Mandeville's travels : the Egerton version / from the edition by George F. Warner.

CHAPTER XI

[Of the temple of oure Lord; of the crueltee of kyng Heroud; of the mount Syon; of Probatica Piscina; and of Natatorium Siloe.]

FRA þe kirke of þe sepulcre, toward þe est, ane aght score passez es þe temple Domini, whilke es riȝt a faire hous. And it es all rounde and riȝt hye and wele thekid with leed, and it es wele paued with whyte marble. Bot þe Sarzenes will suffer na Cristen men ne Iews comme þerin; for þai say þat so foule men schuld noȝt comme in to so haly place. Neuerþeles I come in þare, and in oþer placez whare I wald; for I had lettres of þe sowdan with his grete seele, in þe whilk he commaunded straitely til all his subiectes, þat þai schuld late me see all þe placez whare I come, and þat þai schuld schew me þe relykes and þe placez at my will and þat þai schuld lede me fra citee to citee, if miste ware, [ȝif it were nede, C.] and benignely ressayue me and all my felaws, and be obeischaunt to myne askynges in all thing þat was resounable, bot if it ware agaynes þe reall dignitee of þe sowdan, or elles agayne þaire lawe. Till oþer þat askes leue of þe sowdan and grace to passe by þe placez before said he giffez comounly bot his signet; þe whilke pilgrimes beres before þam thurgh þe cuntree hingand apon a spere or apon a rodd, to þe whilke þe folk of þat land dose grete reuerence. Bot to me, by [folio 34b] cause I was lang in his courte and in his seruice, he didd speciale grace. Till his forsaid signet swilk reuerence þai do, þat, when þai see it passe before þam, þai knele doune þerto, as we do when þe preste passez by vs with þe pyxe. [þe pyxe, over an erasure, E; and knelen þereto as lowly as wee don to Corpus Domini, C.] And till his lettres also þai do grete reuerence; for, when þai comme till any lorde or til any oþer man, als sone as he seez þam, he inclynes þerto reuerently and ressayfez þam and lays þam apon his heued, and seyne he kissez þam and redez þam kneland and þan proferes him to do all thing þat þe bringer will efter þe tenenour of þam. In þis forsaid temple Domini ware wont to be chanouns reguleres; and þai had ane abbot to

wham þai ware obedient. And in þis temple was Charlemayne, when þe aungell broght him þe prepuce of oure Lord, when he was circumcised; and afterward kyng Charles gert bere it to Parysch. [to Parys into his chapelle; and after þat he leet brynge it to Peyteres [Poitiers] and after þat to Chartres, C.] And ȝe schall vnderstand þat þis es noȝt þe temple þat Salomon made; for þat temple lasted bot a thousand cii. ȝere. For Tytus, Vaspasiane son, þat was emperour of Rome, layd ensege vnto Ierusalem for to destruy þe Iews, for þai did Criste to deed withouten leue and ascent of þe emperour. And, when he had taken þe citee, he gert brynne þe temple and cast it doune and destruyd it and tuke all þe Iews and slew of þam elleuen hundreth thowsand; and þe remenaunt he putte in presoun and salde of þam xxx. for a peny, for he had herd tell þat þai salde Criste for [folio 35] xxx. penys. [and he made of hem bettre cheep, adds C.] Lang after þis þe emperour Iulyan Apostata, whilk renayd and forsuke Cristen fayth, gafe þe Iewes leue to make agayne þe temple in Ierusalem, for þe hatredyn þat he had till Cristen men, if all he ware a Cristen man before. And when þai had made þe temple, þer come ane ertheqwakyng, as Godd wald, þat kest all doune þat þai had made. And seyne þe emperour Adrian, þat was of þaim of Troy, reparailed þe citee of Ierusalem and restored þe temple and made it new agayne in þe maner þat Salomon made it, reall and noble. Bot he wald suffer na Iew com þerin, bot al Cristen men; for, if all it ware so þat he ware noȝt Cristen, he lufed Cristen men mare þan any oþer men, saue men of his awen fayth. And þis emperour gert enclose þe kirk of þe sepulcre with a wall and made it to be within þe citee, þat before was withouten. And he chaunged þe name of þe citee and called it Helyam, [Ælia Capitolina.] bot þat name lasted noȝt lang. To þe temple Domini duse þe Sarezens grete reuerence, and saise þat þat place es riȝt haly. And, when þai gang in to it, þai do off þaire schone and knelez oft sythez with grete reuerence. And, when my felawes and I sawe þam do so, we didd off oure schoos and thoȝt it ware mare skill þat we Cristen men didd swilke wirschepe þare to at þe reuerence of Godd þan mistrowand. Þis temple hase lxiiii. cubites of wydeness, and als many of lenth, and of heyght vi^xx and fyfe [vi^xx cubites, C.] ; and it es within all aboute of pilers of marble. And ymiddez of þe temple es a stage of xxiiii. grecez hie, and gode pilers all aboute. Þis place callez þe Iews Sancta Sanctorum. And in þat place come nane bot all anely [folio 35b] þe bischope of þaire lawe, when he made þaire sacrificez. And þe folke stude all aboute in diuerse stagez after þat þai ware of dignytee and wirschepe. And þare er in to þis temple foure entreez; and þe dures er of cipresse, craftily made and wele. And within þe est dore oure Lord said, "Here es Ierusalem." And on þe north syde, within þe dore, es a well, bot þare rynnes na water oute of it, of whilk Haly Writte [Cp. Ezekiel 47.1; see also Warner's commentary.] spekes þus, “Vidi”

