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(Aus MS. Cotton Append. VIII, f. 108 ff.)
(Anfang scheint zu fehlen.)
Furst to Caleys and through Flaundres, Almayne the hye and the lowe; softe and of faire speche atte alle tymes; for meny ben rude and somme right malyciouse and full of debate.
Item, be not to large of despences for your-self nor none othere of youres,
ne to oponly chepyng thynges of hye pris, for drede of suche aspies as ben in meny places and comene to Venyse-ward and suche other townes fro meny Countreis.
Item, be well avised atte Brigges in the felishipe of suche as makene your exchaunde of the moste sure weyes from towne to towne: of the whiche ther ben ofte diuerse, and oon bettere thenne a nother, be-cause of werre and other mysdoers for the tyme.
Item, lete no man knowe whiche wey ye woll to, but sette ye therone youre∣self, in eschewyng of suche fore-goers as myght hynder you and youres.
Item, who-so woll ride faste and with-oute hevy cariage, good were to fynde atte Brigges suche a scarceler [Vom frz. escarcelle.] as bereth marchauntes lettres: whiche will fayne ride with men for fyndyng of hym and his hors, wt-oute eny other wages.
Item, or yef ye woll not so, but ride softe, suche a nother may be founde for litell good as can alle the weyes be nyght and day as well as the hosterries and hostellers with there diuerse maners:
The whiche were moste plesaunte, surest and the beste: for thenne may ye ride fast or softe, erly or late, and the more previly, with-oute moche askyng after youre weyes, logyngge places, or eny other thyng that ye liste.
Neuere-the-lees suche a scarcelere wold be knowe atte Brigges be the avys of the felishipe of suche as makene youre exchaunde, for suffisaunte and abidyng with-ynne Brigges, and that he were sadde, secrete and wyse, and therwith nought dronklewe nor in no wyse rechelesse.
For with suche one with avyse of youre men ye may be avysed whether hit be beste that youre ostes ordeyne for youre mete and drynke or elles your one officers.
The ostes ben more spedefull in your iourney, but not so elenly ne ple∣saunte, and the same as is aforseid, be whiche wey that euere ye take furst your passage be lande.
The seid scarcelere may go the better chepe for the seruice that he may have homward ageyne with marchauntes lettres.
But your officers moste be war and wyse, for the scarcellers and the ostellers [f. 109] pleyene ofte be oon assent and make you paye his costes homward.
Wherfore, or men herberowe, men moste be atte certein for hey and pro∣vender as well as for their one paste, and hit may be goodly brought aboute.
Item, men moste be war in Flaundres and alle the lowe lande, to go, ne suffre to go, aboute the walles ne dyches therof atte no tyme.
Atte Pado, Trevise and Verone is good abidyng, yef a man woll soiourne or abyde til his passage were redy, as atte the Freres or sum other hired hous, yef hit myght be g(ot) [Der rand ist zu eng abgeschnitten, es fehlen daher öfter einzelne buch∣staben und worte.] —for atte the ostries hit wold be ouere-hevye and costlewe, were hit at Venyse or els-whe(re).
The abidyng atte Venyse in wynter is goodly, havyng licence of the lord∣shipe to be log(ed) oute of the ostries, as atte Seint George or atte sum other Religeous hous.
And ther men may geder suche stuffe to-geder as nedeth for the passage,
be hit in shipe or in galey, ayenst Septembre, the whiche is the beste tyme of alle the yere to go into the hote Countres-warde.
For ayenst Marche is no good passage for you, be-cause of somer that hit is ynne, and groweth so faste next after in the parties of Egipte the whiche ye desire to goo.
In Ytaile and alle his parties is grete hete in the seid moneth of Marche, and sone after suche a-boundance of frute as were not good for none englissh man sodenly comyng ther atte that tyme of the yere, but yef he were well aged and coude kepe hym the better.
Comyng atte the begynnyng of Septembre to Venyse, good and sesonable passage may not faille, with the galeis of Alexandre, or with sum good newe caryke, in the whiche men myght be atte more ese and atte lesse coste thenne ynne a galie, but not so (sure).
