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

Chapter XXIII

IDOLATRY. TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS

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 ÞAT ȜEUEN HIRE RELEEF TO BABEWYNES, APES & MARMESETTES & TO OÞER BESTES.

FROM þat yle in goynge be see toward the soutℏ is anoþer gret yle þat is clept DONDUN. In þat yle ben folk of dyuerse kyndes so þat the fader etetℏ the sone, the sone the fader, the husbonde the wif & the wif the husbonde. And ȝif it so befalle þat the fader or moder [folio 84a] or ony of here frendes ben seke anon the sone gotℏ to the prest of here lawe & preyetℏ him to aske the ydole ȝif his fader or moder or frend schaƚƚ dye on þat euyƚƚ or non. And þan the prest & the sone gon togydere

before the ydole & knelen fuƚƚ deuoutly & asken of the ydole here demande. And ȝif the deuyƚƚ þat is withinne answere þat he schaƚƚ lyue þei kepen him wel, And ȝif he seye þat he schaƚƚ dye þan the prest gotℏ with the sone with the wif of him þat is seek & þei putten here hondes vpon his moutℏ & stoppen his bretℏ & so þei sleen him. And after þat þei choppen aƚƚ the body in smale peces & preyen aƚƚ his frendes to comen & eten of him þat is ded & þei senden for aƚƚ the mynstraƚƚ of the contree & maken a solempne feste. And whan þei han eten the flescℏ þei taken the bones & buryen hem & syngen & maken gret melodye. And alle þo þat ben of his kyn or pretenden hem to ben his frendes, & þei come not to þat feste þei ben repreued for euere more & schamed & maken gret doel, for neuere after schuƚƚ þei ben holden as frendes. And þei seyn also þat men eten here flescℏ for to delyueren hem out of peyne, For ȝif the wormes of the ertℏe eten hem the soule scholde suffre gret peyne as þei seyn & namely whan the flescℏ is tendre & megre [folio 84b] þanne seyn here frendes þat þei don gret synne to leten hem haue so long langure to suffre so moche peyne withoute resoun. And whan þei fynde the flesscℏ fatte þan þei seyn þat it is wel don to senden hem sone to paradys & þat þei haue not suffred him to longe to endure in peyne. The kyng of this yle is a ful gret lord & a mygℏty & hatℏ vnder him .liiij. grete yles þat ȝeuen tribute to him. And in euerycℏ of theise yles is a kyng crowned & aƚƚ ben obeyssant to þat kyng And he hatℏ in þo yles many dyuerse folk. In on of þeise yles ben folk of gret stature as geauntes & þei ben hidouse for to loke vpon & þei han but on eye & þat is in the myddyƚƚ of the front & þei eten no þing but raw flescℏ & raw fysscℏ. And in anoþer yle toward the south duellen folk of foul stature & of cursed kynde, þat han non hedes & here eyen ben in here scholdres And here moutℏ is croked as an hors schoo & þat is in the myddes of here brest. And in

anoþer yle also ben folk þat han non hedes & here eyen & here moutℏ ben behynde in here schuldres. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat han the face aƚƚ platt aƚƚ pleyn withouten nese & withouten moutℏ, but þei han .ij. smale holes aƚƚ rounde in stede of hire eyen & hire moutℏ is platt also withouten lippes. And in anoþer yle ben folk of foul fasceoun & schapp [folio 85a] þat han the lippe aboue the moutℏ so gret þat whan þei slepen in the sonne þei keueren aƚƚ the face with þat lippe. And in anoþer yle þer ben lityƚƚ folk as dwergℏes & þei ben to so meche as the PYGMEYES & þei han no moutℏ, but in stede of hire moutℏ þei han a lytyƚƚ round hole. And whan þei schuƚƚ eten or drynken þei taken þorgℏ a pipe or a penne or sucℏ a þing and sowken it in, for þei han no tonge & þerfore þei speke not, but þei maken a maner of hissynge as a nedder dotℏ & þei maken signes on to anoþer as monkes don, be the whicℏe euery of hem vnderstondetℏ oþer. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat han grete eres & longe, þat hangen doun to here knees. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat han hors feet & þei ben stronge & mygℏty and swift renneres for þei taken wylde bestes with rennyng & eten hem. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat gon vpon hire hondes & on hire feet as bestes & þei ben aƚƚ skynned & fedred & þei wole lepen as ligℏtly into trces & fro tree to tree as it were squyrelles or apes. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat ben botℏe man & womman & þei han kynde of þat on & of þat oþer & þei han but o pappe on the o syde & on þat oþer non And þei han membres of generacioun of man & womman & þei vsen bothe whan hem list ones þat on & anoþer tyme þat oþer. And þei geten [folio 85b] children whan þei vsen the membre of man & þei bere children whan þei vsen the membre of womman. And in anoþer yle ben folk þat gon aƚƚ weys vpon here knees ful merueyllously & at euery pas þat þei gon it semetℏ that þei wolde falle & þei han in euery foot .viij. toos. Many oþer dyuerse folk of dyuerse natures ben þere

