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

Chapter XXXV

HEATHEN BELIEFS. THE POPE'S APPROVAL

OF THE CUSTOMS OF KYNGES & OÞERE ÞAT DWELLEN IN THE YLES COSTYNGE TO PRESTRE IOℏNES LOND, AND OF THE WORSCHIPE ÞAT THE SONE DOTℏ TO THE FADER WHAN HE IS DEDE.

FROM þo yles þat I haue spoken of before in the lond of Prestre Ioℏn, þat ben vnder ertℏe as to vs þat ben o this half And of oþer yles þat ben more furtℏere beȝonde, Whoso wil pursuen hem for to comen aȝen right to the parties þat he cam fro & so enviroune aƚƚ ertℏe. but what for the yles, what for the see & what for strong rowynge fewe folk assayen for to passen þat passage, aƚƚ be it þat men mygℏte don it wel þat mygℏt [folio 129b] ben of power to dresse him þereto as I haue seyd ȝou before. And þerfore men returnen from þo yles aboueseyd be oþer yles costynge fro the lond of Prestre Ioℏn And þanne comen men in returnynge to an yle þat is clept CASSON And þat yle hatℏ wel .lx. iorneyes in lengtℏe & more þan .l. in brede. This is the beste yle & the beste kyngdom þat is in aƚƚ þo partyes outtaken CATHAY. And ȝif the marchauntes vseden als mocℏe þat contre as þei don CATHAY, it wolde ben better þan CATHAY in a schort while. This contree is fuƚƚ wel enhabyted & so fuƚƚ of cytees & of gode townes & enhabyted with peple, þat whan a man gotℏ out of o cytee men seen anotℏer cytee euene before hem. And þat is what partye þat a man go in aƚƚ þat contree. In þat yle is gret plentee of aƚƚ godes for to lyue with & of aƚƚ manere of spices And þere ben grete forestes of

CHESTEYNES. The kyng of þat yle is fuƚƚ riche & fuƚƚ mygℏty And natheles he holt his lond of the grete CHANE & is obeyssant to him, For it is on of the .xij. prouynces þat the gret CHANE hatℏ vnder him withouten his propre lond & withouten oþer lesse yles þat he hatℏ, for he hatℏ fuƚƚ manye. From þat kyngdom comen men in returnynge to anoþer yle þat is clept RYBOTℏ & it is also vnder the grete CHANE Þat is a fuƚƚ gode contree & fuƚƚ plentefous of aƚƚ godes & of wynes & frut & aƚƚ oþer ricchess. And the folk of þat contree han none houses but þei dwellen & lyggen aƚƚ vnder tentes made of blak ferne by aƚƚ the contree. And the princypaƚƚ cytee & the most royaƚƚ is aƚƚ walled with blak ston & white, [folio 130a] And aƚƚ the stretes also ben patℏed of the same stones. In þat cytee is noman so hardy to schede blode of noman ne of no best for the reuerence of an ydole þat is worschipt þere. And in þat yle dwelletℏ the POPE of hire lawe þat þei clepen lobassy. This LOBASSY ȝeuetℏ aƚƚ the benefices & alle oþer dignytees & aƚƚ oþer thinges þat belongen to the ydole And alle þo þat holden onything of hire chirches, Religious & oþere obeyen to him as men don here to the POPE OF ROME. In þat yle þei han a custom be aƚƚ the contree þat whan the fader is ded of ony man & the sone list to do gret worschipe to his fader, he sendetℏ to aƚƚ his frendes & to aƚƚ his kyn & for religious men & preestes & for mynstraƚƚ also gret plentee. And þanne men beren the dede body vnto a gret hiƚƚ with gret ioye & solempnyte And whan þei han brougℏte it thider the chief prelate smytetℏ of the hede And leytℏ it vpon a gret platere of gold or of syluer, ȝif he be so ryche a man. And þan he taketℏ the hede to the sone And þanne the sone & his oþer kyn syngen & seyn manye orisouns. And þanne the prestes & the Religious men smyten aƚƚ the body of the dede man in peces And þanne þei seyn certeyn orisouns. And the foules of raveyne of aƚƚ the contree abowten knowen the custom of long tyme before & comen

