Mandeville's travels : the Cotton version / from the edition by Paul Hamelius.

Chapter VI

CAIRO AND THE SULTANS

OF MANYE NAMES OF SOUDANS, & OF THE TOUR OF BABILOYNE.

AT Babyloyne þere is a faire chirche of oure lady where she dwelled .vij. ȝeer whan sche fleygℏ out of the lond of Judee for drede of kyng heroud. And þere lyth the body of seynt Barbre the virgine & martyr And þere duelled Joseph whan he was sold of his bretℏeren. And þere made Nabugodonozor the kyng putte .iij. children in to the forneys of fuyr for þei weren in the rigℏt troutℏe of beleeue The whiche children men cleped Ananya Azaria Mizaeƚƚ as the psalm of Benedicite seitℏ But Nabugodonozor cleped hem oþerwise Sydrak Misak & Abdenago þat is to seye god glorious, god victorious & god ouer all thinges & remes and þat was for the myraele þat he saugh goddes sone go with the children þorgℏ the fuyre, as he seyde. Þere duelleth the Soudan in his Calahelyk for þere is comounly his see in a fayr casteƚƚ strong & gret & wel sett vpon a roche. In þat casteƚƚ dueƚƚe aƚƚ wey to kepe it & for to serue the sowdan mo þan .vj^ml. persones þat [folio 15a] taken aƚƚ here necessaries of the sowdanes court. I oughte right wel to knowen it for I duelled with him as soudyour in his werres a gret while, aȝen the Bedoynes And he wolde haue maryed me fuƚƚ highly to a gret Princes doughter ȝif I wolde han forsaken my lawe & my beleue. But I thanke god I had no wiƚƚ to don it for nothing þat he behighte me. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat the soudan is lord of .v. kyngdomes þat he hath conquered & apropred to him be strengthe And þeise ben the names: The kyngdom of Canapak þat is Egipt & the kyngdom of Jerusalem where þat Dauid & Salomon were kynges And the kyngdom of Surrye of the whiche the cytee of Damasc was chief And the kyngdom of Alappee in the lond of Math & the kyngdom of Arabye þat was to on of the .iij. kynges þat

made offryng to oure lord whan he was born. And many oþere londes he holdetℏ in his hond. And þere with aƚƚ he holdeth Calyffes, þat is a fuƚƚ gret thing in here langage And it is als meche to seye as kyng. And þere were wont to ben .v. soudans but now þere is nomo but he of Egypt. And the firste soudan was Zarocon þat was of Mede & was fader to Sahaladyn þat toke the Califfee of Egipt & slough him & was made soudan be strengthe. After þat was soudan Sahaladyn in whoos tyme the kyng of Englond Richard the firste was þere with manye oþere þat kepten the passage þat Sahaladyn ne myghte not passen. After Sahaladyn regned his sone Boradyn And after him his nevewe. After þat the Comaynz [folio 15b] þat weren in seruage in Egipt felten hemself þat þei weren of gret power þei chesen hem a Soudan amonges hem the whiche made him to ben cleped Melecℏsalan. And in his tyme entred into the contree of the kynges of France seynt Lowyȝs & faught with him & he toke him & enprisound him. And this was slayn of his owne seruantes And after þei chosen an other to be soudan þat þei cleped Tympieman And he let delyueren seynt lowys out of prisoun for certeyn raunsoun. And after on of theise Comaynz regned þat highte Cachas & slough Turqueman for to be soudan & made him ben cleped Melechemes. And after anoþer þat hadde to name Bendochdare þat slough Melechemes for to be Soudam & cleped him self Melechdare. In his tyme entred the gode kyng Edward of Englond in Syrye & dide gret harm to the Sarrazines. And after was this soudan enpoysound at Damasce And his sone thougℏte to regnen after him be heritage & made him to ben clept Meleschsach. But another þat had to name Elphy chaced him out of the contree & made him soudan. This man toke the cytee of Tripollee & destroyede manye of the cristene men the ȝeer of grace .Miƚƚ cc iiij score & ix. And after was he enprisound of another þat wolde be Soudan but he was