“ aquam egredientem de templo, &c”. And on þe toþer syde es a roche, þat men called sum tyme Moriac, bot seyne was it called Bethel, whare þe ark of Godd stude and oþer reliques of þe Iews. Þis ark gert Titus lede with þe reliques vnto grete Rome, when he had discumfit þe Iews. In þat arc ware Moyses tables, wharin þe ten comaundementz ware writen, and Aaron wand, and þe ȝerde of Moyses, with þe whilk he departid þe Reed See, when þe childer of Israel passed thurgh it drie fote and kyng Pharao folowed þam. And with þat ilke ȝerde Moyses smate on þe drie roche, and þan water come oute rynnand at grete fuysoun. And with þat same wand he didd many wonders. In þe forsaid ark also was a vessell of gold full of manna, þat men callez aungelles fode, with many oþer ournementz and clething of Aaron and of þe tabernacle. And þare was a table of gold, euen sqware, with xii. precious stanes, and a boist of grene iasper with foure figures and viii. names of oure Lord þerin, and vii. candelstiks of gold, and xii. fiolles of gold, and foure encensours of gold, and ane awter of gold, and foure lyouns of gold, apon whilk þai had cherubyn of gold xii. span lang, a cercle with þe xii. signez [folio 36] of þe firmament, [and the cercle of swannes of heuene, C. A confusion between "signes" and "cignes."] and a tabernacle of gold, and xii. [ii., C.] trumppes of siluer, and a table of siluer, vii. haly lafes, and many oþer reliques and precious thinges þat pertende to Goddes seruice before þe incarnacioun of Criste. And also apon þis roche sleped Iacob, when he sawe aungelles steigh vpp and doune by a stye, and said on þis wyse, “Vere locus iste sanctus est, et ego nesciebam”, [Vere Dominus est in loco isto, et ego nesciebam, Gen. xxviii. 16.] þat es to say, "Forsothe, þis place es haly, and I wist noght." And þare held Iacob þe aungell still, [an aungel helde Iacob stille, C.] þat chaunged his name and called him Israel. And in þat place sawe Dauid þe aungell smytand þe folk with a swerde and seyne puttand it all bludy in þe schethe. And [The omitted sentences [i.e., found in the French text but not here] given in C.] on þis roche oure Lord sette him, when þe Iews wald hafe staned him to deed, and þe roche clafe in twa, and in þat rift he hidd him; and a sterne come doune and gafe him light. And on þis roche satt oure Lady and lerned hir sawter. And þare oure Lord forgafe synnes to þe womman þat was taken in avoutry. And þare was Criste circumcised. And þare schewed þe aungell þe natiuitee of sayn Iohn Baptist. And þare offerd Melchisedech breed and wyne till oure Lord in takennyng of þe sacrement þat was to come. And þare kneled Dauid, prayand til oure Lord þat he wald hafe mercy of him and of his folke; and oure Lord herd his praier. And þare he wald hafe made þe temple; bot oure Lord forbedd him by ane aungell, for he had done treyson, when he slogh Vry, a gude knyght, by cause of his wyf. And þerfore all þat he had ordaynd to þe makyng of þe temple he tuke it to Salomon his son; and he made it. And he prayd oure Lorde, þat all þase þat prayd in þat place