Be not the bolder though some goo and come savely the seid grete hetes not-withstandy(ng). Good lettres of recomendacione fro the Duke of the lord∣shipe of Venyse to their counseill in Egypte and Surre werene good to be hadde. Atte Alexandre men moste paie the gret(e) tribute, for euery man so moche, that is to sey VII or VIII ducates, ouere alle other smale tributes that men moste paye fro theyns forward—but the grete tribute is no more.
The counseill aforseid can counseill you toward the amerell drugemen and suche oth(er) as ye moste have to do with, the whiles ye ben in that lande.
Fro Alexandre to Keyre is be lande III dayes iourney, and be water more, but yef men have the better wynde; neuere-the-lees hit is the more plesaunte and light fare, for therforth men may se bothe water and lande, with strange thynges of bothe.
Do you to have a good Germe [l. terme?] with conyng maryners or as meny as ye nedene, for ye shall fynde bothe more and lesse.
Be warre atte Venyse and atte alle suche other places as ye fyndene eny preciouse stones, Jewelles or Relikes ynne; for meny that ben right slye, will be right besy to disseyve you and youres.
A galeye of pilgrymes goth euere to Jerusalem in Marche, full stuffed with peple, that the eyre therynne waxeth sone contrariouse and groweth alle-wey fro evill into wers for that viage, thorough thencresse of somer and the multitude of the peple: wherfore kepe you ther-fro bothe outeward and homward.
And triste in the goyng atte Septembre, be hit to Alexandre or to Jerusalem; for thenne the ferthere men go the fresshere hit wexeth, as well outeward as homward, and alle vitailles, frutes, wyn and els the more resonable.
Good were to have fro Venyse be comaundement and ordenance of the lordshipe sum faire faryng man that cowde good Lumbard, Greke, Sarasyne and Turkesse and had ben vsed to go with lordes and pilgrymes into thos parties aforseid; for he with a seruant of youres myght do youre thynges prevely and apert to you(r) right grete ese; and of suche be there euere atte Venyse.
Meny temptaciouns be ther ofte seen to make a worthy man to falle, yef he medle moche hym-self and goth oute abrode; and yet hit is good that a man se euere wysely to hymself and alle that he hath to do or that he putte eny man to werk.
Thinketh on the marchaunt and tho III thynges that he moste have, þe whiche y told you.
Item: wher that euere ye be in the parties of Itaile, Egipte or elles-wher in somer, kepe you in the shadowe or vnder couert, so that ye have alle-weye sumwhat betwene the sonne and you; and kepe you that the eire of the nyght touche you not naked.
The vsaunce of the hote landes is to ride be nyght, and not be day, dur∣yng the hete of the somer, for thenne the sonne dereth not, be the nyght neuere so hote.
Be be-tyme atte your amoderate dyner, or the sonne come and enfeble your stomakes and put a-wey your apitite; and soupe not vnto the hete be passed, and drynke not betwene meles, but yef suche thurst take you, that ye may not putte hit a-wey with other smale refresshynges in the mouthe.
[f. 110] Do faire fere with youre-self and alle youres: for englissh men have but litell love in meny parties, but yef hit be for their money or the better of gouer∣nance.
Item, do stuffe you of suche beddyng as woll be founde atte Venyse, bothe for shipe and galeye, with a pailet of esement couered as well as vr(i)nalles cased.
Item, in a shipe is grete space and ese, yef he be newe, large and a good sailler; but the galye is the more sure and derrere and of the wers eire.
Item, in a shipe men may esely ordeyne for hem-self and their table with wode and water that men shull have of the patrone; but in a galeye he moste paie for his borde, ouere the mete and drynke that men moste ordeyne beside.
Wherfore do ordeyne you a cage atte Venyse, and the place therof be or∣deigned atte the fowgone [frz. fougon.] of the kechene, for lx pullene, of the whiche ye may fynde good chepe atte alle tymes be the weye.
Item barelles for water and suche wyne as shall like you best, y-founde atte Venyse; with the whiche drynke alle-wey sum good water, and begynne atte Trymhyn(!) and put youre water therynne; the water of sisternes is byndyng and the tothere laxatif.
