Hier begynneth the booke callyd the Myrrour of the worlde ...

¶Here shal we speke of dyuerse Iles of the see / Ca / xiij

SYth we haue descryuid and uydesed the londe. It is reson that we enqure of the Iles of the see. And in especial of them that we knowe the names of whi∣che ther ben plente in the see. Ther is a moche grete yle cal∣led andos whiche is toward europe / & syth is the yle of col∣chos. where the flyes of gold was foūd lyke as to vs reher∣seth thystorye of Iason / Ther is another yle called Maron In this yle was born the holy man seynt denys whiche re∣ceyuid martirdom in fraūce / Toward asye the grete ben the nombre of xliiij. There is one yle named delos / this yle ap∣piered first after noes flood / Ther is another whiche is cal¦led meloth. & it is so called for the right grete melodye that

is herd therin of swete songe of byrdes that ben in this yle contynuelly in this Ile groweth plente of whyte marble / Ther is another yle in this contre that is called psalmos in whiche the quene sebylle was born / the whiche prophecyed of many thinges of our lord Ihu cryst longe tyme byfore he was born of the virgyne Marie / and she prophecyed thise thynges at rome / where she was sent fore. In this yle was first foūden the maner to make pottes of erthe / whiche ben yet vsed in many contrees / In this yle was born a grete phy¦losophre & a good clercke named pictogoras / the whiche by his grete entendement fonde the poyntes and the difference or musyque. In affryke is also an yle in the see whiche is callyd sardayne. where an herbe groweth whiche is of suche vertue that yf one ete of it he deyeth anon forth wyth all la¦whing. Another yle ther is named bosut wherin is no ser∣pent ne vermyne / And ther is another whiche is called co¦lombyne. where as is grete plente & foyson of vermyne & meruayllous serpentes / Yet ther is another yle that is mo∣che longe & right brode that is called alleares / In this yle was first founden the maner of meltyng of metals / Also ther is the yle of Meroes the whiche at the myddle of the day hath no shadowe. yet ther is a pytte in this yle that by right nombre and mesure is vij foot brode and an hondred foot depe / And the sonne shineth in to the bottom. Also ther is another yle whiche is called Cylla where the Cy∣clopyens were somtyme. Another yle is in this contree so grete as the wyse plato wytnesseth the whiche in his tyme was a clercke of right grete renomme / whiche hath more of purpris and space than all europe & affryke conteynen / But sith the tyme of plato it was in suche wyse destroyed and broken lyke as it ples••d our lord / that it sanke doun in

to Abisme for the grete synnes that they commysed that were dwellers & habytaūts therin / & is now the see right that is called bethee. Another yle is there the whiche may not be seen whan men wold goo therto / but some goo the∣der as men saye / & it is called the yle loste / This yle fonde seynt Brandon the whiche beyng therin on ferme londe sa∣we & fonde many meruaylles lyke as his legende contey∣neth / and who that wyl knowe it maye vysite his legende & rede it / In the marches hetherward ben foūde many goode yles / The yle of Cypre & of secyle ther ben and other plente that be founden in the see / of whiche I now speke not / And be not admeruaylled of suche thynges as ye haue founden w••eton in this boocke / the whiche may seme to yow moche strange dyuerse and moche dyffycyle to byleue / for our lord god whiche is almyghty maker and creatour of all thyn∣ges And in whom alle goodes and vertues ben. hath made by his only wylle and playsir in the erthe many meruayl¦les and many werkes to be meruaylled on by cause that noman knoweth by no waye the resons wherfore / & therfor we ought not to mysbyleue in no wyse that we here redde ne tolde of the meruaylles of the world vnto the tyme we knowe it be so or no. For y^e werkes of our lord ben so hye and to the men so diffycile & hard that euery man may re∣porte hym to that / that it is / how wel that a man doth not moche amys somtime to gyue no byleue to somme thinges whā he knoweth not the trouthe so that it be not in erryng ayenst the fayth / For it is a good and proffytable thyng to euery man to vnderstande and reteyne to thende that he may lerne / of whiche he be not abasshed whan he hereth speke of suche thynges. and can answere to the trouthe / For in lyke wyse as to vs seme grete meruaylle of thynges that

I here reherce In lyke wyse semeth it to them that ben fer fro vs. that those thynges of thyse contrees ben moche dyuerse & strange / & meruaylle gretly by cause they haue lytyl seen of it. And therfore a man ought not to meruaylle yf he be∣re somtyme ony thyng though he can not vnderstonde the reason / for alleway a man ought to lerne /

¶And ther is noman that knoweth all sanf onli god whiche all seeth and alle knoweth / The geaunts that ben in som place haue right grete meruaylle of this that we be so lytyl ayenst them / Lyke as we meruaylle of them that ben half lasse than we be / As it is tofore sayd / & they ben y^e Pygmans whiche ben but iij foot longe. And in lyke wy∣se meruaylle they of vs▪ of that we ben so grete / and repute vs also for geaunts / They that haue but one eye and one foot. haue grete meruaylle that we haue tweyue / lyke as we doo of them that haue but one / And also as we deuyse their bestis & name them by their names in lyke wyse deuy¦se they oures / by theires / bothe of body & of membres / Yf the centyoore haue an foot of an hors / In lyke wyse hath the hors the foot of a centyoore / Also we may wel saye that y^e hors hath the body of monotheros. For they ben lyke corsay¦ge. And thus their bestes resemble vnto oures whiche ben dyuerse of hedes of bodyes and of membres / as oures ben contrarye to theires /