in oþer yles abouten, of the whiche it were to longe to teƚƚ & þerfore I passe ouer schortly. From þeise yles in passynge be the see occean toward the est be many iourneyes men fynden a gret contree & a gret kyngdom þat men clepen MANCY & þat is in ynde the more. And it is the beste lond & on the fairest þat may ben in aƚƚ the world & the most delectable & the most plentifous of aƚƚ godes þat is in power of man. In þat lond dwellen many cristene men & sarrazynes, for it is A gode contree & a gret And þere ben jnne mo þan .ij. M^ƚ. grete cytees & riche withouten oþer grete townes. And þere is more plentee of peple þere þan in ony oþer partie of ynde for the bountee of the contree. In þat contree is no nedy man ne non þat gotℏ on beggynge. And þei ben fuƚƚ faire folk, but þei ben aƚƚ pale And the men han thynne berdes & fewe heres, but þei ben longe; But vnetℏe hatℏ ony man passynge .l. heres in his berd & on heer sitt here, anoþer þere, as the berd of a lyberd or of a catt. In þat lond ben many fairere wommen þan in ony oþer contree beȝonde the see And þerfore [folio 86a] men clepen þat lond ALBANYE because þat the folk ben white. And the chief cytee of that contree is clept LATORYN & it is a iourneye from the see And it is moche more þan PARYS. In þat cytee is a gret ryuere berynge schippes þat gon to alle the costes in the see. No cytee of the world is so wel stored of schippes as is þat And aƚƚ þo of the cytee & of the contre worschipen ydoles. In þat contree ben double sithes more briddes þan ben here: Þere ben white gees rede aboute the nekke & þei han a gret crest as a cokkes comb vpon hire hedes And þei ben meche more þere þan þei ben here & men byen hem þere aƚƚ quykk rigℏt gret chepe. And þere is gret plentee of neddres of whom men maken grete festes & eten hem at grete sollempnytees, And he þat maketℏ þere a feste, be it neuere so costifous & he haue no neddres he hatℏ no thank for his trauaylle.

