good townes In his kingdome are many great Iles and large for this land of Inde is parted into Iles because of great flouds that come out of Paradise and also in the sea are many great Iles. The best cittie that is in the I le of Pantrore is called Nile that is a noble cittie and a rich Prester Iohn hath vnder him many kings and diuers people and his land is good and rich but not so rich as the land of the great Caane for merchants come not so much thether as they doe into the land of the great Caane for it is too long a iourney And also they finde in the I le of Cathay all things that they haue néede of as spicery clothes of gold and other riches and although they might haue better cheape in the land of Prester Iohn then in the land of Cathay and more fine neuerthelesse they wil not go thether by reason of the length of the iourney and great perils on the sea for there are many places in the sea where are many rocks of a stone that is called Adamand the which of his owne kinde draweth to him all manner of iron and therefore there may no ships that haue iron nayles passe but it draweth them to it and therefore they dare not go into that country with ships for dread of the Adamand I went once into that sea saw as it had béene a great I le of trées stocks branches growing and the shipmen told me that those were great ships that abode there through the vertue of the Adamands and of things that were in the ships whereof those trées sprong and waxed and such rocks are there many in diuers places of that sea and therefore dare there no shipmen passe that way And another thing also is that they dread the long way and therefore they go most to Cathay and that is néere vnto them And yet it is not so néere but that from Venice or Gene by Sea to Cathay is xi or xij moneths iourney The land of Prester Iohn is long and Merchants passe thether through the land of Persia and come vnto a Cittie that men call Hermes for a Philosopher that was called Hermes founded it and then passe an arme of the Sea come to another Cittie that men call Saboth and there finde they all marchandises and popiniayes as great plenty as larks in our country In this Country is little wheate or barly and therefore they eat rice milke and chéese and other fruits This Emperour Prester Iohn weddeth commonly the daughter of the great Caane and the great Caane his Daughter In the land of Prester Iohn is many diuers things and many precious stones so great and so large that they make of them vessels platters and cups and many other things of which it were too long to tell but somwhat of his law and of his faith I shall tell you Of the faith and beleefe of Prester Iohn but he hath not all the full beliefe as wee haue Chap. lxxxvij THis Emperour Prester Iohn is christened and a great part of his land also but they haue not all the articles of our Faith but they beléeue well in the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost and they are full deuoute and true one to another and they make no force of cattell And hée hath vnder him lxxii Prouinces and countries and in each one is a king and those kings haue other kings vnder them And in this land are many meruailes for in this land in the gauely sea that is of sand and grauaile and no drop of water and it ebbeth and floweth with right great waues as an other sea doth and it is neuer standing still and neuer in rest and no man may passe that land beyond it And although there bée no water in the sea yet men may finde therein right good fish and of other fashion and shape then are in any other seas and also they are of a full good sauor and swéete and good to eat And thrée dayes iourney from that sea are many great hils through which runneth a great floud that commeth from Paradise and it is full of precious stones and no drop of water and it runneth with great waues into the grauely Sea And this floud runneth thrée dayes in the wéeke so fast and stirreth great stones of the rockes with him that make much noyse as soone as they come into the grauely sea they are no more séene and in those thrée dayes when it runneth thus no man dare come in it but the other dayes men goe therein when they will And so béeyond that floud toward that wildernesse is a great plaine among hils all sandy and grauely and in that plaine grow trées that at the rising of the Sun each day begin to grow and so grow they till mid-day and beare fruit but no man dare eate of that fruit for it is a manner of yron and after midday it turneth againe to the earth so that when the Sun goeth downe it is nothing séene and so doth it euery day and there is in that wildernesse many wilde men with hornes on their heads right hedious and they speake not but rout as swine and in that country are many popiniayes that they call in their language Pistak and they speake through their owne kinde partly as a man and those that speake well haue long tongues and large and on euery foote fiue toes but there are some that haue but thrée toes but those speake naught or very ill Of another Iland where also dwelleth good people therein and is called Sinople Chap. lxxxviij THen is there an other I le that is called Synople wherein also are good people and true and full of good faith and they are much like in their liuing to the man béefore said and they go all naked Into that Iland came king Alexander and when hée saw their good faith and trouth and their good beléefe hée said that hée would doe them no harme and bad them aske of him riches or ought else and they stould haue it And they answered that they had riches enough when they had meat and drinck to sustaine their bodies and they said also that riches of this world is nought worth but if it were so that hée might graunt them that they should neuer dye that would they pray him And Alexander sayd that might hée not do for hée was mortall and should die as they should Then said they why art thou so proud and wouldest win all the world and haue it in thy subiection as it were a God and hast no terme of thy life and thou wilt haue all riches of the world the which shall forsake thée or thou forsake it and thou shalt beare nothing with thée but it shall remaine to other but as thou were borne naked so shalt thou be done in earth And Alexander was greatly astonied at this speach and though it be so that they haue not the Articles of our