fleenge abouen in the eyr as EGLES, GLEDES, RAUENES & oþere foules of raveyne þat eten flescℏ. And þan the preestes casten the gobettes of the flescℏ & þan the foules ecℏe of hem taketℏ þat he may & gotℏ a litiƚƚ þens & etetℏ it, And so þei don whils ony pece lastetℏ of the dede body. And after þat, as preestes amonges vs syngen for the dede: [folio 130b] “SUBUENITE SANCTI DEI & CETERA,” rigℏt so þo prestes syngen with higℏ voys in hire langage: Beholdetℏ how so wortℏi a man & how gode a man this was, þat the Aungeles of god comen for to sechen him & for to bryngen him in to paradys. And þanne semetℏ it to the sone þat he is higℏliche worschipt whan þat manye briddes & foules of raveyne comen & eten his fader, And he þat hatℏ most nombre of foules is most worschiped. And þanne the sone bryngetℏ hoom with him aƚƚ his kyn & his frendes & aƚƚ the oþere to his hows & maketℏ hem a gret feste, And þanne aƚƚ his frendes maken hire avaunt & hire dalyance how the foules comen þider, here .v. here .vj. here .x. & þere .xx^ti. & so fortℏ & þei reioyssen hem hugely for to speke þere of. And whan þei ben at mete, the sone let brynge fortℏ the hede of his fader & þere of he ȝeuetℏ of the flescℏ to his most specyaƚƚ frendes in stede of entremess or a sukkarke. And of the brayn panne he letetℏ make a cuppe & þere of drynketℏ he & his oþer frendes also, with gret deuocioun in remembrance of the holy man þat the Aungeles of god han eten. And þat cuppe the sone schaƚƚ kepe to drynken of aƚƚ his lif tyme in remembrance of his fadir. From þat lond in returnynge be .x. iorneys þorgℏ out the lond of the grete CHANE is anoþer gode yle & a gret kyngdom where the kyng is fuƚƚ riche & mygℏty. And amonges the riche men of his contree is a passynge riche man þat is no PRYNCE ne DUK ne ERL, But he hatℏ mo þat holden of him londes & oþer lordschipes, for he is more ricℏe, for he hatℏ euery ȝeer of annueƚƚ rente .CCC. Miƚƚ. [folio 131a] hors charged with corn of dyuerse greynes & of ryȝs. And so he ledetℏ a fuƚƚ noble

lif & a delycate after the custom of the contree. For he hatℏ euery day .l. faire damyseles aƚƚ maydenes þat seruen him eueremore at his mete & for to lye be hem o nygℏt & for to do with hem þat is to his plesance. And whan he is at the table þei bryngen him hys mete at euery tyme .v. and .v. togedre And in bryngynge hire seruyse þei syngen a song And after þat þei kutten his mete & putten it in his moutℏ, for he towchetℏ nothing ne handletℏ nougℏt, but holdetℏ eueremore his hondes before him vpon the table. For he hatℏ so longe nayles þat he may take no thing ne handle no thing. For the noblesse of þat contree is to haue longe nayles & to make hem growen aƚƚ weys to ben als longe as men may, And þere ben manye in þat contree þat han hire nayles so longe þat þei envyroune aƚƚ the hond, And þat is a gret noblesse. And the nobless of the wommen is for to hauen smale feet & litiƚƚ, And þerfore anon as þei ben born, þey lete bynde hire feet so streyte þat þei may not growen half as nature wolde. And this is the nobleye of the wommen þere to haue smale feet & lityƚƚ. And aƚƚweys þeise damyseles þat I spak of beforn syngen aƚƚ the tyme þat this riche man etetℏ. And whan þat he etetℏ no more of his firste cours þanne oþer .v. & .v. of faire damyseles bryngen him his seconde cours aƚƚ weys syngynge as þei dide beforn. And so þei don contynuelly euery day to the ende of his mete & in this manere [folio 131b] he ledetℏ his lif And so dide þei before him þat weren his Auncestres & so schuƚƚ þei þat comen after him, withouten doynge of ony dedes of Armes, but lyuen eueremore þus in ese as a swyn þat is fedd in sty for to ben made fatte. He hatℏ a fuƚƚ fair palays & fuƚƚ riche, where þat he dwelletℏ jnne, of the whiche the walles ben in cyrcuyt .ij. myle. And he hatℏ withjnne many faire gardynes And many faire halles & chambres And the pawment of his halles & chambres ben of gold & syluer. And in the myd place of on of hys gardynes is a lytyƚƚ mountayne Where þere is a lityƚƚ

