Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ De prouyncijs orbis / Et primo de Paradiso. ¶ Capitulum decimum

FOr the knowleche of erthly paradyse / thre poyntes muste be knowen / wherfor thre questions must be axed· the fyrst ques¦tion axeth yf ony suche place is on erthe / The seconde axeth whytherward· and where is paradyse in erthe. the thyrde axeth what countrey and place is paradyse in erthe· ffor the fyrst four maner witnessis we haue that paradyse is in erthe / ffyrst storyes that lykened Sodome er it were ouertourned to paradyse· The se∣conde witnes is of hem that assayed· wrote and sayde that they had seen that place / The thyrdde wytnes / ben the foure Ryuers that rennen out of paradise. ffor the heed of thylke ryuers ben not founden in see ne in ffresshe water ner in londe that men dwelle

Inne though Kynges of Egypte and many other trauaylled wel ofte and sought ther after. Therfor Ysid ·xiij. eth· sayth that Iherom toke hede that other vnderstondyng byhoueth of the Ry∣uers of paradyse than Auctours wryten. Also Basilius in ex∣am••ron / ysid eth̄ libro xiiij. and Iosephus libro primo sayen that waters fallyng of the hyghest hylle of paradyse maken a grete ponde / and out of that ponde / as it were a welle the four Ryuers spryngen / Petrus capitulo 14 / Of the whiche four Ryuers the fyrst is physon / And is to menyng ful wexynge of plente / That Ryuer physon passeth in to Inde and draweth with hym golden grauel· Phison hath another name· and is called ganges of a Kynge of Inde. whiche was named Gangarius. But Ganges is to saye. Felawship and Companye. For it receyueth t••n grete Ryuers that rennen therto / The seconde is called / Gyon and Nylus also. And goth aboute Ethiopia and Egypte The thyrdde is Tygris / And as Iosephus sayth dyglath also that is to saye sharpe. ffor it is swyfte as Tygris whiche is a ryght swyft beeste. And Tygris passeth toward Assyria that londe / Ysidorus libro tercis decimo· The mooste certayne Auctour Salustius sayth that ther cometh a welle oute of Cerannes the hilles of Armenye and spryngeth oute of the foote of the hylle that is called Cancasus. And that welle is the heed of tweyne Ryuers· of Tygris & of Eufrates. the whiche two Ryuers som∣tyme ben· departed a sonder and somtyme medlid to gyders. and of••e tyme they ben swolowed in to the erthe / And after spryn∣gen vp agayn. And longe after goon aboute. Mesopotonya that londe / and dounward in to the reed Se••e. R. And though men rede in bokes that Nylus cometh oute of Paradyse / Yet somme men affermen and saye that Nylus spryngeth in the weste side of the londe of Ethiopia not fe•• fro the hylle that is na∣med Athlas / And gooth aboute Ethiopia and dounward by Egypte / Seche the proprete of Nylus in the Chapytre Egiptus· ¶ The fourth witnes and proof that suche a place is in Erthe that is called Paradyse· is old Fame and longe durynge· ffor men shal bileue olde fame that is not withseyde· But Fame of Paradyse hath endured withoute gaynsayeng sixe thousand yere and more. For fro the begynnynge of the world vnto oure dayes it hath endured. And Fame that is fals endu∣reth not so longe. ffor it falleth oute of mynde or is dispreuyd by Sothnes knowen / ¶ Of the seconde question that Axeth in

whiche syde of the world and in what place paradyse shold be· Though that shorte wytted men and lytil of assaye saye that pa∣radyse is longe sayllyng out of the erthe that men dwelle Inn••· And also departed from the erthe. and is as hyghe as the mone / it is not to be bileued· ffor nature and reason bothe withsaye it / ffor yf paradys were departed atwynne fro the erthe that men dwelle Inne· ne water ne eyer myght bere such a burthen / also the fuyer occupyeth alle the myddel space bytwene thayer & the mo∣ne / thenne paradyse is not there· ffor thenne nothyng myght lyue therinne / also yf paradyse were so hyghe· somtyme it shold take a waye the lyght and make eclypse of the mone. but of suche an eclypse herde we neuer Also yf paradyse were so hygh & departed a sonder from euery londe & erthe. how shulde the four Ryuers that spryngen oute of paradyse passe by the ayer and the wyde see and come in to londes that men dwelle Inne / And yf men saye that paradyse is so hyghe that in one place it contynueth to the erthe that men dwelle Iune / Thenne the erthe is enlong & not round al about as wyse men descryuen hit· but that may not ston∣de· For it is knowe by experyence and assaye that in euery eclyp¦se of the mone the erthe maketh a round shelde / Therfor the erthe with alle his partyes muste nedes be rounde· And so wyse men conclude that paradyse is in the vttermest endes of the eest. and that it is a grete contrey of the erthe no lasse than Inde or Egyp¦te / and a large place and couenable for al mankynde to dwelle Inne· yf mankynde had not synned. Of the thyrdde that axeth of paradyse what maner place it shold be. ysid sayth / libro 14 / ca / 3^o. / that this name paradis y tourned oute of grue in to latyn is as moch to say as an orchard but paradise in ebrew is called edē that is to saye lykynge· The whiche tweyne y put to gyder maketh an Orchard of lykyng .R. no wonder· ffor in that place is all thyng that acordeth to lyf· Ysid libro quarto decimo / There is helthe for the eyer is attemperat neyther to hote ne to colde so that nothyng that lyueth maye deye therinne. that withnessith Enok and hely that yet ben there a lyue· Iohannes damascenus that place hath fayr weder and myrthe / ffor it was the celer and place of alle fairenes. no maner tree leseth there his leues. ne flowres ther fade Ther i•• myrthe and swetenes of fruyt and trees that growe the∣re / Genesis secundo capitulo / It is wryton euery tree therinne is swete to ete and fayr to sight / Therinne is sykernes and sewrte. for the place is hyghe / R / petrus / ca· 13^o. sayth that the water of the

grete flood cometh not in paradyse Though somme men saye that paradyse is hyghe as the mone / that is not soth in wordes and in dede but that speche is saued by an excusacion of spekyng that is called yperbolyca / So that they that speken wolde mene that paradyse in heyght passeth alle other londes / Treuisa / So we prayse an erthly man Iordan or Iohan· and saye that he was the best man that euer was. and yet he was neuer so good as cri∣ste· So in wordes that / subtil men wel dyuyne the menyng is tre¦we & good / but alas as ysidorus sayth libro nono. capitulo primo Oure waye to paradyse is faste stopped by cause of the synne of our forn fader / hit is closed al about with a brennyng wal so that the brennyng therof arecheth to heuen. as somme men wolde wene paradyse is closed with that wal to holde out mankynde / angels stonden / on that wal to kepe wel paradys that none euil goostes mowe come therin.