The wynes of Candie, Rodes, Cipre, Cicilie and of Spayne moste have more water thenne eny of the tother, and after that a man is of age and complexcion; the yonge man the more water, yef he be hye of blode.
Do youre one men to fecche and chese youre water in euery place; for the maryners fecchene for the patrone euere of the next, be hit neuere so vnholsome.
Moche evill water shall ye fynde: whiche do sethe and scomme hit, and that hit be cold, or that ye drynke hit, be hit on londe or in the see, wher water will sone [MS. some st. sone.] stynke and wex full of wormes.
Do purvey you in euery place of fressh brede and erbage, pulleyne and fressh egges; for the patrone woll make short acates and of the werst, alle-though ye be with hym atte youre grete costes and expenses dayly.
Yef ye be costif, vse fressh brede and good broth of pullaille alle-wey, in eschewyng of the nede that ye mote have of othere more violent medicynes.
Spinage, betis, mercurie, malowes, borage, violettes and suche other laxatif erbes woldene be vsed euere-amonge for the same cause.
Do gete you a glistiarie purce, with the whiche, and the broth of good fatte boef or a fatte capone or a shepes hede, alle to-sodene the wolle and alle,
and thenne streyne hit thorough a streynour, bene esy glistiare and not herfull, whenne broth and erbage woll not serue.
Neuere-the-lees yet woll suppostes [= frz. suppositoire.] go afore glistiaries for the more esy medicyne: whiche may be made like a manes fynger of white sope or of a faire talough-candell ende or of calstock pared of the rynde and anoynted with oyle dolyve [= d'olyve.] .
Other suppostes may be ther y-founde amonge the grocers be advise of a fesissian. Costyvenes is not so perilous as is the ourreus: wherfore do purvey you ayenst bothe be the counseill of a good fisiciane.
With Gera pigra, Castafistola, brane an handfull, salt a sponefull put in watere, where betes, malowes and blanoursyn, violettes, sede of fenell and anneys for the wynde have ben sodene ynne, is the strengest of alle that is aforeseid.
Take no medycines be the mouthe in wynter ne somer, the whiles that broth and erbage may serue, and figes grene and drye in wynter-tyme; in the whiche ye may well ete grapes; but yef ye drynke, hit moste be water after the grapes.
Of lyght medicynes be mouthe with-oute-warde take codenyate laxative, and another that is byndyng, in the morne erly; and ete not ne drynke a good while after.
Pynealby saunȝ-garde, of the whiche there ben diuers, and after a manes compleccione and the counseill of the leche: whiche may well be takene erly and late by odde, and after as a man feleth the worchyng to his pleasere.
Alloye is good medicyne and laxatife with-oute-warde, | and is made as a good fesiciane can devyse. | and a pece of good rebarbe the quantite of a grote is sette alle nyght in a pece with water: the whiche rebarbe maketh an esy laxa∣tife, and moste be dronkene erly be the morne fastyng, and the rebarbe caste awey.
Meny other strenger medicynes ther bene, the whiche langene to hye fesike and a manes persone, yef he kepe hit not contynuelly with medicynes aforseid in good estate.
Yef a man be ouere-laxatif [MS. lax'.] , he moste kepe hym frome hem alle the seid laxatives with bisquyte, rede wyn, rosted metes, potage of rys made with alman∣des, and suche other metes and drynkes byndyng, that he be not to sodenly restreyned.
Item, do gete you ayenst hete sum fyne sugre roset in burneys or in close bagges of lethere, a busshell of clene barly for tysayne, with half a busshell of orgeate, and pyneȝattes of erthe to make youre mete ynne; and sethe your tysayne therynne, with a litell lycorise, to make hit the more lustye to drynke.
Item, forgete not to have gourdes y-comfete, whiche ben good and fressh ayenst the hete. Almandes, bothe bitter and swete, ben byndyng, egges rosted is byndyng, and so is venegre ete furst and laste is lowsyng.