medewe And in þat medewe is a lityƚƚ toothiƚƚ with toures & pynacles aƚƚ of gold And in þat lityƚƚ toothiƚƚ wole he sytten often tyme for to taken the ayr & to desporten hym. For þat place is made for no þing elles but only for his desport. Fro þat contree men comen be the lond of the grete CHANE also þat I haue spoken of before. And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat of aƚƚ þeise contrees & of aƚƚ þeise yles & of aƚƚ the dyuerse folk þat I haue spoken of before & of dyuerse lawes & of dyuerse beleeves þat þei han, ȝit is þere non of hem alle but þat þei han sum resoun within hem & understondynge, but ȝif it be the fewere, & þat han certeyn Articƚes of oure feitℏ & summe gode poyntes of oure beleeve. And þat þei beleeven in god þat formede aƚƚ þing & made the world And clepen him god of nature, after þat the prophete seytℏ: “ET METUENT EUM OMNES FINES TERRE,” And also in anoþer place: “OMNES GENTES SERUIENT EI,” Þat is to seyne: Alle folk schul seruen him. But ȝit þei cone not speken perfytly, for þere is no [folio 132a] man to techen hem, but only þat þei cone deuyse be hire natureƚƚ wytt. For þei han no knouleche of the sone ne of the holy gost. But þei cone aƚƚ speken of the BIBLE & namely of GENESIS, of the prophetes sawes And of the bokes of Moyses. And þei seyn wel þat the creatures þat worschipen hem ne ben no goddes, but þei worschipen hem for the vertue þat is in hem þat may not be but only be the grace of god. And of SIMULACRES & of YDOLES þei seyn þat þere ben no folk but þat þei han SIMULACRES And þat þei seyn for wee cristen men han ymages, as of oure lady & of oþere seyntes þat wee worschipen, Nogℏt the ymages of tree or of ston, but the seyntes in whoos name þei ben made after. For rigℏt as the bokes & the scripture of hem techen the clerkes how & in what manere þei schuƚƚ beleeven, rigℏt so the ymages & the peyntynges techen the lewed folk to worschipen the seyntes & to haue hem in hire mynde in whoos name þat þe ymages ben made after. Þei seyn also þat the aungeles of god

speken to hem in þo ydoles & þat þei don manye grete myracles, And þei seyn sotℏ þat þere is an aungeƚƚ within hem, For þere ben .ij. maner of aungeles, a gode & an eueƚƚ, as the GREKES seyn: CACHO and CALO. This CACHO is the wykked aungeƚƚ And CALO is the gode aungeƚƚ. But the toþer is not the gode aungeƚƚ, but the wykked aungeƚƚ, þat is withinne the ydoles for to disceyuen hem & for to meyntenen hem in hire errour. Þere ben manye oþer dyuerse contrees and manye oþer merueyles beȝonde þat I haue not seen, Wherfore of hem I can not speke propurly to teƚƚ ȝou the manere of hem. [folio 132b] And also in the contrees where I haue ben ben manye mo dyuersitees of many wondirfuƚƚ thinges þanne I make mencioun of, For it were to longe thing to deuyse ȝou the manere. And þerfore þat þat I haue deuysed ȝou of certeyn contrees þat I haue spoken of before, I beseche ȝoure wortℏi and excellent noblesse þat it suffise to ȝou at this tyme, For ȝif þat I deuysed ȝou aƚƚ þat is beȝonde the see, anotℏer man peraunter þat wolde peynen him & trauaylle his body for to go into þo marches for to encerche þo contrees mygℏte ben blamed be my wordes in rehercynge manye straunge thinges. For he mygℏte not seye no thing of newe, in the whiche the hereres mygℏten hauen ouþer solace or desport or lust or lykyng in the herynge. For men seyn aƚƚ weys þat newe thinges & newe tydynges ben plesant to here. Wherfore I wole holde me stille withouten ony more rehercyng of dyuersiteez or of meruaylles þat ben beȝonde, to þat entent & ende þat whoso wil gon into þo contrees he schaƚƚ fynde ynowe to speke of, þat I haue not touched of in no wyse. And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde ȝif it lyke ȝou þat at myn hom comynge I cam to ROME & schewed my lif to oure holy fadir the POPE & was assoylled of aƚƚ þat lay in my conscience of many a dyuerse greuous poynt, as men mosten nedes þat ben in company dwellyng among so many a dyuerse folk of dyuerse secte & of beleeve as I