that wall is all couered with mosse as it séemeth that men may sée no stone nor nothing else whereof it is and in the highest place of Paradise in the middest of it is a Well that casteth out the foure flouds that runne through diuers Lands The first floud is called Pison or Ganges and that runneth through Inde in that Riuer are many precious stones and much Lignum Aloes and grauell of gold An other is called Nilus or Giron and that runneth through Ethiope and Aegypt The third is called Tigrée and that runneth through Asiria and Armony the great And the fourth is called Euphrates that runneth through Armony the lesse and Persia and men say that the swéet and fresh waters of the world take their springing of them The first Riuer is called Pison that is to say gathering of many Riuers together and falling into one and some call it Ganges of a king that was in Inde that men call Gangeras for it runneth through his land and this riuer is in some places cleane in some places troubled in some place hot in some place cold The second riuer is called Nilus or Giron for it is euer troubled for Giron is to say trouble The third riuer is called Tigrée that is to say fast running for it runneth faster then any of the other named so of a beast that men call Tigris for hée runneth fast The fourth riuer is called Euphrates that is to say well bearing for there groweth many good things vpon that riuer And yée shall vnderstand that no man liuing may goe vnto that Paradise for by land he may not goe for wilde beasts which are in the wildernesse and for hils and rocks where no man may passe Neither by those Riuers may any man passe for they come with so great course and so great waues that no ship may sayle against them Many great Lords haue assayed many times to goe by those Riuers to Paradise but they might not spéede on their way for some dyed for wearinesse of rowing some waxt blind and some deafe for noise of the waters so no man may passe there but through speciall grace of God I can tell you no more of that place which I may speake of vpon mine owne sight How Prester Iohns land lyeth foote against foote to England Chap. ciiij. THese Iles of the land of Prester Iohn they are vnder the earth to vs other Iles are there who so would pursue them for to compasse the earth hauing the grace of God to hold the way hée might come right to the same Countries that hée were come of and come from and goe about the earth but for that it asketh so long time and also there are so many perils to passe that few men assay to goe so and yet it might bée done for men come from those Iles to other Iles costing of the Lordship of Prester Iohn which men call Cassoy and that country is néere lx daies iourney long and more then fifty of breadth and this Cassoy is the best land that is in those countries saue Cathay and if merchants come thether as commonly as they doe to Cathay it would be better then Cathay for it is so thick of cities townes that when a man goeth out of a cittie hée séeth an other at each side there is great plenty of spices and other goods the king of this I le is rich and mightie and hée holdeth his land of the great Caane for that is one of the xii Princes that the great Caane hath vnder him beside his owne Land Of the Kingdome of Ryboth Chap. cv FRom this I le men goe to an other Kingdome that is called Ryboth and that is also vnder the great Caane that is a good country and plenteous of corne wine and other things men of this land haue no houses but they dwell in tents made of trées And the principall cittie of the country is all black made of black stones and white and all the stréetes are paued with such stones and in the Cittie is no man so hardy to spill blood of man ne beast for worship of a mawmet that is worshipped there In that citie dwelleth the Pope of their Law that they call Lopasse and hée giueth all dignities and benefices that fall to the mawmet And men of religion men that haue Churches in that country are obedient to him as men here to the King In this I le they haue a custome through all the Countrie that when a mans father is dead they will do him great worship they send after all his friends religious Priests and many other and they beare the body to an hill with great ioy and mirth and when it is there the greatest Prelate smiteth off his head and layeth it vpon a great plate of gold or siluer and giueth it to his Son and the Son taketh it and giueth it to other of his friendes singing and saying many orisons and then the priests and the religious men cut the flesh off the body in péeces and say orisons and the birds of the country come thether for they know well the custome and they flye about them as the Eagles and other birds that eate flesh the priests cast the péeces vnto them and they beare it away a little from thence and then they eate it and as the Priests in our Country sing for soules Subuenite sancti Dei and forsooth so those priests there sing with high voyce in their language in this manner wise Sée and behold how good and gracious a man this was that the Angels of God come for to fetch him and beare him into Paradise And then thinketh the sonne of the same man that hée is greatly worshipped when birdes haue eaten his father and when there are most plentie of birds there is most worship And then commeth the Son home with all his friends and maketh them a great feast then maketh hée cleane his fathers scalpe and giueth them drincke therein and the flesh of his fathers head hée cutteth off and giueth it to his most speciall friends some a little and some a little for daintie And in remembrance of this holy man that the Birds haue eaten the son kéepeth his scalpe for a cup and therein drinketh hée all his life in remembrance of his father Of a rich man that is neither King Prince Duke nor Earle Chap. cvj. AND from this place men goe ten dayes iourney through the land of the great Caane which is a full good Ile and a great kingdome and the king is ful mighty And in this I le is a rich man which is neither king Prince Duke nor Earle but hée hath each yéere foure thousand horses charged with rice and corne and hée liueth nobly and richly after the manner of the country for hée hath fiftie damsels that serue him euery day at his meate and bed and doe what hée will And when hée sitteth at the table they bring him meate and at each time fiue
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