Yef eny hete take you, be war of alle-manere wyn; and whenne ye may not be put fro drynke, with sugre of Candye, prunes of Damask and suche other ordeyne therfore; take to youre tysayne as moderately as ye may.
As of peres, apples, anneys, coliaundre and suche other comfytes, the further ye gone the better shall ye fynde, as well as grene gyngere.
Do alle youre men be war of the furst frutes and wyne, the whiche be right lustye atte the begynnyng and hynderyng to mennes hele; and so is a thyng called bassysike.
Spede your viage alle that ye may to-ward Barwte, and suche sure passage, that ye dwelle not to longe in Cipre, where y knowe nother good eyre ne water, and namely in so(mer).
North-Est fro Barewte is Damask, where the Venisyantȝ have theire counseill and lygers as well as in other grete places of marchandise of the see-costes there.
The seid Damask is a faire cite and a place of good eire, and meny so∣till and precious thynges be wrought therynne; | and so is Aleppe more toward Turkey a nother, where þe Cadies dwellyng is, the whiche is chief of Mamentes lawe, & a gret lord is.
And ther-after is Antyoche and Armonie the lesse, and thenne Turkey, levyng the wey of Perce and Armonie the more on the right hand to Lataney∣warde, a lordshipe of Venyse and a grete marchandise.
But be that wey full of smale lordshipes and suspeccione may no man of thrifte well passe, but yef he were dissymelede, well langaged and in good felishipe of suche as werene well acquaynted with marchandes and pilgrymes of the seid Latanaye in the Countre of Tartarie or in the Countre nyghe aboute, or elles a boy of carvan, that coude dryve a camell, mule or asse.
Fro Antyoche even west to Costantyne-noble-ward is but oon lord and oon lordshipe, to the whiche alle the grete ben obeissante, and may be passed, as y have seide you, with grete trauaill and peyne.
Wherfore amonge meny other thynges that myght be-falle, spede you to Rodes-ward, wher is good aire and felishipe of Ingeland as well as of alle other landes cristen; and ther shall ye be in good place of counseill, whethere that ye woll into Turkeye, into Tartarye, into Russey, Blacheye, to more or the lesse Grece, Albanye, Barborie or Spayne.
Yet in Surre moste ye be war to speke or dispice eny thyng of Makamet [MS. urspr. mamentrie, in makamet corr. v. spät. hand.] , the Sarasynes proffite; for yef men do, they moste renneye or be ded; and the same, yef a man holde vp his fynger rechelesly or be founde in eny of her Temples.
Wherfore for meny othere suche perilles suche a man as were a-fore war, were good to be had in felishipe be the comaundement of the lordshipe atte Venyse.
And spare not to desire to do the Duke reuerence and to desire suche oon be his comaundement and ordenance; whiche, as y wene, woll be glad of your comyng and of youre desire, atte youre cost; whiche cost may not passe VI du∣cates a moneth, though he be right sufficeant, beside his bord.
Turkey is fro Rodes but XVIII mile be see, the Castell of Seint Pere a CXX myle, and fro bothe ye may go to the Amaratte, the grete lord, be he atte Brusse, Ancree or atte eny othere riall place of his in the seid lande; and so forth to Costantyne-noble be lande, and ouere atte the braas Seint George.
And yef ye woll not so but go be the see, Costantyne-noble is oute of Rodes VIIC myle; toward the whiche ye moste thorough a partie of the Arche∣pylago,
levyng the costes of Turkey nyghe by on youre right hand, þat is of Palatea, Hawtelogo, Bysmere, Foile and Troye.
And on your lift hand ye shull leve meny a nyle, the whiche were of old tyme mervelously inhabited, and worschiped the goddes of Marce, Mercure &c. and that wey a good carike were moste sure for Turkes Curceries, robers of þe see.
[f. 112] For in thilk . . . . and in youre wey ye shull fynde Langgo, Shyo, Mite∣lyne, Tendo, Romanye, Galipoly with-ynne the streite where the Turkes chief . . . is; and hit is not, where as hit is braddest, ouere XII myle fro the lande of Turkey to the lande of Romanye.