haue ben. And amonges aƚƚ I schewed hym this tretys þat I had made after informacioun of men [folio 133a] þat knewen of thinges þat I had not seen my self, And also of merueyles and customes þat I hadde seen my self, as fer as god wolde ȝeue me grace, And besougℏte his holy fadirhode, þat my boke mygℏte ben examyned and corrected be avys of his wyse & discreet conseiƚƚ. And oure holy fader of his special grace remytted my boke to ben examyned & preued be the Avys of his seyd conseiƚƚ, Be the whiche my boke was preeued for trewe jn so moche þat þei schewed me a boke þat my boke was examynde by, þat comprehended fuƚƚ moche more be an hundred part, be the whiche the MAPPA MUNDI was made after. And so my boke, aƚƚ be it þat many men ne list not to ȝeue credence to no þing but to þat þat þei seen with hire eye, ne be the Auctour ne the persone neuer so trewe, is affermed & preued be oure holy fader in maner & forme as I haue seyd.

AND I Ioℏn Maundevyƚƚ knygℏt aboueseyd, aƚƚ þougℏ I be vnwortℏi, þat departed from oure contrees & passed the see the ȝeer of grace a .Miƚƚ .ccc. & .xxij. þat haue passed many londes & manye yles & contrees & cerched manye fuƚƚ strange places, And haue ben in many a fuƚƚ gode honourable companye & at many a faire dede of armes, aƚƚ be it þat I dide none myself for myn vnable jnsuffisance; And now I am comen hom mawgree myself to reste for gowtes Artetykes þat me distreynen; þat deffynen the ende of my labour, aȝenst my wiƚƚ god knowetℏ. And þus takynge solace in my wrecℏ [folio 133b] ched reste recordynge the tyme passed I haue fulfilled þeise thinges & putte hem wryten in this boke, as it wolde come into my mynde, the ȝeer of grace a .Miƚƚ .ccc. & .lvj. in the .xxxiiij. ȝeer þat I departede from oure contrees. Wherfore I preye to aƚƚ the rederes & hereres of this boke ȝif it plese hem þat þei wolde preyen to god for me nd I schall preye for hem. And alle þo þat seyn for

me a PATER NOSTER with an AUE MARIA þat god forȝeue me my synnes I make hem parteneres & graunte hem part of aƚƚ þe gode pilgrymages & of aƚƚ the gode dedes þat I haue don, ȝif ony ben to his plesance. And nogℏt only of þo, but of aƚƚ þat euere I schaƚƚ do vnto my lyfes ende. And I beseche almygℏty god fro whom aƚƚ godeness & grace cometℏ fro, þat he vouchesaf of his excellent mercy & habundant grace to fuƚƚfylle hire soules with inspiracioun of the holy gost in makynge defence of aƚƚ hire gostly enemyes here in ertℏe, to hire saluacioun botℏe of body & soule to worschipe & thankynge of him þat is þree & on withouten begynnynge & withouten endyng þat is withouten qualitee good, withouten quantytee gret þat in alle places is present and aƚƚ thinges conteynynge the whiche þat no goodness may amende ne non eueƚƚ empeyre, þat in perfyte Trynytee lyuetℏ & regnetℏ god be alle worldes & be aƚƚ tymes. Amen. Amen. Amen.