kindly thing and that men and women should wedde but once and who so weddeth more then once their children are bastards gotten in sinne and their priests also are wedded and they say that vsurie or simonie is no deadly sin and they sell benefices of holy Church and so did men of other places it is great slaughter for now is simonie king crowned in holy Church God amend it when his wil is And they say that in lent men should not sing Masse but on the Saterday on the Sunday and they fast not the Saterday no time in the yéere but if it be Christmas or Easter euen And they suffer no man that is on this side the Gréeke sea to sing at their Alters and if it fall that they do through any hap they wash their Alters as soone without tarrying with holy water and they say that there should be but one masse said at one Alter in a day And they say that our Lord did neuer eate meat but he made a token of eating And also they say that we sin deadly in shauing of our beards for the beard is a token of a man and a gift of our Lord and they say that we sinne in eating of beasts that were forbidden in the old Law as Swine Hares and other Beasts And this they say that we sin in eating of flesh on the daies before Ashwednesday and in eating of flesh on the Wednesday and when we eate chéese or egges on the friday and they curse all those that eate no flesh on the Saterday Also the Emperour of Constantinople maketh the Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops and he giueth all the dignities of Churches and depriueth them that are vnworthy Although it be so that these touch not each way neuerthelesse they touch not that which I haue behight to shew a part of the custome maners and diuersitie of countries and for this is the first country discordant from the faith and letteth our faith on this side the sea therefore haue I set it here that ye may sée the diuersitie betwéene our faith and theirs for many men haue great liking to heare speake of straunge things ¶ To come againe to Constantinople for to goe towards the holy land Chap. iij. NOW come wée againe for to know the way from Constantinople He that will goe through Turky he goeth through the city of Nike passeth through the gate of Chiuitot that is right high and it is a mile and a halfe from Nyke and who so will goe by the brach of Saint George and by the Gréeke sea there as Saint Nicholas lyeth and other places First men come to the I le of Silo and in that I le groweth masticke vpon small trées as Plumtrées or Cheritrées And then after men go through the I le of Pathmos where Saint Iohn the Euangelist wrote the Apocalips and you shall vnderstand that when our Lord Iesus Christ dyed Saint Iohn the Euangelist was of the age of xxxij yéeres and he liued after the passion of Christ lxiii yéeres and then dyed From Pathmos men go to Ephesim which is a faire Cittie and néere to the sea and there dyed saint Iohn and hée was buryed behind the high Alter in a tombe and there is a faire Church for christian men were wont to hold that place but in the tombe of Saint Iohn is nothing but Manna for his body was translated into paradise and the Turks hold now that cittie and the Church and all Asia the lesse and therefore is Asia the lesse called Turkey and ye shall vnderstand that S. Iohn did make his graue there in his life and laid himselfe there all quick and therefore some say he died not but that he resteth there vntill the day of Iudgement therfore truely there is a great meruaile for men may sée there appertly the earth of the tombe many times stir and mooue as there were a quick thing vnder And from Ephesim men goe through many Iles in the sea vnto the cittie of Pateran where saint Nicholas was borne and so to Marca where he by the grace of God was chosen Bishop and there groweth right good wine and strong that men cal wine of Marca From thence men goe to the I le of Créete which the Emperour gaue sometime to Ionais And then men passe through the Iles of Cophos and Lango of the which Iles Ipocras was Lord and some say that in the I le of Lango is Ipocras his Daughter in manner of a Dragon which is an hundred foote long as men say for I haue not séene it and they of the Iles call her the lady of the country and she lyeth in an old castle and sheweth her selfe thrice in the yéere and shée doth no man harme and she is thus changed from a damsell to a Dragon through a Goddesse that men call Diana and men say that shée shall dwell so vnto the time that a knight come that is so hardy as to go to her and kisse her mouth and then shall shée turne againe to her owne kinde and be a woman and after that shée shall not liue long And it is not long since a knight of the Rodes that was hardy valiant said that hée would kisse her when the dragon began to lift vp her head against him he saw she was so hedious he fled away and the Dragon in her anger bare the knight to a rock and from that cast him into the sea and so he was lost Yet of the Dragon Chap. iiij ALso a young man that wist not of the Dragon went out of a ship passed through the I le till hée came to the castell entred into a caue and went so long till he found a chamber and then hée saw a Damsell that kembd her head and looked in a Mirrour and shée had much treasure about her and hée thought her to be a common woman that dwelled there to kéepe men and hée abode the Damsell and the damsell saw the shadow of him in the mirrour and she turned toward him and asked him what he would and he said he would bée her paramour or lemman and she asked him if hée were a knight hée said nay she said then might he not be her lemman but shée had him go againe to his fellowes and make him knight and come againe on the morrow and she would come out of the caue then he should kisse her on the mouth and shée bad him haue no dread for shée would doe him no harme although shée séemed hidious to him she said it was done by enchantment for she said she was such as he saw her then and shée said that if hée kissed her hée should haue all the treasure and be her Lord and Lord of all those Iles. Then he departed from her and went to his fellows to the ship and made him Knight and came againe on the morrow to kisse the Damsell and when hée saw her come out of the caue
