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

[PART FIRST: THE HOLY LAND AND THE NEAR EAST.]

Mandeville's Travels.

Maundevyll

[folio 2a] FOR als moche as the lond beȝonde the see þat is to seye the holy lond þat men callen the lond of promyssioun or of beheste passynge aƚƚ oþere londes it is the most worthi lond most excellent and lady & soucreyn of aƚƚ oþere londes & is blessed & halewed of the precyous body & blood of oure lord jhssu crist; jn the whiche land it lykede him to take flesch & blood of the virgyne Marie to envyrone þat holy lond with his blessede feet; And þere he wolde of his blessedness enoumbre him in the seyd blessed & gloriouse virgine Marie & become man & worche many myracles and preche and teche the feyth & the lawe of crystene men vnto his children. And þere it. lykede him to suffre many repreuynges and scornes for vs And he þat was kyng of heuene of eyr of erthe of see & of aƚƚ thinges þat ben contayned in hem wolde aƚƚ only be cleped kyng of þat lond whan he seyde: “REX SUM IUDEORUM”: þat is to seyne: I am kyng of Jewes. And þat lond he chees before aƚƚ oþer londes as the beste & most worthi lond & the most vertuouse lond of aƚƚ the world. For it is the herte and the myddes of all the world, Wytnessynge the philosopheredescriptionOpen page þat seyth thus: “VIRTUS RERUM IN MEDIO CONSISTIT” that is to seye: the vertue of thinges is in the myddes. And in þat lond he wolde lede his lyf & suffre passioun & deth of jewes for vs for to bye & to delyuere vs from peynes of helle And from deth withouten ende, the whiche was ordeynd for vs for [folio 2b] the synne of oure formere fader Adam & for oure owne synnes also. For as for himself he hadde non euyƚƚ deserued for he thoughte neuere euyƚƚ ne did euyƚƚ.

And he þat was kyng of glorie & of ioye myghte best in that place suffre deth because he ches in þat lond rathere þan in ony othere þere to suffre his passioun & his deth. For he þat wil pupplische ony thing to make it openly knowen he wil make it to ben cryed & pronounced in the myddel place of a town so þat the thing þat is proclamed & pronounced may euenly strecche to aƚƚ parties. Right so he þat was formyour of aƚƚ the world wolde suffre for vs at ierusalem þat is the myddes of the world to þat ende & entent þat his passioun & his deth þat was pupplischt þere myghte ben knowen euenly to aƚƚ the parties of the world. See now how dere he boughte man þat he made after his owne ymage & how dere he aȝenboght vs for the grete loue þat he hadde to vs & we neuere deserued it to him. For more precyous cateƚƚ ne gretter raunsoun ne myghte he put for vs þan his blessede body his precious blood & his holy lyf þat he thralled for vs & aƚƚ he offred for vs þat neuere did synne. Dere god, what loue hadde he to vs his subiettes whan he þat neuere trespaced wolde for trespassours suffre deth! Right wel aughte vs for to loue & worscipe to drede & serue such a lord and to worschipe & preyse such an holy lond þat brought forth such fruyt þorgh the whiche euery man is saued but it be his owne defaute. Wel may þat lond be called [folio 3a] delytable & a fructuouse lond þat was bebledd & moysted with the precyouse blode of oure lord jhesu crist, the whiche is the same lond þat oure lord behighte vs in heritage. And in þat lond he wolde dye as seised for to leve it to vs his children. Wherfore euery gode cristene man þat is of powere & hath whereofdescriptionOpen page scholde peynen him with aƚƚ his strengthe for to conquere oure right heritage & chacen out aƚƚ the mysbeleeuynge men. For wee ben clept cristene men after crist oure fader And ȝif wee be right children of crist we oughte for to chalenge the heritage þat oure fader lafte vs & do it out of hethene mennes hondes. But now pryde couetyse & envye han so enflawmed the hertes of lordes of the world þat þei are

more besy for to disherite here neyghbores more þan for to chalenge or to conquere here right heritage before seyd. And the comōūn peple þat wolde putte here bodyes & here cateƚƚ for to conquere oure heritage þei may not don it withouten the lordes. For a semblee of peple withouten a cheuenteyn or a chief lord is as a flok of scheep withouten a schepperde the which departeth & desparpleth & wyten neuer whider to go. But wolde goddescriptionOpen page þat the temporel lordes & aƚƚ worldly lordes were at gode acord & with the comoun peple wolden taken this holy viage ouer the see þanne I trowe wel þat within a lityl tyme oure right heritage before seyd scholde be reconsyled & put in the hondes of the right heires of jhesu crist. And for als moche as it is longe tyme passed þat þer was no generaƚƚ passagedescriptionOpen page no vyage ouer the see & many men desiren for to here [folio 3b] speke of the holy lond & han þere of gret solace & comforte, I Joℏn Maundevylle knyght aƚƚ be it I be not worthi þat was born in Englond, in the town of seynt Albones & passed the see in the ȝeer of oure lord jhesu crist .Miƚƚ ccc & xxij. in the day of seynt Micheƚƚ & hiderto haue ben longe tyme ouer the see & haue seyn & gon þorgh manye dyuerse londes & many prouynces & kyngdomes & jles And haue passed þorghout Turkye Ermonye the lityƚƚ & the grete þorgh Tartarye Percye Surrye Arabye Egypt the high & the lowe thorgℏ lybye Caldee & a gret partie of Ethiope þorgh Amazoyne Inde the lasse & the moredescriptionOpen page a gret partie & thorgh out many othere jles þat ben abouten Inde where dwellen many dyuerse folk & of dyuerse maneres & lawes and of dyuerse schappes of men Of whiche londes & jles I schaƚƚ speke more pleynly here after And I schaƚƚ devise ȝou sum partie of thinges þat þere ben whan tyme schaƚƚ ben after it may best come to my mynde. And specyally for hem þat wiƚƚ & are in purpos for to visite the holy citee of Ierusalem & the holy places þat are þereaboute. And I schaƚƚ teƚƚ the weye þat þei schuƚƚ holden thider For I haue often tymes passed & ryden þat way with gode companye of many lordes, god be thonked.

And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat I hauedescriptionOpen page put this boke out of latyn in to frenscℏ & translated it aȝen out of frenscℏ in to Englysscℏ þat euery man of my nacioun may vnderstonde it. But lordes & knygℏtes & othere noble & worthi men þat conne not latyn but lityƚƚ & han ben beȝonde the see knowen & vnderstonden ȝif I seye trouthe or non. And ȝif I [folio 4a] err in deuisynge for forȝetynge or eƚƚ þat þei mowe redresse it & amende it. For thinges passed out of longe tyme from a mannes mynde or from his syght turnen sone in to forȝetynge because þat mynde of man ne may not ben comprehendeddescriptionOpen page ne witℏ ℏolden for the freeltee of mankynde.descriptionOpen page

Chapter I

THE WAY TO CONSTANTINOPLE

TO TECHE ȜOU THE WEYE OUT OF ENGLOND TO COSTANTYNOBLE.

IN the name of god glorious & aƚƚmyghty he þat wil passe ouer the seedescriptionOpen page & come to londe after the contree þat he cometℏ fro manye of hem comen to on ende. But troweth not þat I wil teƚƚ ȝou aƚƚ the townes & cytees & castelles þat men schuƚƚ go by for þan scholde I make to longe a tale But aƚƚ only summe contrees & most princypaƚƚ stedes þat men schuƚƚ gone þorgh to gon the righte way. First ȝif a man come from the westdescriptionOpen page syde of the world as Engelond Irelond Wales Skotlond or Norweye he may ȝif þat he wole go þorgh Almayne & þorgℏ the kyngdom of hungaryedescriptionOpen page þat marcheth to the lond of Polayne & to the lond of Pannonye & so to Slesie. And the kyng of hungarie is a gret lord and a myghty & holdeth grete lordschippes & meche lond in his hond. For he holdeth the kyndom of hungarie Solauonye & of Comanye a gret part & of Bulgarie þat men clepen the lond of BougiersdescriptionOpen page & of the reme of RoussyedescriptionOpen page a gret partie where of he hath made a Duchee þat lasteth vnto the lond of NiflandescriptionOpen page & marcheth to Pruysse. And men gon þorgh the lond of this lord þorgh a cytee þat is clept CyprondescriptionOpen page & by the casteƚƚ of NeiseburgℏdescriptionOpen page & be the euyƚƚ

towndescriptionOpen page þat sytt toward the end of hungarye And þere passe [folio 4b] men the ryuer of Danubee. This ryuere of Danubee is a fuƚƚ gret ryuer & it goth in to AlmaynedescriptionOpen page vnder the hilles of lombardye and it receyueth in to him .xl. oþere ryueres And it renneth þorgh hungarie & þorgh Grece & þorgh Trachie & it entreth in to the see toward the Est so rudely & so scharply þat the water of the see is fressch & holdeth his swetness .xx. myle within the see. And after gon men to Belgraue & entren into the lond of Bourgres & þere passe men a brigge of ston þat is vpon the ryuer of MarrokdescriptionOpen page & men passen þorgℏ the lond of Pyncemarcz & comen to Grece to the cytee of Nye and to the cytee of fynepape & after to the cytee of Dandrenoble & after to Constantynoble þat was wont to be clept Bezanzon. And þere dwelleth comounly the emperour of Grece. And þere is the most fayr chirche & the most noble of aƚƚ the world & it is of seynt Sophie. And before þat chirche is the ymage of Justynyan the emperour couered with gold.descriptionOpen page And he sytt vpon an hors ycrowned & and he was wont to holden a round appeƚƚ of golddescriptionOpen page in his hond but it is fallen out þereof. And men seyn þere þat it is a tokene þat the Emperour hath ylost a gret partie of his londes & of his lordschipes. For he was wont to ben emperour of Romanie & of Grece of aƚƚ Asye the lesse & of the lond of Surrye of the lond of Judee, in the whiche is ierusalem & of the lond of Egypt of Percye of Arabye. But he hath lost aƚƚ but Grece & þat lond he holtdescriptionOpen page aƚƚ only. And men wolden many tymes put the appuƚƚ into the ymages hond aȝen but it wil not holde it. This appuƚƚ betokeneth the lordschipe þat he hadde ouer aƚƚ the [folio 5a] world þat is round. And the tother hond he lifteth vp aȝenst the Est in tokene to manace the mysdoeres. This ymage stont vpon a pylere of marble at Costantynoble.

Chapter II

THE CROSS AND CROWN

OF THE CROSS AND THE CROUNE OF OURE LORD JHESU CRIST.

AT Costantynoble is the cros of oure lord Jhesu crist and his cote withouten semes þat is clept TUNICA INCONSUTILISdescriptionOpen page & the spounge & the reed of the whiche the Jewes ȝaue oure lord eyseƚƚ & galle in the cros. And þere is on of the nayles þat crist was naylled with on the cros. And sum men trowen þat half the cros þat crist was don on be in CipresdescriptionOpen page in an abbey of monkes þat men callen the hiƚƚ of the holy cros but it is not so. For þat cros þat is in Cypre is the cros in the whiche Dysmas the gode theof was honged onne. But aƚƚ men knowen not þat & þat is euyƚƚ ydon. For for profyte of the offrynge þei seye þat it is the cros of oure lord Jhesu cryst. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat the cros of oure lord was made of .iiij. manere of trees as it is conteyned in this vers: “IN CRUCE FIT PALMA CEDRUS CYPRESSUS OLYUA”.descriptionOpen page For that pece þat wente vpright fro the ertℏe to the heued was of cypresse & the pece þat wente ouerthwart to the whiche his hondes weren nayled to was of palme. And the stok that stode within the erthe in the whiche was made the morteys was of cedre And the table abouen his heued þat was a fote & an half long on the whiche the tytle was writen in Ebreu greu & latyn þat was of Olyue. And the Jewes maden the cros of theise .iiij. manere of trees for þei trowed þat oure lord Jhesu crist scholde han honged on the [folio 5b] cros als longe as the crosdescriptionOpen page mygℏte laste & þerfore made þei the foot of the cros of Cedre. For Cedre may not in erthe ne in water rote & þerfore þei wolde þat it scholde haue lasted longe. For þei trowed þat the body of crist scholde haue stonken þei made þat pece þat went from the erthe vpward of Cypres for it is wel smellynge so þat the smeƚƚ of his body scholde not greue men þat wente forby. And the ouerthwart pece was of palme for in the olde testament it was ordeyned þat whan on was ouercomendescriptionOpen page he scholde be crowned with palme. And for þei trowed þat

thei hadden the victorye of crist Jhesus þerfore made þei the ouerthwart pece of palme. And the table of the tytle þei maden of olyue For olyue betokenetℏ pes, As the storye of Noe witnessetℏ whan þat the culuer broughte the braunche of Olyue þat betokend pes made betwene god & man. And so trowed the Jewes for to haue pes whan crist was ded For þei seyde þat he made discord & strifdescriptionOpen page amonges hem. And ȝee schull vndirstonde þat oure lord was ynaylled on the cros lyggyngedescriptionOpen page & þerfore he suffred the more peyne. And the cristenemen þat dwellen beȝond the see in Grece seyn þat the tree of the cros þat wee callen cypress was of þat tree þat Adam ete the appuƚƚ of & þat fynde þei writen. And þei seyn also þat here scripture seyth þat Adam was seekdescriptionOpen page and seyde to his sone Seth þat he scholde go to the aungeƚƚ þat kepte paradys þat he wolde senden hym oyle of mercy for to anoynte with his membres þat he myghte haue hele. And Seth wente but the aungeƚƚ wolde not late him [folio 6a] come in but seyde to him þat he myght not haue of the oyle of mercy. but he toke him .iij. greynes of the same tree þat his fader eet the appeƚƚ offe & bad him als sone as his fader was ded þat he scholde putte þeise .iij. greynes vnder his tonge & graue himdescriptionOpen page so & so he dide. And of þeise .iij. greynesdescriptionOpen page sprong a tree as the aungel seyde þat it scholde growe & bere a fruyt þorgh the whiche fruyt Adam scholde be saued. And whan Seth cam aȝen he fonde his fader nere ded and whan he was ded he did with the greynes as the aungeƚƚ bad him of the whiche sprongen .iij. trees of the whiche the cros was made þat bare gode fruyt & blessed, oure lord Ihesu crist þorgh whom Adam & all þat comen of him scholde be saued & delyuered from drede of deth withouten ende, but it be here owne defaute. This holy cros had the Jewes hydd in the erthe vnder a roche of the mownt of Caluarie & it lay þere .cc. ȝeer & more into the tyme of seynt Elyne þat was moder to Constantyn the Emperour of Rome. And sche

was doughter of kyng Cool born in Colchestre þat was kyng of Engelond þat was clept þanne Brytayne the more the whiche the Emperour Constance wedded to his wif for her bewtee & gat vpon hire Constantyn þat was after Emperour of Rome & kyng of Englond.descriptionOpen page And ȝee schull vndirstonde þat the cros of oure lord was .viij. cubytes long And the ouerthwart piece was of lengthe .iij. cubytes & an half And .o. þartie of the crowne of oure lorddescriptionOpen page wherwith he was crowned & on of the nayles & the spereheed & many oþer relikes ben in Fraunce [folio 6b] in the kynges ChapeƚƚdescriptionOpen page And the crowne lyth in a vesseƚƚ of cristall richely dyght. For a kyng of Fraunce boughte þeise relikes somtyme of the JewesdescriptionOpen page to whom the Emperour had leyde hem to wedde for a gret summe of syluer.descriptionOpen page And ȝif aƚƚ it be so þat men seyn þat this croune is of thornes, ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat it was of jonkes of the seedescriptionOpen page þat is to sey russhes of the see þat prykken als scharpely as thornes. For I haue seen & beholden many tymes þat of parys & þat of Costantynoble for þei were bothe on made of russches of the see. But men han departed hem in .ij. parties of the whiche .o. part is at Parys & the oþer part is at Costantynoble. And I haue on of tho precyouse thornes þat semeth liche a white thorn And þat was ȝouen to medescriptionOpen page for gret specyaltee. For þere are many of hem broken & fallen in to the vesseƚƚ þat the croune lyth in. For þei breken for dryeness whan men meven hem to schewen hem to grete lordes þat comen thider. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstond þat oure lord Ihesu in þat nyght þat he was taken he was ylad in to a gardyn & þere he was first examyned right scharply & þere the Jewes scorned him & maden him a crowne of the braunches of Albespyne þat is white thorn þat grew in þat same gardyn & setten it on his heued so faste & so sore þat the blood ran down be many places of his visage & of his necke & of his schuldres. And þerfore hath the white thorn many vertues. For he þat bereth A braunche on him þereoffe no thonder ne no maner of tempest may dere him ne in the hows þat it

is jnnedescriptionOpen page may non euyƚƚ gost entre ne come vnto the place þat it is jnne. And [folio 7a] in þat same gardyn seynt Peter denyed ours lord thryes. Afterward was oure lord lad forth before the Bisschoppes & the maystres of the lawe in to anoþer gardyn of Anne And þere also he was examyned repreued & scorned and crouned eft with a swete thorn þat men clepeth BarbarynesdescriptionOpen page þat grew in þat gardyn & þat hatℏ also manye vertues.descriptionOpen page And afterward he was lad into a gardyn of Cayphas & þere he was crouned with Eglentior And after he was lad into the chambre of Pylate & þere he was examynd & crouned. And the Jewes setten him in a chayere & cladde him in a mantell & þere made þei the croune of jonkes of the see And þere þei kneled to him & skornede him seyenge: “AUE REX JUDEORUM”, þat is to seye: heyl kyng of Jewes. And of this croune half is at Parys and the other half at Costantynoble. And this croune had crist on his heued whan he was don vpon the cros & þer fore ougℏte men to worschipe it & holde it more worthi þan ony of the othere. And the spere schaft hath the Emperour of AlmaynedescriptionOpen page but the heued is at Parys. And natheles the Emperour of Costantynoble seyth þat he hath the spere heed & I haue often tyme seen it but it is grettere þan þat at Parys.

Chapter III

CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE GREEK FAITH

OF THE CYTEE OF COSTANTYNOBLE & OF THE FEITH OF GREKES.

ATdescriptionOpen page Costantynoble lyeth seynte Anne oure ladyes moder whom seynte Elyne leet brynge fro Ierusalem. And þere lyeth also the body of Joℏn Crisostom þat was Erchebisschopp of Costantynoble. And þere lyth also seynt luke the Euuangelist for his bones weren brougℏt from Bethanye where [folio 7b] he was beryed & many oþere relikes ben þere. And þere is the vesseƚƚ of ston as it were of marbel þat men clepen EnydrosdescriptionOpen page þat oueremore droppeth water & filleth himself euerich ȝeer til þat it go ouer aboue withouten þat that men take fro withjnne.descriptionOpen page Costantynoble is

a fuƚƚ fair cytee & a gode & a wel walled & it is .iij. cornered. And þere is an arm of the see hellespont and sum men callen it the mouth of Costantynoble And sum men callent it the brace of seynt George. And þat arm closeth the .ij. partes of the cytee. And vpward to the see vpon þat water was wont to be the grete cytee of Troye in a fuƚƚ fayr playn but þat cytee was destroyed by hem of Grece & lytyll appereth þereof because it is so longe sith it was destroyed. Abouten Grece þere ben many Iles As Calistre Calcas Critige Tesbria Mynea Flaxon Melo Carpate & Lempne. And in this jle is the Mount Athos þat passeth the cloudes. And þere ben manye dyuerse langages & many contreys þat ben obedyent to the Emperour, þat is to seyne TurcopledescriptionOpen page Pyncynard Comange & manye othere as Tragye & Macedoigne of the whiche Alisandre was kyng. In þat contree was Aristotle born in a cytee þat men clepen Stragers a lytil fro the cytee of Trachye. And at Stragers lyth Aristotle & þere is an awtier vpon his toumbe And þere maken men grete festesdescriptionOpen page of hym euery ȝeer as þougℏ he were a seynt. And at his awtier þei holden here grete conseilles & here assembleez And thei hopen þat þorgℏ inspiracioun of god & of him þei schuƚƚ haue the better conseiƚƚ. In this contree ben right hygℏe [folio 8a] hilles toward the ende of Macedonye And þere is a gret hiƚƚ þat men clepen Olympus þat departeth Macedonye & Trachie And it is so high þat it passeth the cloudes. And þere is anoþer hill þat is clept AthosdescriptionOpen page þat is so higℏ þat the schadewe of hym rechetℏ to Lempne þat is an Ile and it is .lxxvj. myle betwene. And abouen at the cop of þat hiƚƚ is the eyr so cleer þat men may fynde no wynd þere And þerfore may no best lyue þere so is the eyr drye. // And men seye in this contrees þat Philosophres some tyme wenten vpon theise hilles & helden to here nose a spounge moysted with water for to haue eyrdescriptionOpen page for the eyr aboue was so drye. And abouen in the dust & in the powder of þo hilles þei wroot lettres & figures with hire fyngres & at the ȝeres ende þei comen aȝen & founden

the same lettres & figures the whiche þei hadde writen the ȝeer before withouten ony defaute. And þerfore it semeth wel þat theise hilles passen the clowdes & ioynen to the pure eyr. At Costantynoble is the palays of the Emperour rigℏt fair & wel dygℏt And þere in is a fair place for justyngesdescriptionOpen page or for oþer pleyes & desportes. And it is made with stages & hath degrees aboute þat euery man may wel se & non greue oþer. And vnder þeise stages ben stables wel yvowted for the emperours hors & aƚƚ the pileres ben of marbeƚƚ. And within the chirche of seynt Sophie An Emperour somtyme wolde haue biryed the body of his fader whan he was ded & as þei maden the graue þei founden a body in the erthe & vpon the body lay a fyn plate of gold And þere on was writen in Ebru / greu / & latyn lettres þat seyden þus: “IHESUS CRISTUS NASCE [folio 8b] TUR DE VIRGINE MARIA & EGO CREDO IN EUM”. Þat is to seyne: Jhesu crist schaƚƚ be born of the virgyne Marie & I trowe in hym. And the date whan it was leyd in the ertℏe was .ij.Miƚ. ȝeer before oure lord was born And ȝit is the plate of gold in the thresorye of the chirche. And men seyn þat it was hermogenedescriptionOpen page the wise man. And ȝif aƚƚ it so be þat men of Grece ben cristene ȝit þei varien from oure feith For þei seyn þat the holy gost may not come of the sone but aƚƚ only of the fadir. And þei are not obedyent to the chirche of Rome ne to the pope And þei seyn þat here Patriark hath as meche power ouer the see as the Pope hath on this syde the see. And þerfore Pope Joℏn the .xxij.descriptionOpen page sende lettres to hem how cristene feith scholde ben aƚƚ on & þat þei scholde ben obedyent to the Pope þat is goddes vicarie on erthe to whom god ȝaf his pleyn powere for to bynde & to assoille & þerfore þei scholde ben obedyent to him. And þei senten aȝen dyuerse answeres & amonges othere þei seyden þus: “POTENCIAM TUAM SUMMAM CIRCA TUOS SUBIECTOS FIRMITER CREDIMUS SUPERBIAM TUAM SUMMAM TOLERARE NON POSSUMUS AUARICIAM TUAM SUMMAM SACIARE NON INTENDIMUS. DOMINUS TECUM QUIA”

“ DOMINUS NOBISCUM EST”. Þat is to seye: Wee trowe wel þat thi power is gret vpon thi subgettes. Wee may not suffre thin high pryde Wee ben not in purpos to fulfille thi gret couetyse. lord be with þe for oure lord is with vs. fare weƚƚ. And oþer answere mygℏte he not haue of hem. And also þei make here sacrement of the awteer of therf breddescriptionOpen page for oure lord made it of such bred whan he made his mawndee. And on the scherethorsday make [folio 9a] þei here therf bred in tokene of the mawndee & dryen it at the sonne & kepen it aƚƚ the ȝeer & ȝeuen it to seke men in stede of goddes body. And þei make but on vnxioundescriptionOpen page whan þei cristene children And þei anoynte not the seke men. And thei seye þat þere nys no purgatorie & þat soules schuƚƚ not haue nouþer ioye ne peyne tiƚƚ the day of doom. And þei seye þat Fornicacioun is no synne dedly but a thing þat is kyndely And þat men & wommen scholde not wedde but ones And whoso weddeth oftere þan ones here children ben bastardes & geten in synne And here prestes also ben wedded. And þei sey also þat vsure is no dedly synne. And þei sellen benefices of holy chirche & so don men in oþere places, god amende it whan his wille is, And þat is gret sclaundre. For now is SimonyedescriptionOpen page kyng crouned in holy chirche, god amende it for his mercy. And þei seyn þat in lentone men schaƚƚ not faste ne synge masse but on the saterday & on the sonday. And þei faste not on the saterday no tyme of the ȝeer but it be cristemass euendescriptionOpen page or Ester euen. And þei suffre not the latynes to syngen at here awteres & ȝif thei don be ony aventure anon þei wasschen the awteer with holy water. And þei seyn þat þere scholde be but .o. masse seyd at on awtier vpon .o. day. And þei seye also þat oure lord ne eet neuere mete but he made tokene of etyng. And also þei seye þat wee synne dedly in schauynge oure berdes. For the berd is tokene of a man & ȝifte of oure lord.descriptionOpen page And þei seye þat wee synne dedly in etynge of bestes þat weren forboden in the olde testement & of the olde lawe as swyn hares & oþere bestes [folio 9b] þat chewen not

here code. And þei seyn þat wee synnen whan wee eten flesscℏ on the dayes before AsschwednesdaydescriptionOpen page & of þat þat wee eten flesscℏ the wednesday & egges & chese vpon the frydayes And þei acursen aƚƚ þo þat abstynen hem to eten flesch the saterday. Also the Emperour of Costantynoble maketh the Patriark the Erchebysschoppes & the Bisshoppes & ȝeuetℏ the dignytees & the benefices of chirches & depryueth hem þat ben worthy whan he fyndeth ony cause And so is he lord bothe temporeƚƚ & spiritueƚƚ in his contree. And ȝif ȝee wil wite of here .A.B.C. what lettres þei ben here ȝee may seen hem with the names þat þei clepen hem þere amonges hem:descriptionOpen page

[Only photographs can do justice to the various alphabets contained in Mandeville.]

