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

CHAPTER XXII

[How men knowen be the ydole ȝif the sike schall dye or non; of folk of dyuerse schap and merueylously disfigured; and of the monkes that ȝeuen hire releef to babewynes, apes and marmesettes, and to other bestes.]

FRA þis ile men wendez by see toward þe southe to anoþer ile, þe whilk es called Dundeya, and it es a large ile and a mykill. In þis ile dwellez a maner of folk þat es of euill condiciouns, for þe fader etez þe son and þe son þe fader, þe husband his wyf and þe wyf hir husband. For, if it fall þat a mannes fader be seke, þe sonne gase to þe preste of þe lawe and praies him þat he will ask þaire godd, whilk es a [folio 83] mawmet, whedir his fader sall dye of þat sekeness. And þan þe preste and þe seke mannez sonne knelez before þe mawmet deuoutely and askes him wheder þe seke man schall liue or die. And þe fende þat is within þe mawmet answeres þat he schall not die at þat tyme, and showes þam medecynes for to hele him with; and þan þe son turnez hame to þe fader and duse til him as he was teched before vntil he be hale. And, if he say þat he schall dye, þe preste and þe son and þe wyf of þe seke man commez till him and castez a clath [putten here hondes ("main" for "pain"), C.] on his mouth and stoppez his wynde, and so þai slae him. And, when he es deed, þai take his body and hewes it in small pecez and callez all his frendez togyder, and all þe mynstralles þat may be geten, and makes þam a sollempne feste and etes þe deed mannes body. And, when þai hafe eten all þe flesch, þai gader all þe banes togyder and grafez þam on þaire maner with grete sollempnitee and lowd sang. And þus duse ilke frende till oþer; and, if it be swa þat any man þat es sibbe vnto þe deed withhald him fra þis feste and commez noȝt to þe sollempnitee, all þe kynreden will reproue him as of a notable blame, and neuer efter þat sall he be accountid amanges his frendez. Þai say þat þai ete þe flesch of þaire frende by cause þat wormes schuld noȝt ete him in þe erthe, and for to delyuer him of þe grete payne þat his saule suld suffer, if wormes gnew him in þe erthe. Þai say also, when þai fynd his flesch leen by cause of lang sekeness, þat it ware a grete synne to suffer him liffe langer or to suffer payne withouten cause. And, if þai fynd his flesch fatte, þai say þai hafe done wele þat þai hafe slaen him so sone and sent him to paradys and sufferd him noȝt overlang be tourmentid in þis werld. Þe

[folio 83b] kyng of þat land es a grete lord and a myghty, and he hase vnder him liiii. iles mykill and large; and in ilkane of þam es a coround kyng, þe whilk er all obeyand till him.

And in þase iles er many maners of folk of diuerse condiciouns. In ane of þam es a maner of folk of grete stature, as þai ware geauntz, horribill and foule to þe sight; and þai hafe bot ane egh, and þat es in myddes þe forheued. Þai ete rawe flesch and rawe fisch. In anoþer ile er foule men of figure withouten heuedes, and þai hafe eghen in ayther schulder ane; and þaire [and þaire—schulders, omitted in the printed text of C., but contained in the MS, in much the same form as here given.] mouthes er round schapen, lyke a hors scho, ymiddes þaire brestez. In ane oþer ile er men withouten heuedes; and þaire eghen and þaire mouthes er behind in þaire schulders. In anoþer ile es a maner of folk þat hase a platte face, withouten nese or eghen; bot þai hafe twa smale holes in steed of eghen, and þai hafe a platte mouth, lippless. In anoþer ile er foule men þat hase þe ouer lippe so grete þat, when þai slepe in þe sonne, þai couer all þe visage with þat lippe. In anoþer ile er folk of lytill stature, as þai ware dwerghes; and þai er sumwhat mare þan pigmez. Þai hafe na mouth; bot þai hafe in steed of þaire mouth a lytill hole, and þerfore, when þai schall ete, þam behoues souke it with a rede or a pype. Tunges hafe þai nane; and þerfore þai speke noȝt, but hizssez and makez signes as mounkes duse, ilke ane till oþer, and ilkane of þam wate wele what oþer menez. In anoþer ile er folk whas eres er so syde [þat han grete eres and longe, C. For "syde," meaning "long" (cf. A.S. síd), see above, p. 69.] þat þai hing doune [folio 84] to þe kneesse. In anoþer ile er folk þat hase fete lyke hors, and on þaim þai will rynne so swythe þat þai will owertake wylde bestes and sla þam to þaire mete thurgh swyftnes of fote. In anoþer ile er folk whilke gase on þaire hend and on þaire fete, as þai ware foure foted bestez; and þai er rowgh and will clymbe in to treesse als lightly as þai ware apes. [And þei ben alle skynned and fedred, and þei wole lepen als lightly in to trees and fro tree to tree as it were squyrelles or apes, C.] Þare es anoþer ile whare folk er þat er bathe men and wymmen, and hase members of bathe þe tane and þe tother, and ilkane of þam hase a pappe on þe ta syde. And, when þai vse þe member of man, þai get childer; and, when þai vse þe membre of womman, þai bere childer. Anoþer ile þer es whare þe folk gase on þaire kneesse wonderfully, and it semez as þai schuld fall at ilke a passe; and þai hafe on ayther fote viii. taasse. Ȝit es þer [ȝit es þer … schuld dye, not in French text, nor in C.] anoþer ile whare þe folke has bot a fote, and þat fote es so brade þat it will couer all þe body and owmbre it fra þe sonne. Apon þis fote will þai rynne so fast þat it es wonder to see. Also þer es anoþer ile whare þe folk liffez all with þe sauour of a maner of apple; and, if þai tharned [sc. were deprived of.] þat sauour, alssone þai schuld dye. Many oþer maner of folk þer er in oþer iles þer aboutes, whilk ware to lang to tell all.

