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

CHAPTER XVI

[Of the londes of Albanye and of Libye; of the wisshinges for wacchinge of the Sperhauk; and of Noes schippe.]

HERE hafe I talde ȝow and declared of þe Haly Land and of cuntreez þer aboute, and of many ways þider and to þe mount Synai, to Babiloine and oþer placez, of whilk I hafe spoken off before. And now will I passe forþermare, and speke of diuerse landes and iles þat er beȝond þe Haly Land. For þer er many diuerse kingdommes and cuntreez and iles toward þe este party of þe werld, wharin er many diuerse folk and diuerse kyndez of bestes, and many oþer meruailous thinges. And þase cuntreez er departed with þe foure fludes þat commez oute of Paradys terrestre. For Mesopothamy and þe kyngdomme of Caldee and Araby er betwene þir twae fludes, þat es at say Tygre and Eufrates; and þe kingdom of Medie and of Perse er betwene Tygre and Nilus; and þe kingdom of Surry, of Palestine and of Phenice er betwene Eufrates and þe see Mediterrany, þe whilk see lastez on lenth fra þe citee of Marrok, þe whilk standes apon þe Spaynisch see, vnto þe grete see. So þat it lastez beȝond Constantinopil iii^m and fourty myle of Lumbardy. And toward þe see þat [folio 60b] es called Occiane es þe kingdom of Scithy, whilk es all enclosed with hilles. Vnder Scithi, fra þe see of Caspy vnto þe flude of Thanay, es þe land of Amazoun, and þat es þe land of wymmen, [Femynye, C.] whare wymmen dwellez by þam self and na men amanges þam. And þan es þe rewme of Albany, a grete land; and it es called swa for þe folk of þat land er whitter þan þe folk of oþer landes aboute it. And in þat land er wonder grete dogges and wight, þe whilk feight with any lyouns and sla þam. And þan es þe land of Hircany, of Bactrice [Bactrye, Hiberye and C.] and many oþer. And betwene þe Reed See and þe grete see Occiane, toward þe south, es Ethiopi and Libi þe vppermare. For Liby þe neþermare begynnez at þe Spaynisch see, whare þe pilers er of Hercules, and lastez til Egypte and Ethiopy. In Liby þe see semez mykill hegher þan þe land, and it es like as it schuld ouerflowe all þe land, and ȝit it passez noȝt þe bankes. [his markes, C.] In þat land es a grete hill, þe whilk men may see on ferrum, bot þai may noȝt comme nere it. In Libi, when a man turnez him to þe est, his schadow es on his riȝt syde, as it es here in þis cuntree on oure left syde. In þe Liby see er na fischez fun; for þare may nane liffe þerin by cause of þe owtrage

hete of þe sonne. For þe water þare by cause of grete hete es euermare as it ware buylland. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat þer er many ma cuntreez and iles in þase parties of þe werld, whilk ware to mykill to tell all; bot of sum sall I tell mare playnely afterwardes.

Now he þat will passe in to Tartari, or Perse, or to Caldee, or Inde, he schall entre þe see at Geen, or at [folio 61] Venice, or at sum oþer hauen before nefned, and so passe þe see and arryue at þe hauen of Trapazonde, whilk es a gude citee and was sum tyme called Le Porte de Pounce. [and it was wont to ben the hauene of Pountz. Þere is the hauene of Persanes and of Medaynes and of the marches þere beȝonde, C.] In þis citee lyes saynt Athanase, þat was bischope of Alisaundre, and he made þe psalme Quicunque wlt. Þis Athanase was a grete doctour of diuinitee, and for he preched mare profoundely of Haly Writte þan oþer didd, þerfore he was accused to þe pape of heresy; and þe pape sent for him and gert putte him in presoun. And, whils he was in presoun, he made þe psalme beforsaid and sent it to þe pape and said, "If I be ane heretyc," quod he, "þan es all heresy þat here es writen, for þis es my trouthe." And, when þe pape sawe þat, he said it was all hally oure beleue and gert deliuer him oute of presoun and comaunded þat psalme to be said ilk a day at prime; and he held Athanase for a gude man and a haly. Bot Athanase wald neuer after ga to his bischoperyke agayne, for þat wikked men had thurgh hatredyn accused him to þe pape. Trapazedy was sum tyme halden of þe emperour of Constantinople; bot a myghty man and a riche, wham þe emperour sent to kepe it agayne þe Turkes, held it still vntill him self and gert call him emperour of Trapazedy.