Many gode cytees þere ben in þat contree & men han gret plentee & gret chep of aƚƚ wynes & vitailles. In þat contree ben manye chirches of religious men & of here lawe And in þo chirches ben ydoles als grete as geauntes And to theise ydoles þei ȝeuen to ete at grete festyfuƚƚ dayes in this manere: Þei bryngen before hem mete aƚƚ soden, als hoot as þei comen fro the fuyr & þei leten the smoke gon vp towardes the ydoles And þan þei seyn þat the ydoles han eten & þan the religious men eten the mete afterwardes. In þat contree [folio 86b] ben white HENNES withouten fetℏeres, but þei beren white wolle as scheep don here. In þat contree wommen þat ben vnmaryed þei han tokenes on hire hedes lycℏ coronales to ben knowen for vnmaryed. Also in þat contree þer ben bestes taugℏt of men to gon into watres into Ryueres & into depe stankes for to take fyscℏ, the whiche best is but lytiƚƚ & men clepen hem loyres. & whanne men casten hem in to the water, anon þei bringen gret fissℏes als manye as men wole. And ȝif men wil haue mo þei cast hem in aȝen & þei bryngen vp als many as men list to haue. And fro þat cytee passynge many iourneyes is anoþer cytee on the grettest of the world þat men clepen CASSAY þat is to seyne the cytee of heuene. Þat cytee is wel a .l. myle aboute & it is stronglicℏ enhabyted with peple in so moche þat in on hous men maken .x. housholdes. In þat cytee ben .xij. princypaƚƚ ȝates and before euery ȝate a .iij. myle or a .iiij. myle in lengtℏe is a gret toun or a gret cytee. Þat cytee sytt vpon a gret lake on the see as dotℏ VENYSE. And in þat cytee ben mo þan .xij. .M^ƚ. BRIGGES & vpon euery brigge ben stronge toures & gode in the whiche duellen the wardeynes for to kepen the cytee fro the gret CANE. And on þat o part of the cytee rennetℏ a gret ryuere aƚƚ along the cytee And þere duellen cristene men & many [folio 87a] marchauntes & oþer folk of dyuerse nacyouns because þat the lond is so good & so plentyfous. And

þere growetℏ fuƚƚ gode wyn þat men clepen BIGON þat is fuƚƚ myghty & gentyƚƚ in drynkynge. This is a Cytee ryaƚƚ where the kyng of MANCY was wont to dweƚƚ & þere duellen many religious men as it were of the ordre of freres, for þei ben mendyfauntes. From þat cytee men gon be watre solacynge & disportinge hem tiƚƚ þei come to an Abbeye of monkes þat is faste by þat ben gode religious men after here feytℏ & lawe. In þat abbeye is a gret gardyn & a fair where ben many trees of dyuerse manere of frutes, And in this gardyn is a lytiƚƚ hiƚƚ fuƚƚ of delectable trees; In þat hiƚƚ & in þat gardyn ben many dyuerse bestes, as of Apes, Marmozettes Babewynes & many oþer dyuerse bestes. And euery day whan the Couent of this Abbeye hatℏ eten the Awmener let bere the releef to the gardyn & he smytetℏ on the gardyn ȝate with a clyket of syluer þat he holdetℏ in his hond & anon aƚƚ the bestes of þe hiƚƚ & of dyuerse places of the gardyn comen out a .iij. .M^ƚ. or a .iiij. Miƚ. & þei comen in gyse of pore men And men ȝeuen hem the releef in faire vesselles of syluer clene ouergylt. And whan þei han eten the monk smytetℏ eftsones on the gardyn ȝate with the clyket & þan anon aƚƚ the bestes retornen aȝen to here places þat þei come fro. And þei seyn þat theise bestes ben soules of wortℏi men þat resemblen in lykness of þo bestes þat ben faire & þerfore þei ȝeven [folio 87b] hem mete for the loue of god. And the oþer bestes þat ben foule þei seyn ben soules of pore men & of rude comouns; & þus þei beleeuen & noman may putte hem out of þis opynyoun. Þeise bestes aboueseyd þei let taken whan þei ben ȝonge & norisschen hem so with almess als manye as þei may fynde. And I asked hem ȝif it had not ben better to haue ȝouen þat releef to pore men ratℏere þan to þo bestes And þei answerde me & seyde þat þei hadde no pore man amonges hem in þat contree And þougℏ it had ben so, þat pore men had ben among hem, ȝit were it gretter Almess to ȝeuen it to þo soules þat don þere