For to ga fra þise iles by see toward þe este many day iournez men fyndes a grete kyngdom, þe whilk es called Mancy. And it es in Inde þe mare; and it es þe best land and maste lykand and plentifousest of all [folio 84b] gudes þat es in þe power of man. In þis land dwelles many Cristen men with Sarzenes, for it es a grete land and a gude. And þer er þerin ma þan ii^m of noble citeez, withouten oþer gude townes. And þe land of Inde es þe maste plentifous land of folk þat es owerwhare, by cause of þe grete commoditez þat it has þerin. In þat land es na beggar, ne na pouer man. And þe folk of þat land er riȝt faire, outetaken þat þai er pale of colour. And þe men of þat land has schyre berdes [thynne berdes, C.] with few hares in þam; for a man schall vnnethes fynd in ane of þaire berdes l. hares. Þai er few, here a hare and þare a hare, as it es in þe berde of a lebard or of a catte, and þa harez er riȝt lang. In þat land er þe fairest wymmen þat er in any land beȝond þe see; and þerfore sum callez þat land Albany, by cause þat þe folk þat wonnes þerin er so white.

Þe first citee of þis land, and þe next þe see, es called Latoryn; and it es mare þan Parisch. And thurgh þis citee rynnez a grete water, hable for to bere schippes; and it rynnez into þe see a lytill fra þe citee, þat es to say a day iournee. Þare es na citee in þe werld better ordayned, ne ma schippes langand to, ne better ne larger and stranger hauen hase þan þis citee. All þe folk of þat citee and of þe cuntree aboute wirschepez mawmetes. Þare er all maner of fewles gretter by þe half þan þai er in þis cuntree. [In þat contree ben double sithes [more briddes than ben] here, C. The words in brackets are only in the [1725] printed text, the MS. having a lacuna. See the French text.] Þare er geesse all whyte, als grete as swannez in þis cuntree; and þai hafe on þaire heuedes a reed spotte euen round. Þare es grete plentee and [folio 85] grete cheep of all maner of vitaile, and also grete plentee of nedders, of whilke þai make grete festes and delicious metes. For, if a man make a grete feste and had giffen all þe best metes þat myght be geten owerwhare and he gyffe þam na nedders, he has na thank of all his feste.

Þare er many oþer faire citees in þis land, and grete plentee of vitaile; and þare er also many kirkez and housez of religioun efter þaire lawe. And in þa kirkes er grete ydoles, as þai were geauntz, þe whilk þai giffe mete and drink vnto on festiual days apon þis wyse. Þai bring before þam metes als hate as þai come fra þe fire, and þai late þe smoke of þam ascend vp towardes þe ydoles, and þan þai say þat þai er fedd wele ynoghe; and, when þai hafe so done, þe men of religioun etez þe metes. In þis cuntree er whyte hennes withouten fethers, bot þai hafe whyte woll on þam, as scepe hase in oure cuntree. Wymmen of þat cuntree þat er weddid [þat ben vnmaryed … to ben knowen for vnmaryed, C. See [commentary].] beres crownes apon þaire heuedes, þat þai may be knawen by forby þaim þat er vnweddid. In

þis land þai take a beste þat es called Loyres, and þai teche it to ga in to waters and viuers, and alssone he bringes oute grete fischez, als many and as oft as þai will.