in forme of a Dragon hée had so great dread that hée fled to the ship and she followed him when she saw that hée tourned not againe shée began to crye as a thing that had much sorrow and turned againe soone after the knight dyed and sithen hetherto might no knight sée her but hée dyed anone But when a knight commeth that is so hardy to kisse her hée shall not dye but shall tourne that Damsell into her right shape and shall bée Lord of the country aforesaid And from thence men goe to the I le of Rodes the which the Hospitallers held and gouerned and that they tooke sometime from the Emperour and it was wont to bée called Colles and so yet the Turks call it Colles and Saint Paul in his Epistles writeth to them of the I le Collosenses This I le is néere C.lxxx myle from Constantinople And from the I le of Rodes men goe into Cipres where are many vines the first is red and after a yéere they waxe all white and those vines that are most white are most cléere and best smelling and as men passe that way by a place where was wont to be a great cittie that men call Sathalay for all that country was lost through the folly of a young man who had a faire Damsell that hée loued well and shée dyed sodainely and was buryed in a graue of Marble and for the great loue hée had to her hée went in a night to her tombe and opened it and went and lay by her and a while afterward returned home againe and when it came to the end of ix monethes a voice came to him and said in this manner as in the next Chapter followeth Of a young man and his lemman Chap. v. GOE vnto the tombe of the same woman that thou hast lyen by and open it béehold well that which thou hast béegotten on her and if thou let it goe thou shalt haue a great harme and hée went and opened the Tombe and there flew out a monster right hidious for to sée the whiche monster flew about the cittie and country and soone after the cittie and the country sanck downe and there are many perillous passages From Rodes to Cipres is fiue hundred myle and more but men may goe to Cipres and come not to Rodes Cipres is a good Ile and a great there are many good citties there is an Archbishop at Nichosy and foure other Bishops in the land And at Famagost is one of the best hauens on the sea that is in the world and there are Christian men and Sarazins and men of all nations In Cipres is the hill of the holy crosse and there is the crosse of the good théefe Dismas as I said before and some thinke that there is halfe of the crosse of our Lord but it is not so and they doe wrong that make men to beléeue so In Cipres lyeth Saint Simeon for whom the men of the country make great solempnitie and in the castell of Amours lyeth the body of Saint Hillarion and men kéepe it worshipfully and beside Famagost was Saint Bernarde borne Of the manner of hunting in Cipres Chap. vi IN Cipres men hunt with Pampeons that bée like to Leopardes and they hunt wilde beasts right well and they are somwhat bigger then Lions and they take more quickly wilde beastes then hounds In Cipres is a custome that Lords and other men eat vpon the earth for they make ditches within the earth all about the hall déepe to the knée and they paue them and when they will eat they goe therein and sit there this they doe to be more fresh for that land is hotter then it is here and at great feasts and for strange men they set formes and boords as they do in this country but they had leauer sit on the earth From Cipres men goe by Land and by Sea to Hierusalem and in a day and in a night he that hath good winde may come to the hauen of Tire that now is called Sur and it is also at the entry of Surry there was sometime a faire cittie of Christian men but the Sarasins haue destroyed the most part thereof and they kéepe the hauen right well for dread that they haue of Christian men Men might goe right to that hauen come not to Cipres but they go gladly to Cipres to rest them on the land or els to buy things that they haue néed of to their voiage Vpon the sea side men may find many rubies and there is the well that holy writ speaketh of Fons hortorum puteus aquarum viuentiū That is to say The well of gardens and ditch of waters liuing In the cittie of Tyre sayd the woman to our Lord Beatus venter qui te portauit vbera quae succisti That is as much to say Blessed be the body that bare thée and the pap of which thou suckest and there our Lord Iesus Christ forgaue the woman of Canaan her sins and there also in that place was the stone on the which our Lord sat preached on the same stone was founded the church of saint Sauiour And vpon that sea is the cittie of Saphen Sarep or Sodome and there was the dwelling of Elias the Prophet and there was raised by Ionas the Prophet the widdowes son And fiue mile from Saphen is the cittie of Sydon of the which Cittie Dido that was Aeneas wife after the destruction of Troy was Quéene she founded the citie of Carthage in Affricke now is called Didonsart And in the cittie of Tyre rayned Achilles the father of Dido and a mile from Sidon is Beruth and from Beruth to Sardena is thrée dayes iourney and from Sardena is fiue mile to Damas. Of the hauen called Iaffe Chap. vij WHo so will go longer on the sea and come néerer to Hierusalem you shall goe from Cipres by sea to the port called Iaffe for that is the next hauen to Hierusalem for from that Hauen is but a dayes iourney and a halfe to Hierusalem and that Hauen is called Iaffe and the towne Affe after one of Noes sonnes that men call Iapheth that founded it and now it is called Iops and ye shall vnderstand that it is the eldest towne of the world for it was made before Noes floud and there be the bones of a Giaunts side that bée xl foote long Of the Hauen of Tyre Chap. viij ANd who ariueth at the first hauen of Tyre or of Surrey before said may go by land if hée will to Hierusalem and hée goeth to the Cittie of Acon in a day that was called Tholomoda and it was a cittie of Christian men sometime but it is now destroyed and it is in the sea And it is from Venice to Acon by the sea two thousand and lxx mile of Lumbardy and from Calabre or from Cicil it is to Acon a thousand thrée hundred miles of Lumbardy Of the hill Carme Chap. ix ANd the I le