Chapter IV

THE LADY OF LANGO

OF SEYNT JOℏN THE EUUANGELIST & OF YPOCRAS DOUGℏTER TRANSFORMED FROM A WOMMAN TO A DRAGOUN.

AND aƚƚ be it þat þeise thinges touchen not to .o. way neuertheles þei touchen to þat þat I haue hight ȝou to schewe ȝou a partie of custumes & maneres & dyuersitees of contrees. And for this is the firste contree þat is discordant in feyth & in beleeue & varieth from oure feyth on this half the see,descriptionOpen page þerefore I haue sett it here, þat ȝee may knowe the dyuersitee þat is betwene oure feyth & theires. For many men han gret likyng to here speke of straunge thinges of dyuerse contreyes. [folio 10a] Now returne I aȝen for to teche ȝou the way from Constantynoble to Ierusalem. He þat wol þorgℏ Turkye he goth toward the cytee of NikedescriptionOpen page & passeth þorgh the ȝate of Chieuetout & aƚƚ weys men seen before hem the hiƚƚ of Chieuetout þat is right high & it is a myle & an half from Nike. And whoso wil go be watre be the brace of seynt George & by the see where seynt Nicholas lyetℏ & toward many oþer places First men gotℏ to an jle þat is clept Sylo.descriptionOpen page In þat Ile groweth Mastyk on smale trees & out of hem cometh gomme as it were of plombtrees or of cherietrees.

And after gon men þorgℏ the Ile of PathmosdescriptionOpen page & þere wrot seynt Joℏn the Euuangelist the apocalips. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat seynt Joℏn was of age .xxxij. ȝeer whan oure lord suffred his passioun And after his passioun he lyuede .lxvij. ȝeer And in the .c. ȝeer of his age he dyede. From Pathmos men gon vnto Ephesim a faire citee & nygh to the see And þere dyede seynte Joℏn & was buryed behynde the high awtiere in a toumbe. And þere is a fair chirche For cristene men weren wont to holden þat place alweys. And in the tombe of seynt Joℏn is nought but Manna þat is clept Aungeles mete for his body was translated in to paradys.descriptionOpen page And Turkes holden now aƚƚ þat place & the citee & the chirche And aƚƚ Asie the lesse is ycleped Turkye. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat seynt Joℏn leet make his graue þere in his lyf & leyd himself þerejnne aƚƚ quyk And þerfore somme men seyn þat he dyed nought, but þat he resteth þere til the day of doom. And forsothe þere is a gret merueyle for men may see þere the erthe of the tombe [folio 10b] apertly many tymes steren & meuen as þere weren quykke thinges vnder. And from Ephesim men gon þorgh many Iles in the see vnto the cytee of PateranedescriptionOpen page where seynt Nicholas was born & so to martha where he was chosen to ben Bisschopp & þere groweth right godedescriptionOpen page wyndescriptionOpen page & strong And þat men callen wyn of martha. And from thens gon men to the Ile of Crete þat the Emperour ȝaf somtyme to Janeweys And þanne passen men þorgℏ the Iles of ColcosdescriptionOpen page & of lango of the whiche Iles ypocras was lord offe. And somme men seyn þat in the Ile of lango is ȝit the doughter of ypocras in forme & lykness of a gret dragoun þat is an hundred fadme of lengtℏe as men seyn, for I haue not seen hire. And þei of the Iles callen hire lady of the lond And sche lyeth in an olde castell in a cave & scheweth twyes or thryes in the ȝeer and sche doth non harm to no man but ȝif men don hire harm. And sche was thus chaunged & transformed from a fair damysele in to lykness of a dragoun be a Goddess þat was clept Deane. And

men seyn þat sche schal so endure in þat forme of a dragoun vnto tyme þat a knygℏt come þat is so hardy þat dar come to hire & kisse hire on þe mouth and þan schall sche turne aȝen to hire owne kynde & ben a womman aȝen but after þat sche schaƚƚ not lyuen longe. And it is not longe sithen þat a knyght of the hospital of Rodes þat was hardy & doughty in armes seyde þat he wolde kyssen hire. And whan he was vpon his coursere & wente to [folio 11a] the casteƚƚ & entred in to the cave the dragoun lifte vp hire hed aȝenst him And whan the knyghtdescriptionOpen page saugh hire in þat forme so hidous & so horrible he fleygℏ awey & the dragoun bare the knyght vpon a roche mawgree his hede And from þat roche sche caste him in to the see & so was lost bothe hors & man. And also a ȝonge man þat wiste not of the dragoun wente out of a schipp & wente þorgh the Ile til þat he come to the castell & cam in to the cave and wente so longe til þat he fond a chambre & þere he saugh a damysele þat kembed hire hede & lokede in a myrour. And sche hadde meche tresoure abouten hire & he trowede þat sche hadde ben a comoun womman þat dwelled þere to resceyue men to folye. And he abode tiƚƚ the damysele saugh thedescriptionOpen page schadewe of him in the myrour.descriptionOpen page And sche turned hire toward him & asked hym what he wolde And he seyde he wolde ben hire lemman or paramour and sche asked him ȝif þat he were a knyght & he seyde nay. And þan sche seyde þat he myghte not ben hire lemman But sche bad him gon aȝen vnto his felowes & let make him knyght & come aȝen vpon the morwe & sche scholde come out of the cave before him & þanne come and kysse hire on the mowth. & haue no drede, for I schaƚƚ do þe no maner harm all be it þat þou see me in lykeuess of a dragoun For þough þou se me hidouse & horrible to loken onne I do þe to wytene þat it is made be enchauntement. For withouten doute I am non oþer þan þou seest now, a womman, [folio 11b] And þerfore drede þe nought. And ȝif þou kisse me þou schalt haue aƚƚ this tresoure & be my lord & lord also of all þat Ile. And

he departed fro hire & wente to his felowes to schippe & leet make him knyght & cam aȝen vpon the morwe for to kysse this damysele. And whan he saugh hire comen out of the cave in forme of a dragoun so hidouse & so horrible he hadde so gret drede þat he fleygℏ aȝen to the schipp & sche folewed him. And whan sche sawgh þat he turned not aȝen sche began to crye as a thing þat hadde meche sorwe And þanne sche turned aȝen in to hire cave And anon the knyght dyede & sithen hiderwardes myghte no knyght se hire but þat he dyede anon. But whan a knyght cometh þat is so hardy to kisse hire he schall not dye, but he schall turne the damysele in to hire right forme & kyndely schapp & he schal be lord of all the contreyes & Iles aboueseyd.descriptionOpen page And from þens men comen to the Ile of Rodes the whiche Ile hospitaleres holden & gouernen And þat token þei sumtyme from the Emperour And it was wont to be clept Collos & so calle it the Turkes ȝit And seynt Poul in his epistles writeth to hem of þat Ile AD COLLOCENSES. This Ile is nygh .viij^c. myle long from Constantynoble.

Chapter V

CYPRUS AND ACRE

[OF DIVERSITIES IN CYPRUS; OF THE ROAD FROM CYPRUS TO JERUSALEM, AND OF THE MARVELS OF THE FOSS FULL OF SAND.]descriptionOpen page

AND from this Ile of Rodes men gon to Cipre where beth many wynesdescriptionOpen page þat first ben rede & after .o. ȝere þei becomen white And þeise wynes þat ben most white bendescriptionOpen page most clere & best of smeƚƚ. And men passen be þat way be a placedescriptionOpen page þat was wont to ben a gret cytee & a gret lond & the cytee was clept Cathaillye,descriptionOpen page the whiche cytee [folio 12a] & lond was lost þorgh folye of a ȝonge man. For he had a fayr damysele þat he loued wel to his paramour & sche dyed sodeynly & was don in a tombe of marble & for the grete lust þat he had to hire he wente in the nyght vnto hire tombe & opened it & went in & lay be hire & wente

his wey. And whan it cam to the ende of .ix. monethes þere com a voys to him & seyde: Go to the tombe of þat womman & open it & behold what þou hast begoten on hire & ȝif þou lette to go þou schalt haue a gret harm. And he ȝede & opened the tombe & þere fleygℏ out an EdderedescriptionOpen page rigℏt hidous to see, the whiche als swythe fleigℏ aboutedescriptionOpen page the cytee & the contree & sone after the cytee sank downdescriptionOpen page & þere ben manye perilouse passages with outen fayle. From Rodes to Cypre ben .v. myle & more, But men may gon to Cypre & come not at Rodes. Cypre is rigℏt a gode Ile and a fair & a gret and it hath .iiij. princypaƚƚ cylees within him And þere is an Erchebysshopp at Nichosie & .iiij. othere bysschoppesdescriptionOpen page in þat lond. And at Famagost is on of the princypall hauenes of the see, þat is in the world And þere arryuen cristene men & sarazynes & men of aƚƚ nacyons. In Cipre is the hiƚƚ of the holy crosdescriptionOpen page & þere is an abbeye of monkes blake And þere is the cros of Dismas the gode theef as I haue seyd before, And summe men trowen þat þere is half the cross of oure lord but it is not so and þei don euyƚƚ þat make men to beleeue so. In Cipre lyth seynt zenomynedescriptionOpen page of whom men of þat contree maken gret solempnytee. And in the casteƚƚ of amouredescriptionOpen page lyth the body of seynt Hyllarie & men kepen it right [folio 12b] worschipfully. And besyde Famagost was seynt Barnabce the Apostle born. In Cipre men hunten with PapyounsdescriptionOpen page þat ben lyche lyberdes & þei taken wylde bestes right well and þei ben somdeƚƚ more þan lyouns & þei taken more scharpelych the bestes & more delyuerly þan don houndes. In Cipre is the manere of lordes & all oþere mendescriptionOpen page aƚƚ to eten on the erthe, for þei make dyches in the erthe aƚƚ aboute in the halle depe to the knee & þei do paue hem And whan þei wil ete þei gon þere in & sytten þere.descriptionOpen page And the skyƚƚ is for þei may be the more fresscℏ for þat lond is meche more hottere þan it is here. And at grete festes & for straungeres þei setten formes & tables as men don in this contree, but þei had louer sytten in the erthe. From Cypre men gon to

the lond of Jerusalem be the see and in a day & in a nyght he þat hath gode wynd may come to the hauene of Thire þat now is clept Surrye. There was somtyme a gret cytee & a gode of crystenemen but sarazins han destroyed it a gret partye And þei kepe þat haue right weƚƚ for drede of cristene men. Men myghte go more right to þat hauene & come not in Cypre But þei gon gladly to Cipre to reste hem on the lond or eƚƚ to byggen thinges þat þei haue nede to here lyuynge. On the see syde men may fynde many rubyes. And þere is the welle of the whiche holy writt speketh offe & seyth: “FONS ORTORUM & PUTEUS AQUARUM VIUENCIUM”,descriptionOpen page þat is to seye: the welle of gardyns & the dych of lyuynge watres. In this cytee of Thire seyde the womman to oure lord: “BEATUS VENTER QUI TE PORTAUIT & VBERA QUE SUCCISTI”, þat is to seye: Blessed be the body þat þe baar & the pappes þat þou sowkedest. And þere oure lord forȝaf [folio 13a] the womman of Chananee hire synnes And before Tyre was wont to be the ston on the whiche oure lord sat & prechede & on þat ston was founded the chirche of seynt sauyour. And .viij. myledescriptionOpen page from Tyre toward the Est vpon the see is the cytee of Sarphen in sareptdescriptionOpen page of sydonyens And þere was wont for to dwelle helye the prophete & þere reysed he Jonas the wydwes sonedescriptionOpen page from deth to lyf. And .v. myle fro sarphen is the cytee of Sydon of the whiche citee Dydo was lady þat was Eneas wif after the destruction of Troye & þat founded the cytee of Cartage in Affrik & now is cleped Sydon Sayete.descriptionOpen page And in the cytee of Tyre regned Agenore the fader of Dydo. And .xvj. myles from Sydon is Beruth And fro Beruth to Sardenare is .iij. iourneyes And from Sardenar is .v. myle to Damask. And whoso wil go longer tyme on the see & come nerre to Jerusalem he schal go fro Cipre be see to the port Jaff For þat is the nexte hauene to Jerusalem. And the town is called Jaff for on of the sones of Noe þat higℏte Japhet founded it & now it is clept Joppe.descriptionOpen page And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat it is on of the oldest

townes of the world For it was founded before Noeis flode And ȝit þere schewetℏ in the roche þer as the Irene cheynes were festned þat AndromadedescriptionOpen page a gret Geaunt was bounden with & put in prisoun before Noees flode of the whiche geant is a ryb of his syde þat is .xl. fote longe. And whoso wil arryue at the firste port of Thire or of Surre þat I haue spoken of before may go be londe ȝif he wil to Jerusalem. And men goth fro Surre vnto the citee of DacoundescriptionOpen page [folio 13b] in a day And it was clept somtyme Tholomayda And it was somtyme a cytee of cristenemen fuƚƚ fair but it is now destroyed & it stont vpon the see. And fro venyse to Akoun be see is .m^ƚm^ƚ & iiij^xx. myles of lombardye And fro Calabre or fro Cecyle to Akoun be see is a .m^ƚccc. myles of lombardye And the Ile of Crete is rigℏt in the myd weye. And besyde the cytee of AkoundescriptionOpen page to ward the see vj^xx. furlonges on the right syde toward the south is the hiƚƚ of Carmelyn where helyas the prophete dwelled & þere was first the ordre of frere carmes founded. This hiƚƚ is not right gret ne fuƚƚ higℏ And at the fote of this hiƚƚ was somtyme a gode cytee of cristenemen þat men cleped CayphasdescriptionOpen page for Cayphas first founded it but it is now aƚƚ wasted. And on the lift syde of the hill Carmelyn is a town þat men clepen SaffredescriptionOpen page & þat is sett on anoþer hiƚƚ þere seynt James & seynt Joℏn were born And in the worschipe of hem þere is a fair chirche. And fro Tholomayda þat men clepen now akoun vnto a gret hiƚƚ þat is clept Scalla ThiresdescriptionOpen page is an hundred furlonges And besyde the cytee of Akoun renneth a lytiƚƚ ryuere þat is clept Belon. And þere nygℏ is the Foss of MennondescriptionOpen page þat is aƚƚ round & it is an hundred cubytes of largeness & it is aƚƚ fuƚƚ of graueƚƚ schynynge brighte of the whiche men maken faire verres & clere. And men comen fro fer by watre in schippes & be londe with cartes for to fetten of þat graueƚƚ And þough þere be neuere so meche taken awey þere of on the day at morwe it is as fuƚƚ aȝen as euere it was [folio 14a] And þat is a gret meruaille. And þere is eueremore gret wynd in þat Foss þat stereth eueremore the graueƚƚ & maketh it

trouble And ȝif ony man do þere jnne ony maner metaƚƚ it turneth anon to glass. And the glass þat is made of þat graueƚƚ ȝif it be don aȝen in to the graueƚƚ it turneth anon in to graueƚƚ as it was first And þerfore somme men seyn þat it is a swelogℏdescriptionOpen page of the grauely see. Also from Akoun aboue seyd gon men forth .iiij. iournees to the citee of Palostyne þat was of the Philistyencs þat now is clept GazadescriptionOpen page þat is a gay cytee & a riche & it is right fayr & fuƚƚ of folk & it is a lytill fro the see. And from this cytee brought Sampson the stronge the ȝates vpon an higℏ lond whan he was taken in þat cytee And þere he slowgh in a paleys the kyng & hymself & gret nombre of the bestedescriptionOpen page of the Philistienes the whiche had put out his eyen & schauen his hed & enprisound him be tresoun of Dalida his paramour, And þerefore he made falle vpon hem a gret halle whan þei were at mete. And from þens gon men to the cytee of CesairedescriptionOpen page & so to the casteƚƚ of Pylgrymes & so to Ascolonge & þan to Jaff & so to Jerusalem. And whoso wiƚƚ go be londe þorgℏ the lond of BabyloynedescriptionOpen page where the sowdan dwelleth comonly he moste gete grace of him & leue to go more sikerly þorgℏ þo londes & contrees And for to go to the mount of synay before þat men gon to Jerusalem & þanne turne aȝen to Jerusalem he scha go fro Gaza to the casteƚƚ of Daire.descriptionOpen page And after þat men comen out of Surrye & entren in to wylderness & þere the weye is fuƚƚ [folio 14b] sondy. And þat wylderness & desert lasteth .viij. iourneyes but aƚƚ weys men fynden gode jnnes & aƚƚ þat hem nedeth of vytaylle, And men clepen þat wylderness Achellek.descriptionOpen page And whan a man cometh out of þat desert he entreth in to Egypt þat medescriptionOpen page clepen Egipt CanopatdescriptionOpen page And after oþer langage men clepen it Morsyn.descriptionOpen page And þere first men fynden a gode tonn þat is clept BeletℏdescriptionOpen page & it is at the ende of the kyngdom of Halappee & from þens men gon to Babyloyne & to Cayre

Chapter VI

CAIRO AND THE SULTANS

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

AT Babyloyne þere is a faire chirchedescriptionOpen page 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 forneysdescriptionOpen page 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 casteƚƚdescriptionOpen page 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 himdescriptionOpen page 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. kyngdomesdescriptionOpen page 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,descriptionOpen page 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 soudandescriptionOpen page 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 ComaynzdescriptionOpen page [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 MountrivaƚƚdescriptionOpen page 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.descriptionOpen page And wyte ȝee wel þat the Soudan may lede out of Egipt mo þan .xx Miƚƚ.descriptionOpen page 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 himdescriptionOpen page 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 townesdescriptionOpen page ben amyralles þat han the gouernance of the peple, On hath to gouerne .iiij.descriptionOpen page & anoþer hath to gouerne .v.descriptionOpen page anoþer mo & anoþer wel mo And als many takethdescriptionOpen page 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. wyfesdescriptionOpen page 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 paramoursdescriptionOpen page 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 camakadescriptionOpen page 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 vpdescriptionOpen page 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 hedescriptionOpen page 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 nomandescriptionOpen page 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 BabyloynedescriptionOpen page 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 symulacresdescriptionOpen page 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. cubytesdescriptionOpen page 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 RyueredescriptionOpen page 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 BabiloynedescriptionOpen page 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 MethondescriptionOpen page 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.descriptionOpen page 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.descriptionOpen page 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 TheophilusdescriptionOpen page 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 CalyffezdescriptionOpen page 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 BaldakdescriptionOpen page 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:descriptionOpen page 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 SahaladyndescriptionOpen page 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 NyledescriptionOpen page þat cometh out of Paradys terrestre. Þat ryuere of Nyle aƚƚ the ȝeer whan the sonne entreth in to the signe of CancerdescriptionOpen page 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 signedescriptionOpen page of libra þanne þei entren betwene theise ryueres.descriptionOpen page 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 & MorekanedescriptionOpen page & 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 SikonyesdescriptionOpen page þat þei clepen Ibes.

Chapter VII

EGYPT, BALM, THE PYRAMIDS

OF THE CONTREE OF EGIPT; OF THE BRID FENIX; OF ARABYE; OF THE CYTEE OF CAYRE; OF THE CONNYNGE TO KNOWEN BAWME AND TO PREUEN IT, AND OF THE GERNERES OF JOSEPH.

EGYPT is a long contreedescriptionOpen page but it is streyt þat is to seye narow for þei may not enlargen it toward the desert for defaute of water And the contree is sett along vpon the ryuere of Nyle be als moche as þat ryuere may serue be flodes or oþerwise þat whanne it floweth it may spreden abrood þorgh the contree, so is the contree large of lengtℏe.descriptionOpen page For þere it reyneth not but lityll in þat contree & for þat cause þei haue no water, but ȝif it [folio 20a] be of þat flood of þat ryuere. And for als moche as it ne reyneth not in þat contree but the eyr is alwey pure & cleer, þerfore in

þat contree ben the gode astronomyeres, for þei fynde þere no cloudes to letten hem. Also the cytee of Cayre is right gret & more huge þan þat of Babyloyne the lesse And it sytt abouen toward the desert of Syrye a lytill abouen the ryuere aboueseyd. In Egipt þere ben .ij. parties, The hegℏte þat is toward Ethiope & the lowenessdescriptionOpen page þat is towardes Arabye. In Egypt is the lond of Ramasses & the lond of Gessen. Egipt is a strong contree for it hath many schrewede hauenes be cause of the grete Roches þat ben stronge and daungerouse to passe by. And at Egipt toward the Est is the rede see þat dureth vnto the cytee of CostondescriptionOpen page & toward the west is the cytee of lybyedescriptionOpen page þat is a fuƚƚ drye lond & lityƚƚ of fruyt, for it is ouer moche plentee of hete And þat lond is clept Fusth. And toward the partie meridionaƚƚ is Ethiope & toward the north is the desert þat dureth vnto Syrye & so is the contree strong on aƚƚ sydes. And it is wel a .xv. iourneyes of lengtℏe & more þan two so mochedescriptionOpen page of desert & it is but .ij. iournees of largeness. And betwene Egipt & Nubye it hath weldescriptionOpen page a .xij. iournees of desert And men of Nubye ben cristen but þei ben blake as the MowresdescriptionOpen page for gret hete of the sonne. [folio 20b] In Egipt þere ben .v. prouynces, þat on hight SAHYTH þat other hight DEMESEER another RESICH, þat is an Ile in NYLE, Another ALISANDRE & another the lond of DAMYETE. Þat citee was wont to be right strong but it was twyes wonnen of the cristene men And þerfore after þat the sarazines beten down the walles And with the walles & the toures þerof the sarazaines maden another cytee more fer from the see & clepeden it the newe Damyete, So þat now no man duelleth at the rathere toun of Damyete. At þat cytee of Damyete is on of the hauenes of Egypt & at Alisandre is þat otℏer þat is a fuƚƚ strong cytee, But þere is no water to drynke, but ȝif it come be condyt from Nyle þat entreth in to here cisternes, And who so stopped þat water from hem, þei mygℏte not endure þere. In Egypt þere ben but fewe Forcelettes or castelles be cause