Fra þeine men gase by land many day iournez til anoþer citee þat es called Cassay, þe whilk es þe maste citee of þe werld; and it es als mykill at say as þe Cytee of Heuen. Þis citee es of l. myle vmgang, and þer es [folio 85b] wonder mykill folk þerin. [in so moche þat in on hous men maken x. housholdes, adds C.] Þis citee hase xii. grete ȝates; and before ilke a ȝate, as it ware a three myle or foure, es a grete toune and a gude. Þis citee es bigge on þe same manere þat Venice es bigged; and þer er þerin xii^m brigges and ma. And on ilke a brigg es a gude toure at ayther end, and men of armes [wardeynes, C.] in þam for to kepe þe toune agayne þe Grete Caan, for it marchez apon his land. And apon a syde of þe citee rynnes a grete ryuer endlang þe citee. And þare dwellez many Cristen men and many marchandes of diuerse naciouns, for þe cuntree es wonder plentifous and gude and full of all maner of ricches. Þare growes wonder gude wyne, whilke þai call Bygon; and it es riȝt myghty wyne and lykand [gentylle, C.] in þe drinkyng. In þis citee was þe kyng of þat land wont to dwell; and þare es a hous of Cristen freres.

Fra þis citee may men ride in schippe or in bate by þat riuer [solacynge and disportyne hem, adds C.] till ane abbay of mounkes a lytill fra þe citee; and þai er wonder religious after þaire lawe. In þat abbay es a grete gardyne and a faire, and þare growez þerin many treesse of diuerse kyndes. And in þat gardyne er many diuerse bestez, as marmusetes, apes [apes, marmozettes, babewynes, C. Odoric has "symiæ, catti, maymones."] and oþer many vntil iii^m or iiii^m. And, when þe couent hase eten, a munke takez þe relefe and berez it to þe gardyn; and he knyllez a lytill bell of siluer [and he smytethe on the gardyn ȝate with a clyket of syluer, C.] þat he hase in his hand, and þan commez oute all þise bestez till [folio 86] him of þaire clapers. [sc. burrows; used by Chaucer of cronies, "that comyn out of her clapers" (Rom. of Rose, 1405).] And he mase þam to sitt on rawe and delez þam þis relefe in faire siluer vessell ouer gylt, and þai ete it. And when þai hafe done, he knyllez þe bell agayne, and þai ga þare þai come fra. Þir mounkes saise þat þase bestez whilk er faire and gentill er saules of lordes and gentillmen, [soules of worthi men, C.] and þase bestes whilk er noȝt so er saules of oþer men. [soules of pore men and of rude comouns, C.] And þai say and affermes þat þe saules of men, when þai passe oute of þe bodys, entrez in to þase bestez; and þat es fully þaire belefe, and þer may na man turne þam fra þat opinioun. Þe saules of grete men, þai say, entrez in to gentill bestez and faire bestez, and þe saules of meen men entrez in to foule bestez; and þerfore giffe þai þaim mete and almous for þe lufe of Godd. I asked þe mounk þat delt þe

almous, if it had noȝt bene better to hafe giffen þat relefe to pouer men þan to þase bestez, and he answerd and said þat in þat cuntree es na pouer man and, if þer ware, ȝit it ware mare almous to giffe it to þase saules þat suffers þaire penaunce þare and may ga na ferrere to get þaire mete þan to þe pouer þat hase [þat hase … liffing, om. C.] þaire witte and can and may laboure and get þaire liffing. Þir ilke bestez take þai when þai er ȝung and bringez þam vpp and vsez þam to comme to take þe forsaid almous. Many oþer meruailes sawe I in þat cuntre, þe whilk at þis tyme I speke noȝt of, by cause of schortyng of my buke.