anon slayn. After þat was the sone of Elphy chosen to ben Soudan & cleped him Mellethasseraf & he tok the citee of Akoun & chaced out the cristene men & this was also enpoysond. And þan was his brother ymade Soudan & was cleped Melechnasser And after on þat was clept Guytoga toke him & put him in prisoun in the casteƚƚ of [folio 16a] Mountryuaƚƚ & made him Soudan be strengthe & cleped him Melechcadeƚƚ & he was a Tartaryne. But the Comaynz chaced him out of þe contree & diden hym meche sorwe And maden on of hem self soudan þat hadde to name lachyn & he made him to ben clept Melechmanser the whiche on a day pleyed at the chess & his swerd lay besyde him & so befeƚƚ þat on wratthed him & with his owne propre swerd he was slayn. And after þat þei weren at gret discord for to make a soudan And fynally þei accordeden to Melechnasser þat Guytoga had put in prisoun at Mountrivaƚƚ And this regnede longe & gouerned wisely so þat his eldest sone was chosen after him Melecℏmader the whiche his brother leet sle priuyly for to haue the lordschipe & made him to ben clept Melechmadabron & he was Soudan whan I departed fro þo contrees. And wyte ȝee wel þat the Soudan may lede out of Egipt mo þan .xx Miƚƚ. men of armes And out of Surrye & out of Turkye & out of oþer contrees þat he holt he may arrere mo þan .l. Miƚƚ. and aƚƚ þo ben at his wages And þei ben aƚƚ weys at him withouten the folk of his contree þat is withouten nombre. And euerycℏ of hem hath be ȝere the mountance of .vj score. floreynes But it behoueth þat euery of hem holde .iij. hors & a cameylle. And be the cytees & be townes ben amyralles þat han the gouernance of the peple, On hath to gouerne .iiij. & anoþer hath to gouerne .v. anoþer mo & anoþer wel mo And als many taketh the Amyraƚƚ be him allone as aƚƚ the oþer [folio 16b] souldyours han vnder hym And þerfore whan the Soudan wiƚƚ avance ony worthi knyght he maketh him a amiraƚƚ. And whan it is ony derthe the

knyghtes ben right pore & þanne þei sellen bothe here hors & here harneys. And the Soudan hath .iiij. wyfes on cristene & .iij. sarazines of the whiche on dwelleth at Ierusalem & anoþer at Damasce & anoþer at Ascolon And whan hem lyst þei remewen to oþer cytees And whan the Soudane wiƚƚ he may go to visite hem whan him list. And he hath as many paramours as him lyketh. For he maketh to come before him the fairest & the nobleste of birthe & the gentylleste damyseles of his contree And he maketh hem to ben kept & serued fuƚƚ honourabely And whan he wole haue on to lye with him he maketh hem aƚƚ to come before him And he beholdeth in aƚƚ whicℏ of hem is most to his plesance & to hire anon he sondeth or casteth a ryng fro his fynger And þanne anon sche schaƚƚ ben bathed & richely atyred & anoynted with delicat thinges of swete smeƚƚ & þan lad to the Soudanes chambre, and þus he doth als often as him list whan he will haue onye of hem. And before the soudan cometh no strangier but ȝif he be clothed in cloth of gold or of tartarie or of camaka in the Sarazines guyse & as the sarazins vsen. And it behoucth þat anon at the firste sight þat men see the Soudan be it in windowe or in what place elles [folio 17a] þat men knele to him & kysse the erthe For þat is the manere to do reuerence to the soudaun of hem þat speken with him. And whan þat messangeres of straunge contrees comen before him the meynee of the Soudan, Whan the strangeres speken to hym, þei ben aboute the souldan with swerdes drawen & gysarmez & axes, here armes lift vp in high with þo wepenes for to smyte vpon hem ȝif þei seye ony woord þat is displesance to the soudan. And also no straungere cometh before him but þat he maketh him sum promys & graunt of þat the sowdan asketℏ resonabely beso it be not aȝenst his lawe. And so don oþere Prynces beȝonden For þei seyn þat noman schaƚƚ come before no Prynce but þat the souldan is bettre And schaƚƚ be more gladdere in departynge from his presence þanne he was at the comynge before hym. And

