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

CHAPTER XII

[Of the Dede See, and of the flom Jordan; of the hed of seynt John the Baptist; and of the vsages of the Samaritanes.]

[folio 41b]

THREE myle fra Iericho es þe Deed See. Betwene Iericho and þat see es þe cuntree of Engaddy. And þare growed bawme sum tyme; bot it was translated fra þeine in till Egipte, whare ȝit þe treessez þat þe bawme growez on er called þe vynes of Engaddy. On þe ta syde of þis see, as men commes doune fra Araby, es a hill of Moabites, whilk es called Arnon. 1 Apon þis hill ledd Balach, Beor son, þe prophete Balahaam for to wery þe childer of Israel. Þis ilke Deed See departez þe land of Iudee and of Arabie; and it lastez fra Zorea 2 vntill Araby. Þe water of þis see es full bitter and salt þarwith; and, if þe erthe be sprenged þerwith, it sall wax barayne and neuer bere fruyt. Þis water chaungez þe coloure oft sythez. Þis see castez a thing oute of it whilke men callez asfaltum. And men may find ilk a day on ilke syde of þis see grete lumppes þaroff, ȝa als grete as a hors, casten vp on þe land; and it es lyke pikk. And þerfor sum men callez it þe Lac Asfaltit, þat es to say, þe Lac of Pikke. It es also called a see, for þe greteness þeroff; for it es vii^c and foure score furlanges on lenth and cl. on brede. And it es called þe Deed See for it rynnes noȝt, ne nowþer ebbez ne flowez, bot standez ay still, and also for it bringes furth ne nurischez na qwikk thing. For it will ressayfe na maner of qwikk thing in to it, nowþer man ne beste, fisch ne fewle. And þat hase bene proued; for men hase oft tymes casten þerin misdoers, þat hase bene foringged for þaire trespass, 3 and it kest þaim oute agayne alssone. Schippes 4 may nane ga þeron, bot if þai be wele enoynted with pikk; for þer may na thing þat es deed comme [folio 42] þeron þat ne it sinkes to þe ground als sone as it commes þeron, bot if it be enoynted with pikk. If men caste in to it a lanterne light, it fletez abouen; and, if it be casten þerin vnlight, alssone it synkez to þe ground. Also, if men cast yrne þerin, it commes vp agayne and fletez abouen; and, if men cast a fether þerin, it synkez to þe grund. And þat es agaynes kynde. And riȝt so for synne agaynes kynde ware fyue citeez, whilk stode þare

sum tyme, sunken and fordone, þat es to say Sodom and Gomorre, Aldama, Sobeym and Segor. Bot Segor at þe praier of Loth was saued for þe mare party, for it stude on a hill; and ȝit in clere weder men may see of þe walles þeroff abouen þe water. Nere þis see dare na man dwell, ne drink of þe water þeroff. Sum men, as I said before, callez it þe Lac Asfaltit, and sum þe Fendez Lac, 1 sum þe Stynkand Flum, for þe water þeroff es stynkand. By þis see syde growez tressez þat berez appels faire of coloure and delitable to behald; bot, when a man brekez þam or scherez þam, he fyndes noȝt in þam bot aschez and poudre and coles, in taken of þe vengeaunce þat Godd tuke on þa fyue citeez and þe cuntree aboute þam, brynnand þaim with þe fire of hell. At 2 þe riȝt side of þis see was Loth wyf turned intil a salt catte, 3 because scho luked behind hir agaynes þe bidding of þe aungell þat tyme þat Godd fordidd þe forsaid citeez. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat Loth was Aram son, þe whilk Aram was Abraham broþer; and Sara, Abraham wyf, and Melcha, Nachor wyf, ware Loth systers. Sara what tyme þat [folio 42b] scho bare Ysaach was fourscore ȝere alde and ten. Abraham also had anoþer son, þat hight Ismael; and he was circumcized when he was xiiii. ȝere alde. Bot Ysaach was circumcized when he was viii. days alde; and þai ware bathe circumcized on a day. 4

Þe flum Iordan rynnes into þe Deed See; and þare it endez, for ferrer rynnes it noȝt. And it es bot a myle fra a kirk of sayne Iohn Baptiste toward þe west, whare sayne Iohn baptized oure Lord; and þare vsez Cristen men to bathe þam comounly. And a myle fra Iordan es anoþer water, þat men callez Iaboth, whilk Iacob passed ouer, when he come oute of Mesopotamy. Þe flum Iordan es na grete water, bot it es riȝt plentifous of fisch; and it commez fra þe mount Liban of twa welles þat springes vp þare, of whilk þe tane hat Ior and þe toþer Dan; and of þir twa welles takez it þe name. And it rynnez thurgh a cuntree þat es called Maran, 5 and seyne thurgh þe see of Tiberias and vnder þe hilles of Gelboe; and þare es a faire playne on ayther syde þe ryuer. Þe mount of Lyban lastes on lenth to þe deserte of Pharan; and þai departe þe kyngdom of Surry and þe cuntree of Fenice. 6 Apon þir hilles growez cedres wonder hye, and þai bere lang appels, whilk er als grete as a mannes heued. Þe flum Iordan departez Galilee and þe land of Ydumee and þe land of Betron; and in sum