Fra þe citee of Trapazedy men gase to Lytill Hermony. In þat cuntree es ane alde castell sett apon a roche, whilk es called in Fransch Le Chastel Despuere, þat es to say on Inglish, "þe Castell of þe Sperhawke." [the whiche is cleped the Castelle of the Sparrehawk, C.] And it es betwene þe citee of Larrais [Layays, C.] and þe citee of Percipre, [Pharsipee, C.] þe whilk es þe lordes of Croke [Cruk, C.] ; and he es a riche [folio 61b] man and a gode Cristen man. In þat castell men fyndes a sperhawke sittand apon a perke, and a faire lady of Fairye sittand þerby and kepand it. And wha so will com and kepe þat sperhawke, wakand it continuelly vii. days and vii. nyȝtes, or, as sum men saise, iii. days and iii. nyghtes, withouten company and withouten sleping, þis faire lady sall com to him at þe seuend day, or þe thridd day, end, and scho sall graunt him what sum euer he askez of erthely thing; and þat hase bene many a tyme assayd. For þare come sum tyme a kyng of Ermony, a myghty lorde and a worþi, and woke þis hawke to þe end of þe days; and þan þe lady come to him and bad him ask what erthely thing as he wald, as he þat wele had done his deuer. Þe kyng answerd and said, "I am," quod he, "a lord riche ynogh; forþi I will nan oþer thing ask bot þi body to hafe it at my will." And scho

answerd and said, "Vnhappily," quod scho, "and vnwisely has þou asked. For my body may þou noȝt hafe, by cause I am noȝt erthely, bot spirituall." "Certes," quod þe kyng, "I will ask no thing elles." "Now fra þi foly," quod þe lady, "may I noȝt drawe þe. Bot I schall giffe þe vnasked þat es riȝtwyse; for þou and all þat of þee sall com sall hafe were withouten [withouten pees, C.] ferme pees all way vnto þe nynde degree and all ways be in þe subieccioun of ȝoure enmys and hafe defaute of all maner of gude." And riȝt so it es befallen; for þe king of Ermony had neuer pes, bot ay were, sen þat tyme, and he and all his er ay pure and nedy and liffez vnder þe tribute of þaire enmys. [of the Sarrazines, C.] Anoþer tyme þer come a symple mannes son and woke þe sperhawke. And he asked [folio 62] of þe lady þat he myȝt be riche and happy in marchandyse for to gete werldly gudes; and scho graunted him. And he become þe ricchest marchand of all þat land, so þat he knew noȝt þe thowsand parte of his gude; and so he was wyser þan þe kyng before. After þis þer come a knyght of þe Templers and woke þis sperhawke wele and asked þat he myght hafe euermare his purs full of gold; and þe lady graunted him his asking. Bot scho said þat he asked þe destruccioun and þe vndoyng of his order, for þe grete pride of his ricches and þe grete trist of þat purs; and so it befell afterward. Forþi it es gude to him þat schall wake þis hawke þat he be wele warre þat he slepe noȝt; for, if he slepe, he bese lost for euer, and neuermare comme whare men er. Þis ilke castell es noȝt in þe riȝt way to þe cuntrez before neuend; bot he þat will see swilk meruailes, him behoues sum tyme þus wende oute of þe way.

Þe riȝt way fra Trapazedy til Ermony þe mare es to a citee þat men calles Artiron, þe whilk was wont to be a gude citee and a riche and a faire, bot þe Turkes hase destruyd it. Aboute it growez bot lytill wyn or lytill oþer fruyt, for þe land es hegh and calde; bot þer er many riuers and gude welles þat commes vnder þe erthe fra Eufrates, þe whilk es fra þat citee a day iournee. And þis riuer of Eufrates commes vnder þe erthe toward Inde, and afterward it commez vp in þe land of Allazar. Thurgh þis Ermony þe mare men passez and commez to þe see of Perse. Fra þe forsaid citee of Artiron men gase to a hill þat es called Sabissebella or [folio 62b] Sabissacolle. And þare nere es anoþer hill þat men callez Ararath, bot þe Iews callez it Thano, whare Noe schippe restid after þe flude. And ȝit es it þare, and may be sene on ferrom in clere weder. Þat hill es seuen myle hegh. Sum saise þai hafe bene þare att and putte þaire fyngers in þe hole whare þe fende ȝode out, when Noe said Benedicite; bot þai say noȝt sothe. For þer may na man ga vp on þat hill for snawe, þat es all way