Fra þis citee men gase forþermare in þis land vi. day iournez and commez to anoþer grete cite, þe whilk es [folio 86b] called Chibense. Þis citee es xx. myle aboute þe walles; and within þe citee er lx. brigges faire and gude, all of stane, wele and curiously wroght. In þis citee was first þe see of þe kyng of Mancy, for it es a faire citee and a gude.

Fra þeine men gase ouer a grete riuer, þe whilk es called Dalay; and it es þe fairest and þe grettest riuer in þe werld of fresch water, for it es in þe narowest place þerof mare þan foure myle brade. And þan men entres agayne in to þe Grete Caan land. Þis ilke riuer of Dalay rynnez thurgh þe middes of þe land of þe Pigmens, whilk er men of litill stature, for þai er bot iii. span lang; bot þai er riȝt faire and wele proporciound of þaire mykill. Þai er weddid when þai er a half ȝere alde and getez childer; and þai liffe comounly vii. ȝere or viii. [vi. or vii., C.] And, if þai liffe ix. [viii., C.] ȝere, þai er halden wonder alde folke amanges þam. Þise smale men wirkez wonder wele silk and bombe [gold, syluer, cotoun, sylk, C.] and swilke oþer sutill werkes, ȝa mare sutilly þan oþer men. And þai feight with craanes [with the bryddes of the contree, C.] comounly, and hase allway were with þam; and, when þai may sla any of þam, þai ete þaim. Þai trauaile noȝt aboute telyng of land ne oþer grete laboures; bot þai hafe amanges þam men of oure stature, þe whilk telez þe land and dightez vynes and duse all oþer grete laboures þat er nedefull to þam. And þise smale men hase als [folio 87] grete scorne at þe grete men and wonders als mykill of þam as we wald do of geauntz amanges vs. In þat land es a gude citee amanges oþer, wharin dwellez grete multitude of þir smale men. And amanges þaim dwellez myklll men also and men of comoun stature, þe whilk, if þai get childer, when þai er borne þai er smale as þe childer of þe Pigmenz er; for þe kynde of þe cuntree es swilk þat þare er nane engendred þerin bot swilk smale thinges. Þis citee gers þe Grete Caan kepe wonder wele, for he es lord þeroff. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat þir Pigmenz, if all þai be lytill, þai er riȝt resonable after þaire elde, and wonder sutill of witte and can discerne betwix gude and euill.

Fra þis cite men gase thurgh þe forsaid cuntree by many citeez and tounes till þai comme to a citee þat es

called Iamcaly; and it es a faire citee and a riche. Þider commez marchauntz fra diuerse landes for to by all maner of marchandys. Þis citee ȝeldez ȝerely to þe Grete Caan, as citesenez þeroff talde me, [as þei of þe cytee seyn, C.] l. thousand comacyes [cumantz, C.] of florenes of gold. And ȝe schall vnderstand þat a comacy contenes x^m florenes; and so þe somme þat þis citee ȝeldez ȝerely commez to fyue hundreth thowsand florenez of gold. Þe kyng of þat land es a grete lord and a myghty, bot he es subget to þe Grete Caan; and he has vnder him xii. grete princes. [prouynces, C.] In þat land es a gude custom vsed in ilke a gude toune. For, if a man will make a feste till his frendez, þare er in ilk a gude toune certayne innes grete and faire; and þan he þat schall make þe feste commez to þe hostiller and saise, [folio 87b] "Puruay me in þine inne for so many men," and he tellez him þe nowmer of þe men, and what maner of metes he will hafe, and what he will spend. And þan þis hostiller gase and ordaynez all maner of thinges þat er nedefull, so þat þare lakkes na thing; and he ordaynez mykill better þarfore þan he þat makez þe feste schuld do in his awen hous.

Foure myle fra þe citee of Iamcaly, toward þe heued of þe riuer of Dalay, es anoþer citee, þat es called Menke. In þe whilk citee es a grete nauee of schippez, and þai er all whyte as snawe of kynde of þe wodde þat þai er made off. And þai er made as it ware grete houses, with hallez and chaumbres and oþer esementz.

Fra þeine men gase by many tounes of þat cuntre to anoþer citee þat es called Lanteryn; and it es fra Menke viii. day iournez. Þis citee standez apon a grete riuer þat es called Caremoran, or Caromosan; and it rynnez thurgh þe cuntree of Cathay. And oft tymez it duse grete harme to þe cuntre by ouerflowyng, when it es grete.