of Gréece is right in the mid way and beside this cittie of Acon toward the sea some viij hundred furlongs on the right hand toward the South is the hill Carme where Elias the prophet dwelled there was the order of Carmes first founded This hill is not right great ne high and at the foot of this hill was somtime a good cittie of christian men that was called Caiphas for Cayphas founded it but it is now all wasted at the left side of the hill is a towne that men call Saffre that is set vpon another hill there was Saint Iames and Saint Iohn borne in worship of them is there a fayre church made And from Tholomoda that men now call Acon to a great hill that men call Ekale de Tyrees is an hundred fourlongs and beside that cittie of Acon runneth a little riuer that men call Belion and there néere is the fosse of Minon all round that is an hundred cubites or shaftments broad and it is all full of grauell cléere shining whereof men make white glasse cléere and men come from far countries by ship and by land with carts to take of the grauell and if there be neuer so much taken therof on a day on the morrow it is full againe as euer it was and that is great meruaile and there is alway winde in the fosse that striketh away the grauell maketh it trouble And if a man put therein any mettall as soone as it is therein it waxeth glasse the glasse that is made of this grauell if it bée done into the grauell turneth againe into the grauell as it was before and some say that it is a gulfe of the sea grauell How Sampson slew the King and his enimies Chap. x. ALso from Acon before said men goe thrée dayes iourney to the Cittie of Philisten that now is called Gaza that is a rich cittie right faire and full of folke and it is a little vpon the Sea and from that Cittie brought the strong Samson the gates of the Cittie to an high hill and was taken in the said Cittie and there he slew the king in his seat and many thousands more with him for hée made an house to fall on them And from thence shall men goe to the cittie of Cesarien and so to the castell of Pillerins and then to Askalon and so forth to Iaphat and so vnto the holy cittie Hierusalem The way to Babilon whereas the Souldan dwelleth Chap. xj AND who so will go through the land of Babilon where the Souldan dwelleth to haue leaue to goe more securely through the churches and countries and to goe to mount Sinay before he come to Hierusalem and then turne againe by Hierusalem he shal go from Gaza to the castell Dayr And after a man commeth out of Surry and goeth by the wildernesse where the way is full sandy and the wildernesse lasteth eight dayes iourney where men findeth all that them néedeth of vittailes and men call that wildernesse Archelleke and when a man commeth out of this desert he entreth into Aegypt and they call Aegypt Canopat and in an other language men call it Mersine and the first good towne that men finde is called Beleth and it is at the end of the kingdome of Alape and from thence men come to Babilon and to Kayre and in Babilon is a fayre Church of our Lady where shée dwelled seauen yéere when shée was out of the land of the Iewes for dread of king Herod And there lyeth the body of Saint Barbara virgin and there dwelled Ioseph when hée was sold of his brethren and there caused Nabuchodonosor to put the children in fire for they were of right truth the which children men call Anania Azaria and Misaell as the Psalme of Benedicite saith but Nabuchodonosor called them thus Sidrac Misac and Abednago that is to say God glorious and victorious God ouer all kingdomes and that was for miracle that hée made Gods son as he said goe with those children through the fire There dwelleth the Souldan for there is a fayre cittie and a strong Castle and it standeth vpon a rock In that Castle is alway dwelling to kéepe the castle and to serue the Souldan aboue eight thousand persons that take all their necessaries of the Souldans Court. I well know it for I dwelled with him Souldier in his wars a great while against the Bedions and he would haue wedded me to a great princes daughter right richly if I would haue forsaken my faith Yet here followeth of the Souldan and of his kingdomes that he hath conquered which he holdeth strongly with force Chap. xij ANd yée shal vnderstand that the Souldan is Lord of seauen kingdomes the which hée hath conquered and gotten to him by strength and these be they the kingdome of Canopate the kingdome of Aegipt the kingdome of Hierusalem wherof Dauid and Salomon were kings the kingdome of Surry of the which the citty of Damas was the chiefe the kingdome of Alape in the land of Dameth and the kingdome of Arabia which was one of the thrée kings shat made offering to our Lord when hée was borne and many other lands hée holdeth in his hand and also hée holdeth Calaphas that is a great thing to the souldan that is to say among them of Royes Ile and this vale is cold And then men goe vpon the mount of Saint Katherin and that is much higher then the mount Moyses And this saint Katherin was grauen in no Church ne castle ne other dwelling place but there is an hill of stones gathered together about the place where shée was buried there was wont to be a chappell but it is all cast downe and yet lyeth there a great part of the stones But vnder the foot of mout Sina is a monastery of Monks and there is the Church of saint Katherin wherein be many lamps burning and they haue oyle oliue enough to eate and to burne and that they haue by miracle of God there come certaine of all manner of birds euery yéere once like pilgrims and each of them bringeth a braunch of oliue in token of offering whereof they make much oyle For to returne from Sina to Hierusalem Chap. xiij NOw sithen a man hath visited this holy place of saint Katherin and he will turne to Hierusalem if he shall first take leaue at the Monkes and recommend him specially to their prayers then those said monks giue with a good will to Pilgrims vittails to passe with through the wildernesse to Surry and that lasteth well xiij dayes iourney And in that wildernesse dwell many Arabins that men call Bedions and Ascoperds these are folke that are full of all manner of ill conditions and they haue no houses but tents the which they make of beasts skins as of Cammels and other beasts the which they eate and there vnder they lye and they séeke to dwell in places where they may find water néere the red sea for in that wildernes is great
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
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