þat the contree is so strong of himself. NOTA OF A MERUEYLE.descriptionOpen page At the desertes of Egypte was a wortℏi man þat was an holy heremytedescriptionOpen page & þere mette with him a Monstre þat is to seynedescriptionOpen page a monstre is a þing difformed aȝen kynde bothe of man or of best or of ony þing elles & þat is cleped a Monstre. And this monstre þat mette with this holy heremyte was as it hadde ben a man þat hadde .ij. hornes trenchant on his forhede & he hadde a body lyk a man vnto þe navele [folio 21a] And benethe he hadde the body lych a goot & the heremyte asked him what he was. And the monstre answerde him & seyde he was a dedly creature such as god hadde formed & duelled in þo desertes in purchacynge his sustynance, & besoughte the heremyte þat he wolde preye god for him the whiche þat cam from heuene for to sauen aƚƚ mankynde & was born of a mayden & suffred passioun & deth as wee wel knowen, be whom wee lyuen & ben. And ȝit is the hededescriptionOpen page with the .ij. hornes of þat monstre at Alisandre for a merueyle. In Egipt is the citee of Elyople þat is to seyne the cytee of the sonne. In þat cytee þere is a temple made round after the schap̄p̄ of the temple of Ierusalem. The prestes of þat temple han all here wrytynges vnder the date of the foul þat is clept FenixdescriptionOpen page & þere is non but on in aƚƚ the world And he cometh to brenne himself vpon the awtere of þat temple at the ende of .v. hundred ȝeer for so longe he lyueth. And at the .vc. ȝeres ende the prestes arrayen here awtere honestly and putten þere vpon spices & sulphur vif & oþer thinges þat wolen brennen lightly And þan the brid Fenix cometh & brennetℏ himself to askes. And the first day next after men fynden in the askes a worm And the seconde day next after men fynden a brid quyk & parfyt And the thridde day next after he fleeth his wey And so þere is no mo briddes of þat [folio 21b] kynde in aƚƚ the world but it allone & treuly þat is a gret myracle of god. And men may wel lykne þat bryd vnto god be cause þat þere nys no god but on And also þat oure lord aroos from deth to lyue the thridde day. This bryd men seen often

tyme fleen in þo contrees And he is not mecheles more þan an Egle And he hath a crest of fedres vpon his hed more gret þan the poocok hath & his nekke is ȝalow after colour of an Orieƚƚ þat is a ston wel schynynge. And his bak is coloured blew as ynde And his wenges ben of purpre colour And the tayƚƚ is ȝelow & red,descriptionOpen page castynge his tayƚƚ aȝen in travers. And he is a fuƚƚ fair brid to loken vpon aȝenst the sonne, for he schyneth full gloriously & nobely. Also in Egipt ben gardynes þat han trees & herbes þe whiche beren frutes .vij. tymes in the ȝeer And in þat lond men fynden manye fayre EmeraudesdescriptionOpen page & ynowe And þerfore þei ben þere grettere cheep. Also whan it reynetℏ ones in the somer in the lond of Egipt þanne is aƚƚ the contree fuƚƚ of grete myzs.descriptionOpen page Also at Cayre þat I spak of before sellen men comounly botℏe men & wommen of other lawe as we don here bestes in the markat. And þere is a comoun hows in þat cytee þat is aƚƚ fuƚƚ of smale furneys & thider bryngen wommen of the toun here eyren of hennes of gees & of dokes for to ben put into þo forneyses And þei þat kepen þat hows coueren hemdescriptionOpen page with hete of hors dong Withouten henne goos or doke or ony oþer foul. And at the ende [folio 22a] of .iij. wokes or of a moneth þei comen aȝen & taken here chikenes & norisschen hem & bryngen hem fortℏ so þat aƚƚ the contree is fuƚƚ of hem And so men don þere bothe winter & somer. Also in þat contree & in oþere also men fynden longe Apples to selle in hire cesoun & men clepen hem Apples of Paradys & þei ben rigℏt swete & of gode sauour And þogh ȝee kutte hem in neuer so many gobettes or parties ouerthwart or endlonges eueremore ȝee schull fynden in the myddes the figure of the holy cros of oure lord Ihesu But þei wil roten within .viij. dayes And for þat cause men may not carye of þo apples to no fer contrees. Of hem men fynden the mountance of an hundred in a bascatdescriptionOpen page to selle & þei han grete leues of a fote & an half of lengthe & þei ben couenably large. And men fynden þere also the appuƚƚ tree of AdamdescriptionOpen page þat han a byte at on

of the sydes And þere ben also Fige trees þat beren no leves but fyges vpon the smale braunches & men clepen hem Figes of PHAROON. Also besyde CAYRE withouten þat cytee is the feld where Bawme growethdescriptionOpen page And it cometh out on smale trees þat ben non hyere þan to a mannes breek girdiƚƚ & þei semen as wode þat is of the wylde vyne. And in þat feld ben .vij. welles þat oure lord Ihesu crist made with on of his feetdescriptionOpen page whan he wente to pleyen with oþer children. Þat feld is not so wel closed but þat men may entren at here owne list, But in þat cesoun þat the [folio 22b] bawme is growynge men put þere to gode kepynge þat no man removeentredescriptionOpen page dar ben hardy to entre. This bawme groweth in no place but only þere And þough þat men bryngen of þe plauntes for to planten in oþer contrees þei growen wel & fayre but þei bryngen fortℏ no fructuous thing. & the leves of bawme ne faƚƚe nougℏt.descriptionOpen page And men kutten the braunches with a scharp flyntston or with a scharp bon whanne men wil go to kutte hem, For who so kutte hem with jren it wolde destroye his vertue & his nature. And the sarazines clepen the wode ENOCHBALSE, And the fruyt the whicℏe þat is as quybybes þei clepen ABEBISSAM And the lycour þat droppeth fro the braunches þei clepen Guybalse.descriptionOpen page And men maken aƚƚ weys þat bawme to ben tyled of the cristen men or elles it wolde not fructyfye As the Sarazins seyn hemself for it hath ben oftentyme preued. Men seyn also þat the bawme groweth in ynde the more in þat desert where Alysaundre spak to the trees of the sonne & of the mone But I haue not seen itdescriptionOpen page For I haue not ben so fer abouen vpward because þat þere ben to many perilouse passages. And wyte ȝee wel þat a man ougℏte to take gode kepe for to byedescriptionOpen page bawme but ȝif he cone knowe it right wel, for he may right lygℏtly ben disceyued. For men sellen a gomme þat men clepen Turbentyne in stede of bawme And þei putten þereto a litiƚƚ bawme for to ȝeuen gode odour And summe putten

wax in oyledescriptionOpen page of the [folio 23a] wode of the fruyt of bawme & seyn þat it is bawme And summe destyllen clowes of gylofre & of spykenard of Spayne & of oþere spices þat ben wel smellynge & the lykour þat goth out þerof þei clepe it bawme And þus ben many grete lordes & oþere disceyued And þei wenen þat þei han bawme & þei haue non. For the Sarazines countrefeten it be sotyltee of craft for to disceyuen the cristene men as I haue seen fuƚƚ many a tyme. And after hem the marchauntes & the Apotecaries countrefeten it eftsones & þanne it is lasse worth & a gret del worse. But ȝif it lyke ȝou I schaƚƚ schewe how ȝee schuƚƚ knowe & preue to the ende þat ȝee schull not ben disceyued. First ȝee schuƚƚ wel knowe þat the natureƚƚ bawme is full cleer & of cytryne colour & strongly smellynge. And ȝif it be thikke or reed or blak it is Sophisticate þat is to seyne contrefeted & made lyke it for disceyt. And vnderstondeth þat ȝif ȝee wil putte a lityll bawme in the pawme of ȝoure hond aȝen the sonne, ȝif it be fyn & gode ȝee ne schuƚƚ not suffre ȝoure hand aȝenst the hete of the sonne. Also taketh a lytill bawme with the poynt of a knyf & touche it to the fuyr & ȝif it brenne it is a gode signe. After take also a drope of bawme & put it into a dissch or in a cuppe with mylk of a goot And ȝif it be natureƚƚ bawme anon it wole take & beclippe the mylk.descriptionOpen page Or put a drope of bawme in clere water in a cuppe of syluer or in a clere bacyn & stere it wel with the clere water And ȝif þat the [folio 23b] bawme be fyn & of his owne kynde the water schaƚƚ neuere trouble, And ȝif the bawme be sophisticat þat is to seyne countrefeted the water schall become anon trouble. And also ȝif the bawme be fyn it schall falle to the botme of the vesseƚƚ as þough it were quyk syluer, For the fyn bawme is more heuy twyes þan is the bawme þat is sophisticat & countrefeted. Now I haue spoken of bawme & now also I schall speke of another thing þat is beȝonde Babyloyne aboue the Flode of Nile toward the

desert betwene Affrik & Egypt þat is to seyne of the Gerneres of JosephdescriptionOpen page þat he leet make for to kepe the greynes for the perile of the dere ȝeres. And þei ben made of ston full wel made of Masounes craft Of the whiche .ij. ben merueylouse grete & hye And the toþere ne ben not so grete. And euery Gerner hath a ȝate for to entre withjnne A lytiƚƚ hygh from the erthe For the lond is wasted & fallen sithe the Gerneres were made. And withjnne þei ben all full of serpentes And abouen the Gerneres withouten ben many scriptures of dyuerse langages. And summen seyn þat þei ben sepultures of grete lordes þat weren somtyme but þat is not trewe For all the comoun rymour & speche is of all the peple [folio 24a] þere bothe fer & nere þat þei ben the Garneres of Joseph And so fynden þei in here scriptures & in here cronycles. On þat oþer partie, ȝif þei weren sepultures þei scholden not ben voyd withjnne Ne þei scholde haue no ȝates for to entre withjnne. For ȝee may wel knowe þat tombes & sepultures ne ben not made of such gretness ne of suche highness, Wherfore it is not to beleue þat þei ben tombes or sepultures. In Egypt also þere ben dyuerse langages & dyuerse lettres & of oþer manere condicioun þan þere ben in oþer partes As I schall deuyse ȝou suche as þei ben And the names how thei clepen hem, To such entent þat ȝee mowe knowe the difference of hem & of othere.

[Another alphabet.]

Chapter VIII

FROM ITALY TO ALEXANDRIA

[folio 24b] OF THE YLE OF CECYLE; OF THE WEYE FRO BABYLOYNE TO THE MOWNT SYNAY; OF THE CHIRCHE OF SEYNTE KATERYNE, AND OF ALLE THE MERUAYLLES ÞERE.

NOW wil I retourne aȝen or I procede ony ferthere for to declare ȝou the othere weyes þat drawen towardes Babiloyne where the Soudan himself duelleth þat is at

the entree of Egypt, for als moche as many folk gon þider first & after þat to the mownt Synay & after retournen to lerusalem, As I haue seyd ȝou here beforn. For þei fulfillen first the more longe pilgrymage & after retournen aȝen be the nexte weyes because þatdescriptionOpen page the more ny weye is the more wortℏi & þat is Ierusalem, For non other pilgrymage is not lyk in comparsoun to it. But for to fuƚƚfille here pilgrymages more esily & more sykerly men gon first the longer weye rathere þan the nerere weye. But whoso wil go to Babyloyne be another weye more schort from þe contrees of the west þat I haue reherced before or from oþer contrees next fro hem, þan men gon by Fraunce be Burgoyne & be Lombardye. It nedeth not to telle ȝou the names of the cytees ne of the townes þat ben in þat weye For the weye is comoun & it is knowen of many nacyouns. And þere ben manye havenes where þat men taken the see. Summe men taken the see at [folio 25a] Gene, Somme at Venyse & passen be the see Adryatyk þat is clept the Goulf of Venyse, þat departeth ytaylle & Grece on þat syde. And somme gon to Naples somme to Rome & from Rome to Brandys & þere þei taken the see & in many othere places where pat hauenes ben. And men gon be Tussye be Champayne be Calabre be Appuille & be the hillesdescriptionOpen page of ytaylle be Chorisqe be Sardyne & be Cycile þat is a gret Ile & a gode. In þat Ile of Cycile þer is a maner of a gardyn in the whiche ben many dyuerse frutes And the gardyn is alweys grene & florisshing, aƚƚ the cesouns of the ȝeer als wel in winter as in somer. Þat Ile holt in compas aboute .ccc & l. frensche myles And betwene Cycile & Itaylle þere is not but a lytiƚƚ arm of the see þat men clepen the Farde of Mescyne And Cycile is betwene the see Adryatyk & the see of lombardye, And fro Cycile in to Calabre is but .viij. myles of lombardye. And in Cycile þere is a manere of serpentes be the whiche men assayen & preuen wheþer here children ben bastardes or nonedescriptionOpen page or of lawefull mariage, For ȝif þei ben born in right

mariage the serpentes gon aboute hem & don hem non harm And ȝif þei ben born in avowtrie the serpentes byten hem & envenyme hem & thus manye wedded men preuen ȝif the children ben here owne. Also in þat Ile is the Mount Ethna þat men clepen Mount Gybeƚƚ [folio 25b] & the wlcanes þat ben eueremore brennynge. And þere ben .vij. placesdescriptionOpen page þat brennen & þat casten out dyuerse flawmes and dyuerse colour And be the chaungynge of þo flawmes men of þat contree knowen whanne it schaƚƚ be derthe or gode tyme or cold or hoot or moyst or drye or in aƚƚ othere manere how the tyme schall be gouerned. And from Itaille vnto the wlcanes nys but .xxv. myle And men seyn þat the wlcanes ben weyes of helle.descriptionOpen page Also whoso goth be Pyse ȝif þat men list to go þat weye þere is an arm of the see where þat men gon to oþere hauenes in þo marches And þan men passen be the Ile of GREEFdescriptionOpen page þat is at GENEdescriptionOpen page And after arryueth men in GRECE at the hauene of the cytee of MyrokdescriptionOpen page or at the hauene of Valone or at the cytee of Duras, & þere is a Duk at Duras,descriptionOpen page or at oþere hauenes in þo marches & so men gon to Costantynoble. And after gon men be watre to the Ile of Crete & to the Ile of Rodes & so to Cypre & so to Venyse & fro þens to Costantynoble, to holde the more right weye be see it is wel a .m^ƚ viij^c & iiij^xx. score myle of lombardye. And after from Cipre men gon be see & leven Ierusalem & aƚƚ þat contre on the left hond vnto Egypt & arryuen at the cytee of DAMYETE þat was wont to ben fuƚƚ strong & it sytt at the entree of Egypt. And fro Damyete gon men to the Cytee of Alizandre þat sytt also vpon the see. In þat cytee was seynte kateryne beheded And þere was seynt [folio 26a] Mark the Euuangelist martyred & buryed, But the Emperour LeoundescriptionOpen page made his bones to ben brought to Venyse. And ȝit þere is at Alizandre a faire chirche aƚƚ white withouten peynture and so ben all the othere chirches þat weren of the cristcne men aƚƚ white withjnne, For the Paynemes & the Sarrazynes maden hem white for to fordon the ymages of seyntes þat weren

peynted on the walles. Þat cytee of Alizandre is wel .xxxti. furlonges in lengthe but it is but .x. on largeness And it is a full noble cytee & a fayr. At þat cytee entreth the ryuere of Nyle in to the see as I to ȝou haue seyd before. In þat ryuere men fynden many precyouse stones & meche also of lignum aloesdescriptionOpen page And it is a manere of wode þat cometh out of paradys terrestre the whiche is good for manye dyuerse medicynes And it is right dereworth. And from Alizandre men gon to Babyloyne where the Soudan dwelleth þat sytt also vpon the ryuere of Nyle, And this weye is most schort for to go streyght vnto Babiloyne.descriptionOpen page

Chapter IX

FROM CAIRO TO SINAI

OF THE WEYE THAT GOTH FROM BABILOYNE, VNTO THE MOWNT SYNAY, & OF THE MERUEYLES ÞERE.

NOW schall I seye ȝou also the weye þat goth fro Babiloyne to the Mount of Synay where seynte kateryne lyth. He moste passe be the desertes of Arabye Be the whiche desertes Moyses ladde the peple of Israel And þanne passe men be the welle þat Moyses made with his honddescriptionOpen page in þo desertes whan the peple grucched for þei fownden no [folio 26b] thing to drynke. And þan passe men be the welle of MarachdescriptionOpen page of the whiche the water was first bytter But the children of Israel putten þerejnne a tree & anon the water was swete & gode for to drynke. And þanne gon men be desert vnto the vale of ElyndescriptionOpen page In the whiche vale ben .xij. welles And þere ben .lxxij. trees of palme þat beren the dates The whiche Moyses fond with the children of Israel, And fro þat valeye is but a gode iourneye to the Mount of Synay. And whoso wil go be another weye fro Babiloyne þan me goth be the Rede see þat is an arm of the see OCCEAN. And þere passed Moyses with the children of Israel ouerthwart the see all drye, Whan Pharao the kyng of Egypt chaced

hem, And þat see is wel a .vj. myle of largeness in lengtℏe.descriptionOpen page And in þat see was Pharao drowned & all his hoost þat he ladde. Þat see is not more reed þan another see but in some place þereof is the graueƚƚ reed And þerfore men clepen it the rede see. Þat see renneth to the endes of Arabye & of Palestyne, þat see lasteth more þan .iiij. iourneyes And þan gon men be desert vnto the vale of Elyn And fro þens to the mount of Synay. And ȝee may wel vndirstonde þat be this desert no man may go on horsbakdescriptionOpen page because þat þere nys nouþer mete for hors ne water to drynke And for þat cause men passen þat desert with Cameƚƚ, For the Camaylle fynt allwey mete on trees & on busshes þat he fedeth him with And he may wel faste fro drynk. ij. [folio 27a] dayes or .iij. And þat may non hors don. And wyte well þat from Babyloyne to the Mount Synay is well a .xij. gode iourneyes And sum men maken hem more And sum men hasten hem & peynen hem & þerefore þei maken hem lesse, And all weys fynden men latymeres to go with hem in the contrees & ferthere beȝonde into tyme þat men conne the langage.descriptionOpen page And it behoueth men to bere vitaiƚƚ with hem þat schall duren hem in þo desertes & oþer necessaries for to lyue by. And the Mount of Synay is clept the desert of Syne þat is for to seyne the bussch brennynge Because þat Moyses sawgh oure lord god many tymes in forme of fuyr brennynge vpon þat hiƚƚ And also in a busscℏ brennynge & spak to him And þat was at the foot of the hill. There is an Abbeye of Monkes wel bylded & wel closed with ȝates of Iren for drede of the wylde bestes. And the monkes ben Arrabyenes or men of Grece & þere is a gret couent And all þei ben as heremytes & þei drinken no wyn but ȝif it be on principaƚƚ festes And þei ben fuƚƚ deuoute men & lyuen porely & sympely with joutes & with dates And þei don gret abstynence & penaunce. Þere is the chirche of seynte kateryne in the whiche ben manye lampes brennynge For þei han of oyle of Olyue ynow

bothe for to brenne in here lampes & to ete also And þat plentee haue þei be the myracle of god For the ravenes & the crowes & the chougℏes & oþer foules [folio 27b] of the contree assemblen hem þere euery ȝeer ones & fleen þider as in pilgrymage And euerych of hem bryngeth a braunche of the Bayes or of OlyuedescriptionOpen page in here bekes in stede of offryng & leuen hem þere, of the whiche the monkes maken gret plentee of oyle & this is a gret meruaylle. And sith þat foules þat han no kyndely wytt ne resoun gon thider to seche þat gloriouse virgyne wel more oughten men þan to seche hire & to worschipen hire. Also behynde the awtier of þat chirche is the place where Moyses saugh oure lord god in a brennynge bussch And whanne the monkes entren in to þat place þei don of bothe hosen & schoon or botes alweys, Be cause þat oure lord seyde to Moyses: do of thin hosen & thi schon for the place þat þou stondest on is lond holy & blessed. And the monkes clepen þat place DOZOLEEL þat is to seyne the schadew of god. And besyde the high awtier .iij. degrees of heigℏte is the fertre of Alabastre where the bones of seynt Kateryne lyȝn And the prelate of the monkes scheweth the relykes to the pilgrymes And with an Instrument of sylnerdescriptionOpen page he froteth the bones & þanne þer goth out a lytyƚƚ oyle as þough it were a maner swetynge þat is nouther lych to oyle ne to bawme but it is full swete of smell.descriptionOpen page And of þat þei ȝeuen a lytill to the pilgrymes, for þere goth out but lityll quantitee of þat likour. And after þat þei schewen the heed [folio 28a] of seynte kateryne & the cloth þat sche was wrapped jnne þat is ȝit all blody, And in þat same cloth so ywrapped the aungeles beren hire body to the mount Synay & þere þei buryed hire with it. And þanne þei schewen the busschdescriptionOpen page þat brenned & wasted nought in the whiche oure lord spak to Moyses & oþere relikes ynowe. Also whan the prelate of the abbeye is ded I haue vndirstonden be informacioun þat his lampe quencheth And whan þei chesen anoþer prelate ȝif he be a gode man & worthi to be prelate his lampe schal lightedescriptionOpen page with the grace of god withouten

touchinge of ony man. For euerych of hem hath a lampe be himself And be here lampes þei knowen wel whan ony of hem schall dye.descriptionOpen page For whan ony schall dye the lyght begynneth to chaunge & to wexe dym And ȝif he be chosen to ben prelate & is not worthi his lampe quencheth anon. And other men han told me þat he þat syngeth the masse for the prelate þat is ded he schall fynde vpon the awtier the namedescriptionOpen page written of him þat schall ben prelate chosen. And so vpon a day I asked of the monkes bothe on & oþer how this befell, But þei wolde not teƚƚ me no thing Into the tyme þat I seyde þat þei scholde not hyde the grace þat god did hem but þat þei scholde publissche it to make the peple to haue the more deuocioun And þat þei diden synne to hide goddes myracle as me semed, For the myracles þat god hath don and ȝit [folio 28b] doth euery day ben the wytnesse of his myght & of his merueylles as dauid seyth in the psaultere: MIRABILIA TESTIMONIA TUA DOMINE,descriptionOpen page þat is to seyne: Lord thi merueyles ben þi wytness. And þanne þei tolde me bothe on and oþer how it befell full many a tyme, But more I myghte not haue of hem. In þat abbeye ne entreth not no flye ne todesdescriptionOpen page ne ewtes ne such foul venymouse bestes ne lyzs ne flees be þe myracle of god & of oure lady. For þere were wont to ben many sucℏe manere of filthes þat the monkes weren in wiƚƚ to leve the place & the abbeye And weren gon fro thens vpon the mountayne abouen for to eschewe þat place. And oure lady cam to hem & bad hem turnen aȝen And from þens forewardes neuere entred such filthe in þat place amonges hem Ne neuere schall entre here after. Also before the ȝatedescriptionOpen page is the welle where Moyses smot the ston of the whiche the water cam out plentevously. Fro þat abbeye men gon vp the mountayne of Moyses be many degrees & þere men fynden first a chirche of oure lady where þat sche mette the monkes whan þei fledden awey for the vermyn aboueseyd. And more high vpon þat mountayne is the Chapell of helye the prophete And þat place þei

clepen Oreb, whereof holy writt speketh: ET AMBULAUIT IN FORTITUDINE CIBI ILLIUS VSQUE AD MONTEM DEI OREB, þat is to [folio 29a] seyne: And he wente in strengthe of þat mete vnto the hill of god Oreb. And þere nygh is the vyne þat seynt Ioℏn the Euuangelist planted þat men clepen Reisins of Staphis.descriptionOpen page And a lytill abouen is the Chapell of Moyses & the roche where Moyses fleygh to for drede whan he saugh oure lord face to face, And in þat roche is printed the forme of his body For he smot so strongly & so harde him self in þat roche þat all his body was doluen withjnne þorgh the myracle of god. And þere besyde is the place where oure lord toke to Moyses the .x. commandementes of the lawe. And þere is the caue vnder the roche where Moyses duelte whan he fasted .xl. dayes & .xl. nyghtes But he dyede in the lond of promissioun, But noman knoweth where he was buryed.descriptionOpen page And from þat mountayne men passen a gret valeye for to gon to anoþer mountayn̄ where seynt Kateryne was buryed of the Aungeles of oure lord. And in þat valeye is a chirche of .xl. martyres & þere singen the monkes of the abbeyes often tyme And þat valeye is right cold. And after men gon vp the mountayne of seynt Kateryne þat is more high þan the mount of Moyses And þere where seynt Kateryne was buryed is nouther chirche ne chapell ne other duellynge place, But þere is an heep of stones aboute the place where the body of hire was put of the Angeles. [folio 29b] Þere was wont to ben a chapell but it was casten down̛ & ȝit lyggen the stones þere And all be it þat the Collect of seynte katerynedescriptionOpen page seye þat it is the place where oure lord betaughte the .x. commandementes to Moyses & þere where the blessed virgyne seynte kateryne was buryed, þat is to vnderstonde in .o. contree or in .o. place berynge .o. name, For bothe þat on & þat oþer is clept the mount of Synay, But þere is a gret weye from þat on to þat oþer & a gret deep valeye betwene hem.

Chapter X

THE DESERT AND BETHLEHEM

OF THE DESERT BETWENE THE CHIRCHE OF SEYNTE KATERYNE & IERUSALEM; OF THE DRIE TRE, & HOW ROSES CAM FIRST IN ÞE WORLD.

