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ANd beyonde that valey is a grete yle whe∣re people are as grete as geaūtes of .xxviij. foot or .xxx. foot longe / & they haue no clothynge
but bestes skynnes that hange on thém / & they ete no brede but flesshe rawe & drynke mylke / & they haue no honses & they ete gladlyer flesshe of men than of other / & men sayd vs that beyonde yt yle is one yle where are gretter geaūtes as of .xlv. or .l. foot longe / & some saye of .l. cubytes longe but I sawe not theym / & amonge those geaūtes are gre∣te sheep as it were yonge oxen and they bere grete wolle / thyse sheep haue I seen many tymes. An o∣ther yle is there northwarde where are many yil & felle women & they haue precyous stones in theyr eyen / & they haue suche kynde yt yf they beholde o∣ny man with wrath they slee theym of the behol∣dynge as the baselyske doth. An other yle is there of fayre folke & good where the custome is suche yt the fyrst nyght yt they are wedded they take a cer∣tayne man that is ordeyned therfore & do hym lye by theyr wyues to haue theyr maydenhede & they gyue hym grete rewarde for his trauayle / & those men are called Gadlybyryem / for men of y• coūtr•• holde it a grete thynge to make a woman no may¦den / & yf it be so yt the husbonde fynde her a may¦den the next nyght after / for perauenture he that laye by her was dronken or for ony other cause the husbonde shall playne of hym to the lawe that he hath not done his deuoure / & he shall greuously be punysshed & chastysed / but after y• fyrst nyght they kepe theyr wyues well y• ther speke not with those men / & I asked what was the cause why they had
that custome / & they sayd somtyme men laye with theyr wyues fyrst & none other & theyr wyues had serpentes in theyr bodyes & stonged theyr husbonde on theyr yerde & theyr bodyes & so was many man slayne / & therfore had they yt custome to lete other men haue theyr maydenhede for drede of the deth & thus they suffre theym to assaye the passage or they put theym vnto auenture.