Iewes and saith they are wicked people for they will not beléeue that Iesus Christ is of God Also they say that the Iewes speake falsely of our Lady and her sonne Iesus Christ saying that they did not hang him on the Crosse for Sarasins beléeue so néere our faith that they are easily conuerted when men preach the law of Iesus Christ and they say that they know right wel by their Prophesite that their law of Mahomet shall faile as doth the Law of the Iewes and that the law of Christians shall last to the worlds end And if a man aske them wherein they beléeue they say that they beléeue in God Almightie that is the maker of heauen and earth and all other things and without him is nothing done and at the day of Iudgement euery man shall bée rewarded after his deseruing and that all things is trueth that Christ said by the mouthes of the Prophets Yet further concerning Mahomet Chap. xlv ALso Mahomet had in his booke Alkaron that euery man should haue two wiues or thrée or foure but now they haue nine and as many lemmans as them liketh and if any of the wiues doe wrong to their husbands hée may driue her out of his house and take in an other but hée must giue to her part of his goods Moreouer where men speake of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost they say that they are thrée persons but not one God for their booke Alkaron speaketh not thereof nor of the Trinitie but they say that God spake or else he was dumbe that God had a Ghost or else hée was not aliue and they say Gods word hath great strength and so saith their Alkaron and they say that Abraham and Moyses were greatly in fauour with God for they spake with him and Mahomet was a right messenger of God and they haue many good articles of our faith and some vnderstand the Scriptures Prophets Gospels and the Bible for they haue them written in their language in their manner they know holy writ but they vnderstand if not but after the letter and so doe the Iewes for they vnderstand it not but after their letter spiritually and therefore saith Saint Paul Litera occidit spiritus autem viuificat That is to say the letter killeth but the spirit quickneth and the Sarasins say that the Iewes are wicked for they kéepe not the Law of Moyses the which hée tooke to them and also Christians are euill for they kéepe not the commandements of the Gospels that Iesu Christ sent vnto them and therefore I shall tell you what the Souldan told mée vpon a day in his chamber shutting out all other men as Lords Knights and other for hée would speake with mée in counsell and then asked hée mée how Christians gouerned them in our country and I answeared him and said right well thanks bée to God and hée said secretly nay for hée said that our Priests made no force of Gods seruice for they should giue good example to men to doe well and they giue ill example and therefore when the people should goe on the holidayes to Church to serue God they goe to the Tauerne to sin in gluttony both day night and eat and drink as beasts that wot not when they haue enough and also Christians he said forced them to fight together and one to beguile other and they are so proud that they know not how they may cloth them now short now long now strait now wide of all manner of fashions They should bée simple méeke and soft and doe their almes as Iesus Christ did in whom they beléeue and hée sayd they are so couetouse that for a little money they sell their children their sisters and their wiues and one taketh another mans wife and none kéepeth his promise to another therefore said he for their sins God hath giuen these lands to our hands and not through our strength but all for your sins For wée wot well that when that yée serue well your God that he will helpe you so that no men shall win of you if that yée serue your God as yée ought to doe but while they liue so sinfully as they doe wée haue no dread on them for their God shall not helpe them And then I asked him how that hee knew the state of Christians in that manner and hée sayd that he knew well both of Lords and commons by his messengers which hée sent through all the countries as it were marchants with precious stones and other marchandise to know the manner of euery country And then hée did call againe all the Lords into his chamber to vs and then shewed hée vnto mée thrée persons that were great Lords of that country who shewed vnto mée the manner of my country and of all Christendome as though they had béene men borne in the same parties and they spake french right well and the Souldan also and then I had great meruaile of this slaunder of our faith and so they that should bée turned by our good examples to the faith of Iesus Christ they are drawne away through our euill liuing and therefore it is no wonder if that they call vs euill for they say truth but the Sarasins are true for they kéepe truely the commaundements of their Alkaron Of the birth of Mahomet Chap. xlvj And it befell sometime that Christians became Sarasins either through pouertie simplenesse or wickednesse and therefore their Archbishop when hée receiued them said thus Laelles ella Mahomet roses ella that is to say There is no God but one and Mahomet his messenger And sithen I haue told you a part of their law and of their customes Now I shall tell you of their letters with their names First they haue for a almoy bethat for b. cathi c. ethoti e. for d delphoye for f thy garophing g. hecum h. iochi i. kathi k. lothun l. malach m. nahalht n. orthy o. thoziri p. zothij q. rucholat r. routhi s salathy t. chotimus v. yrichom x. mazot z. zalepin ioheten con these are the names These foure letters haue they yet more for diuersitie of their language forasmuch as they speake so in their throts as wée haue in our language and speake in England Two letters may they then haue in their A. B. C. That is to say y. the which are called throne and zowx Of diuers Iles and manner of people and of meruailous Beasts Chap. xlvij AND sithen I haue spoken before of the holy land and countries thereabout many wayes thether and to mount Synay and to Babilon and diuers other places which I haue spoken of Now will I tell speake of Iles of diuers beasts and diuers folke and countries that bée parted by the flouds that come out of Paradise terrestre For Mesopotamia and the kingdome of Calde and Araby are betwéene two flouds Tigree and Euphrates and the kingdome of Media and Persia are betwéene two flouds Tigree Nylus