NOW after þat men han visited þo holy places þanne wil þei turnen toward Ierusalem And þan wil þei take leue of the monkes & recommenden hem to here preyeres, And þanne þei ȝeuen the pilgrimes of here vitaylle for to passe with the desertes toward Surrye. And þo desertes duren wel a .xiij. iourneyes. In þat desert duellen manye of Arrabyenes þat men clepen BedoynesdescriptionOpen page & Ascopardes. And þei ben folk full of aƚƚ euyƚƚ condiciouns And þei haue none houses but tentes þat þei maken of skynnes of bestes as of Camaylles & of oþer bestes þat þei eten And þere benethe þei couchen hem & dwellen in place where þei may fynden water As on the Rede see or elleswhere, For in þat desert is full gret defaute of water [folio 30a] And often tyme it falleth þat where men fynden water at o tyme in a place it fayleth anoþer tyme And for that skyll þei make none habitaciouns þere. Theise folk þat I speke of þei tylen not the lond ne þei laboure nought for þei eten no breddescriptionOpen page but ȝif it be ony þat dwellen nygh a gode toun þat gon thider & eten bred somtyme And þei rosten here flesch & here fissch vpon the hote stonesdescriptionOpen page aȝenst the sonne. And þei ben stronge men & wel fyghtynge And þere is so meche multytude of þat folk þat þei ben with outen nombre And þei ne recchen of no thing ne don not but chacen after bestes to eten hem And þei recchen no þing of here lif And þerfore þei dowten not the Soudan ne non oþer prince, But þei dar wel werre with hem ȝif þei don ony thing þat is greuance to hem. And þei han often tyme werre with the Soudan & namely þat tyme þat I was with him. And þei beren but o scheld & o spere with outen oþer armes And þei wrappen here hedes & here

necke with a gret quantytee of white lynnen cloth And þei ben right felonouse & foule & of cursed kynde. And whan men passen this desert in comynge toward Ierusalem þei comen to Bersabee þat was wont to ben a full fair town & a delytable of cristene men And ȝit þere ben summe of here chirches. In þat toun dwelled Abraham the Patriark a longe tyme. Þat toun of Bersabee founded Bersabee the wifdescriptionOpen page of sire vrye the knyght on the whiche kyng Dauid [folio 30b] gatt Salomon the wyse þat was kyng after Dauid vpon the .xij. kynredes of Ierusalem And regned .xl. ȝeer. And fro þens gon men to the cytee of Ebron þat is the montance of .ij. gode myle And it was clept somtyme the vale of Mambree And sumtyme it was clept the vale of teres because þat Adam wepte þere an .c. ȝeerdescriptionOpen page for the deth of Abell his sone þat Caym slowgh. Ebron was wont to ben the princypall cytee of the Philistyenes And þere duelleden somtyme the Geauntz And þat cytee was also SacerdotalldescriptionOpen page þat is to seyne seyntuarie of the tribe of Iuda. And it was so fre þat men resceyued þere aƚƚ manere of fugityfes of oþer places for here euyl dedes. In Ebron Iosue Caleph & here companye comen first to aspyen how þei mygℏte wynnen the lond of beheste. In Ebron regned first kyng DauiddescriptionOpen page .vij. ȝeer & an half And in Ierusalem he regnede .xxxiij. ȝeer & an half. And in Ebron ben aƚƚ the sepultures of the Patriarkes Adam Abraham ysaac & of Iacob & of here wyfes Eue Sarre & Rebekke & of LyadescriptionOpen page the whiche sepultures the Sarazines kepen full curyously & han the place in gret reuerence for the holy fadres the Patriarkes þat lyȝn þere And þei suffre no cristene mandescriptionOpen page entre in to that place but ȝif it be of specyaƚƚ grace of the Soudan, For þei holden cristene men & Iewes as dogges And þei seyn þat þei scholde not entre into so holy place. And men clepen [folio 31a] þat place where þei lyȝn double spelunke or double cave or double dych for als meche as þat on lyeth aboue þat other And the Sarazines clepen þat place in here langage KARICARBAdescriptionOpen page

þat is to seyne the place of Patriarkes And the Iewes clepen þat place ARBOTH. And in þat same place was Abrahames hous And þere he satt & saugh .iij. persones & worschipte but on as holy writt seyth: “TRES VIDIT & VNUM ADORAUIT”, þat is to seyne: he saugh .iij. & worschiped on. And of þo samedescriptionOpen page resceyued Abraham the Aungeles in to his hous. And right faste by þat place is a cave in the roche where Adam & Eue duelleden whan þei weren putt out of paradyse & þere goten þei here children. And in þat same place was Adam formeddescriptionOpen page & made, after þat summen seyn. For men weren wont for to clepe þat place the feld of Damasce, be cause þat it was in the lordschipe of Damask. And fro þens was he translated into paradys of delytes, as þei seyn. And after þat he was dryuen out of paradys he was þere left. And the same day þat he was putt in paradys, the same day he was putt out, For anon he synned. þere begynneth the vale of Ebron þat dureth nygh to Ierusalem. There the Aungell commaunded Adam þat he scholde duelle with his wyf Eue, Of the whiche he gatt Seth, of whiche tribe þat is to seye kynrede Ihesu crist was born. In þat valeye is a feld where men drawen out of the erthe a thing þat men clepen CambylldescriptionOpen page & þei ete it in stede of spice [folio 31b] & þei bere it to selle. And men may not make the hole ne the cave where it is taken out of the erthe so depe ne so wyde, but þat it is at the ȝeres ende full aȝen vp to the sydes, þorgh the grace of god. And .ij. myle from Ebron is the graue of loth þat was Abrahames broþer sone.descriptionOpen page And a lytill fro Ebron is the mount of Mambre,descriptionOpen page of the which the valeye taketh his name, And þere is a tree of Oke þat the Sarazines clepen DIRPE þat is of Abrahames tyme, the whicℏe men clepen the drye tree.descriptionOpen page And þei seye þat it hath ben þere sitℏe the begynnynge of the world & was sumtyme grene & bare leues vnto the tyme þat oure lord dyede on the cros And þanne it dryede & so diden aƚƚ the trees þat weren

þanne in the worlddescriptionOpen page or elles þai failed in þaire hertes and become holle within, of whilk þer er many ȝit standand in diuerse placez of the worlddescriptionOpen page And summe seyn be here prophecyesdescriptionOpen page þat a lord, a Prince of the west syde of the world schall wynnen the lond of promyssioun þat is the holy lond with helpe of cristene men & he schall do synge a masse vndir þat drye tree & þan the tree schall wexen grenedescriptionOpen page & bere bothe fruyt & leves And þorgh þat myracle manye Saraȝines & Iewes schuƚƚ ben turned to cristene feyth. And þerfore þei don gret worschipe þereto & kepen it fuƚƚ besyly. And all be it so þat it be drye natheles ȝit he bereth gret vertue for certeynly he þat hath a litill þere of vpon him it heleth him of the fallynge euyƚƚ,descriptionOpen page And his hors schaƚƚ not ben afoundreddescriptionOpen page & manye oþer vertues it hath, Wherefore men [folio 32a] holden it full precyous. From Ebron men gon to Bethlem in half a day, for it is but .v. myle & it is full fayre weye be pleynes & wodes full delectable. Bethleem is a lityll cyteedescriptionOpen page long & narwe & wel walled & in eche syde enclosed with gode dyches And it was wont to ben cleped Effrata, as holy wrytt seyth: “ECCE AUDIUIMUS EUM IN EFFRATA”,descriptionOpen page þat is to seye: lo wee herde him in effrata. And toward the est ende of the cytee is a full fair chirche and a graciouse & it hath many toures, pynacles & corneresdescriptionOpen page fuƚƚ stronge & curiously made And within þat chirche ben .xliiij. pyleres of marble grete & faire. And betwene the cytee & the chirche is the feld Floridous, þat is to seyne, the feld florissched.descriptionOpen page For als moche as a faire mayden was blamed with wrongdescriptionOpen page & sclaundred þat sche hadde don fornycacioun, For whiche cause sche was demed to the deth & to be brent in þat place, to the whiche sche was ladd. And as the fyre began to brenne aboute hire sche made hire preyeres to oure lord þat as wissely as sche was not gylty of þat synne þat he wolde helpe hire & make it to be knowen to aƚƚ men of his mercyfull grace. And whan sche hadde þus seyd sche entred in to the

fuyr And anon was the fuyre quenched & oute. And the brondes þat weren brennynge becomen red roseres And the brondes þat weren not kyndled nor tend becomen white roseres full of roses. And þeise [folio 32b] weren the first RoseresdescriptionOpen page & Roses bothe white & rede, þat euere ony man saugh. And þus was þis mayden saued be the grace of god And þerfore is þat feld clept the feld of god florysscht, for it was full of roses. Also besyde the queer of the chirche at the right syde as men comen dounward .xvj. greces is the place where oure lord was born, þat is full wel dyght of marble & full richely peynted with gold syluer azure & oþer coloures. And .iij. paas besyde is the crybbe of the ox & the asse. And besyde þat is the place where the sterre felldescriptionOpen page þat ladde the .iij. kyngesdescriptionOpen page Iaspar Melchior & Balthazar, But men of Grece clepen hem þus: Galgalath Malgalath & Saraphie, And the Iewes clepen hem in this manere in Ebrew: APPELIUS AMERRIUS & DAMASUS. Theise .iij. kynges offreden to oure lord gold ensence & myrre And þei metten to gedre þorgh myracle of god, For þei metten to gedre in a cytee in ynde þat men clepen CassakdescriptionOpen page þat is .liij. iourneyes fro Betℏƚeem. And þei weren at Bethleem the .xiij. day And þat was the .iiij. day after þat þei hadden seyn the sterre whan þei metten in þat cytee, And þus þei weren in .ix. dayes fro þat cytee at Bethleem & þat was gret myracle. Also vnder the cloystre of the chirche be .xviij. degrees at the right syde is the charneƚƚ of the Innocentes where here bones lyȝn And before the place where oure lord was born is the tombe of seynt [folio 33a] IeromedescriptionOpen page þat was a preest & a Cardynaƚƚ þat translatede the bible & the psaultere from Ebrew in to latyn And withoute the mynstre is the chayere þat he satt in whan he translated it. And faste besyde þat chirche a .lx. fedme is a chirche of seynt Nicholas where oure lady rested hire after sche was lyghted of oure lord And for as meche as sche had to meche mylk in hire pappes þat greued hire, sche mylked hem on the rede stones of marble so þat the traces may

ȝit ben senedescriptionOpen page in the stones aƚƚ whyte. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat aƚƚ þat dwellen in Bethleem ben cristene men And þere ben faire vynes aboute the cytee & gret plentee of wyn þat the cristene men han don let makedescriptionOpen page But the Sarazines ne tylen not no vynes ne þei drynken no wyn. For here bokes of here lawe þat Makomete betoke hem, whiche þei clepen here ALKARONdescriptionOpen page & summe clepen it MESAPH & in anoþer langage it is cleped HARME And the same boke forbedeth hem to drinke wyn, For in þat boke Machomete cursed aƚƚ þo þat drynken wyn & alle hem þat sellen it. For summen seye þat he slough ones an heremyte in his dronkeness þat he loued ful wel And þerfore he cursed wyn & hem þat drynken it. But his curs be turned in to his owne hed as holy writt seith: “ET IN VERTICEM IPSIUS INIQUITAS EIUS DESCENDET”, þat is for to seye: his wykkedness schall turne & falle in his owne heed. [folio 33b] And also the Sarazines bryngen forth no pigges nor þei eten no swynes flessch, for þei seye it is brother to man & it was forboden be the olde lawe & þei holden hem alle acurseddescriptionOpen page þat eten þereof. Also in the lond of Palestyne & in the lond of Egypt þei eten but lytill or non of flessch of veel or of boef but he be so old þat he may nomore trauayle for elde, for it is forbodedescriptionOpen page And for because þei hauen but fewe of hem, þerfore þei norisscℏe hem for to ere here londes. In this cytee of Bethleem was Dauid the kyng born And he hadde .lx. wyfes & the firste wyf highte Michol And also he hadde .ccc. lemmannes. And fro Bethleem vnto Ierusalem nys but .ij. myle And in the weye to Ierusalem half a myle fro Bethleem is a chirche where the aungel seyde to the schepperdes of the birthe of crist. And in þat weye is the tombe of Racheƚƚ þat was Iosephes moder the patriarke. And sche dyede anon after þat sche was delyuered of hire sone Beniamyn & þere sche was buryed of Iacob hire husbonde, And he

leet setten .xij. grete stones on hire in tokene þat sche had born .xij. children. In þat same weye half myle fro Ierusalem appered the sterre to the .iij. kynges, In þat weye also ben manye chirches of cristene men be the whiche men gon towardes the cytee of Ierusalem.descriptionOpen page

Chapter XI

JERUSALEM AND THE SEPULCHRE

OF THE PILGRIMAGES IN IERUSALEM & OF THE HOLY PLACES ÞERABOWTE.

AFTER for to speke of Ierusalem the holy cytee ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat it stont full faire betwene hilles & [folio 34a] þere ben no ryueres ne welles but water cometh be condyte from Ebron. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat Ierusalem of olde tyme vnto the tyme of Melchisedecℏ was cleped Iebus,descriptionOpen page And after it was clept Salem vnto the tyme of kyng Dauid þat putte theise .ij. names togidere & cleped it Iebusalem And after þat kyng Salomon cleped it Ierosolomye And after þat men cleped it Ierusalem & so it is cleped ȝit. And aboute Ierusalem is the kyngdom of Surrye And þere besyde is the lond of Palestyne And besyde it is Ascolone And besyde þat is the lond of Maritame. But Ierusalem is in the lond of Iudee, And it is clept Iude for þat Iudas Machabeus was kyng of þat contree And it marcheth Estward to the kyngdom of Arabye, on the south syde to the lond of Egipt & on the west syde to the grete see, On the north syde toward the kyngdom of Surrye & to the see of Cypre. In Ierusalem was wont to be a Patriark & Erchebysschoppes & Bisschoppes abouten in the contree. Abowten IerusalemdescriptionOpen page ben þeise cytees: Ebron at .vij. myle, Ierico at .vj. myle, Bersabee at .viij myle, Ascalon at .xvij. myle, Iaff at .xvj. myle, Ramatha at .iij. myle And Betℏƚeem at .ij. myle. And a .ij. myle from Betℏƚeem toward the south is the chirche of seynt karitotdescriptionOpen page þat was Abbot þere For

whom þei maden meche doel amonges the monkes whan he scholde dye & ȝit þei ben in moornyngedescriptionOpen page [folio 34b] in the wise þat þei maden here lamentacioun for him the firste tyme & it is fuƚƚ gret pytee to beholde. This contree & lond of Ierusalem hath ben in many dyuerse naciounes hondes And often þerfore hath the contree suffred meche tribulacioun for the synne of the poeple þat duellen þere. For þat contree hath ben in the hondes of aƚƚ nacyouns þat is to seyne of Iewes, of Chananees, Assiryenes, Perses, Medoynes, Macedoynes, of Grekes, Romaynes, of Cristenemen, of Sarrazines, Barbaryenes, Turkes, Tartaryenes & of manye otℏere dyuerse nacyouns. For god wole not þat it be longe in the hondes of traytoures ne of synneres be þei cristene or othere And now haue the hetℏene men holden þat lond in here hondes .xl. ȝeredescriptionOpen page & more, But þei schuƚƚ not holde it longe ȝif god wole. And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat whan men comen to Ierusalem here first pilgrymage is to the chirche of the holy SepulcredescriptionOpen page where oure lord was buryed þat is withoute the cytee on the north syde But it is now enclosed in with the toun waƚƚ. And þere is a fuƚƚ fair chirche aƚƚ Rownd & open aboue & couered with leed And on the west syde is a fair tour & an high for belles strongly made And in the myddes of the chirche is a tabernacle as it were a lytyƚƚ hows made with a low lityƚƚ dore And þat tabernacle is made in manere of half a compas rigℏt curiousely & richely made of gold & azure & oþere riche coloures fuƚƚ nobelyche made And [folio 35a] in the rigℏt syde of þat tabernacle is the sepulcre of oure lord And the tabernacle is .viij. fote long & .v. fote wyde & .xj. fote in hegℏte. And it is not longe sitℏe the sepulcre was aƚƚ open þat men myghten kisse it & touche it. But for pilgrymes þat comen thider peyned hem to breke the stondescriptionOpen page in peces or in poudre þerfore the Soudan hatℏ do make a waƚƚ aboute the sepulcre þat noman may towche it. But in the left syde of the waƚƚ of the tabernacƚe is wel the heigℏte of a man is a gret ston to the quantytee of a mannes hed þat was of the holy sepulcre & þat ston

kissen the pilgrymes þat comen þider. In þat tabernacle ben no wyndowes but it is aƚƚ made ligℏt with lampes þat hangen before the sepulcre And þere is a lampe þat hongeth before the Sepulcre þat brenneth ligℏt & on the gode Fryday it goth out be himself and on þe Pasch day it lightez agayne by it selfdescriptionOpen pagedescriptionOpen page at þat hour þat oure lord roos fro detℏ to lyue. Also with in the chirche at the rigℏt syde besyde the queer of the chirche is the mount of Caluarye where oure lord was don on the cros And it is a roche of white colour and a lytiƚƚ medled with red And the cros was set in a morteysdescriptionOpen page in the same roche & on þat roche dropped the woundesdescriptionOpen page of oure lord whan he was pyned on the cross & þat is cleped Galgatℏa, And men gon vp to þat Golgatℏa be degrees. And in the place of þat morteys was Adames hed founden after Noes flode in tokene þat the synnes of Adam scholde ben [folio 35b] bought in þat same place And vpon þat roche made Abraham sacrifise to oure lord. And þere is an awtere And before þat awtier lyȝn Godefray de Boleyne & Bawdewyn̛ & oþere cristene kynges of Ierusalem. And þere nygℏ where oure lord was crucyfied is this writen in Greew: “OTHEOS BASILION YSMON PROSIONAS ERGASA SOTHIAS EMESOTIS GYS”.descriptionOpen page Þat is to seyne in latyn: “HIC DEUS NOSTER REX ANTE SECULA OPERATUS EST SALUTEM IN MEDIO TERRE”. Þat is to seye: this god oure kyng before the worldes hatℏ wrought hele in myddes of the ertℏe. And also on þat roche where the cros was sett is writen within the roche þeise wordes: “CYOS MYST YS BASIS TOUPISTEOS THEY THESMOFY”,descriptionOpen page þat is to seyne in latyn: “QUOD VIDES EST FUNDAMENTUM TOCIUS FIDEI MUNDI HUIUS”, þat is to seye: þat þou seest is ground of aƚƚ the worlddescriptionOpen page & of this feytℏ. And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat whan oure lord was don vpon the cros he was .xxxiij. ȝer & .iij. monethes of elde And the prophecye of Dauid seyth þus: “QUADRAGINTA ANNIS PROXIMUS FUI GENERACIONI HUIC”, þat is to seye: Fourty ȝeer was I neigℏbore to this kynrede,

And þus scholde it seme þat the prophecyes ne were not trewe, But þei ben bothe trewe,descriptionOpen page For in old tyme men maden o ȝeer of .x. monethes, of the whicℏe Marcℏ was the firste & Decembre was the laste, But GayusdescriptionOpen page þat was Emperour of Rome putte þeise .ij. monethes þere to: Janyuer & Feuerer & ordeyned the ȝeer of .xij. monethes, [folio 36a] þat is to seye .ccclxv. dayes withoute lepe ȝeer after the propre cours of the sonne. And þerfore after cowntynge of .x. monetℏes of the ȝeer he dyede in the .xl. ȝeer, as the prophete seyde & after the ȝeer of .xij. monetℏes he was of age .xxxiij. ȝeer & .iij. monethes. Also within the mount of Caluarie on the right side is an awtere where the piler lyȝth þat oure lord Ihesu was bounden to whan he was scourged And þere besyde .iiij. fote ben .iiij. pileres of ston þat aƚƚweys droppen waterdescriptionOpen page & summen seyn þat þei wepen for oure lordes deth. And nygℏ þat awtier is a place vnder ertℏe .xlij. degrees of depnesse where the holy croys was foundendescriptionOpen page be the wytt of seynte Elyne vnder a roche where the Iewes had hidde it And þat was the verray croys assayed For þei founden .iij. crosses, on of oure lord & .ij. of the .ij. thefes And seynte Elyne preued hem on a ded body þat aros from deth to lyue whan þat it was leyd on it þat oure lord dyed on. And þereby in the waƚƚ is the place where the .iiij. nayles of oure lord weren hidd, For he had .ij. in his hondes & .ij. in his feet And of on of þeise the Emperour of Costantynople made a brydiƚƚdescriptionOpen page to his hors to bere him in bataylle & þorgh vertue þereof he ouercam his enemyes And wan aƚƚ the lond of Asye the lesse þat is to seye Turkye, Ermonye the lasse & the more And from Surrye to Ierusalem, From Arabye to Persie, from Mesopotayme to the kyngdom of Halappee, From Egypt the higℏe & the lowe & aƚƚ the oþere kyngdomes vnto [folio 36b] the depe of Ethiope & in to ynde the lesse þat þanne was cristene. And þere was in þat tyme many gode holy men & holy heremytes of whom the book of fadres lyfes speketℏ & þei ben now in paynemes & sarazines hondes, But whan god aƚƚ myghty

wole rigℏt als the londes weren lost þorgℏ synne of cristene men,descriptionOpen page so schuƚƚ þei ben wonnen aȝen be cristen men þorgℏ help of god. And in myddes of þat chirche is a compas in the whiche Ioseph of Aramathie leyde the body of oure lord whan he had taken him down of the croys & þere he wassched the woundes of oure lord And þat compas seye men is the myddes of the world.descriptionOpen page And in the chirche of the sepulchre on the north syde is the place where oure lord was put in prisoun, For he was in prisoun in many places. And þer is a partye of the cheyne þat he was bounden with And þere he appered first to Marie Magdaleyne whan he was rysen & sche wende þat he had ben a gardener. In the chirche of seynt Sepulcre was wont to ben Chanouns of the ordre of seynt Augustyn & hadden a Priour but the Patriark was here souereyn. And withoute the dores of the chirche on the right syde as men gon vpward .xviij. greces seyde oure lord to his moder: “MULIER ECCE FILIUS TUUS”, þat is to seye: Womman lo thi sone, And after þat he seyde to Joℏn his disciple: “ECCE MATER TUA”, þat is to seyne: lo behold thi moder And þeise wordes he seyde on the cros. And on þeise greces wente oure lord [folio 37a] whan he bare the cros on his schulder And vnder this grees is a chapeƚƚ & in þat chapeƚƚ syngen prestes yndyenesdescriptionOpen page þat is to seye prestes of ynde nogℏt after oure lawe but after here & aƚƚ wey þei maken here sacrement of the awtier of breed seyenge PATER NOSTER & oþere preyeres þerewith, With the whiche preyeres þei seye the wordes þat the sacrement is made of For þei ne knowe not the Addiciouns þat many popesdescriptionOpen page han made, but þei synge with gode deuocioun. And þere nere is the place where þat oure lord rested him whan he was wery for berynge of the cros. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat before the chirche of the Sepulcre is the cytee more feble þan in ony othere partie for the grete playn þat is betwene the chirche & the citee. And toward the Est syde withoute the walles of the cytee is the vale of

Iosaphath þat touchetℏ to the walles as þougℏ it were a large dycℏ, And abouen þat vale of Iosaphath, out of the cytee, is the chirche of Seynt Steuene where he was stoned to deth And þere beside is the gildene ȝate þat may not ben opened, be the whiche ȝate oure lord entrede on PALMESONDAY vpon an asse & the ȝate opened aȝenst him whan he wolde go vnto the temple And ȝit apperen the steppes of the asses feet in .iij. places of the degrees þat ben of fuƚƚ harde ston. And before the chirche of seynt Sepulcre toward the south a .cc. paas is the gret hospitaƚƚ of seynt Ioℏn of the whiche the Hospitaleres hadd [folio 37b] here foundacioun And withinne the palays of the sekemen of þat hospitaƚƚ ben .vj^xx. & .iiij. pileres of ston And in the walles of the hows withoute the nombre aboueseyd þere ben .liiij^ti. pileres þat beren vp the hows And fro þat hospitaƚƚ to go toward the Est is a fuƚƚ fayr chirche þat is clept nostre Dame la graund And þan is þere anotℏer chirche right nygℏ þat is clept nostre Dame de latyne. And þere weren Marie Cleophee & Marie Magdaleyne & teren here heer whan oure lord was peyned in the cros.descriptionOpen page

Chapter XII

THE TEMPLE, SION AND OLIVET

OF THE TEMPLE OF OURE LORD; OF THE CRUELTEE OF KYNG HEROUD; OF THE MOUNT SYON; OF PROBATICA PISCINA, AND OF NATATORIUM SYLOE.