vnderstondetℏ þat that Babyloyne þat I haue spoken offe where þat the Soudan duelleth is not þat gret Babyloyne where the dyuersitee of langages was first made for vengeance by the myracle of god whan the grete tour of Babel was begonnen to ben made of the whiche the walles weren .lxiiij. furlonges of heigℏte. Þat is in the grete desertes of Arabye vpon the weye as men gon toward the kyngdom of Caldee. But it is fuƚƚ longe sith þat ony man durste neygℏe to the tour for it is aƚƚ desert & fuƚƚ of dragouns & grete serpentes & fuƚƚ of dyuerse venymouse bestes aƚƚ abouten. Þat tour with the cytee was of .xxv. myle in cyrcuyt of the walles As þei of the contree seyn [folio 17b] & as men may demen by estimacioun after þat men tellen of the contree. And þough it be clept the tour of Babiloyne ȝit natheles þere were ordeyned withjnne many mansiouns and many gret dwellynge places in lengthe & brede And þat tour conteyned gret contree in circuyt, for the tour allone conteyned .x. myle sqware. Þat tour founded kyng Nembroth þat was kyng of þat contree & he was the firste kyng of the world And he leet make an ymage in the lykness of his fader & constreyned aƚƚ his subgettes for to worschipe it. And anon begonnen othere lordes to do the same And so begonnen the ydoles & the symulacres first. The town & the cytee weren fuƚƚ wel sett in a fair contree & a playn þat men clepen the contree of Samar of the whiche the walles of the cytee weren .cc. cubytes in heighte & .l. cubytes of depnes. And the Ryuere of Eufrate ran þorgℏ out the cytee & aboute the tour also. But Cirus the kyng of Perse toke from hem the ryuere & destroyed aƚƚ the cytee and the tour also. For he departed þat Ryuere in .ccc. & .lx. smale ryueres be cause þat he had sworn þat he scholde putte the ryuere in sucℏ poynt þat a womman myghte wel passe þere with outen castynge of of hire clothes for als moche as he hadde lost many worthi men þat troweden to passen þat ryuere be swymmynge. And from Babyloyne where the soudan dwelleth to go right betwene the Oryent & the Septemtryon

toward the grete Babyloyne is xl. iourneyes to passen be desert. But it is not the grete Babiloyne in the lond & in the powere of the seyd Soudan but it is in the power and the lordschipe of Persye. [folio 18a] But he holdeth it of the grete Chane þat is the gretteste Emperour & the most souereyn lord of aƚƚ the parties beȝonde & he is lord of the iles of Cathay & of manye oþere iles & of a gret partie of Inde And his lond marcheth vnto Prestre Joℏnes lond And he holt so moche lond that he knoweth not the ende And he is more myghty & gretter lord withouten comparsoun þan is the Soudan. Of his ryaƚƚ estate & of his myght I schaƚƚ speke more plenerly when I schall speke of the lond & of the contree of ynde. Also the cytee of Methon where Machomet lyth is also of the grete desertes of Arabye. And þere lith the body of hym fuƚƚ honourabely in here temple þat the Sarazines clepen Musketh. And it is fro Babyloyne the lesse where the Soudan dwelleth vnto Metℏon aboueseyd in to a .xxxij. iourneyes. And wyteth wel þat the rewme of Arabye is a full gret contree, but þere in is ouer moche desert And noman may dweƚƚ þere in þat desert for defaute of water. For þat lond is aƚƚ grauelly & fuƚƚ of sond And it is drye & no thing fructuous be cause þat it hath no moysture & þerfore is þere so meche desert. And ȝif it hadde Ryueres & wolles & the lond also were as it is in oþer partyes it scholde ben als fuƚƚ of peple & als fuƚƚ enhabyted with folk as in other places. For þere is fuƚƚ gret multitude of peple where as the lond is enhabyted. Arabye dureth fro the endes of the reme of Caldee vnto the laste ende of [folio 18b] Affryk & marcheth to the lond of ydumee toward the ende of Botron. And in Caldee the chief cytee is Baldak And of Affryk the chief cytee is Cartage þat Dydo þat was Eneas wif founded The whiche Eneas was of the cytee of Troye & after was kyng of Itaylle. Mesopotamye streccheth also vnto the desertes of Arabye & it is a gret contree. In this contree is the cytee of Daraym where abrahames