þer apon, bathe wynter and somer. Ne þer come neuer man þerat sen Noe was, bot a mounk, þat thurgh grace of Godd ȝode þider and broȝt þeine with him a burde of þe schippe, þe whilk es ȝit in ane abbay at þe fote of þe hill. Þis ilke mounke desired gretely to ga vp on þat hill; and so apon a day he afforced him þerto and went vpward on þe hill. And by he had gane þe thridd parte of þe hill, he was so wery þat he myȝt na ferther, and he rested him þare and fell on slepe. And, when he wakned, he fand him doune agayne at þe fote of þe hill. And þan he besoght Godd þat he wald suffer him ga vp; and ane aungell come to him and bad him ga vp. And he did so, and broght þeine þe forsaid plaunke. And seyne come neuer man þare; and þerfore þai say wrang þat saise þai hafe bene þare.

A lytill [A lytill … kirkes, in C higher up, as in the French text.] þeine es þe citee of Dayne, þe whilk Noe founded; and also a lytill þeine es þe cite of Anye, in þe whilk ware wont to be i^m kirkes. Fra þe forsaid hill men gase to a cite þat es called Taurizo, and it es a faire [folio 63] cite and a gude. Besyde þat citee es a hill of salt, and þeroff may ilke man take what he will. And þare dwellez many Cristen men, payand tribute to þe Sarzenes. Þe citee of Taurizo was sum tyme called Faxis; and it es ane of the gude citez of marchandisez in þe werld, and þider commez marchandez oute of many landes. For þare may þai fynd for to sell all maner of marchandise þat þai will spirre efter. Þis cite es in þe emperour land of Persy, and men saise þat þe emperour takez mare of þat citee to customez of marchandise þan þe ricchest Cristen king of þe werld may dispend.

Fra þis cite men gase by many tounes and castelles and many iournez toward Inde and commez to a cite þat men calles Sodonie, þe whilk es x. day iournez fra Taurizo; and it es a faire cite and a noble. And þare dwellez þe emperour of Perse all þe somer, by cause þe cuntree es calde. And þare er many grete riuers, þat will bere grete schippez. Seyne men gase toward Inde many day iournez thurgh many cuntreez, and commez to a cite þat es called Cassach, þe whilk es a gude citee and a riche and plentifous of corne and oþer maner of vitailes. At þat citee, as men saise, mette þe three kynges þat went to make offerand to Criste in Bethleem; and it es fra Bethleem three and fyfty day iourneez. Fra þis citee men gase til anoþer cite, þat es called Beth; and it es a day iournee fra þe Grauelly See. Þis es þe nobillest within þe empire of Perse; and sum callez it Cardabago, and sum Vapa. [And þei clepen flessch þere Dabago and the wyn Vapa, C.] Þe Sarzenez þare saise þat þer may na Cristen men dwell in þat citee na while þat [folio 63b] ne þai schall dye; þe cause why, wate na man. Fra þeine men gase many iourneez by many citez, þe whilk ware ouerlang to rekken, to þai comme til a citee þat es called Carnaa, þat was wont to be so grete þat þe walle

aboute was xxv. myle; and þare endez þe land of þe emperour of Perse And, [And ȝif ȝee wole knowe the lettres of Persaynes and what names þei han, þei ben suche as I last deuysed þou, but not in sownynge of here wordes, C. Over the letters in E are those of the English alphabet in regular order.] if ȝe will wit whatkyn letters þai vse, here ȝe may here þam:—Alma, Bem, Cem, Dem, Ethin, Folthin, Gith, Hith, Iothin, Kinyn, Lathin, Moin, Nichoin, Ozeph, Phisan, Quinth, Yr, Seth, Toith, Vith, Xith, Ya, Zofin.