place it rynnez vnder þe erthe vntil a faire playne þat men callez Meldan, 1 and þare es Iordan riȝt brade. In þat playne es þe sepulcre of Iob. In þis flum was Criste baptized of sayne Iohn; and þare was herd þe voice of þe [folio 43] Fader sayand, “Hic est filius meus dilectus, in quo michi bene complacui”, þat es to say, "Here es my son þat I luffe, of wham I am wele payd. Heres him." And þare þe Haly Gaste descended on him in likness of a douffe 2; and so was þare at his baptizing all þe Trinytee. Thurgh þat flum Iordan passed þe childer of Israel drye fote; and þai sett grete stanes in myddes of þe water in taken of þe miracle. Also in þat flum Naaman of Siry bathed him seuen sythes, and he was clensed of lepre and made fisch hale. 3 Aboute þe flum Iordan er many kirkes, and cristen men dwelland at þam. And a lytill þerfra es a citee þat es called Hayla, 4 þe whilk Iosue enseged and tuke. Beȝond Iordan es þe vale of Mambree, and it es riȝt a faire vale. Also twa myle fra þe hill þat I spakk off before, whare oure Lord fasted xl. days and xl. nyghtes, toward Galile es a hie hill and vp on þat hill ledd þe fende oure Lord, and schewed him all þe kyngdommes of þe werld and said vntill him, "All þir," quod he, "salle I giffe þe, with þi þou will falle doun and adoure me."

And ȝe sall vnderstand þat for to ga fra þe Deed See estward oute of þe marchez of þe land of promission es a strang castell and a faire, standand on a hill þat men callez Carras, þat es to say Mount Real. 5 Þis castell gert Bawdewyne make, þat was king of Ierusalem 6 and conquerde all þat land, and inhabited it with Cristen men. And vnder þat castell es a faire toune, þat men calles Soboach, wharin many Cristen men dwellez suerly ynogh [folio 43b] vnder tribute. Fra þeine men gase to Nazareth, wharoff oure Lord had his o toname. And fra þeine to Ierusalem es iii. day iourneez. And men gase thurgh þe cuntree of Galile thurgh Ramathaim Sophim and by þe hilles of Effraym, whare Helchana dwelt and Anna, Samuel þe prophete fader and moder. Þare was Samuel borne; bot he was grauen on þe Mount Ioy, as I said before. And þan commes men to Sylo, whare þe arke of Godd was keped vnder Hely þe preste of þe lawe. And þare made þe folk of Ebron sacrifice till oure Lord. And þare spak oure Lord first vnto Samuel. And þare nere, at þe left syde, es Gabaon and Rama Beniamyn, of whilk Haly Writte spekez. Fra þeine men gase to Sychem, þat by anoþer name es called Sychar; and it es in þe cuntree of Samary, and it es x. myle fra Ierusalem. Sum men callez it Neopolis, þat es to say þe new citee.

Þare fast by es Iacob well, whare oure Lord spak to þe womman Samaritane. And þare was sum tyme a kirk; bot it es now destruyd. Þare be syde þat well gert Ieroboam kyng of Israel make twa calfez of golde, and sent þe tane of þam to Dan and þe toþer to Bethel, and comaunded þe folk þat þai schuld wirschepe þam in steed of goddes. A myle fra Sychar es a citee þat men callez Luza, 1 whare Abraham dwelled sum tyme. And a lytill þeine es þe sepulcre of Ioseph Iacob son, þat gouerned Egipte; and fra Egipte ware his banes broght and grauen þare. In þe citee of Sychem was Dyna Iacob doghter rauyst; for wham hir breþer sloghe mykill of þe folk of þat citee. A lytill fra þat citee es þe mount Garisym, whare þe Samaritanes makes þaire sacrificez. In þat hill [folio 44] schuld Abraham hafe offerd his son Ysaach til oure Lorde. And þare nere es þe vale of Dothaym. And in þat vale es þe cisterne, wharin Ioseph was casten of hys breþer before þai salde him to þe Ismaelites; and it es twa myle fra Sychar. Fra þeine men gase to a citee of Samary þat es called Sebaste 2; and it es þe chieff citee of þat cuntree, and it standez amanges hilles, 3 as Ierusalem duse. Bot þat citee es noȝt now so grete as it was sum tyme. Þare was sayne Iohn Baptist grauen betwene twa prophetez, þat es to say Helizeus and Abdias. Bot he was heueded in þe castell of Macheron beside þe Deed See; and his disciples bare him to Sebaste. And þare gert Iulyan Apostata take his banes and brynne þam, for he was emperour þat tyme; and þe askes of him ware casten in þe wynd. Bot þe finger with whilk sayne Iohn schewed oure Lord, sayand, “Ecce Agnus Dei, &c.”, myght noȝt be brynt. Þis fynger sayne Tecle þe virgyn gert bere in to mountes 4; and þare es done grete wirschepe þerto. In þat place was sum tyme a faire kirke; bot now it es destruyd, and many oþer kirkes also þat ware þare. Þare was þe heued of sayne Iohn closed in a wall. Bot þe emperour Theodosius gert take it oute; and he fand it lapped in a clathe all blody. And so gert he bere it to Constantinople; and þare es ȝit þe ta half þeroff, and þe toþer half es at Rome in þe kirke of sayne Siluestre. 5 And þe vessell whare in his heued was layd, when it was smyten off, es at Geen, and men dos grete wirschepe þarto. Sum men saise þat sayne Iohn heued es at [folio 44b] Amyas in Pykardy; and sum saise þat it es þe heued of sayn Iohn þe bischope. I wate noȝt; Godd wate.