here penance. Manye oþer merueylles ben in þat cytee & in the contree þere aboute, þat were to long to teƚƚ ȝou. Fro þat cytee go men be the contree a .vj. iourneyes to anoþer cytee þat men clepen CHILENFO, of the whiche cytee the walles ben .xx^ti. myle aboute. In þat cytee ben .lx. brigges of ston so faire þat noman may see fairere. In þat cytee was the firste sege of the kyng of MANCY for it is a fair cytee & plentevous of aƚƚ godes. After passe men ouerthwart a gret ryuere þat men clepen BALAY & þat is the grettest ryuere of fresscℏ water þat is in the world, For þere as it is most narow it is more þan .iiij. myle of brede. An þanne entren men aȝen in to the lond of the grete CHANE. Þat ryuere gotℏ þorgℏ the lond of PIGMANS, where þat the folk ben of lityƚƚ stature þat ben but .iij. span long and þei ben rigℏt faire & gentyƚƚ after here quantytees botℏe [folio 88a] the men & the wommen. And þei maryen hem whan they ben half ȝere of age & geten children. And þei lyuen not but .vi. ȝeer or .vij. at the moste And he þat lyuetℏ .viij. ȝeer men holden him þere rigℏt passynge old. Þeise men ben the beste worcheres of gold, syluer, coutoun, sylk & of aƚƚ suche thinges of ony oþer þat ben in the world, And þei han often tymes werre with the bryddes of the contree þat þei taken & eten. Þis lityƚƚ folk nouþer labouren in londes ne in vynes but þei han grete men amonges hem of oure stature þat tylen the lond & labouren amonges the vynes for hem. And of þo men of oure stature han þei als grete skorn & wonder as we wolde haue among vs of geauntes ȝif þei weren amonges vs. Þere is a gode cytee amonges oþere where þere is dwellynge gret plentee of þo lytyƚƚ folk And it is a gret cytee & a fair & the men ben grete þat duellen amonges hem, But whan þei geten ony children þei ben as lityƚƚ as the PYGMEYES, And þerfore þei ben aƚƚ for the moste part aƚƚ PYGMEYES, for the nature of the lond is sucℏ. The grete CANE let kepe this cytee fuƚƚ wel, for it is his. And aƚƚ be it þat the PYGMEYES ben

lytyƚƚ ȝit þei ben fuƚƚ resonable after here age & conne botℏen wytt & gode & malice ynow. Fro þat cytee gon men be the contree be many cytees & many townes vnto a cytee þat men clepen IANICHAY & it is a noble cytee & a riche & of gret profite to the lord. And þider go men to sechen marchandise of aƚƚ manere of þing. Þat cytee [folio 88b] is fuƚƚ moche wortℏ ȝerly to the lord of the contree, For he hatℏ euery ȝer to rente of þat cytee as þei of the cyte seyn .l. Miƚ. CUMANTZ of floreyns of gold. For þei cownten þere aƚƚ be CUMANZ, And euery CUMANT is .x .M^l. floreyns of gold. Now may men wel rekene how moche þat it amountetℏ. The kyng of þat contree is fuƚƚ mygℏty & ȝit he is vnder the grete CANE And the gret CANE hatℏ vnder him .xij. suche prouynces. In þat contree in the gode towns is a gode custom, For whoso wiƚƚ make a feste to ony of his frendes þere ben certeyn jnnes in euery gode town & he þat wil make the feste wil sey to the hostellere: Arraye for me to morwe a gode dyner for so many folk & telletℏ him the nombre & deuysetℏ him the viaundes. And he seytℏ also: þus moche I wil dispende & nomore. And anon the hostellere arrayetℏ for him so faire & so wel & so honestly þat þer schaƚƚ lakke no thing. And it schaƚƚ be don sunnere & with lasse cost þan & a man made it in his owne hows. And a .v. myle fro þat cytee toward the hed of the ryuere of BALAY is anoþer cytee þat men clepen MENKE. In þat cytee is strong navye of schippes and aƚƚ ben white as snow of the kynde of the trees þat þei ben made offe, And þei ben fuƚƚ grete schippes & faire and wel ordeyned & made with halles & chambres & oþer eysementes, as þougℏ it were on the lond. Fro þens go men be many townes & many cytees þorgℏ the contree vnto a cytee þat men clepen LANTERYNE & it is an .viij. iourneyes [folio 89a] fro þe cytee aboueseyd. This cytee sitt vpon a faire ryuere gret & brood þat men clepen CARAMARON. This ryuere passetℏ þorgℏ out CATHAY &

it dotℏ often tyme harm & þat fuƚƚ gret Whan it is ouer gret.