fader duelled & from whens Abraham departed be commandement of the Aungeƚƚ. And of þat cytee was Effraym þat was a gret clerk & a gret doctour And Theophilus was of þat cytee also þat oure lady sauede from oure enemye. And Mesopotayme dureth fro the ryuere of Eufrates vnto the ryuere of Tygris. For it is betwene þo .ij. ryueres. And beȝonde the ryuere of Tygre is Caldee þat is a fuƚƚ gret kyngdom. In þat rewme, at Baldak aboueseyd was wont to duelle the Calyffez þat was wont to ben bothe as Emperour & Pope of the Arabyenez so þat he was lord spiritueƚƚ & temporeƚƚ And he was successour to Machomete & of his generacioun. Þat cytee of Baldak was wont to ben cleped Sutis & Nabugodonozor founded it And þere duelled the holy prophete Daniel & þere he saugh visiounes of heuene & þere he made the exposicioun of dremes. And in old tyme þere were wont to be .iij. Calyffeez: He of Arabye, he of Caldeez And þei [folio 19a] dwelleden in the cytee of Baldak [folio 19a] aboueseyd. And at Cayre besides Babyloyne duelled the Calyffee of Egypt & at Marrok vpon the west see duelte the Calyffee of Barbaryenes & of Affrycanes. And now is þere non of the Calyffeez ne nougℏt han ben sitℏe the tyme of the Sowdan Sahaladyn For from þat tyme hider the Sowdaun clepeth him self Calyffee And so han the Calyffeez ylost here name. Also wyteth wel þat Babyloyne þe lesse where the Soudan duelleth & the cytee of Cayr þat is nygℏ besyde it ben grete huge cytees manye & fayre and þat on sitt nygh þat other. Babyloyne sytt upon the ryuere of Gyson somtyme clept Nyle þat cometh out of Paradys terrestre. Þat ryuere of Nyle aƚƚ the ȝeer whan the sonne entreth in to the signe of Cancer it begynneth to wexe And it wexeth aƚƚweys als longe as the sonne is in Cancro & in the signe of the lyoun̛. And it wexeth in such manere þat it is somtyme so gret þat it is .xx. cubytes or more of depness And þanne it doth gret harm to the godes þat ben vpon the lond For þanne

may noman trauaylle to ere the londes for the grete moystness And þerfore is þere dere tyme in þat contree. And also whan it wexeth lytyƚƚ it is dere tyme in pat contree for defaute of moysture. And whan the sonne is in the signe of Virgo þanne begynnetℏ the ryuere for to [folio 19b] wane & to decrcce lytyl & lytyƚƚ So þat whan the sonne is entred in to the signe of libra þanne þei entren betwene theise ryueres. This ryuere cometh rennynge from Paradys terrestre betwene the desertes of ynde & after it smytt vn to londe & renneth longe tyme many grete contrees vnder ertℏe And after it goth out vnder an high hill þat men clepen Alotℏ þat is betwene ynde & Ethiope the mountance of .v. monethes iourneyes fro the entree of Ethiope And after it envyrounetℏ aƚƚ Ethiope & Morekane & goth aƚƚ along fro the lond of Egipte vnto the cytee of Alisandre to the ende of Egipte and þere it falleth in to the see. Aboute this ryuere ben manye briddes & foules As Sikonyes þat þei clepen Ibes.