AND fro the chirche of the Sepulcre toward the Est at .viij^xx. paas is TEMPLUM DOMINI. It is right a feir hows & it is aƚƚ round & higℏ & couereddescriptionOpen page with leed & it is wel paueddescriptionOpen page with white marble, But the sarazines wole not suffre no cristene man ne Iewes to come þerein, For þei seyn þat none so foule synfuƚƚ men scholde not come in so holy place. But I cam in þere & in otℏere places þere I wolde for I hadde lettres of the Soudan

with his grete seeldescriptionOpen page & comounly oþer men han but his signett. In the whiche lettres he commanded of his specyaƚƚ grace to aƚƚ his subgettes to lete me seen aƚƚ the places & to enforme me pleynly aƚƚ the mysteries of euery place & to condyte me fro cytee to cytee ȝif it were nede & buxomly to resceyue me & my companye [folio 38a] & for to obeye to aƚƚ my requestes resonable ȝif þei weren not gretly aȝen the Ryaƚƚ power & dignytee of the Soudan or of his lawe. And to oþere þat asken him grace, suche as han serued himdescriptionOpen page he ne ȝeueth not but his signett the whiche þei make to be born before hem hangynge on a spere. And the folk of the contree don gret worschipe & reuerence to his signett or his seel & knelen þereto as lowly as wee don to CORPUS DOMINI And ȝit men don fuƚƚ grettere reuerence to his lettres,descriptionOpen page For the Admyraƚƚ & aƚƚe oþere lordes þat þei ben schewed to, before or þei resceyue hem þei knelen doun & þan þei take hem & putten hem on here hedes & after þei kissen hem & þan þei reden hem knelynge with gret reuerence & þan þei offren hem to do aƚƚ þat the berere asketℏ. And in this templum domini weren somtyme Chanouns Reguleres & þei hadden an Abbot to whom þei weren obedient. And in this temple was Charlemayn whan þat the aungeƚƚ brougℏte him the prepuce of oure lord Ihesu crist of his Circumcisioun And after kyng Charles leet bryngen it to ParysdescriptionOpen page in to his chapeƚƚ And after þat he leet brynge it to Peyteres & after þat to Chartres.descriptionOpen page And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat this is not the templedescriptionOpen page þat Salomon made, for þat temple dured not but .m^ƚc & ij. ȝeer, For Tytus Vaspasianes sone Emperour of Rome had leyd sege aboute Ierusalem for to discomfyte the Iewes for þei putten oure lord to detℏe, [folio 38b] withouten leue of the Emperour And whan he hadde wonnen the cytee he brente the temple & beet it down & aƚƚ the cytee & toke the Iewes & dide hem to dethe .xj^Miƚ.cm^ƚ.descriptionOpen page & the othere he putte in prisoun & solde hem

to seruage .xxx^ti.descriptionOpen page for o peny, for þei seyde þei bougℏte Ihesu for .xxx^ti. penyes And he made of hem better cheep Whan he ȝaf .xxx^ti. for o peny. And after þat tyme IULIANUS APOSTATA þat was Emperour ȝaf leue to the Iewes to make the temple of Ierusalem for he hated cristene men. And ȝit he was cristned but he forsoke his lawe & becam a renegate And whan the Iewes hadden made the temple com an erthequakeng & cast it doun as god wolde & destroyed aƚƚ þat þei had made. And after þat Adryan þat was Emperour of Rome & of the lynage of TroyedescriptionOpen page made Ierusalem aȝen & the temple in the same manere as Salomon made it And he wolde not suffre no Iewes to dweƚƚ þere, but only cristene men, For aƚƚþougℏ it were so þat he were not cristned ȝit he louede cristene men more þan ony otℏer nacioun saf his owne. This Emperour leet enclose the chirche of seynt Sepulcre & walle it within the cytee, þat before was withoute the cytee long tyme beforndescriptionOpen page And he wolde haue chaunged the name of Ierusalem & haue cleped it Elya But þat name lasted not longe. Also ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat the sarazines don moche reuerence to þat temple & þei seyn þat that place is right holy And whan þei gon [folio 39a] in þei gon barefote & knelen many tymes And whanne my felowes & I seygℏ þat whan wee comen in wee diden of oure schoon & camen in barefote & þoughten þat wee scholden don as moche worschipe & reuerence þereto as ony of the mysbeleeuynge men scholde & als gret conpunctioun in herte to haue. This temple is .lxiiij. cubytes of wydeness & als manye in lengtℏe And of hegℏte it is .vj^xx. cubites And it is withjnne aƚƚ aboute made with pyleres of marble & in the myddel place of the temple ben many higℏ stagesdescriptionOpen page of .xiiij. degrees of hegℏte made with gode pylers aƚƚ aboute. And this place the Iewes callen SANCTA SANCTORUM þat is to seye holy of halewes And in þat place cometℏ nomandescriptionOpen page saf only here prelate þat maketh here sacrifise And the folk stonden aƚƚ

aboute in diuerse stages after þei ben of dignytee or of worschipe so þat þei aƚƚ may see the sacrifice. And in þat temple ben .iiij. entrees & the ȝates ben of cypress wel made & curiousely digℏt And within the Est ȝate oure lord seyde: here is Ierusalem. And in the north syde of þat temple within the ȝate þere is a welle but it renneth nogℏtdescriptionOpen page of the whiche holy writt speketh of & seytℏ: “VIDI AQUAM EGREDIENTEM DE TEMPLO”,descriptionOpen page þat is to seyne: I saugℏ water come out of the temple. And on þat other syde of the temple þere is a roche þat men clepen Moriacℏ,descriptionOpen page but after it was clept Betℏel where the Arke of god with relykes of Iewes weren wont to ben put. ÞatdescriptionOpen page [folio 39b] arke or huccℏe with the Relikes Tytus ledde with hym to Rome whan he had scomfyted aƚƚ the Iewes. In þat arke weren the .x. commandementesdescriptionOpen page & of Aarones ȝerde & of Moyses ȝerde with the whiche he made the rede see departen as it had ben a waƚƚ on the rigℏt syde & on the left syde, while þat the peple of Israel passeden the see drye foot. And with þat ȝerde he smoot the Roche & the water cam out of it & with þat ȝerde he dide manye wondres. And þere in was a vessel of gold fuƚƚ of MANNA & clothinges & honournementesdescriptionOpen page & the tabernacle of Aaron & a table square of gold with .xij. precyous stones And a boyst of Iasper grene with .iiij. figures & .viij. namesdescriptionOpen page of oure lord & .vij. candelstykes of gold & .xij. pottes of gold & .iiij. Censeres of gold & an Awtier of gold & .iiij. lyouns of gold vpon the whiche þei bare CherubyndescriptionOpen page of gold .xij. spannes long and the Cercle of SwannesdescriptionOpen page of heuene with a tabernacle of gold & a table of syluer & .ij. trompes of siluer & .vij. barly loues & aƚƚ the oþere relikes þat weren before the birthe of oure lord Ihesu crist. And vpon þat roche was Iacob slepynge whan he saugh the aungeles gon vp & doun by a ladder & he seyde: “VERE LOCUS ISTE SANCTUS EST & EGO IGNORABAM”, þat is to seyne: Forsothe this place is holy & I wiste it nougℏt. And

þere an aungel helde Iacob stille & turned his name & cleped him Israel. And in þat same place Dauid saugℏ the Aungeƚƚ þat smot the folk with a swerd & put it vp blody in the schethe. [folio 40a] And in þat same Roche was seynt Symeon whan he resceyued oure lord in to the temple. And in this roche he sette him whan the Iewes wolde a stoned him & a sterre cam doun & ȝaf him ligℏt.descriptionOpen page And vpon þat Roche preched oure lord often tyme to the peple & out þat seyd temple oure lord drof out the byggeres & the selleres. And vpon þat roche oure lord sette him whan the Iewes wolde haue stoned him & the Roche cleef in two & in þat cleuynge was oure lord hidd And þere cam doun a sterre & ȝaf ligℏt & serued him with claretee. And vpon þat roche satt oure lady & lerned hire sawtere And þere oure lord forȝaf the womman hire synnes þat was founden in avowtrie And þere was oure lord circumcyded And þere the aungeƚƚ schewede tydynges to zacharie of the birthe of seynt Baptyst his sone And þere offred first Melchisedecℏ bred & wyn to oure lord in tokene of the sacrement þat was to comene And þere feƚƚ Dauid preyeng to oure lord & to the Aungeƚƚ þat smot the peple þat he wolde haue mercy on him & on the peple & oure lord herde his preyere & þerfore wolde he make the temple in þat place, but oure lord forbade him be an Aungeƚƚ. for he had don tresoun whan he leet sle vrie the worthi knygℏt for to haue Bersabee his wyf And þerfore aƚƚ the purueyance þat he hadde ordeyned to make the temple with he toke it Salomon his sone & he made it. And he preyed oure lord þat aƚƚ þo þat preyeden to him in þat place with gode herte þat he wolde heren here preyere & graunten it hem ȝif þei asked it right [folio 40b] fullyche And oure lord graunted him And þerfore Salomon cleped þat temple the temple of conseiƚƚ & of help of god. And withoute the ȝate of þat temple is an awtiere where Iewes weren wont to offren dowues & turtles.descriptionOpen page And betwene the temple & þat awtier was zacharie slayn & vpon the pynacle of þat

temple was oure lord brought for to ben tempted of the enemye the feend. And on the hegℏte of þat pynacle the Iewes setten seynt Iame & casted hym down to the erthe þat first was bisschopp of Ierusalem. And at the entree of þat temple toward the west is the ȝate þat is clept PORTA SPECIOSA. And nygℏ besyde þat temple vpon the right syde is a chirche couered with leed þat is clept Salomones scoledescriptionOpen page And fro þat temple towardes the south rigℏt nygℏ is the temple of Salomon þat is rigℏt fair & wel pollisschtdescriptionOpen page And in þat temple dueƚƚedescriptionOpen page the knygℏtes of the temple þat weren wont to be clept TEMPLERES & þat was the fundacioun of here ordre so þat þere duelleden knygℏtes & IN TEMPLO DOMINI Chanouns Reguleres. Fro þat temple to ward the Est a .vj.xx paas in the cornere of the cytee is the bath of oure lord And in þat bath was wont to come water fro paradysdescriptionOpen page & ȝit it droppetℏ. And þere besyde is oure ladyes bed And faste by is the tombe of seynt Symeon. & withoute the cloystre of the temple toward the north is a fuƚƚ faire chirche of seynte Anne oure ladyes moder And þer [folio 41a] was oure lady conceyued And before þat chirche is a gret tree þat began to growe the same nyght. And vnder þat chirche in goenge doun be .xxij. degrees lytℏ Ioachym oure ladyes fader in a faire tombe of ston And þere besyde lay somtyme seynt Anne his wif but seynt Helyne leet translate hire to Costantynople. And in þat chirche is a welle in manere of a cisterne þat is clept PROBATICA PISCINAdescriptionOpen page þat hath .v. entreez. Into þat welle Aungeles weren wont to come from heuene & batℏen hem withjnne & what man þat first batℏed him after the mevynge of the water was made hool of what maner sykenes þat he hadde. And þere oure lord heled a man of the palasye þat lay .xxxviij. ȝeer & oure lord seyde to him: “TOLLE GRABATUM TUUM & AMBULA”, þat is to seye: Take thi bed & go. And þere besyde was Pilates hows And faste by is kyng Heroudes hows þat leet sle the Innocentes. This heroude was ouer

moche cursed & crueƚƚ.descriptionOpen page for first he leet sle his wif þat he louede rigℏt weƚƚ & for the passynge loue þat he hadde to hire whan he saugh hire ded he feƚƚ in a rage & oute of his wytt a gret while & sitℏen he cam aȝen to his wytt & after he leet sle his .ij. sones þat he hadde of þat wyf. And after þat he leet sle another of his wyfes & a sone þat he hadde with hire And after þat he let sle his owne moder & he wolde haue slayn his broþer also, but he dyede sodeynly. And after þat he dide aƚƚ the harm þat he cowde or mygℏte And after he feƚƚ in to sekness & whan he felte [folio 41b] þat he scholde dye he sente after his suster & after aƚƚ the lordes of his lond & whan þei were comen he leet commande hem to prisoun & þan he seyde to his suster he wiste wel þat men of the contree wolde make no sorwe for his deth & þerfore he made his suster swere þat sche scholde lete smyte of aƚƚ the hedesdescriptionOpen page of the lordes whan he were ded & þan scholde aƚƚ the lond make sorwe for his deth & eƚƚ nougℏt & þus he made his testement. but his suster fuƚƚfilled not his wiƚƚ For als sone as he was ded sche delyuered aƚƚ the lordes out of prisoun & lete hem gon eche lord to his owne hous & tolde hem aƚƚ the purpos of hire brotℏers ordynance & so was this cursede kyng neuer made sorwe fore as he supposed for to haue ben. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat in þat tyme þere weren .iij. heroudes of gret name & loosdescriptionOpen page for here crueltee. This heroude of whicℏ I haue spoken offe was HEROUD ASCOLONITE And he þat leet beheden seynt Ioℏn the Baptist was HEROUDE ANTYPA And he þat leet smyte of seynt Iames hed was HEROUDE AGRIPPA & he putte seynt Peter in prisoun. Also furthermore in the cytee is the chirche of seynt Sauyour & þere is the left ArmdescriptionOpen page of Ioℏn Grisostom & the more partye of the hed of seynt Steuene. And on þat oþer syde in the strete toward the south as men gon to mount Syon is a chirche of seynt Iames where he was beheded. And fro þat chirche a .vj^xx. paas is the mount Syon & þere is [folio 42a] a faire chirche of oure lady where sche dwelled & þere shee dyed And þere

was wont to ben an abbot of Chanouns reguleres, And fro þens was sche born of the Apostles vnto the vale of Iosaphatℏ. And þere is the stondescriptionOpen page þat the Aungeƚƚ brougℏte to oure lady fro the mount of Synay & it is of þat colour þat the roche is of seynt kateryne And þere besyde is the ȝate where thorgℏ oure lady wente whan sche was with childe whan sche wente to Betℏleem. Also at the entree of the mount syon is a chapeƚƚ & in þat chapeƚƚ is the ston gret & large with the whiche the sepulcre was couered with whan Iosepℏ of Aramathie had put oure lord þerejnne. The whiche ston the .iij. Maries sawen turnen vpward whan þei comen to the sepulcre the day of his resurrexioun And þere founden an aungeƚƚ þat tolde hem of oure lordes vprisynge fro deth to lyue. And þere alsodescriptionOpen page is a ston in a waƚƚ besyde the ȝate of the pyleer þat oure lord was scourged ate. And þere was Annes hows þat was Bisshop of the Iewes in þat tyme And þere was oure lord examyned in the nygℏt & scourged & smyten & vyleously entreted. And in þat same place seynt Peter forsoke oure lord thries or the cok creew. And þere is a party of the table þat he made his souper onne whan he made his maundee with his discyples whan he ȝaf hem his flescℏ & his blode in forme of bred & wyn. And vnder þat chapeƚƚ .xxxij. degrees is the place where oure lord wosscℏ his disciples fete And ȝit is the vesseƚƚ where the water was And þere besyde þat same vesseƚƚ was seynt Steuene buryed And þere is the autier where oure lady herdedescriptionOpen page the Aungeles synge messe And þere appered first oure lord to his disciples after his Resurrexioun the ȝates enclosed [folio 42b] and seyde to hem: “PAX VOBIS”, þat is to seye: Pees to ȝou & on þat mount appered crist to seynt Thomas the Apostle and bad him assaye his woundes & þan beleeued he first & seyde: “DOMINUS MEUS & DEUS MEUS”, þat is to seye: my lord & my god. In the same chirche besyde the awteer weren aƚƚ the Aposteles on Wytsonday when the holy gost

descended on hem in lykness of fuyr. And þere made oure lord his Pask with his disciples And þere slepte seynt Ioℏn the Euuangelist vpon the breest of oure lord Ihesu crist & saugh slepynge many heuenly priuytees. Mount Syon is withjnne the cytee & it is a lytiƚƚ hiere þan the oþer sydedescriptionOpen page of the cytee And the cytee is strongere on þat syde þan on þat other syde For at the foot of the mount Syon is a faire casteƚƚ & a strong þat the soudan leet make. In the mount Syon weren buryed kyng Dauid & kyng Salomon & many othere kynges Iewes of Ierusalem And þere is the place where the Iewes wolden han cast vpdescriptionOpen page the body of oure lady whan the Apostles beren the body to be buryed in the vale of Iosaphath And þere is the place where seynt Petir weptedescriptionOpen page fuƚƚ tenderly after þat he hadde forsaken oure lord. And a stones cast fro þat chapeƚƚ is anoþer chapeƚƚ where oure lord was jugged, for þat tyme was þere Cayphases hows. From þat chapeƚƚ to go toward the est at .vij^xx. paas is a depe cave vnder the roche þat is clept the Galylee of oure lord where seynt Peter hidde him whan he had forsaken oure lord. Item betwene the mount syon & the temple Salomon is the place where oure lord reysed the maydendescriptionOpen page in hire faderes hows. Vnder the mount Syon toward the vale of Iosaphath is a welle þat is clept NATATORIUM SILOE & þere was oure lord wassℏen after his bapteme And þere made [folio 43a] oure lord the blynde man to see And þere was yburyed ysaye the prophete. Also stregℏt from Natatorie Syloe is an ymage of ston & of olde auncyen werk þat Absalon leet make And be cause þere of men clepen it the hond of Absalon.descriptionOpen page And faste by is ȝit the tree of Eldre þat Iudas henge him self vpon for dispeyr þat he hadde whan he solde and betrayed oure lord. And þere besyde was the synagogedescriptionOpen page where the bysschoppes of Iewes & the sarrazinsdescriptionOpen page camen togidere and helden here conseiƚƚ And þere caste Iudas the .xxx. pens before hem and seyde þat he hadde synned betrayenge

oure lord. And þere nygh was the hows of the Apostles Philipp & Iacob Alphe.descriptionOpen page And on þat oþer syde of mount Syon toward the south beȝonde the vale a stones cast is Acheldamacℏ þat is to seye the feld of blood þat was bought for the .xxx. pens þat oure lord was sold fore And in þat feld ben many tombes of cristene men for þere ben manye pilgrymes grauen.descriptionOpen page And þere ben many oratories as chapeƚƚ & hermytages where heremytes weren wont to dueƚƚ. And toward the est an .c. pas is the charneƚƚ of the hospitaƚƚ of seynt Ioℏn where men weren wont to putte the bones of dede men. Also fro Ierusalem toward the west is a fair chirche where the tree of the cros grew. And .ij. myle fro þens is a faire chirche where oure lady mette with Elizabetℏ whan þei weren bothe with childe & seynt Ioℏn stered in his modres wombe & made reuerence to his creatour þat he saugℏ not. And vnder the awtier of þat chirche is the place where seynt Ioℏn was born. And fro þat chirche is a myle to the casteƚƚ of Emaux. And þere also oure lord schewed him to .ij. of his disciples after his resurrexioun. Also on þat oþer syde .cc. pas fro Ierusalem is a chirche where was wont to [folio 43b] be the caue of the lyoun And vnder þat chirche at .xxx^ti. degrees of depness weren entered .xij m^ƚ. martires in the tyme of kyng Cosdroe, þat the lyoun mette withaƚƚdescriptionOpen page in a nygℏt be the wille of god. Also fro Ierusalem .ij. myle is the mountjoye a fuƚƚ fair place & a delicyous and þere lyth Samuel the propℏete in afair tombe. And men clepen it mountioye for it ȝeuetℏ ioye to pilgrymes hertes because þat þere men seen first Ierusalem. Also betwene Ierusalem & the mount of Olyuete is the vale of Iosaphatℏ vnder the walles of the cytee as I haue seyd before. And in the myddes of þat vale is a lytiƚƚ ryuere þat men clepen TORRENS CEDRON. And abouen it ouerthwart lay a tredescriptionOpen page þat the cros was made offe þat men ȝeden ouer onne. And faste by it is a lityƚƚ pytt in the erthe where the foot of the pileer is ȝit

entereddescriptionOpen page And þere was oure lord first scourged, for he was scorged & vileyusly entreted in many places. Also in the myddel place of the vale of Iosaphatℏ is the chirche of oure lady & it is of .xliiij. degrees vnder the erthe vnto the sepulchre of oure lady; And oure lady was of age whan sche dyed .lxxij. ȝeer And beside the sepulcre of oure lady is an awtier where oure lord forȝaf seynt Peter aƚƚ his synnes & fro thens toward the west vnder an awtere is a welle þat cometh out of the flom̄edescriptionOpen page of paradys. And wyteth wel þat þat chirche is fuƚƚ lowe in the erthe & sum is aƚƚ withjnne the erthe, But I suppose wel þat it was not so founded, But for because þat Ierusalem hath often tyme ben destroyed & the walles abated & beten doun & tombled into the vale And þat þeidescriptionOpen page han ben so filled aȝen & the ground enhaunced, & for þat skyƚƚ is the chirche so lowe within the erthe & natℏeles men seyn þere comounly þat the ertℏe hatℏ so ben clouendescriptionOpen page [folio 44a] sytℏ the tyme þat oure lady was þere buryed, And ȝit men seyn þere þat it wexeth & groweth euery day withouten dowte. In þat chirche were wont to ben monkes blake þat hadden hire abbot. And besyde þat chirche is a chapeƚƚ besyde the Roche þat higℏt Getℏsemany & þere was oure lord kyssed of Iudas. And þere was he taken of the Iewes And pere laft oure lord his disciples whan he wente to preye before his passioun whan he preyed & seyde: “PATER SI FIERI POTEST TRANSEAT A ME CALIX ISTE”, þat is to seye: Fader ȝif it may be do lete this chalys go fro me, And whan he cam aȝen to his disciples he fond hem slepynge. And in the Roche withjnne the chapeƚƚ ȝit apperen the fyngresdescriptionOpen page of oure lordes hond whan he putte hem in the rochedescriptionOpen page whan the Iewes wolden haue taken him. And fro thens a stones cast toward the soutℏ is anotℏer chapeƚƚ where oure lord swette droppes of blood. And þere rigℏt nygℏ is the tombe of kyng Iosaphath of whom the vale beretℏ the name. This Iosaphath was kyngdescriptionOpen page of þat contree & was conuerted by an heremyte þat was a worthi man & dide moche gode. And fro þens a bowe

drawgℏt toward the soutℏ is the chirche where seynt Iames & Zacharie the propℏete weren buryed. And aboue þat vale is the mount of Olyuete And it is cleped so for the plentee of Olyues þat growen þere. Þat mount is more higℏ þan the cytee of Ierusalem is And þerfore may men vpon þat mountdescriptionOpen page see manye of the stretesdescriptionOpen page of the cytee And betwene þat mount & the cytee is not but the vale of Iosaphatℏ þat is not fuƚƚ large & fro þat mount steigℏ oure lord Ihesu crist to heuene vpon Ascencioun day And ȝit þere schewetℏ the schap̄p̄ of his left foot in the ston, And þere is a chirche where was wont to [folio 44b] be An Abbot & Chanouns reguleres. And a lytyƚƚ thens .xxviij. pas is a chapeƚƚ & þerein is the ston on the whicℏe oure lord sat whan he prechede the .viij. blessynges & seyde þus: “BEATI PAUPERES SPIRITU”. And þere he taughte his disciples the PATER NOSTER And wrot itdescriptionOpen page with his fynger in a ston. And þere nygℏ is a chirche of seynte Marie EgipcyanedescriptionOpen page & þere sche lytℏ in a tombe. And fro þens toward the Est a .iij. bowe schote is Bethfagee to the whiche oure lord sente seynt Peter & seynt Iames for to seche the Asse vpon Palme sonday & rode vpon þat asse to Ierusalem. And in comynge doun fro the mount of Olyuete toward the est is a casteƚƚ þat is cleped Bethanye And þere dwelte Symon leprousdescriptionOpen page & þere herberwed oure lord & after he was baptized of the apostles & was clept Iulian & was made bisschop̄p̄, And this is the same Iulyan þat men clepe to for gode herbergℏgage, for oure lord herberwed with him in his hows. And in þat hous oure lord forȝaf Marie Magdaleyne hire synnes, þere sche wisscℏ his feet with hire teres & wyped hem with hire heer And þere serued seynt Martha oure lord; Þere oure lord reysed lazar fro deth to lyue þat was ded .iiij. dayes & stank þat was brother to Marie Magdaleyne & to Martha; And þere duelte also Marie Cleophe. Þat casteƚƚ is wel a myle long frodescriptionOpen page Ierusalem. Also in comynge doun fro the mount of Olyuete is the place where oure lord wepte vpon Ierusalem. And þere besyde is the place where oure lady appereddescriptionOpen page

to seynt Thomas the Apostle after hire Assumpcioun & ȝaf him hire gyrdyƚƚ. And rigℏt nygℏ is the ston where oure lord often tyme sat vpon whan he prechede And vpon þat same he schaƚƚ sytte at the day of doom right as him self seyde. Also after the mount of Olyuete is the mount of Galilee,descriptionOpen page þere assembleden the Apostles whan Marie Magdaleyne cam [folio 45a] & tolde hem of cristes vprisynge And þere betwene the mount Olyuete & the mount Galilee is a chirche where the angel seyde to oure lady of hire deth. Also fro Bethanye to Ierico er fyue myle. IericodescriptionOpen page was somtyme a lityƚƚ cyteedescriptionOpen page but it is now aƚƚ destroyed & now is þere but a lityƚƚ village. Þat citee tok Iosue be myracle of god & commandement of the Angel & destroyed it & cursed it & aƚƚ hem þat bygged it aȝen. Of þat citee was zacheus the dwerf þat clomb vp into the sycomour tre for to see oure lord because he was so litiƚƚ, he mygℏte not seen him for the peple. And of þat cytee was Raab the comoun womman þat ascaped allone with hem of hire lynage & sche often tyme refressched & feddescriptionOpen page the messageres of Israel & kepte hem from many grete periles of deth & þerfore sche hadde gode reward as holy writt seyth: “QUI ACCIPIT PROPHETAM IN NOMINE MEO MERCEDEM PROPHETE ACCIPIET”, þat is to seye: he þat taketh a prophete in my name, he schaƚƚ take mede of the prophete.descriptionOpen page And so hadde sche, For sche prophecyed to the messageres seyenge: “NOUI QUOD DOMINUS TRADET VOBIS TERRAM HANC”, þat is to seye: I wot wel þat oure lord schal betake ȝou this lond, And so he dide And after Salomon Naasones sone wedded hire & fro þat tyme was sche a worthi womman & serued god wel. Also fro Betanye gon men to flom Iordan by a mountayne & þorgℏ desertdescriptionOpen page & it is nygℏ a day iorneyedescriptionOpen page fro Bethanye toward the est to a gret hiƚƚ where oure lord fasted .xl. dayes. Vpon þat hiƚƚ the enemy of heƚƚ bare oure lord & tempted himdescriptionOpen page & seyde: “DIC VT LAPIDES ISTI PANES FIANT”, þat is to seye: sey þat theise stones be made loues. In þat place vpon the hiƚƚ was wont to ben a faire chirche,

but it is aƚƚ destroyed so þat þere is now but an hermytage þat a maner of cristene men holden þat ben cleped Georgyenes for seynt George conuerted hem. Vpon [folio 45b] þat hiƚƚ duelte Abraham a gret while & þerfore men clepen it Abrahames gardyn And betwene the hiƚƚ & this gardyn renneth a lityƚƚ broke of water þat was wont to ben bytter, but be the blessyng of helisee the prophete it becam swete & gode to drynke. And at the foot of this hiƚƚ toward the playn is a grete welle þat entreth into flom Iordan. Fro þat hiƚƚ to Ierico þat I spak of before is but a myle in goynge toward flom Iordan. Also as men gon to Ierico sat the blynde man cryenge: “IHESU FILI DAUID MISERERE MEI”, þat is to seye: Ihesu danides sone haue mercy on me, & anon he hadde his sigℏt. Also .ij. myle fro Ierico is flom Iordan & an half myle more nygℏ is A faire chirche of seynt Iohn the Baptist, where he baptised oure lord And pere besyde is the hous of IeremyedescriptionOpen page the prophete.