[folio 36b] deuotely and with gude hert, þat he wald here þaire praier and graunt þat þai asked riȝtwisely; and oure Lord graunted it. And þerfore Salomon called it þe temple of counsaile and helpe of Godd and of þe grace of Godd. Withouten þe dore of þe temple es ane awter, whare þe Iewes ware wount to offer dowfes and turtils. [The sentence [in the French text] omitted here, also omitted in C.] And in þat temple was þe prophete Zachary slayne. And off a pynnacle of þis temple kest þe Iews sayne Iame doune, þe whilk was þe first bischope of Ierusalem. And at þe entree of þis temple es þe ȝate þat es called Speciosa, whare [whare … for to go, om. C.] sayne Petre heled þe cruked man and made him for to ga. A lytill fra þis temple, on þe right syde, es a kirk theked with leed, þat es called þe Scole of Salomon. And toward þe south es þe temple Salomon, þe whilk es a full faire place; and it standez in a faire playne and a large. [temple of Salomon, þat is right fair and well pollisscht, C.] And in þat place dwelled knyghtes, þat ware called Templeres; and þat was þe fundacioun of þe Templeres and of þaire ordre. And, riȝt as þar was þare dwelland knyghtes, so was þer chanounes dwelland in þe temple Domini. Fra þis temple toward þe este at vi^xx pascez in a nuke of þe citee es þe bathe of oure Lord; and in to þis bathe was water wount for to comme oute of Paradys. A lytill þerfra es oure Lady bedd; and nere þare es þe toumbe of saynt Symeon. And withouten þe temple, toward þe north, es a faire kirke of saynt Anne, oure Lady moder; þare was oure Lady consayued. And before þat kirke es a tree þat began to growe þat same nyght. And, as men gase doune fra þat kirke xxii. grecez, lyes Ioachim, oure Lady fader, in a toumbe of stane. And þare besyde him lay sum tyme [folio 37] saynt Anne; bot saynt Helyne gert translate hir to Constantynople. In þis kirke es a well in maner of a cisterne, þe whilk es called Probatica Piscina; and it had sum tyme v. entreez. In þat cisterne ware aungels wont to bathe þam and stirre þe water, and, what man so first bathed him þerin after stirring of þe water, he was made hale, what sekenes so he had. And þare was þe man made hale þat was seke xxxviii. ȝere. And þare oure Lorde said vntil him, “Tolle grabatum tuum et ambula”, [John v. 8.] þat es at say, "Take þi bedd and ga." And a lytil þeine was þe hous of Pilate, and also þe hous of Herode, þe kyng þat gert slae þe Innocentz. Þis ilke Herode was a ful wikked man and a fell. For first he gert sla his wyf, whilk he luffed passand all oþer creatures; and for þe grete lufe þat he had till hir, when he sawe hir deed, he went oute of his witte and so was he lang. Afterward, when he was commen agayne to his witte by processe of tyme, he gert sla his childer þat he had geten of hir. And þan he gert sla his oþer wyf, and a son þat he had of hir, and his awen moder. And so he wald hafe done his broþer, bot he dyed are he myght com til his purpose. And, when he sawe þat he suld dye,

he sent after his sister and all þe grete lordes of his land, and when þai ware commen, he gert putte all þe lordes in a toure and said vnto his sister he wist wele þat men of his land schuld make na sorow for him, when he ware deed, and þerfore he gert hir swere þat scho suld gere do to deed all þise lordes, als sone as he ware deed, [folio 37b] and þan schuld all þe cuntree make sorowe at my deed. And þus he made his testament and dyed sone after. Bot his sister fulfilled noȝt his will; for, als sone als he was deed, scho delyuerd þe lordes oute of þe toure and talde þam hir broþer will and lete ilk ane ga whare he wald. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat þare ware three Herodes, þe whilk ware wikked men and cruell. He, þis of wham I speke off, was called Herode Ascalonyte; and he þat gert smyte off sayne Iohn Baptist heued was called Herode Antipater [Antypa, C.] ; and Herode Agrippa gert sla sayne Iame, sayne Iohn broþer þe euangelist, and putte sayne Petre in prisoun.

