéepe these trées and eate of the fruits of them liue foure or fiue hundred yéere through vertue of the fruit and wée would gladly haue gone thether but I beléeue that an hundred thousand men of armes should not passe that wildernesse for great plenty of wilde beasts as Dragons and serpents that slay men when they passe that way In this land are many Elephants all white and blew without number and Vnicornes and Lyons of many coulours Many other Iles are in the land of Prester Iohn that were too long to tell and much riches and of precious stones is great plentie I haue heard say why this Emperour is called Prester Iohn and for those that know it not I will declare Therefore sometime an Emperour that was a noble Prince and doughtie and hée had many Christian Knights with him and the Emperour thought hée would sée the seruice in christian Churches and then was Churches of Christendome in Turky Surry and Tartary Hierusalem Palistine Araby and Alapy and all the Lords of Aegypt And this Emperour came with a Christian Knight into a Church of Aegypt and it was on a Satterday after Whitsunday when the Bishop gaue Orders and hée beheld the Seruice and asked of the knight what folke those should bée that stood before the Bishop and the Knight sayd they should bée Priests and hée sayd hée would no more bée called king ne Emperour but Priest and hée would haue the name of him that came first out of the Priests and hée was called Iohn and so haue all the Emperours since béene called Prester Iohn In this land are many Christian men of good faith and good law and they haue priests to sing seruice and they receiue the sacrament as men of Gréece doe and they say not otherwise but as the Apostles said as Saint Peter and Saint Thomas and other Apostles when they sung and sayd Pater noster and the words with the which the Communion is sacred wée haue many additions of Popes that haue béene ordained of which men of those countries know not Of a great Iland and Kingdome called Taprobane Chap. c. TOward the East side of Prester Iohns Land is an I le that men call Taprobane and it is right good and fruitfull and there is a great King and a rich and he is obedient vnto Prester Iohn the King is alway made by election In this I le are two winters and two Summers and they reape corne twice in the yéere and gardens flowrish at all times in the yéere There dwelleth good people and reasonable and many christian men among them are full rich and the water betwéene the side of Prester Iohn and this I le is not very déepe for men may sée the ground in many places Of two other Iles one is called Oriell and the other Argete where are many gold mines Chap cj. THere are more Eastward two other Iles the one is called Oriell and the other Argete of which all the land is full of mines of gold and siluer In those Iles many men sée no Stars cléere shining but one Star that is called Canapos and there many men sée not the Moone but in the last quarter In that I le is a great hill of gold that Pismires kéepe and they do the fine gold from other that is not fine gold and the Pismires are as great as hounds so that no man dare come there for dread of pismires that should assay them so that men may not worke in that gold nor get therof but by subtiltie and therefore when it is right hot the pismires hide themselues in the earth from morne to noone of the day and then men of the country take Cammels and Dromedaries and other beasts and goe thether and charge them with gold and goe away fast or the pismires come out of the earth And other times when it is not so hot that the pismires hide them not they take Mares that haue soles and they lay vpon these mares two long vessels as it were two small barrels and the mouth vpwards and driue them thether and hold their foles at home and when the pismires sée these vessels they spring therin for by kinde they leaue no hole nor pit open and anone they fill these vessels with gold and when men thinke that the vessels bée full they take the foles bring them as néere as they dare and then they whine and the mares heare them and anone they come to their foles and so they take the gold for these pismires will suffer beasts to come among them but no men Of the darke country and hils and rocks of stone nigh to Paradise Chap. cij BEyond the Iles of the land of Prester Iohn and his Lordship of wildernesse to goe right East men shall finde nothing but hils great rocks and other darke land where no man may sée a day or night as men of the Country say and this wildernesse and darke land lasteth to Paradise terrestre where Adam and Eue were set but they were but a little while there and that is toward the East at the beginning of the Earth but that is not our East that we call where the Sun riseth for when the Sunne riseth there then it is midnight in our country by reason of the roundnesse of the Earth for our Lord made the earth all round in the middest of the firmament Of Paradise can I not speake properly for I haue not béene there but that I haue heard I shall tell you Men say that Paradise terrestre is the highest land of all the world and it is so high that it toucheth néere to the circle of the Moone for it is so high that Noes floud might not come thereto which couered all the Earth about A little of Paradise terrestre Chap. ciij. THis Paradise terrestre is enclosed all about with a wall and