shée haue children shée may liue with them if shée will and if the wife die before shée shall bée burnt and her husband also if he will In this country groweth good wine and women drinck wine and men none and women shaue their heads and not men Of the kingdome of Mabaron Chap. liiij FRom this land men goe many dayes iourney to a country called Mabaron and this is a great kingdome therein is many faire Citties and Townes In this land lyeth Saint Thomas in a faire tombe in the cittie of Calamy and the arme and the hand that hée put in our Lords side after his Resurrection when Christ said vnto him Noli esse incredulus sed fidelis that is to say bée not of vaine hope but beléeue that same hand lyeth yet without the tombe bare and with this hand they giue their domes in that country to wit who saith right and who doth not for if any strife bée betwéene two parties they write their names and put them into the hand and then incontinently the hand casteth away the bill of him that doth wrong and holdeth the other still that doth right and therefore men come from farre countries to haue iudgement of causes that are in doubt In this Church of Saint Thomas is a great Image that is a simulacre and it is richly beset with precious stones and pearles to that Image men come in pilgrimage from farre countries with great deuotion and there come some pilgrimes that beare sharpe kniues in their hands and as they goe by the way they sheare their shanks and thighes that the blood may come out for the loue of that Idoll and they say that hée is holy that will dye for that Idols sake And there is some that from the time that they goe out of their houses at each third pace they knéele till that they come to this Idoll and when they come there they haue insence or such other thing to offer to the Idoll And there before that Minster or Church of this Idoll is a riuer full of water and in that riuer pilgrims cast Gold Siluer pearles and other precious stones without number instead of offerings and therefore when as the minster hath any néed of mending then the master of the Minster goes vnto that riuer and takes out therof as much as is néedfull for the mending of the Minster And yée shall vnderstand that when any great feasts of that Idol come as the dedication of the Church or of the throning of the Idol all the country thereabout assemble there together and then men set this Idol with great reuerence and worship in a chaire well dressed with cloth of gold and other tapistrie and so they carry him with great reuerence and worship round about the Cittie and before the chaire goeth first in Procession all the maydens of the country two and two together and so after them goe the pilgrims that are come from farre countries of the which pilgrimes some fall downe before the Chaire and letteth all go ouer them and so are they slaine and some haue their armes legs broken and they doe it for loue of the Idoll and they beléeue the more paine that they suffer here for their Idoll the more ioy shall they haue in the other world but a man shall finde few Christians that will suffer so much penance for our Lords sake as they do for their Idol And nigh before the chaire goe all the minstrels of the Country which are without number with many diuers melodies And when they are come againe to the Church they set vp the Idoll againe in his Throne and for worship of the Idoll two or thrée are willingly slaine with sharp kniues and the men in that country think they haue great worship if that holy man which is slaine bée of their kindred likewise they say that all those that are there slaine are holy men and Saints and they are written in their lettany and when they are thus dead their friends burne their bodies and they take the ashes and those are kept as reliques and they say it is an holy thing and that they haue doubt of no perill when they haue of those ashes Of a great country called Lamory where the people go all naked and other things Chap. lv FRom this country two and fifty dayes iourney is a country that is called Lamory and in that land is great heat and it is the custome there that men and women goe all naked and they scorne all them that are clad for they say that God made Adam and Eue all naked and that men should haue no shame of that God made and they beléeue in the same God that made Adam and Eue and all the world and there is no woman marryed but women are all common there and they refuse no man And they say that God commaunded to Adam and Eue and all that come of him saying Crescite et multiplicamini et repleti terram Encrease and multiply and fill the earth no man there may say this is my wife nor no woman may say this is my husband and when they haue children they giue them to whom they will of them that haue medled with them Also the Land is all common for euery man taketh what hée will for that one man hath now this yéere an other man hath the next yéere And all the goods as Corne Beasts and all manner of things in that country is all common For there is nothing vnder lock and as rich is one man as another but they haue an euill custome in eating of flesh for they eate more gladly mans flesh then other Neuerthelesse in that land is abundance of corne of flesh of fish of gold of siluer and of all manner of goods And thether doe Marchaunts bring children for to sell and those that are fat they eat but those that be leane thay kéepe till they bée fat and then are they eaten And beside this I le of Lamory is another called Somober the which is a good I le and there both men and women that are of the nobilitie are marked in the visage with an hot yron that they may be knowne from other for they thinke themselues the worthyest of the world and they haue euermore warre with those men that are naked of whom I spake before And there are many other Iles and people of the which it were ouermuch for to speak here Of the country and I le named Iana which is a mightie Land Chap. lvi ANd there is also a great Ile that is called Iana and the king of the country hath vnder him seauen kings for hée is a full mightie Prince In this I le groweth all manner of spices more plenteously then in any other places as Ginger Cloues Nutmegs and other and yée shall vnderstand that the Nutmeg beareth the Mace also in that I le is great plentie of all things saue wine The king of this Land hath a rich Pallace and the