Forþermare in þe citee of Ierusalem es a kirk of saynt Saueour, and þare es þe left arme of sayne Iohn Crisostom, and þare es þe mare party of sayn Steuen heued. And a lytill þeine toward þe south, as men gas to mount Syon, es a faire kirke of sayne Iame, whare his heued was smyten off. And þan es þe mount Syon; and þare es a faire kirke of Godd and oure Lady, whare scho was dwelland and dyed. And þare was sum tyme ane abbot, with chanounes regulers. And fra þat place was oure Lady borne with þe apostils to þe vale of Iosaphat. Þare es also a stane broȝt till oure Lady by aungelles fra þe mount of Synai; and it es lyke in all thinges to þe roche of þe mount sayne Kateryne. And þare nere es þe ȝate þat oure Lady went furth att to Bethleem. Also in þe entree of mount Syon es a chapell; and in þat chapell es þe stane, grete and large, with whilk þe sepulcre of Criste was couerd, when he was layd þerin; whilk stane þe three Mariez saw turned vpward and tumbled off þe [folio 38] graffe, when þai come to þe sepulcre. And þare es a lytill pece of þe piler to þe whilk oure Lord was bunden, when he was scourged. And þare was Annas hous, þat was bischope of þe Iews in þat tyme. And þare es a party of þe burde [table, C.] on þe whilk Criste made his maundee with his disciples and gafe þam his body in fourme of breed and wyne. And þare denyed Petre oure Lord thryess are þe cokk crewe. Vnder þis chapell, for to ga doune xxxii. grecez, es þe place whare oure Loud wascht his disciples fete; and ȝit es þare þe vessell þat þe water was in. And þare nere es þe place whare sayne Steuen was grauen. And þare es ane awter, whare oure Lady herd aungelles syng mess. Þare apperde Criste first to his disciples after his resurreccioun, and þe dures sperde, [the ȝates enclosed, C.] and said vnto þam, “Pax vobis”. And on þe mount Syon apperde Criste to sayne Thomas and bad him fele his

woundez; and þan trowed he first and said, “Dominus meus et Deus meus”. In þe forsaid chapell behind þe hye awter ware all þe apostils togyder on Whitsonondy, when þe Haly Gaste descended on þam in likness of fyre. And þare made Criste pasch with his disciples; and þare sleped sayn Iohn þe euaungelist in oure Lordes knee [breeste, C.] and sawe slepand many priuee thinges of heuen.

Þe mount Syon es within þe citee, and it es sumwhat hyer þan oþer placez of þe citee. And þe citee es stranger on þat syde þan on anoþer syde; for at þe fote of mount Syon es a faire castell and a strang, þe whilk þe sowdan gert make. On mount Syon was kyng Dauid and Salomon and oþer many grauen. And þare es þe [folio 38b] place whare sayne Petre grette full tenderly, when he had forsaken Criste. And a lytil þeine, as it ware a fynger stane cast, es anoþer chapell, whare oure Lord was demed to deed; and þare was Cayphas hous. Fra þis chapell, toward þe est, a vii^xx passez es a depe caue vnder a roche, whilk es called Galilea Domini [the Galylee of oure Lord, C.] ; and þare hidd sayne Petre him after þat he had denyed Criste thrys. Betwene temple Salomon and þe mount Syon es þe place whare oure Lorde raised þe mayden fra deed to lyfe. Vnder þe mount Syon, toward þe vale of Iosaphat, es a well, þat men callez Natatorium Syloe. Þare was oure Lord waschen after þat he was baptized; and þare he made þe blynd to see. Þare also was þe prophete Ysai grauen. A lytill þeine, euen ouerynentes þe forsaid well, es ane ymage of stane of alde werk, whilk Absalon gert make; and it es called Absalon hand. And a lytill þeine es þe tree on whilk Iudas hanged him self, when he had salde Criste. And þan es þe synagog whare þe bischope of þe Iewes and þe Pharisenes come sammen to hald þaire counsailes agaynes Ihesus. And þare Iudas kest þe xxx. penys before þam and said, “Peccaui, tradens sanguinem iustum”, [Matt. xxvii. 4.] þat es to say, "I hafe synned, betrayand riȝtwyse blude." And on þe toþer syde of mount Syon, toward þe south, a stane cast es þe felde þat was boght with þase xxx. penys; and it es called þare Acheldemak, þat es to say, þe Felde of Blude. In þis felde er many grafez of Cristen pilgrimes; for þare ware pilgrimes wont to be grauen. Þare er also many kirkes and chapelles and hermytages, whare hermytes ware wount for to dwell. And a c. pascez þeine, toward [folio 39] þe este, es þe charnell of þe hospitale of sayne Iohn.