Chapter XIII

THE DEAD SEA, THE SAMARITANS

OF THE DEDE SEE, AND OF THE FLOM JORDAN; OF THE HED OF SEYNT JOHN THE BAPTIST, & OF THE VSAGES OF THE SAMARITANES.

AND fro Jerico a .iij. myle is the dede see; Aboute þat see growetℏ moche Alom & of Alkatran.descriptionOpen page Betwene Jerico & þat see is the lond of Dengadde & þere was wont to growe the bawme,descriptionOpen page But men make drawe the braunches þereof & beren hem to ben graffed at Babyloyne, And ȝit men clepen hem vynes of Gaddy. At a cost of þat see as men gon from Arabe is the mount of the Moabytes where þere is a cave þat men clepen karua.descriptionOpen page Vpon þat hiƚƚ ladde Balak the sone of Booz Balaam the prest for to curse the peple of Israel. þat dede seedescriptionOpen page departetℏ the lond of Iudee & of Arabye and þat see lastetℏ from Soara vnto Arabye. The water of þat see is fuƚƚ bytter

& salt And ȝiff the erthe were made moystdescriptionOpen page & weet with þat water it wolde neuere bere fruyt. And the erthe & the lond chaungeþdescriptionOpen page often his colour And it casteth removetoadd out of the water a thing þat men clepen Aspalt Also gret peces as the gretness of an horsdescriptionOpen page [folio 46a] euery day & on aƚƚ sydes. And fro Ierusalem to þat see is .CC. furlonges; þat see is in lengtℏe fyue hundred and foure skore furlonges And in brede an hundred and fifty furlonges And it is clept the dede see for it rennetℏ nougℏt, but is euere vnmeuable. And noutℏer man ne best ne nothing þat beretℏ lif in him ne may not dyendescriptionOpen page in þat see And þat hatℏ ben preued many tymes be men þat han disserued to ben dede þat han ben cast þerjnne & left þerjnne .iij. dayes or .iiij. & þei ne mygℏte neuer dye þerjnne for it resceyuetℏ no thing withjnne him that beretℏ lif. And noman may drynken of the water for bytternesse, And ȝif a man caste jren þereindescriptionOpen page it wole flete abouen, And ȝif men caste a fedre þerein it wole synke to the botme. And þeise ben thinges aȝenst kynde.descriptionOpen page And also the cytees þere weren lost because of synne aȝenst kyndedescriptionOpen page And þere besyden growen trees þat beren fuƚƚ faire applesdescriptionOpen page & faire of colour to beholde but whoso breketℏ hem or cuttetℏ hem in two he schaƚƚ fynde within hem coles & cyndres jn tokene þat be wrattℏe of god the cytees & the lond weren brente & sonkendescriptionOpen page in to helle. Summen clepen þat see the lake dalfetidee,descriptionOpen page summe the flom of deuelesdescriptionOpen page & summe the flom þat is euer stynkynge for þe water þeroff es stynkand.descriptionOpen page And in to þat see sonken the .v. cytees be wrattℏe of god þat is to seyne Sodom Gomorre Aldama Seboym & Segor for the abhomynable synne of sodomye þat regned in hem. But Segor be the preyere of lotℏ was saued & kept a gret while For it was sett vpon an hiƚƚdescriptionOpen page And ȝit schewetℏ þerof sum party aboue the waterdescriptionOpen page & men may see the walles whan it is fayr weder & cleer. In þat cytee lotℏ dwelte a lytyƚƚ while & þere was he made dronken of his

dougℏtresdescriptionOpen page & lay witℏ hem & engendred of hem Moab & Amon And the cause whi his dougℏtres made him dronken & for to ly by hem was this: because þei [folio 46b] sawgℏ no man aboute hem but only here fader And þerfore þei trowed þat god had destroyed aƚƚ the world as he hadde don the cytees, as he had don before be Noeis flood, & þerfore þei wolde ly with here fader for to haue issue & for to replenysscℏe the world aȝen with peple to restore the world aȝen be hem, for þei trowed þat þer had ben no mo men in aƚƚ the world. And ȝif here fader had not ben dronken he hadde not yleye with hem. And the hiƚƚ abouen SEGOR men cleped it þanne EDOM And after men cleped it SEYR And after ydumea. Also at the rigℏt syde of þat dede see dwelleth ȝitdescriptionOpen page the wif of lotℏ in lykness of a salt ston for þat schee loked behynde hire whan the cytees sonken in to helle. This lotℏ was Araāmes sone þat was brotℏer to Abrāham, And Sarra Abrahames wif & Melcha Nachors wif weren sustren to the seyd lotℏ. And the same sarra was of elde .iij^xx. ȝeer and .x.descriptionOpen page whan ysaac hire sone was goten on hire, And Abraham hadde anotℏer sone ysmaeldescriptionOpen page þat he gat vpon Agar his chambrere whan he was but .xiiij. ȝeer of elde. And whan ysaac his sone was .viij. dayes old Abraham his fader leet him ben circumcyded And ysmael with him þat was .xiiij. ȝeer old, wherfore the Iewes þat comen of ysaacces lyne ben circumcyded the .viij. day And the sarrazines þat comen of ysmaeles lyne ben circumcyded whan þei ben .xiiij. ȝeer of age. And ȝee schuƚƚ vndirstonde þat within the dede see renneth the flomdescriptionOpen page Iordan & þere it dyetℏ, for it renneth no furþermore And þat is to a place þat is a myle fro the chirche of seynt Ioℏn the Baptist toward the west, a lytiƚƚ benethe the place where þat cristene men bathen hem comounly. And a myle from flom Jordan is the ryuere of labocℏ,descriptionOpen page the whiche Iacob passed ouer whan he cam fro Mesopotayme. This flom Iordan is no [folio 47a] gret ryuere but it is plentefous of gode fisscℏ And it cometh out of the hiƚƚ of lyban be .ij. welles þat ben

cleped Ior and Dan, and of þo .ij. welles hath it the name And it passeth be a lake þat is clept Maron and after it passetℏ by the see of Tyberye & passeth vnder the hilles of GELBOE. And þere is a fuƚƚ faire vale bothe on þat o syde & on þat other of the same ryuere. And thendescriptionOpen page gon the hillesdescriptionOpen page of lyban aƚƚ in lengtℏe vnto the desert of Pharan And þo hilles departen the kyngdom of surrye and the contree of PHENESIE And vpon þo hilles growen trees of Cedre þat ben fuƚƚ hye & þei beren longe apples & als grete as a mannes heued.descriptionOpen page And also this flom Iordan departeþ the lond of Galilee & the lond of YDUMYE & the lond of BETRON.descriptionOpen page And þat rennetℏ vnder ertℏe a gret weye vnto a fayre playn & a gret þat is clept MELDAN in SARMOYZdescriptionOpen page þat is to seye feyre or markett in here langage be cause þat þere is often fe^yres in þat playn; And þere becometh the water gret & large. In þat playn is the tombe of Iob And in þat flomdescriptionOpen page Iordan aboueseyd was oure lord baptized of seynt Ioℏn And the voys of god the fader was herd seyenge: “HIC EST FILIUS MEUS DILECTUS” & CETERA, þat is to seye: this is my beloued sone, in the whicℏ I am wel plesed, heretℏ hym. And the holy gost alygℏte vpon him in lykness of a coluer And so at his baptizynge was aƚƚ the hool trynytee. And þorgh þat flom passeden the children of Israel aƚƚ drye feet And þei putten stones þere in the myddel place in tokene of the myracle þat the water withdrowgℏ him so. Also in þat flom Iordan NAAMAN of Syrie bathed him þat was fuƚƚ riche but he was meseƚƚ & þere anon he toke his hele. Abouten the flom Iordan ben manye chirches where þat manye cristene men dwelleden And nygℏ þerto is the cytee of HAYLLAdescriptionOpen page þat Iosue assayled & toke. [folio 47b] Also beȝonde the flom Iordan is the vale of Mambre & þat is a fuƚƚ fair vale. Also from the hiƚƚ þat I spak of before where oure lord fasted .xl. dayes, a .ij. myle long towards Galilee is a fair hiƚƚ & an higℏ where the enemy the fend bare oure lord the thridde tyme to tempte him &

schewede him aƚƚ the regiouns of the world & seyde: “HEC OMNIA TIBI DABO SI CADENS ADORAUERIS ME,” þat is to seyne: Aƚƚ this schaƚƚ I ȝeue þe ȝif þou falle & worschipe me. Also fro the dede see to gon estward out of the marches of the holy lond þat is clept the lond of promyssioun is a strong casteƚƚ and a fair in an hiƚƚ þat is clept CARAK EN SARMOYZ,descriptionOpen page þat is to seyne Ryally.descriptionOpen page Þat casteƚƚ let make kyng Baldwyn̛ þat was kyng of FrancedescriptionOpen page whan he had conquered þat lond & putte it into cristene mennes hondes for to kepe the contree; And for þat cause was it clept the Mownt riaƚƚ. And vnder it þere is a town þat hight SOBACH And þere aƚƚ abowte dwellen cristene men vnder trybute. Fro þens gon men to NAZARETH of the whicℏe oure lord beretℏ the surname, And fro þens þere is .iij. iourneyesdescriptionOpen page to Ierusalem & men gon be the prouynce of GALYLEE, be RAMATHA, be Sothym & be the higℏ hiƚƚ of EFFRAIM, where Elchana & ANNE the moder of Samueƚƚ the prophete dwelleden. Þere was born this propℏete And after his detℏ he was buryed at mountjoye as I haue seyd ȝou before. And þan gon men to Sylo where the Arke of god with the relikes weren kept longe tyme vnder Ely the prophete; þere made the peple of Ebron sacrifice to oure lord & þei ȝolden vp here avowes And þere spak god first to SAMUEƚƚ and schewed him the mutacioun of ordre of presthode & the misterie of the sacrement And rigℏt nygℏ on the left syde [folio 48a] is GABAON & RAMA & BENIAMYN of the whiche holy writt speketh offe. And after men gon to Sychem sumtyme clept Sychar & þat is in the prouynce of Samaritanes & þere is a fuƚƚ fair vale & a fructuouse & þere is a fair cytee & a gode þat men clepen Neople. And from þens is a iorneye to Ierusalem And þere is the welle where oure lord spak to the womman of SamaritandescriptionOpen page And þer was wont to ben a chirche but it is beten doun. Besyde þat welle kyng RoboasdescriptionOpen page let make .IJ. CALUEREN of gold & made hem to ben worschipt & put þat on at Dan & þat oþer at BETEƚƚ. And a myle from SYCHAR is the cytee of DeluzedescriptionOpen page And in

þat cytee dwelte ABRAHAM a certeyn tyme. SYCHEM is a .x. myle fro Ierusalem & it is clept Neople, þat is for to seyne the newe cytee. And nygℏ besyde is the tombe of Iosepℏ the sone of Iacob þat gouerned Egypt, For the Iewes baren his bones from Egypt & buryed hem þere, And þider gon the Iewes often tyme in pilgrimage with gret deuocioun. In þat cytee was DynedescriptionOpen page Iacobes doughter rauysscℏt for whom hire bretℏeren slowen many persones & diden many harmes to the cytee. And þere besyde is the hiƚƚ of GARASOUNdescriptionOpen page where the Samaritanes maken here sacrifise; In þat hiƚƚ wolde Abraham haue sacrificed his sone ysaac. And þere besyde is the vale of DOTAYM & þere is the cisterne where Iosepℏ was cast in of his breþeren whicℏ þei solden & þat is a .ij. myle fro SYCHAR. From þens gon men to SAMARYE þat men clepen now SEBAST And þat is the chief cytee of þat contree And it sytt betwene the hiƚƚ of AYGUESdescriptionOpen page as Ierusalem doth. In that cytee was the sittynges of the .xij. tribesdescriptionOpen page of Israel but the cytee is not now so gret as it was wont to be. Þere was [folio 48b] buryed seynt IOHN THE BAPTISTdescriptionOpen page betwene .ij. propℏetes; helyseus and ABDYAN,descriptionOpen page but he was beheded in the casteƚƚ of MacharymedescriptionOpen page besyde the dede see And after he was translated of his disciples & buryed at SAMARIE And þere let IULIANUS APOSTATA dyggen him vp & let brennen his bones, for he was þat tyme Emperour, & let wyndwe the askes in the wynd;descriptionOpen page But the fynger þat schewed oure lord seyenge: “ECCE AGNUS DEI,” þat is to seyne: lo the lomb of god, þat nolde neuere brenne but is aƚƚ hol, þat fynger leet seynte Tecle the holy virgyne be born in to the hiƚƚdescriptionOpen page of Sebast & þere maken men gret feste. In þat place was wont to ben a fair chirche & manye oþere þere weren but þei ben aƚƚ beten doun. Þere was wont to ben the heed of seynt IOHN BAPTIST enclosed in the waƚƚ,descriptionOpen page but the Emperour THEODOSIE let drawe it out & fond it wrapped in a litiƚƚ cloth aƚƚ blodydescriptionOpen page And so he leet it to be born to COSTANTYNOBLE, And ȝit at Costantynoble is the hynder partye of the heed.

And the forpartie of the heed til vnder the chyn is at Rome in the chirche of seynt SILUESTRE, where ben Nonnes of an hundred ordresdescriptionOpen page & it is ȝit aƚƚ broyllydescriptionOpen page as þougℏ it were half brent, For the Emperour IULIANUS aboueseyd of his cursedness & malice let brennen þat partie with the oþer bones & ȝit it schewetℏ. And this thing hatℏ ben preued botℏe be PopesdescriptionOpen page & by Emperours. And the jowes benetℏe þat holden to the chyn & a partie of the assches & the platere þat the hed was leyd in whan it was smyten of is at GENE,descriptionOpen page And the Geneweyes maken of it gret feste, And so don the Sarazynes also.descriptionOpen page And summen seyn þat the heed of seynt Ioℏn is at AMYAS in Picardye And oþer men seyn þat it is the heed of seynt Ioℏn the bysschop; I wot nere, but god knowetℏ. [folio 49a] But in what wyse þat men worschipen it the blessed seynt Ioℏn holt him apayd.descriptionOpen page Fro this cytee of SEBAST vnto IERUSALEM is .xij. myle And betwene the hilles of þat contree þere is a welle þat .iiij. sithes in the ȝeer chaungeth his colour,descriptionOpen page somtyme grene somtyme reed somtyme cleer & somtyme trouble, And men clepen þat welle IOB And the folk of þat contree þat men clepen SAMARITANESdescriptionOpen page weren conuerted & baptized by the Apostles, but þei holden not wel here doctryne, And aƚƚ weys þei holden lawes by hem self, varyenge from cristene men, from Sarrazines, Iewes & paynemes. & the samaritanes leeven wel in o god And þei seyn wel þat þer is but only o god þat aƚƚ formed & aƚƚ schaƚƚ deme And þei holden the bible after the lettre And þei vsen the psawtere as the Iewes don And þei seyn þat þei ben the rigℏt sones of god, And among aƚƚ oþer folk þei seyn þat þei ben best beloued of god, And þat to hem belongetℏ the heritage þat god behigℏte to hise beloued children. And þei han also dyuerse clothinge & schapp to loken on þan oþer folk han, for þei wrappen here hedes in red lynnene clotℏ, in difference from oþere. And the Sarazines wrappen here hedes in white lynneue clotℏ, And the

cristene men þat duellen in the contree wrappen hem in blew of ynde, And the Iewes in ȝelow clotℏ. In þat contree dwellen manye of the Iewes payenge trybute as cristene men don And ȝif ȝee wil knowe the lettres þat the Iewes vsen þei ben suche And the names ben As þei clepen hem writen abouen in manere of here. A. B. C.

[Another alphabet.] [folio 49b]

Chapter XIV

GALILEE. CHRISTIAN SECTS

OF THE PROUINCE OF GALILEE & WHERE ANTECRIST SCHAƚƚ BEN BORN; OF NAZARETH; OF THE AGE OF OURE LADY; OF THE DAY OF DOOM, & OF THE CUSTOMES OF IACOBITES, SURRYENES & OF THE VSAGES OF GEORGYENES.

FROM this contreedescriptionOpen page of the samaritanes þat I haue spoken of before gon men to the playnes of GALILEE And men leuen the hilles on þat o partye. And GALILEE is on of the prouynces of the holy lond, And in þat prouynce is the cytee of NAYM & CAPHARNAUM & CHOROSAYM and BETHSAYDA. In this BETHSAYDA was seynt Peter & seint Andrew born And þens a .iiij. myle is CHOROSAYM & .v. myle fro CHOROSAYM is the cytee of CEDAR whereof the psauter speketℏ: “ET HABITAUI CUM HABITANTIBUS CEDAR,”descriptionOpen page þat is for to seye: And I haue dwelled with the dwellynge men in Cedar. In CHOROSAYM schaƚƚ ANTECRISTdescriptionOpen page be born, as summen seyn, And oþer men seyn he schaƚƚ be born in Babyloyne.descriptionOpen page For the propℏete seyth: “DE BABILONIA COLUBER EXIET, QUI TOTUM MUNDUM DEUORABIT,” þat is to seyne: Out of Babiloyne schal come a wormdescriptionOpen page þat schal deuouren aƚƚ the world. This ANTECRIST schaƚƚ be norysscℏtdescriptionOpen page in BETHSAYDA & he schaƚƚ regnen in CAPHARNAUM And þerfore seyth holy writt: “VE TIBI CHOROSAYM, VE TIBI BETHSAYDA, VE TIBI CAPHARNAUM!” Þat is to seye: Wo be

to þe CHOROSAYM, Wo to þe BETHSAYDA, Wo to þe CAPHARNAUM! And aƚƚ theise townes ben in the lond of GALILEE And also the CANE of GALILEE is .iiij. myle fro NAZARETH. Of þat cytee was SYMON CHANANEUS & his wif CaneedescriptionOpen page of the whicℏ the holy Euuangelist speketh offe. [folio 50a] Þere dide oure lord the firste myracle at the weddyng of ArchitriclyndescriptionOpen page whan he turned water in to wyn. And in the ende of Galilee at the hilles was the Arke of god taken & on þat oþer syde is the mownt hendor or hermondescriptionOpen page And þere aboute gotℏ the broke of Torrens CisondescriptionOpen page þat somtyme was cleptdescriptionOpen page the broke Radumu. And þere besyde Barach þat was AbymelecℏdescriptionOpen page sone with sone of DelboredescriptionOpen page the prophetisse ouercam the oost of ydumea whan Cysara the kyng was slayn of Gebeƚƚ the wif of Aber & chaced beȝonde the flom Iordan be strengthe of swerd, zeb and zebee & SalmanadescriptionOpen page & þere he slowgℏ hem. Also a .v. myle fro Naym is the cytee of Iezrael, þat somtyme was clept zarym, of the whiche cytee Iexabel the cursed queen was lady & queen þat toke awey the vyne of Nabaotℏ be hire strengthe. Faste by þat cytee is the feld MAGEDE in the whiche the kyng Ioras was slayn of the kyng of Samarie And after was translated & buryed in the mount Syon. And a myle fro Iezrael ben the hilles of Gelboe, where Saul & Ionathas þat weren so faire dyeden, wherfore Dauid cursed hem as holy writt seytℏ: “MONTES GKLBOE NEC ROS NEC PLUUIA” & CETERA, þat is to seye: ȝee hilles of gelboe nouþer dew ne reyndescriptionOpen page com vpon ȝou. And a myle fro the hilles of Gelboe toward the est is the cytee of Cytople þat was clept before Bethsayn And vpon the walles of þat cytee was the hed of Saul honged. Afte gon men be the hiƚƚ besyde the pleynes of Galylee vnto NazarethdescriptionOpen page where was wont to ben a gret cytee and a fair, but now þere is not but a lytill village & houses a brood here & þere. And it is not walled & it sytt in a litiƚƚ valeye & þere ben hilles aƚƚ aboute. Þere was