And so fro the seid Galipolye on youre lift hand and in Romanye to Co∣stantyne-noble, whiche is in the same and a bowe-shote fro Pere, whiche is a cite of the Gennayes: fro the whiche men may come more lightly to the grete Turkes presence, yef he be atte Brusse, thenne fro Rodes by lande, and moo . . . . . se be water and be londe.
And yef men woll to Latana-warde and yet more North and into bettere ayre, wheder he woll be carik or galie marchaunte, he may bothe go thorough the Mare maiour to the Emperour of Trepesonday, Caffay and Latana forseid; fro the whiche Caffay and meny other places on that side men may come be meny straunge wayes to Spruce.
Or elles to tourne ageyne as men came to the seid Shyo: where is good abidyng for shippes goyng to Geane, Cecilia, Berborie, Garnade and so thorough the streites of Merroke be Spayne and Portyngale into Ingeland.
As fer as ye may caste youre viages, so that ye vse the hote Countres in wynter and the cold in somer; and kepe you frome alle mete, salt, fatte, fried, sowre and rawe; and ye desire to ete letuse or other erbes, do hem to be boilled furst.
And be well ware of alle fressh-water-fissh of Egipte and Surrey; and taketh hede to the culuers that bereth so sone the lettres.
Meny marvailles shull ye se and here of by the weyes aforseid.
With the vessell that bryngeth you to Rodes or to eny other place that ye woll abide ate, make youre couenant therafter; and atte the furst with euery shipe or galye that ye woll go with, | and that hit be atte your choys to go whider that ye woll go or abide, and payng therafter.
Atte Rodes is good wyn and called after the same name. atte Shyo is good Muscadell, and ther groweth the Mastik, and Jannayes be lordes there, and atte Modone the Venysianes: where groweth good Romeney and Rase. and atte Candie, that is of the Venysianes, good Malvesye and Tire. and so ther is in Cipre a good wyn called Marewaye, and so forth in euery land after diuerse wynes of diuerse names.
In Candie is no good sodeyne abidyng in somer. Fro Rodes, Shyo and Modone fynde men ofte in the good yere and sure shippyng into what partie that euere a man woll be the see, be hit homward or outeward.
Meny straunge and plesaunte thynges may ye do brynge and do come be water that wold not come esely be lande ne so surely as with your-self. But that is after as ye fynde you cordyng with the see.
Yef ye come home be the see, Cecillie is not oute of youre wey, ne the good townes of Missene and Palerme; betwix the whiche ye shull fynde the
yle called Etteney and the mountayne that brenneth euere, and sum man calleth hit Wulcan, with meny suche othere brennyng Iles aboute hit.
And fro the seid Palerme go ye be shippe or with the galeyes of Venyse. Myarke the yle is in youre weye, where and yn alle othere places that ye here of Catelyns galies, do youre men to be war that they be not take amonge the felishipe of hem and so lerne to rowe terme of alle their lyf: for they spare nothere prest nor clerk, knyght ne squyere, yef they may have hym prevely.
To Berselone and Gene men may fynde shippyng ynough, and so forth be the costes of Spruce, Spayne and Gernade to Malyk, fro thens the good fyges cometh.
And fro thens thorough the streites of Marroke, levyng Septta that the kyng of Portynggale holdeth in Berborie on the lift hand with-ynne sight to the whiche abidyng atte Lisbone men may fynde alle day good and sure shippyng to go & come.
Be neuere to bolde to shippe you in litell vessels in no costes of the hethene, for drede of suche Courssaries as bene aforeseid, as well of the Cristene as well of theyme nought of oure beleve, in euery partie of the see.
Suche passages be there be lande fro the parties of Provynce, as have ben made shortely be meny men vnto Burdeux, and fro thens into Ingeland, but this and suche other passages be land wold have a well-avised saufconduyt for men of estate, and namely yef they be of Ingeland.
And the selder that ye chaunge your good shippyng, the more ese and the lesse coste, yef hit myght happe so to come aboute to your plesir and in short tyme.
And no more: for the further ye go, | the more ye shall se and knowe.