A myle fra Ierusalem, toward þe west, es a fayre kirke, whare þe tree growed of whilk þe Haly Crosse was made. And twa myle þeine es a faire kirke, whare oure Lady mette with Elizabeth, when þai ware bathe with

childe, and sayne Iohn stirred in his moder wambe and did wyrschepe till oure Lorde his maker. And þare vnder þe awter es þe place whare sayne Iohn Baptist was borne. And bot a myle þeine es þe castell of Emaus, to þe whilk twa of Cristez disciples went after þe resurreccioun; and þare þai knew oure Lord in breking of breed. And [The passage found in H, "Item dautre … voluntee divine," omitted here, is given in C.] twa myle fra Ierusalem es þe Mount Ioy, whilk es a faire place and a lykand; and þare lyes Samuel þe prophete in a faire toumbe. And it es called Mount Ioy, for þare may pilgrimes first see to Ierusalem, of whilk sight þai hafe grete ioy and comforth after þaire grete trauaile. Betwene Ierusalem and þe mount of Oliuete es þe vale of Iosaphat vnder þe walles of þe citee, as I said before; and ymiddes of þe vale es a lytill bekk, þat es called Torrens Cedron. And ouer þis bekk lay þe tree þat þe haly Crosse was made off, for a plaunchoure to men at gang on ower þat bekk. And noȝt bot a lytill þeine es a pitte in þe erthe; and þare in es þe base of þe piler to whilk Criste was bunden þat tyme þat he was scourged. And in þe myddez of þe vale es a kirke of oure Lady; and þare es oure Lady graue. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat oure Lady was, when scho dyed, lxxii. ȝere alde. And þare nere hir grafe es þe place whare oure Lorde forgafe sayne Petre all his synnes. And bot a lytill þeine, toward þe west, vnder ane awter es a well þat commes fra ane of þe ryuers of Paradys. And it es for to wit [folio 39b] þat, þof þis kirke seme now lawer þan þe erthe aboute it, at þe first fundacioun þeroff it was noȝt swa; bot of breking of þe walles of þe citee þat hase fallen doune þe erthe aboute þe kirk es risen, and so it es now hegher þan þe kirk þat at þe first tyme þat þe kirk was made was euen þerwith. Neuerþeles þe comoun opinioun es þat þe erthe es waxen heghe swa of þe self, sen þe tyme þat oure Lady was grauen þare, and ȝit waxez day by day. In þis kirk ware wont to be blakk mounkes, þe whilk had ane abbote. Besyde þis kirk es a chapell, nere þe roche þat es called Gethsemany, whare Iudas kissed oure Lorde, when he was taken of þe Iews. And þare left Criste his disciples before his passioun, when he went to pray and sayd, “Pater, si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste”, that es to say, "Fader, if it may be done, lat þis passioun ga fra me." And ȝit may men see in þe roche þe prynte of oure Lorde hend, þare he thrast þam to þe roche, when þe Iews tuke him. And a stane cast þeine, toward þe south, es anoþer chapell, whare oure Lord swette blude. And þare nere es þe toumbe of king Iosaphat; of wham þat vale tuke his name, for he was king of þat cuntree. [and was conuerted by an heremyte þat was a worthi man and dide moche gode, C.] And a bow schote fra þeine, toward þe south, es a kirk, whare sayne