Fra Sebaste to Ierusalem er xii. myle. And betwene þe hilles of þis cuntree es a well þat chaungez his

coloure foure tymes in þe ȝere. For sum tyme it es grene and sum tyme reed, sum tyme trublee and sum tyme clere; and men callez þat well Iol. Þe folk of þat cuntree er called Samaritanes, and þai ware conuerted and baptized thurgh þe apostels. Bot þai hald noȝt þe apostels techinges, and so þai er fallen in errours and haldez a secte by þam self and a lawe diuerse fra þe lawe of Cristen and of Iewes, Sarzenes and Payenes. Neuerþeles þai trowe in a Godd, and saise þer es nane bot he, þat made all and all schall deme. Þai kepe þe fyue bukes of þe Bible efter þe letter, and vsez þe sawter as þe Iews duse. Þai say þai er verray Goddes childer and better luffed with Godd þan any oþer men. Þaire clething also es diuerse fra oþer men, and þaire heuedes þai wende in a reed lynnen clathe to be knawen fra oþer. For þe Sarzenes lappez þaire heuedes in whyte, and Cristen men þat dwelles þare in blewe, and Iews in ȝalow clathe. For þare dwellez many Iews, payand tribute as Cristen men duse. And if ȝe will witt what kyn lettres þe Iews vsez, here ȝe schall fynd þam sette all redy and þe names of þe lettres also, as þai call þam:—Aleph, Beth, Gymel, Deleth, He, Vau, Zai, Heth, Theth, Ioth, Caph, Lameth, Mem, Nun, Sameth, Ain, Fe, Sade, Coph, Res, Sen, Tau. 1 Now will I sette þe figures of þe lettres þat þai vse …

Notes

• 1

  mounte of þe Moabytes, where there is a cave þat men clepen Karua, C.
• 2

  Soara, C. The same as Segor.
• 3

  that han disserved to ben dede, C.
• 4

  schippes … to þe ground, not in C or French texts.
• 1

  the Flom of Develes, C.
• 2

  The passage about Lot and his daughters [in the French text], omitted here, is given in C, which in other respects also closely follows H.
• 3

  dwelleth ȝit the wif of Loth in lyknesse of a salt ston, C. The reading "salt catte" is probably unique!
• 4

  Wherefore the Jewes þat comen of Ysaacces lyne ben circumcyded the viii. day and the Sarrazines þat comen of Ysmaeles lyne ben circumcyded whan þei ben xiiii. ȝeer of age, add C.
• 5

  a lake, þat is clept Maron (Merom), C.
• 6

  Phœnicia.
• 1

  Meldan in Sarmoyz, þat is to seye feyre or markett in here langage, be cause þat þere is often feyres in þat playn, C.
• 2

  a colver, C.
• 3

  toke his hele, C.
• 4

  Ai. "Hayla" (Haylla, C) seems to represent "Hay la quelle" of the French text.
• 5

  Carak en Sarmoyz, þat is to seyne Ryally, C.
• 6

  France, C.
• 1

  cytee of Deluze (sc. cite de Luze), C.
• 2

  gon men to Samarye, þat men clepen now Sebast, C.
• 3

  betwene þe hille of Aygnes (entre montaignes!), C.
• 4

  in to the hille of Sebast, C.
• 5

  C adds, "where be nonnes of an hundred orders (the translator mistaking "cordelers" for "c. ordres"), and it is ȝit all broylly as þough it were half brent. For the emperour Iulianus aboueseyd, of his cursedness and malice, let brennen þat partie with the oþer bones, and ȝit it scheweth."
• 1

  Over these letters are placed those of the English alphabet in regular order from a to y, excluding j and w. The forms of the Hebrew characters are too corrupt to be worth reproducing.