messes together they sing in the bringing a song and they cut his meate and put it in his mouth and hée hath right long nailes on his hands that is great nobilitie in that country and therefore they let their nailes grow as long as they may and some let them grow so long that they come about their hands and that is great honour and gentry and the gentry of a woman is to haue small féete and therefore as soone as they are borne they binde their féete so straight that they cannot waxe halfe as they should And hée hath a full faire Pallace and rich where hée dwelleth of which the wall is two mile about and there is many faire gardens and all the pauements of the hal and chambers is of gold and siluer and in the midst of one of his gardens is a little hill wheron is a place made with towres and pinacles all of gold and there he will sit often to take the ayre and disport for it is made for nothing else From this land men may goe through the land of the great Caane How all the Lands Iles and kingdomes before rehearsed haue some Articles of our Faith Chap. cvij. AND yée shall vnderstand that all these men and folke that haue reason that I haue spoken of haue some articles of our faith and though they bée of diuers lawes and beliefes yet they haue some good points of our faith and they beléeue in God as the Prophesie saith Et metuent cum omnes fines terrae That is to say And all the ends of the earth shal dread him And in another place Omnes gentes seruient ei That is to say All Nations shall serue him but they cannot speake perfectly but as their naturall wit teacheth them neither of the Sonne nor of the holy Ghost but they can well speake of the Bible and specially of Genesis and of the bookes of Moyses And they say that those creatures which they worship are no Gods but they worship them for the great vertue that is in them which may not bée without the speciall grace of God and of simulacres and Idols they say that al men haue simulacres wherby they meane the Papists who haue Images of our Lady and other but they think that they worship the Images of stone and of wood and not the Saints whom they doe represent for as the letter teacheth Clarks how they shall beléeue so Images and Picture teacheth lay men they say also that the Angell of God speaketh to them in their Idols and doe miracles and they say truth but it is the euill Angell that doth miracles to maintaine them in their Idolatry How Sir Iohn Maundeuile leaueth many meruailes vnwritten and the cause wherefore Chap. cviij THere are many other Countryes where I haue not yet béene nor séene and therefore I cannot speake properly of them Also in countries where I haue béene are many meruailes that I speake not of for it were too long a tale and therefore hold you apaid at this time with that I haue said for I will say no more of meruailes that are there so that other men that goe thether may find enough for to say that I haue not told What time Sir Iohn Maundeuile departed out of England Chap. cix ANd I Iohn Maundeuile went out of my country and passed the Sea the yéere of our Lord 1332. and haue passed through many Lands Iles and countries and now am come to rest I haue compiled this booke and writ it the yéere of our Lord. 1366. thirtie two yéere after my departing from my Country The rather for the pleasure of all such as delight to read of the strange and wonderfull meruailes of other forraine countries as also for a direction to all such as shall desire to sée eyther all or some of these countries heretofore specified and because some things herein spoken of may séeme straunge and scarcely credible therefore I haue thought good to make knowne vnto all that will sée more proofe hereof in the booke called Mapa Mundy there they shall finde the most part of the same ratified and confirmed And I pray all that shall read this booke and looke for no further proofe to iudge fauourably therof since they shall in conceit sée as much at home without much paines as I did after many weary and dangerous steps passed and I pray to God of whom all grace commeth that hée will fulfill with his grace the readers and hearers hereof and saue them body and soule and bring them to his Ioy that euer shall last Amen FINIS THE TABLE HEe that will goe toward Hierusalem on horse on foote or by sea chap. 1 Of the Ilands of Greece chap. 2 To come againe to Constantinople to go to the holy land chap. 3 Of a terrible Dragon chap. 4 Of a young man and his lemman chap. 5 Of the manner of hunting in Cypres chap. 6 Of the hauen named Iaffe chap. 7 Of the hauen of Tire chap. 8 Of the hill Carme chap. 9 How Sampson slew the king and his enimies chap. 10 The way to Babilon whereas the Souldan dwelleth chap. 11 Yet here followeth of the Souldan and the kingdomes that hee hath conquered which hee holdeth strongly with force chap. 12 For to returne from Sinay to Hierusalem chap. 13 As men are passed this wildernesse againe comming to Hirusalem chap. 14 Here followeth a little of Adam and Eue and other things chap. 15 Of the dry tree chap. 16 From Ebron to Bethlehem cha 17 Of a faire mayden that should bee put to death wrongfully chap. 18 Of the cittie Hierusalem chap. 19 Yet of the holy cittie of Hierusalem chap. 20 Of the Church and of the holy sepulcher chap. 21 Of the Temple of God chap. 22 Yet of the Temple of God chap. 23 Of king Herod chap. 24 Of saint Saluatours church cha 25 The field of Acheldemack which was bought with the xxx pence chap. 26 Of the mount Ioy. chap. 27 Of the castle of Bethania chap. 28 Of Iericho other things cha 29 Of the holy place betweene Bethania and the riuer Iordane with other things chap. 30 Of Abraham and his generation chap. 31 Of the riuer Iordane chap. 32 Of many other meruailes chap. 33 Of the Samaritones chap. 34 Of Galile chap. 35 Of the way of Nezareth to the mount or hill of Tabor chap. 36 Of the sea of Galile chap. 37 Of the Table whereon Christ eate after his resurrection chap. 38 Of strange manners and diuers chap. 39 For to turne againe on this side of Galile chap. 40 How a man may goe furthest and longest in those Countries that are here rehearsed chap. 41 Of other wayes for to goe by land vnto Hierusalem chap. 42 Yet of another way by land toward the land of Promise chap. 43 Of the faith of the Sarasins and of the booke of their Law named Alkaron chap. 44 Yet it treateth more of Mahomet chap. 45 Of the birth of Mahomet chap. 46