Iame was grauen and Zachary þe prophete. On þe ta syde of þe vale of [f.40] Iosaphat es þe mount of Olyuete; and it es called so by cause þare growes many olyues. And it es hegher þan þe citee of Ierusalem, and þerfore fra þeine may men see in to all [manye of, C.] þe stretez of Ierusalem. Betwene þat hill and þe citee es noȝt bot þe vale of Iosaphat, þe whilk es noȝt full large. Apon þat hill stode oure Lord when he steigh in till heuen; and ȝit may men see þe steppe of his left fote in a stane þat he stode on. And þare was sum tyme ane abbay of black chanouns, bot now es þer noȝt bot a kirk. And a lytill þeine, xxviii. paassez, es a chapell, and þare es þe stane on whilk oure Lord satte and prechid to þe folk, sayand þus, “Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum, &c.”, [Matt. v. 3.] þat es to say, "Blissed be þai þat er pouer in spirit, for þaires es þe kingdom of heuen." And þare he taght his disciples þe Pater noster, wrytand þare in þe stane; þe whilk wryting [þe whilk wryting … þis day, om. C.] schewez ȝit to þis day. And þare nere es a kirk, whare Mary Egipciane lyes in a toumbe. And a lytill þeine, toward þe est, es Bethphage, whare oure Lorde sent twa of his disciplez to fecche him ane asse on Palme Sonounday. A lytil fra þe mount of Olyuete, toward þe est, es a castell þat men callez Bethany. Þare dwelt Symon þe leprous, þat herberd oure Lord and his disciples. He, þis Symon, afterwardes was baptized of þe Apostils, and called Iulyan, and seyne made a bischope. Þis Iulyan es he þat men callez on for gude herbery. In þat same place forgafe oure Lord Mari Mawdelayne hir synnes; and þare scho wescht his fete with teres of hir eghen and dried þam with hir hare. And þare was Lazare raised fra deed to lyfe, whilk had lyggen foure daies stinkand in graue. Ana þare was þe hous of Lazare and of Martha his sister. Þare also dwelt Mary Cleophe. Þis castell es bot a myle fra Ierusalem. And a lytill þeine es þe place whare oure Lord was, when he wepid for þe citee of Ierusalem. And [folio 40b] þare nere es þe place whare oure Lady gafe sayn Thomas hir gyrdle after hir Assumpcioun. And a lytill þeine es a stane wharon oure Lord satt and preched; and in þe same place he sall appere on þe day of dome. A lytill fra þe mount of Olyuete es þe mount of Galile, whare þe apostels ware all togyder when Mary Mawdelayne talde þam of Cristes rysing fra deed to lyfe. And in mydd way betwene mount Olyuete and mount Galile es a kirk, whare þe aungell talde oure Lady before of hir dying.

Fra Bethany to Iericho er fyue myle. Iericho was sum tyme a faire citee; bot it es destruyd, and so þer es now bot a lytill village. Þis citee tuke Iosue thurgh þe miracle of Godd, and kest it doune, and made it euen playne with þe erthe, and commaunded þat it schuld neuer be bigged agayne; and also he weried all þa þat bigged it agayne. Of þis citee was Zacheus, þat þe Gospell spekez off, þat clambe vp in til a sycomour tree for to see oure Lord because he was a lytill man. Of þis citee also was Raab þe comoun womman, þat ressayued þe

messangers of Israel, whilk come for to aspye þe cuntree, and feled þam in hir hous amang towe of lyne and said þai ware went oute of þe citee are þe ȝates ware spered, and afterwards by nyght scho lete þam ouer þe wall of þe citee by a rape and saued þam fra þe deed. Wharfore afterward, when þe citee was wonne, scho was wele rewarded, as scho was wele worthy. For Haly Writte saise, “Qui recipit prophetam in nomine prophete, mercedem prophete accipiet”, [Matt. x. 41.] þat es to say, "He þat ressayuez a prophete in name of me, he schall take hyre of a prophete." [folio 41] And þerfore scho had a speciale gift of Godd; for scho prophecied to þe forsaid messangers þat þai schuld wynne all þat land, [Josh. ii. 9.] and so it befell. And afterward wedded hir Salmon, þat was prince of þe kynredyn of Iuda; and [and fro þat tyme was sche a worthi womman and serued God wel, C.] of þaire kynredyn by processe of tyme come oure Lady saynt Mary, þe moder of oure Lord Ihesu Criste.

Fra Bethany men gase to þe flum Iordan thurgh deserte; and it es nere a day iournee. Fra Bethany also til a hill whare oure Lord fasted xl. days and xl. nyghtes er sex myle; and men callez þat hill Quarentane. And þare þe fende come to tempte oure Lord and said vntill him þus, “Dic, ut lapides isti panes fiant”, [Matt. iv. 3.] þat es to say, "Bidd þat þir stanes be breed." Apon þat hill in þat same place was sum tyme a faire kirke; bot now þer es na thing left bot ane hermytage, whare a maner of Cristen men dwellez þat er called Georgienes, for sayn George conuerted þam. And apon þat hill dwelled Abraham a grete whyle. Betwene þis hill and þe flum Iordan rynnes a lytill bekk, of whilk þe water was sum tyme wonder bitter; bot, fra þe prophete Helizeus had blist it, it was swete ynogh and hable for to drink. At þe fote of þis hill toward þe playne es a grete well, whilk rynnes in to Iordan. Fra þis hill vnto Iericho es bot a myle, as men gas dounward to þe flum Iordan. And in þe way as men gase to Iericho satt þe blynd man, cryand, “Ihesu fili Dauid, miserere mei”, [Mark x. 47.] þat es to say, "Ihesu, Dauid son, hafe mercy on me." [The passage in the French text omitted here is given in C, following H literally.]