[folio 50b] oure lady born, but sche was goten at Ierusalem. And because þat oure ladydescriptionOpen page was born at Nazareth þerfore bare oure lord his surname of þat town. Þere toke Iosepℏ oure lady to wyf whan sche was .xiiij. ȝeere of age And þere Gabrieƚƚ grette oure lady seyenge: “Aue gracia plena dominus tecum,” þat is to seyne: Heyl fuƚƚ of grace oure lord is with þe. And this salutacioun was don in a place of a gret awteer of a faire chirche þat was wont to be somtyme, but it is now aƚƚ downe. & men han made a lityƚƚ resceytdescriptionOpen page besyde a pylere of þat chirche for to resceyue the offrynges of pilgrymes And the sarrazines kepen þat place fuƚƚ derely for the profyte þat þei han þereoffe And þei ben fuƚƚ wykked sarrazines & crueƚƚ & more dispytous þan in ony oþer place & han destroyed aƚƚ the chirches. Þere nygℏ is Gabrielles welle where oure lord was wont to batℏe him whan he was ȝong And fro þat welle bare he water oftentyme to his moder And in þat welle sche wosscℏ oftentyme the clowtes of hire sone Ihesu crist, And fro Ierusalem vnto thider is .iij. iourneyes. At Nazaretℏ was oure lord norisscℏt, Nazaretℏ is als meche to seye as flour of the gardyn And be gode skyƚƚ may it ben clept flour, for þere was norisscℏt the flour of lyf, þat was crist Ihesu. And .ij. myle fro Nazaretℏ is þe cytee of SephordescriptionOpen page be the weye þat gotℏ fro Nazaretℏ to Acon. And an half myle fro Nazaretℏ is the lepe of oure lorddescriptionOpen page for the Iewes ladden him vpon an higℏ roche for to make him lepe doun & haue slayn him but Ihesu passed amonges hem & lepte vpon anotℏer roche & ȝit ben the steppes of his feet senedescriptionOpen page in the roche where he allyghte. And þerfore seyn summen whan þei dreden hem of thefes in ony weye or of ene [folio 51a] myes: “IHESUS AUTEM TRANSIENS PER MEDIUM ILLORUM IBAT,” þat is to seyne: Ihesus forsothe passynge be the myddes of hem he wente, In tokene & mynde þat oure lord passed þorgℏout the Iewes crueltee & scaped safly fro hem, so surely mowe men passen the

perile of thefes. And þan sey men .ij. vers of the psauter .iij. sithes: “IRRUAT SUPER EOS FORMIDO & PAUOR IN MAGNITUDINE BRACHIJ TUI DOMINE. FIANT IMMOBILES QUASI LAPIS DONEC PERTRANSEAT POPULUS TUUS DOMINE DONEC PERTRANSEAT POPULUS TUUS ISTE QUEM POSSEDISTI.” And þanne may men passe with outen perile. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat oure lady hadde child whan sche was .xv. ȝeere olddescriptionOpen page and sche was conuersant with hire sone .xxxiij. ȝeer & .iij. monethes And after the passioun of oure lord sche lyuede .xxiiij. ȝeer. Also fro Nazaretℏ men gon to the mount Thabor & þat is a .iiij. myle & it is a fuƚƚ faire hiƚƚ & wel higℏ, where was wont to ben a toun & many chirches but þei ben aƚƚ destroyed, but ȝit þere is a place þat men clepen the scole of god,descriptionOpen page where he was wont to techen his disciples & tolde hem the priuytees of heuene. At the foot of þat hiƚƚ Melchisedecℏ þat was kyng of Salem in the turninge of þat hiƚƚ mette Abraham in comynge aȝen from the bataylle whan he had slayn AbymelecℏdescriptionOpen page & þis Melchisedech was bothe kyng & prest of Salem þat now is cleped Ierusalem. In þat hiƚƚ Thabor oure lord transfigured him before seynt Peter seynt Ioℏn and seynt Iame And þere þei sawgℏ gostly Moyses & Elye the prophetes beside hem And þerfore seyde seynt Peter: “DOMINE BONUM EST NOS HIC ESSE, FACIAMUS HIC TRIA TABERNACULA,” þat is to seye: Lord it is godedescriptionOpen page for vs to ben here, make wee here .iij. dwellyng places. And þere herd þei a voys of the fadir [folio 51b] þat seyde: “HIC EST FILIUS MEUS DILECTUS IN QUO MIHI BENE COMPLACUI.”descriptionOpen page And oure lord defended hem þat þei scholde not teƚƚ þat avisioun til þat he were rysen from deth to lyf. In þat hiƚƚ & in þat same place at the day of doomdescriptionOpen page .iiij. Aungeles with .iiij. trompes schuƚƚ blowen & reysen aƚƚ men þat hadden suffred detℏ sith that the world was formed from detℏ to lyue. And schuƚƚ comen in body and soule to juggement before the face of oure lord in the vale of Iosaphatℏ And the doom schaƚƚ ben on Estre

day, sucℏ tyme as oure lord aroos, And the dom schal begynne sucℏ houre as oure lord descended to heƚƚ & dispoyled it. For at sucℏ houre schal he despoyle the world & lede his chosene to blisse & the oþere schaƚƚ he condempne to perpetueƚƚ peynes. And þanne schaƚƚ euery man haue after his dissert ouþer gode or euyƚƚ but ȝif the mercy of god passe his rigℏtwisness. Also a myle from mount Thabor is the mount heremondescriptionOpen page & þere was the cytee of Naym. Before the ȝate of þat cytee reysed oure lord the wydewes sone þat had no mo children. Also .iij. myle fro Nazaretℏ is the casteƚƚ Saffra of the whiche the sones of zebedee & the sonesdescriptionOpen page of Alphee weren. Also a .vij. myle fro Nazaretℏ is the mount kayn & vnder þat is a welle And besyde þat welle lamech Noees fader slougℏ kaym with an arwe. For this kaym wente þorgℏ breres & busshes as a wylde best & he had lyued fro the tyme of Adam his fadir vnto the tyme of Noe & so he lyuede nygℏ to .M^ƚ.M^ƚ. ȝeer, And this Lamecℏ was aƚƚ blynd for elde. Fro Saffra me gotℏ to the see of Galylee & to the cytee of Tyberye þat sytt vpon the same see And aƚƚ be it þat men clepen it a see ȝit is it nouþer see ne arm of the see, for it is but [folio 52a] a stank of frescℏ water þat is in lengtℏe .c. furlonges & of brede .xl. furlonges & hatℏ within him gret plentee of gode fisscℏ & rennetℏdescriptionOpen page into flom Iordan. The cytee is not fuƚƚ gret but it hatℏ gode bathes within him And þere as the flom Iordan parteth fro the see of Galilee is a gret briggedescriptionOpen page where men passen from the lond of promyssioun to the lond of kyng Baazan & the lond of Gerrasentz þat ben aboute the flom Iordan And the begynnynge of the see of Tyberie. And fro þens may men go to Damask in .iij. dayes be the kyngdom of Traconye,descriptionOpen page the whiche kyngdom lastetℏ fro mount heremon to the see of Galilee or to the see of Tyberie or to the see of IenazaretℏdescriptionOpen page & aƚƚ is o see, And this is the stank þat I haue told ȝou, But it chaungetℏ þus the name for the names of the cytees þat sytten besyde hem. Vpon þat see wente

oure lord drye fect And þere he toke vp seynt Peter whan he begandescriptionOpen page to drenche within þat see & seyde to him: “MODICE FIDEI, QUARE DUBITASTI?”descriptionOpen page And after his resurrexioun oure lord appered on þat see to his disciples & bad hem fysschen & filled aƚƚ the nett fuƚƚ of gret fissℏes. In þat see roweddescriptionOpen page oure lord often tyme & þere he called to him seynt Peter, seynt Andrew, seynt Iames & seynt Ioℏn the sones of zebedee. In þat cytee of Tyberie is the tabledescriptionOpen page vpon the whiche oure lord eete vpon with his disciples after his resurrexioun & þei knewen him in brekynge of bred as the gospeƚƚ seytℏ: “ET COGNOUERUNT EUM IN FRACTIONE PANIS.”descriptionOpen page And nygh þat cytee of Tyberie is the hiƚƚ where oure lord fedde .v. Miƚ persones with .v. barly loues & .ij. fissℏes. In þat cytee a man cast an brennynge dartdescriptionOpen page in wrattℏe after oure lord & the hed smot in to the erthe & wax grene & it growed to a gret tree & [folio 52b] ȝit it growetℏ & the bark þere of is aƚƚ lyk coles. Also in the hed of þat see of Galylee toward the Septemtryon is a strong castel & an higℏ þat higℏt SaphordescriptionOpen page & fast beside it is CAPHARNAUM; with in the lond of promyssioun is not so strong a casteƚƚ & þere is a gode toun benetℏe þat is clept also Saphor. In þat castel seynt Anne oure ladyes moder was born And þere benetℏe was Centurioes hous.descriptionOpen page Þat contree is clept the Galilee of folk þat weren taken to tributedescriptionOpen page of Sabulon & of Neptalym. And in aȝen comynge fro þat casteƚƚ a .xxx. myle is the cytee of Dan þat somtyme was clept Belynas or Cesaire Philippon, þat sytt at the foot of the mount of lyban, where the flom Iordan begynneth. Þere begynneth the lond of promyssioun & duretℏ vnto Bersabee in lengtℏe in goynge toward the north into the SouthdescriptionOpen page & it conteyneth wel a .ix^xx. myles. & of lengthe,descriptionOpen page þat is to seye fro Iericho vnto Iaffe, & þat conteyneth a .xl. myle of lombardyedescriptionOpen page or of oure contree þat ben also lytyƚƚ myles; þeise be not myles of Gascoyne ne of the prouynce of Almayne,descriptionOpen page where ben grete myles. And wite ȝe weƚƚ þat the lond of promyssioun is in Sirye For

the Reme of Syrye duretℏ fro the desertes of Arabye vnto CecyledescriptionOpen page And þat is Ermonye the grete, þat is to seyne fro the soutℏ to the nortℏ. & fro the est to the west it duretℏ fro the grete desertes of Arabye vnto the west see.descriptionOpen page But in þat Reme of Syrie is the kyngdom of Iudee & many oþer prouynces as Palestyne, Galilee, lityƚƚ Cilicye & many othere. In þat contree & oþer contrees beȝonde þei han a custom whan þei schuƚƚ vsen werre & whan men holden sege abouten cytee or casteƚƚ & þei withjnnen dur not senden out messagers [folio 53a] with lettres from lord to lord for to aske sokour þei maken here lettres & bynden hem to the nekke of a coluer & leten the coluer flee & the colueren ben so taugℏte þat þei fleen with þo lettres to the verry place þat men wolde sende hem to. For the colueres ben norysscℏt in þo places where þei ben sent to & þei senden hem þusdescriptionOpen page for to beren here lettres. And the colueres retournen aȝen whereas þei ben norisscℏt & so þei don comounly. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat amonges the sarazines o part & other, duellen many cristene men of many maneres & dyuerse names & aƚƚ ben baptized & han dyuerse lawes & dyuerse customes. But aƚƚ beleuen in god the fader & the sone & the holy gost, But aƚƚ weys fayle þei in somme articƚes of oure feytℏ. Somme of þeise ben clept Iacobytes for seynt Iame conuerted hemdescriptionOpen page & seynt Ioℏn baptized hem; þei seyn þat a man schal maken his confessioun only to god & not to a man, for only to himdescriptionOpen page scholde man ȝelden him gylty of aƚƚ þat he hatℏ mysdon. Ne god ordeyned not ne neuer deuysed ne the propℏete noutℏer þat a man scholde schryuen him to another, as þei seyn but only to god, as Moyses writetℏ in the Bible & as Dauid seytℏ in the psawter boke: “CONFITEBOR TIBI DOMINE IN TOTO CORDE MEO,”descriptionOpen page And: “DELICTUM MEUM TIBI COGNITUM FECI”descriptionOpen page t: “DEUS MEUS ES TU & CONFITEBOR TIBI,”descriptionOpen page And: “QUONIAM COGITACIO HOMINIS CONFITEBITUR TIBI”descriptionOpen page & CETERA. For þei knowen aƚƚ the bible & the psautere & þerfore allegge þei so the lettre but þei alleggen not the

Auctoritees þus in latyn but in here langage fuƚƚ appertely & seyn wel þat Dauid & oþere prophetes seyn it. Natheles seynt AustyndescriptionOpen page & seynt Gregory seyn þus, AUGUSTINUS: “QUI SCELERA SUA COGITAT & CONUERSUS FUERIT VENIAM SIBI CREDAT.”descriptionOpen page [folio 53b] Gregorius: “DOMINUS POCIUS MENTEM QUAM VERBA RESPICIT.”descriptionOpen page And seynt Hillary seyth: “LONGORUM TEMPORUM CRIMINA IN ICTU OCULI PEREUNT SI CORDIS NATA FUERIT CONPUNCTIO.”descriptionOpen page And for sucℏe auctoritees þei seyn þat only to god schaƚƚ a man knouleehe his defautes, ȝeldynge him self gylty & cryenge him mercy & behotynge to him to amende himself. And þerfore whan þei wil schryuen hem þei taken fyre & sette it besyde hem & casten þer in poudre of frankencens & in the smoke þerof þei schryuen hem to god & cryen him mercy. But sotℏ it is þat this confessioun̛ was firstdescriptionOpen page & kyndely, but seynt peterdescriptionOpen page the apostle & þei þat camen after him han ordeynd to make here confessioun to man & be gode resoun. For þei perceyueden wel þat no sykness was curable, gode medycyne to leye þerto but ȝif men knewen the nature of the maladye. And also no man may ȝeuen couenable medicynedescriptionOpen page but ȝif he knowe the qualitee of the dede. For o synne may ben gretter in o man þan in anotℏer & in o place & in o tyme þan in anotℏer & þerfore it behovetℏ him þat he knowe the kynde of the dede & þerevpon to ȝeuen him penance. Þere ben oþere þat ben clept SURIENESdescriptionOpen page and þei holden the beleeve amonges vs & of hem of Grece And þei vsen aƚƚ berdes as men of Grece don & þei maken the sacrement of therf breddescriptionOpen page & in here langage þei vsen lettres of Sarazines, but after the misterie of holy chirche thei vsen lettres of Grece & þei maken here confessioun right as the Iacobytes don. Þere ben oþere þat men clepen GEORGYENESdescriptionOpen page þat seynt George conuerted & him þei worschipen more þan ony other seynt & to him þei crien for help & þei camen out of the Reme of George; þeise folk vsen crounes schauen. [folio 54a] The clerkes han rounde crounes & the lewed men han crownes aƚƚ square & þei holden cristene lawe

as don þei of Grece of whom I haue spoken of before. Othere þere ben þat men clepen cristene men of gyrdynge for þei ben aƚƚ gyrt abouen.descriptionOpen page And þer ben oþere þat men clepen Nestoryenes, And summe Arryenes,descriptionOpen page Summe Nubyenes, Summe of Grees, summe of Ynde & summedescriptionOpen page of Prestre Ioℏnes lond. And aƚƚ þeise han manye articƚes of oure feytℏ & to othere þei ben varyauntdescriptionOpen page & of here variance were to longe to telle & so I wil leue as for the tyme withouten more spekynge of hem.

Chapter XV

VARIOUS ROUTES TO JERUSALEM

OF THE CYTEE OF DAMASCE; OF .IIJ. WEYES TO IERUSALEM: ON BE LONDE & BE SEE, ANOTHER MORE BE LONDE ÞAN BE SEE, AND THE THRIDDE WEYE TO IERUSALEM: Aƚƚ BE LONDE.

NOW after þat I haue told ȝou sum partye of folk in the contrees before said now wil I turnen aȝen to my weye for to turnen aȝen on this half. Þanne whoso wil go fro the lond of GALILEE of þat þat I haue spoke for to come aȝen on this half, men comen aȝen be Damasce þat is a fuƚƚ fayr cytee & fuƚƚ noble & fuƚƚ of aƚƚ marchandises And a .iij. iorneyes long fro the see & a .v. iorneyes fro Ierusalem. But vpon Camaylles / mules / hors / dromedaries & oþer bestes men caryen here marchandise thider, And thider comen the marchauntes with marchandise be see from ynde, persee, Caldee Ermonye & of manye oþere kyngdomes. This cytee founded Helizeus DamascusdescriptionOpen page þat was ȝoman & despenser of Abraham before þat ysaac was born, for he thoughte for to haue ben Abrahames heir & he named the toun after his surname Damasce. And in þat place where Damasc was [folio fol 54 b] founded kaym slougℏ Abel his broþer And besyde damasc is the mount Seyr. In þat cytee of Damasce þer is gret plentee of welles And within the cytee & withoute ben many fayre gardynes & of dyuerse frutes. Non oþer cytee is not lyche in

comparisoun to it of faire gardynes & of faire desportes. The cytee is gret & fuƚƚ of peple & wel walled with double walles. And þere ben manye Phisicyens And seint Poul himself was þere a phisicyen for to kepen mennes bodyes in hele before he was conuerted & after þat he was phisicien of soules. And seynt luk the Euuangelist was disciple of seynt Poul for to lerne phisik & many oþere. For seint Poul held þanne scole of phisik. And neere beside damasce was he conuerted & after his conuersioun he duelte in þat cytee .iij. dayes withouten sigℏt & withouten mete or drinke And in þo .iij. dayes he was ravisscℏt to heuene & þere he saugℏ many preuytees of oure lord. And faste beside damasce is the casteƚƚ of Arkes þat is bothe fair & strong. From Damasce men comen aȝen be oure lady of Sardenak,descriptionOpen page þat is a .v. myle on this half damasce & it sytt vpon a roche & it is a fuƚƚ faire place & it semetℏ a casteƚƚ for þere was wont to ben a casteƚƚ, but it is now a fuƚƚ faire chircℏe. And þere withinne ben monkes & nonnes cristene And þer is a vowtdescriptionOpen page vnder the chirche where þat cristene men duellen also & þei han many gode vynes. And in the chirche behynde the higℏ awtere in the waƚƚ is a table of blak wode on the whiche somtyme was depeynted an ymage of oure lady þat turnetℏ into flescℏ,descriptionOpen page but now the ymage schewetℏ but litiƚƚ. But aƚƚ weys be the grace of god þe …descriptionOpen page

[folio 50b] Neuerþeles þat table euermare dreppez oel as it ware of oliue, And þar es a vesseƚƚ of marble vnder þe table to ressayue þe oel. þaroff þai giffe to pilgrimes for it heles of many sekeness. And men saise þat if it be keped wele seuen ȝere efterwardes it turnes in to flescℏdescriptionOpen page and blud. Fra Sardenak men comez thurgℏ þe vale of BochardescriptionOpen page þe whilk es a faire vale and a plentifous of aƚƚ maner of fruyte and it es amanges hilles and þer er þarin fair ryuers and grete medews and noble pasture for bestez. And men gas by þe mountes of libane whilk lastez fra Ermony þe mare to wardes þe north vnto Dan þe whilk es þe end of þe [folio 51a] land of repromissioun to ward þe nortℏ as I said before. þir hilles er riȝt fruytfuƚƚ And þare er many faire welles and cedres and cipressez and many oþer treesse of diuerse kyndes; Þare er also many gude tounes to ward þe heued of þir hilles fuƚƚ of folk.

Betwene þe citee of arkezdescriptionOpen page and þe citee of RaphanedescriptionOpen page es a riuer þat es called SabatorydescriptionOpen page for on þe seterday it rynnez fast and aƚƚ þe woke elles it standes stiƚƚ and rynnez noȝt or elles bot fairely. Betwene þe forsaid hilles also es anoþer water þat on nyghtes fresezdescriptionOpen page hard and on days es na frost sene þeron. And as men comez agayne fra þase hilles es a hiƚƚ hier þan any of þe oþer and þai caƚƚ it þare þe hegℏ hiƚƚ þare es a grete citee and a faire þe whilk es called Tryple In þe whilk er many gude cristen men ȝemand þe same rytes and customes þat we vse. Fra þeine men comez by a citee þat es called Beruch whare sayne george slew þe dragoun and it es a gude

toune and a faire casteƚƚ þerin And it es .iij. iournez fra þe forsaid citee of Sardenak. At þe ta syde of Beruch .xvj. myle to come hiderward es þe citee of Sydon. At Berucℏ entres pilgrimes in to þe see þat wiƚƚ com to Cipre and þai aryfe at þe porte of Surry or of Tyere and so þai com to Cipre in a lytiƚƚ space Or men may com fra þe porte of Tyre and com noȝt at Cipre and aryfe at sum hauen of grece and so come to þise partyse as I said before.

[folio 51b] I hafe talde ȝow now of þe ways by whilk men gase ferrest and langest to ierusalem as by babilon and mount synay and many oþer placez whilk ȝe herd me teƚƚ off and also by whilk ways men schaƚƚ turne agayne to þe land of repromissioun, now wiƚƚ I teƚƚ ȝow þe rightest way and þe schortest to ierusalem. For sum men wiƚƚ noȝt ga þe toþer, sum for þai hafe noȝt spending ynogℏ, sum for þai hafe na gude cumpany and sum for þai may noȝt endure þe lang trauail, sum for þai drede þam of many perils of desertes sum for þai wiƚƚ haste þam hameward desirand to see þare wifes and þare childer or for sum oþer resonable cause þat þai hafe to turne sone hame. And þerfore I wiƚƚ schew how men may passe tittest and in schortest tyme make þaire pilgrimage to ierusalem. A man þat comes fra þe landes of þe west he gas thurgℏ fraunce burgoyne and lumbardy and so to venice or geen or sum oþer hauen and schippes þare and wendez by see to þe Ile of greff þe whilk pertenez to þe Ianuenes, And seyne he aryuez in grece at porte Mirrok or at Valon or at Duras or at sum oþer hauen of þat cuntree and ristez him þare and byez him vitailes and schippez agayne and sailez to Cipre and aryuez þare at Famagost and comez noȝt at þe Ile of Rodes. Famagost es þe chieff hauen of Cipre And þare he refreschez him and puruays him of vitailes and þan he gase to schippe and comez na mare on land [folio 52a] if he wiƚƚ before he come at porte Iaffe þat es þe next hauen to ierusalem for it es bot a day iournee

and a half fra ierusalem þat es to say .xxxvj. myle. Fra þe porte Iaffe men gase to þe citee of Rames þe whilk es bot a lytill þeine and it es a faire citee and a gude and mykiƚƚ folk þerin. And withouten þat citee toward þe soutℏ is a kirk of oure lady whare oure lord schewed him tiƚƚ hir in three cloudes þe whilk betakned þe trinitee And a lytiƚƚ þeine es ane oþer citee þat men callez Dispolis bot it hight sum tyme LiddadescriptionOpen page a faire citee and a wele inhabited. Þare es a kirk of sayne george whare he was heuedid. Fra þeine men gase to þe casteƚƚ of Emaus And so to þe mount ioy Þare may pilgrimes first see to ierusalem At mount ioy liggez Samuel þe prophete. Fra þeine men gase to ierusalem. Beside þir ways es þe citee of Ramatha and þe mount ModyndescriptionOpen page And þeroff was Matathias Iudas Machabeus fader And þare er þe graues of þe Machabeez. Beȝond Ramatha es þe towne of TechuedescriptionOpen page wharoff Amos þe prophete was And þare es his grafe.

I hafe talde ȝow before of þe haly placez þat er at ierusalem and aboute it and þerfore I wiƚƚ speke namare of þam at þis tyme, Bot I wiƚƚ turne agayne and schewe ȝow oþer ways a man may passe mare by land and namely for þaim þat may noȝt suffer þe sauour of þe seedescriptionOpen page bot es leuer to ga by land if aƚƚ it be þe mare payne. Fra a man be entred in to þe see he schaƚƚ passe tiƚƚ ane of þe hauens of lumbardy For þare þare es þe best making of purueaunce [folio 52b] of vitailes or he may passe to Ieen or Venice or sum oþer And he saƚƚ passe by see into grece to þe porte Mirrok or to Valon or to Duras or sum oþer hauen of þat cuntree And fra þeine he saƚƚ ga by land to Constantinople And he saƚƚ passe þe water þat es called Brace sayne george þe whilk es ane arme of þe see. And fra þeine he saƚƚ by land ga to RuffyneƚƚdescriptionOpen page whare a gude casteƚƚ es and a strang And fra þeine he saƚƚ ga to PulueraldescriptionOpen page and seyne to þe casteƚƚ of Synople and fra þeine

to Capadoce þat es a grete cuntree whare er many grete hilles And he saƚƚ ga thurgℏ Turky to þe porte of Chiutok and to þe citee of Nyke whilk es bot .vij. myle þeine. Þat citee wanne þe Turkes fra þe emperour of Constantinople and it es a faire citee and wele walled on þe ta syde And on þe toþer syde es a grete lake and a grete riuer þe whilk es called Lay.descriptionOpen page Fra þeine men gase by þe hilles of Nairmont and by þe vales of MailbrinsdescriptionOpen page and straite felles And by þe toune of OrmanxdescriptionOpen page or by þe tounes þat er on Riclay and ScantondescriptionOpen page þe whilk er grete waters and noble And so to Antioche þe lessedescriptionOpen page whilk es sett on þe ryuer of Riclay and þare aboutes er many gude hilles and faire and many faire wodes and grete plentee of wylde bestes forto hunt at.

And he þat wiƚƚ ga anoþer way he schaƚƚ ga by þe playnes of RomanydescriptionOpen page costayand þe romayn see. On þat coste es a faire casteƚƚ þat men callez FlorachdescriptionOpen page and it es right a strang place And vppermare amang þe mountaynes es a faire citee þat es called Toursout [folio 53a] and þe citee of Longemaatℏ and þe citee of Assere and þe cite of Marmistre. And when a man es passed þase mountaynes and þase felles he gase by þe citee of Marioch and by ArtoisedescriptionOpen page whare es a grete brigg apon þe riuer of ferne þat es called Farfar and it es a grete riuer berand schippes and it rynnes riȝt fast oute of þe mountaines to þe cite of DamascdescriptionOpen page And besyde þe citee of Damasc es anoþer grete riuer þat comes fra þe hilles of liban whilk men callez Abbana. At þe passing of þis riuer saynt EustacedescriptionOpen page þat sum tyme was called Placidas lost his wyf and his twa childer. Þis riuer rynnes thurgℏ þe playne of Archades and so to þe reed see.descriptionOpen page Fra þeine men gase to þe cite of PhenicedescriptionOpen page whare er hate welles and hate bathez And þan men gase to þe cite of Ferne and betwene Phenice and Ferne er .x. myle. And þare er many faire woddes. And þan men comez til Anthioche whilk es

.x. myle þeine And it es a faire citee and wele walled aboute with many faire toures And it es a grete cite bot it was sum tyme gretter þan it esn owe For it was sum tyme twa myle on lentℏ and on brede oþer half myle And thurgℏ þe myddes of þat citee ranne þe waterdescriptionOpen page of Farphar and a grete brigg ower it and þare ware sum tyme in þe walles aboute þis citee .ccc. and fyfty touresdescriptionOpen page and at ilk a piler of þe brigg was a toure. Þis es þe cheeffe cite of þe kyngdom of Surry And ten myle fra þis cite es þe porte of Saynt Symeon and þare gase þe water off Farphar in to þe see. Fra Antioche men gase to a cite þat es called Lacuth and þan to Gebel and þan to Tortouse and þare nere es þe land of ChanneldescriptionOpen page [folio 53b] and þare es a strang casteƚƚ þat es called Maubek. Fra tortouse passez men to Tryple by see or elles by land thurgℏ þe strayt of mountaynes and felles and þare es a citee þat es called Gibilet.descriptionOpen page Fra Triple gase men til Acres And fra þeine er twa ways to ierusalem þe tane on þe left half and þe toþer on þe riȝt half. By þe left way men gase by damasc and by þe flum Iordan, By þe riȝt way men gase by MaryndescriptionOpen page and by þe land of Flagramy.descriptionOpen page And nere þe mountaynes vnto þe cite of Cayphas þat sum men callez þe casteƚƚ of Pilgrimes And fra þeine to ierusalem er .iij. day iournez In þe whilk men schaƚƚ ga thurgℏ Cesaria Philippi and so to Iaffe and Rames and þe casteƚƚ of Emaus and so to ierusalem. Now hafe I talde ȝow sum ways by land and by water þat men may ga by to þe haly land after þe cuntreez þat þay com fra neuerþeles þai com aƚƚ til ane ende.

Ȝyt es þaredescriptionOpen page anoþer waydescriptionOpen page to ierusalem aƚƚ by land and passe noȝt þe see fra fraunce or flaundres bot þat way es fuƚƚ lang and perlious and of grete trauaile and þerfore few gase þat way. He þat schaƚƚ ga þat way he schaƚƚ ga thurgℏ Almayne and Pruyss and so to Tartary. Þis tartary es halden of þe grete Caan of Cathay of

wham I think to speke efterward. Þis es a fuƚƚ iƚƚ land and sandy and lytiƚƚ fruyt berand For þare growes na corne ne wyne ne beenes ne peese ne nanoþer fruyt conable to man forto liffe with, Bot þare er bestez in grete plentee And þerfore þaidescriptionOpen page ete bot flescℏ withouten breed and soupez þe broo And þai drink mylke of aƚƚ maner of bestez.

description Open page

[folio 55a] & þei eten houndes,descriptionOpen page cattes, ratouns & aƚƚ oþere wylde bestes. And þei haue no wode or eƚƚ lytyƚƚ And þerfore þei warmen & sethen here mete with hors dong & cow dong & of oþer bestes dryed aȝenst the sonne. And princes & oþere eten not but ones in the day & þat but

lytiƚƚ & þei ben rigℏt foule folk & of euyl kynde. And in somer be aƚƚ þo contrees fallen many tempestes & many hidouse thondres & leytes And slen meche peple & bestes also fuƚƚ oftentyme. And sodeynly is þere passynge hete & sodeynly also passynge cold And it is the foulest contree & the most cursed and the porest þat men knowen. And here prince þat gouerneth þat contree þat þei clepen BATℏO,descriptionOpen page duelletℏ at the cytee of Orda. And treuly no gode man scholde not duellen in þat contre, For the lond & the contree is not worthi houndes to dueƚƚ jnne; It were a gode contree to sowen jnnedescriptionOpen page thristeƚƚ & breres & broom & thornes & breres, & for non oþer þing is it not good. Natheles þere is gode lond in sum place but it is pure litiƚƚ as men seyn. I haue not ben in þat contre ne be þo weyes but I haue ben at oþer londes þat marcℏen to þo contreyes As in the lond of Russye & in the lond of Nyflan & in the reme of Crako & of lette & in the reme of DarestendescriptionOpen page & in manye oþer places þat marchen to þo costes, but I wente neuer be þat weye to Ierusalem, Wherfore I may not wel teƚƚ ȝou the manere. But ȝif this matiere plese to ony wortℏi man þat hath gon be þat weye he may telle it ȝif him lyke to þat entent þat þo þat wolen go by þat weye and maken here viage be þo costes mowen knowen what weye is þere. For noman may passe be þat weye godely but in [folio 55b] tyme of wynter for the perilous watres & wykkede mareys þat ben in þo contrees, þat noman may passe but ȝif it be strong frost & snowe abouen, for ȝif the snow ne were men mygℏt not gon vp on the yse ne hors ne carre nouþer & it is wel a .iij. iourneyes of sucℏe weye to passe from Prusse to the lond of sarazin habitable. And it behouetℏ to the cristene men þat schuƚƚ werre aȝen hem euery ȝeer to bere here vitaylles with hem, for þei schuƚƚ fynde þere no good, And þan most þei let carye here vitaylle vpon the yse with carres þat haue no wheeles þat þei clepen Scleyes,descriptionOpen page And als longe as here vitailles lasten þei may abyde þere but no longer, For þere schuƚƚ þei fynde no wigℏt þat wil selle

hem ony vitaille or ony thing. And whan the spyes seen ony cristene men comen vpon hem þei rennen to the townes & cryen with a lowd voys KERRA KERRA KERRA & þan anon þei armen hem & assembƚe hem togydere. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat it fresetℏ more strongly in þo contrees þan on this half & þerfore hatℏ euery man stewes in his hous & in þo stewes þei eten & don here occupaciouns aƚƚ þat þei may. For þat is at the nortℏ parties þat men clepen the septentrioneƚƚ where it is aƚƚ only cold, For the sonne is but lytiƚƚ or non toward þo contreyes & þerfore in the Septemtryon þat is verry nortℏ is the lond so cold þat noman may dueƚƚ þere & in the contrarye toward the soutℏ it is so hoot þat noman ne may dueƚƚ þere, be cause þat the sonne whan he is vpon the Soutℏ castetℏ his bemes aƚƚ stregℏt vpon þat partye.

Chapter XVI

MAHOMET AND HIS LAW

OF THE CUSTOMES OF SARASINES, & OF HIRE LAWE, & HOW THE SOUDAN ARRESOND ME AUTOUR OF THIS BOOK, AND OF THE BE GYNNYNGE OF MACHOMETE.

NOW because þat I haue spoken of sarazines & of here contre now ȝif ȝee wil knowe a partye of here lawedescriptionOpen page & of here [folio 56a] beleue I schaƚƚ teƚƚ ȝou after þat here book þat is clept ALKARON telletℏ, And summen clepen þat book MESHAFdescriptionOpen page & summe clepen it HARME after the dyuerse langages of the contree, The whiche book Machamete toke hem. in the whiche boke among oþer thinges is writen, as I haue often tyme seen & radd, þat the gode schuƚƚ gon to paradys & the euele to helle & þat beleeuen aƚƚ sarazines. And ȝif a man aske hem what paradys þei menen þei seyn to paradys þat is a place of delytesdescriptionOpen page where men schuƚƚ fynde aƚƚ maner of frutes in aƚƚ cesouns & ryueres rennynge of mylk & hony & of wyn & of swete water & þat þei schuƚƚ haue faire houses & noble euery man after his dissert made of precyous stones & of gold & of syluer. And þat euery

man schaƚƚ haue .iiij^xx. wyfes aƚƚ maydenes & he schaƚƚ haue ado euery day with hem & ȝit he schaƚƚ fynden hem aƚƚ weys maydenes. Also þei beleeuen & speken gladly of the virgine Marie & of the Incarnacioun And þei seyn þat Marie was taugℏt of the Angel & þat Gabrieƚƚ seyde to hire þat sche was forchosen from the begynnynge of the world & þat he schewed to hire the Incarnacioun of Ihesu crist & þat sche conceyued & bare child mayden & þat wytnessetℏ here boke. & þei seyn also þat Ihesu crist spak als sone as he was borndescriptionOpen page & þat he was an holy prophete & a trewe in woord & dede & meke & pytous & rightfuƚƚ & with outen ony vyce. And þei seyn also þat whan the AngeldescriptionOpen page schewed the Incarnacioun of crist vnto Marie sche was ȝong & had gret drede. For þere was þanne an enchauntour in the contree þat deled with wycchecraft þat men clepten Taknia þat be his enchauntementes cowde make him in lykness of an Angel & wente often tymes & lay with maydenes [folio 56b] & þerfore Marie dredde lest it hadde ben Taknia þat cam for to desceyue the maydenes. And þerfore sche coniured the Angel þat he scholde teƚƚ hire ȝif it were he or nō And the angel answerde & seyde þat sche scholde haue no drede of him for he was verry messager of Ihesu crist. Also here book seytℏ þat whan þat sche had childed vnder a palme tredescriptionOpen page sche had gret schame þat sche hadde a child & sche grette & seyde þat sche wolde þat sche hadde ben ded; And anon the child spak to hire & comforted hire & seyde: Moder ne dysmaye þe nougℏt, for god hatℏ hidd in þe his preuytees for the saluacioun of the world. And in othere many places seytℏ here ALKARON þat Ihesu crist spak als sone as he was born. And þat book seytℏ also þat Ihesu was sent from god aƚƚ mygℏty for to ben myrour & ensample & tokne to alle men. And the Alkaron seytℏ also of the day of doom, how god schal come to deme aƚƚ maner of folk & the gode he schaƚƚ drawen on his syde & putte hem into blisse, And the wykkede he schal condempne to the peynes of heƚƚ. And amonges aƚƚ

propℏetes Ihesu was the most excellent & the moste wortℏi next god, And þat he made the gospelles in the whicℏe is gode doctryne & helefuƚƚ, fuƚƚ of clariteedescriptionOpen page & sotℏfastness & trewe prechinge to hem þat beleeuen in god And þat he was a verry prophete & more þan a prophete & lyued withouten synne & ȝaf sygℏt to þe blynde & helede the lepres & reysede dede men & steigℏ to heuene. And whan þei mowe holden the boke of the gospelles of oure lord writen & namely MISSUS EST ANGELUS GABRIEL,descriptionOpen page þat gospeƚƚ þei seyn þo þat ben lettred often tymes in here orisouns & þei kissen it & worschipen it with gret deuocioun. Þei fasten an hool monetℏ in the ȝeer & eten nougℏt but be nygℏte [folio 57a] & þei kepen hem from here wyfes aƚƚ þat monetℏ. But the seke men be not constreyned to þat fast. Also this book spektℏ of Iewes & seytℏ þat þei ben cursed for þei wolde not beleuen þat Ihesu crist was comen of god & þat þei lyeden falsely on Marie & on hire sone Ihesu crist seyenge þat þei hadden crucyfyed Ihesu the sone of Marie. For he was neuere crucyfyeddescriptionOpen page as þei seyn, but þat god made him to stye vp to him withouten detℏ & withouten anoye, But he transfigured his lykness into IUDAS SCARIOTℏ & him crucifyeden the Iewes & wenden þat it had ben Ihesus But Ihesu steygℏ to heuenes aƚƚ quyk & þerfore þei seyn þat the cristene men erren & han no gode knouleche of this & þat þei beleeuen folyly & falsly þat Ihesu crist was crucyfyed. And þei seyn ȝit þat, & he had ben crucyfyed, þat god had don aȝen his rightwisness for to suffre Ihesu crist þat was Innocent to ben put vpon the cros withouten gylt. And in this article þei seyn þat wee faylen & þat the gret rigℏtwisness of god ne myℏte not suffre so gret a wrong. And in this fayletℏ here feytℏ, For þei knoulechen wel þat the werkes of Ihesu crist ben gode & his wordes & his dedes & his doctryne be his gospelles weren trewe & his meracles also trewe & the blessede virgine Marie is good & holy mayden before & after the birtℏe of Ihesu crist, And þat aƚƚ þo þat

beleuen perfectely in god schul ben saued. And be cause þat þei gon so ny oure feytℏdescriptionOpen page þei ben lyghtly conuerted to cristene lawe whan men preche hem And schewen hem distynctly the lawe of Ihesu crist & whan men tellen hem of the prophecyes. And also þei seyn þat þei knowen wel be the prophecyes þat the lawe of Machomete schaƚƚ fayƚedescriptionOpen page as [folio 57b] the lawe of the Iewes dide And þat the lawe of cristene peple schaƚƚ laste to the day of doom. And ȝif ony man askedescriptionOpen page hem what is here beleeue, þei answeren þus & in this forme: Wee beleuen god formyour of heuene & of ertℏe & of aƚƚ oþere thinges þat he made & withouten him is no thing made. And we beleuen of the daydescriptionOpen page of doom & þat euery man schaƚƚ haue his meryte after he hatℏ disserued And we beleue it for sotℏ aƚƚ þat god hatℏ seyd be the moutℏes of his prophetes. Also Machomet commanded in his ALKARON þat euery man scholde haue .ij. wyfesdescriptionOpen page or .iij. or .iiij. but now þei taken vnto .ix. & of lemmannes als manye as he may susteyne. And ȝif ony of here wifes mys beren hem aȝenst hire husbonde he may caste hire out of his hous & departe fro hirdescriptionOpen page & take anoþer, But he schaƚƚ departe with hire of his godes. Also whan men speken to hem of the fader & of the sone & of the holy gost þei seyn þat þei ben .iij. persones,descriptionOpen page but not o god, For here Alkaron speketℏ not of the trynyte. But þei seyn wel þat god hatℏ specℏe & eƚƚ were he dowmb & god hatℏ also a spirit þei knowen wel for eƚƚ þei seyn he were not on lyue. And whan men speken to hem of the Incarnacioun how þat be the word of the Angel god sente his wysdom in to erthe & envmbred him in the virgyne Marie & be the woord of god schuƚƚ þe dede ben reysed at the day of doom, þei seyn þat it is sotℏ & þat the woord of god hatℏ gret strengtℏe, And þei seyn þat whoso knew not þe woord of god he scholde not knowe god. And þei seyn also þat Ihesu crist is the woord of god & so seytℏ hire ALKARON, where it seytℏ þat the Angel spak to Marie

and seyde: Marie, god schaƚƚ preche þe the [folio 58a] gospeƚƚ be the woord of his mowtℏ & his name schaƚƚ be clept Ihesu crist. And þei seyn also þat Abraham was frend to god And þat MoysesdescriptionOpen page was familier spekere with god & Ihesu crist was the woord & the spirit of god & þat Machomete was right messager of god. And þei seyn þat of theise .iiij. Ihesu was the most worthi & the most excellent & the most gret so þat þei han many gode articƚes of oure feytℏ, aƚƚ be it þat þei haue no parfite lawe & feytℏ as cristene men han.descriptionOpen page & þerfore ben þei lightly conuerted & namely þo þat vnderstonden the scriptures & the prophecyes, For þei han the gospelles & the prophecies & the byble writen in here langage. Wherfore þei conen meche of holy wrytt, but þei vnderstonde it not but after the lettre & so don the Iewes. For þei vndirstonde not the lettre gostly but bodyly & þerfore ben þei repreueddescriptionOpen page of þe wise þat gostly vnderstonden it. And þerfore seytℏ Seynt Poul: “LITERA OCCIDIT, SPIRITUS AUTEM VIUIFICAT.”descriptionOpen page Also the sarazines seyn þat the Iewes ben cursed for þei han defouled the lawedescriptionOpen page þat god sente hem be Moyses, And the cristene ben cursed also, as þei seyn, for þei kepen not the commandementes & the preceptes of the gospeƚƚ þat Ihesu crist taugℏte hem. And þerfore I schaƚƚ teƚƚ ȝou what the Soudan tolde medescriptionOpen page vpon a day in his chambre. He leet voyden out of his chambre aƚƚ maner of men, lordes & oþere, for he wolde speke with me in conseiƚƚ. And þere he asked me how the cristene men gouerned hem in oure contree, and I seyde him right wel, thonked be god. & he seyde me treulycℏ nay, for ȝee cristene mendescriptionOpen page ne reccℏe right nogℏt how vntrewly to serue god; ȝee scholde ȝeuen ensample to the lewed peple for to do wel & ȝee ȝeuen hem ensample to don euyƚƚ. for the comownes vpon festyfuƚƚ dayes whan þei scholden gon to chirche [folio 58b] to serue god, þan gon þei to tauernes & ben þere in glotony aƚƚ þe day & aƚƚ nygℏt & eten & drynken as bestes þat haue no resoun & wite not whan þei haue ynow. And also the cristene men enforcen hem in aƚƚ maneres þat þei mowen for to

fightendescriptionOpen page & for to desceyuen þat on þat other, And þerewithaƚƚ þei ben so proude þat þei knowen not how to ben clothed, now long, now schort, now streyt, now large, now swerded, now daggereddescriptionOpen page & in aƚƚ manere gyses. Þei scholden ben symple meke & trewe & fuƚƚ of almesdede as Ihesu was in whom þei trowe, but þei ben aƚƚ the contrarie & euere enclyned to the euyƚƚ & to don euyƚƚ. And þei ben so coueytous þat for a lytyƚƚ syluer þei sellen here dougℏtres, here sustres & here owne wyfes to putten hem to leccherie, And on withdrawetℏ the wif of anotℏer & non of hem holdetℏ feytℏ to anotℏer, but þei defoulen here lawe þat Ihesu crist betook hem to kepe for here saluacioun. And þus for here synnes han þei lost aƚƚ this lond þat wee holden. For for hire synnes here god hatℏ taken hem in to oure hondes, nogℏt only be strengtℏe of oureself, but for here synnes. For wee knowen wel in verry sotℏ þat whan ȝee seruen god god wil helpe ȝou, And whan he is with ȝou noman may ben aȝenst ȝou. And þat knowe we wel be oure prophecyes,descriptionOpen page þat cristene men schuƚƚ wynnen aȝen this lond out of oure hondes whan þei seruen god more deuoutly. But als longe as þei ben of foul & of vnclene lyvynge as þei ben now wee haue no drede of hem in no kynde, for here god wil not helpen hem in no wise. And þan I asked him how he knew the state of aƚƚ cristene men & he answerde me þat he knew aƚƚ the state of aƚƚ contres of cristene kynges & princesdescriptionOpen page & the state of the comounes also be his messangeres,descriptionOpen page þat he sente to aƚƚ londes in manere as þei weren marchauntes of precyous stones, of clothes of golddescriptionOpen page & of othere [folio 59a] thinges for to knowen the manere of euery contree amonges cristenemen. And þan he leet clepe in aƚƚ the lordes þat he made voyden first out of his chambre & þere he schewed me .iiij. þat weren grete lordes in the contree þat tolden me of my contree & of manye oþer cristene contrees als wel as þei had ben of the same contree & þei spak frenscℏ rigℏt wel & the sowdan also, whereof I had gret meruaylle. Allas, þat it is gret sclaundre to oure feitℏ & to oure lawe,

whan folk þat ben withouten lawe schuƚƚ repreuen vs & vndernemen vs of oure synnes, And þei þat scholden ben conuerted to crist & to the lawe of Ihesu be oure gode ensamples & be oure acceptable lif to god, & so conuerted to the lawe of Ihesu crist, ben þorgℏ oure wykkedness & euyƚƚ lyuynge fer fro vs & straungeres fro the holy & verry beleeve schuƚƚ þus appelen vs & holden vs for wykkede lyueres & cursede. And treuly þei sey sotℏ, For the sarazines ben gode & feytℏfuƚƚ, For þei kepen entierly the commandement of the holy book ALKARON þat god sente hem be his messager Machomet, to the whiche, as þei seyn, Seynt GabrieƚƚdescriptionOpen page the aungel often tyme tolde the wille of god. And ȝee schuƚƚ vnderstonde þat Machamote was born in Arabye,descriptionOpen page þat was first a pore knaue þat kepte Cameles þat wenten with Marchantes for marchandise; & so befeƚƚ þat he wente with the marchandes in to Egipt & þei weren þanne cristene in þo partyes. And at the desertes of Arabye he wente in to a chapeƚƚ where a EremytedescriptionOpen page duelte, And whan he entred in to the chapeƚƚ þat was but a lytiƚƚ & a low thing & had but a lityl dore & a low, þan the entree began to wexedescriptionOpen page so gret & so large & so higℏ as þougℏ it had ben of a gret mynstre or the ȝate [folio 59b] of a paleys. And this was the firste myracle the sarazins seyn þat Machomete dide in his ȝoutℏe. After began he for to wexe wyse and riche & he was a gret Astronomer & after he was gouernour & princedescriptionOpen page of the lond of Corrodane & he gouerned it fuƚƚ wisely in sucℏ manere þat whan the prince was ded he toke the lady to wyfe, þat higℏte Gadrige. And Machomete feƚƚ often in the grete sikenessdescriptionOpen page þat men callen the fallynge euyƚƚ, Wherfore the lady was fuƚƚ sory þat euere sche toke him to husbonde. But Machomete made hire to beleeue þat aƚƚ tymes whan he feƚƚ so Gabriel the angel cam for to speke with him & for the gret ligℏt & brigℏtness of the angeƚƚ he mygℏte not susteyne him fro fallynge; And þerfore the sarazines seyn þat Gabriel cam often to speke with him. This Machomete regned in Arabye the ȝeer

of oure lord Ihesu crist .vj. C. & .x. and was of the generacioun of ysmaeldescriptionOpen page þat was Abrahames sone þat he gat vpon Agar his chamberere. And þerfore þer ben sarazines þat ben clept Ismaelytenes,descriptionOpen page & summe Agaryenes of Agar & the oþere propurly ben clept Sarrazines of Sarra & summe ben clept Moabytes & summe Amonytes for the .ij. sones of lotℏ, Moab & Amon þat he begatt on his doughtres, þat weren aftirward grete ertℏely princes. And also Machomete loued wel a gode heremytedescriptionOpen page þat duelled in the desertes a myle fro þat Mount Synay in the weye þat men gon fro Arabye toward Caldee & toward ynde, o day iourney fro the see, where the marchauntes of Venyse comen often for marchandise. And so often wente MachometedescriptionOpen page to this heremyte þat aƚƚ his men weren wrotℏe for he wolde gladly here this heremyte preche & make his men wake aƚƚ nygℏt, & þerfore his men þougℏten to putte the heremyte to detℏ. & so befeƚƚ vpon a nygℏt þat Machomete was dronken of gode wyn [folio 60a] & he feƚƚ on slepe & his men toke Machometes swerd out of his schetℏe whils he slepte & þere with þei slowgℏ this heremyte & putten his swerd al blody in his schetℏe aȝen. And at morwe whan he fond the heremyte ded he was fuƚƚ sory & wrotℏ & wolde haue don his men to detℏ, but þei aƚƚ with on accord said þat he himself had slayn him whan he was dronken & schewed him his swerd aƚƚ blody & he trowed þat þei hadden seyd sotℏ. And þan he cursed the wyn & aƚƚ þo þat drynken it, And þerfore sarrazines þat ben deuout drynken neuere no wyn; but summe drynken it preuyly, For ȝif þei dronken it openly þei scholde ben repreued. But þei drynken gode beuerage & swete & noryssℏynge þat is made of GalameƚƚdescriptionOpen page & þat is þat men maken sugre of, þat is of rigℏt gode sauour & it is gode for the breest. Also it befalletℏ sumtyme þat cristene men becomen sarazines ouþer for pouertee or for sympleness or elles for here owne wykkedness; And þerfore the ArchiflamyndescriptionOpen page

or the Flamyn, as oure Erchebisshopp or Bisshopp, Whan he resceyuetℏ hem seytℏ þus:

LA ELLEC OLLA SYLA MACHOMET RORES ALLA,

descriptionOpen page þat is to seye: þere is no god but on & Machomete his messager. Now I haue told ȝou a party of here lawe & of here customes I schal seye ȝou of here lettresdescriptionOpen page þat þei haue with here names & the manere of hire figures, What þei ben.

[Another alphabet.]

And .iiij. lettres þei haue more þan oþere for dyuersitee of hire langage [folio 60b] & speche, for als moche as þei speken in here throtes. And wee in Englond haue in oure langage & speche .ii. lettres mo þan þei haue in hire .A.B.C. & þat is: Þ & Ȝ, the whicℏe ben clept þorn & ȜOGℏ.descriptionOpen page