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

¶Hier speketh of the fysshes that be founden in Inde. Capitulo / ix^o.

IN the see of Inde is a maner of fysshes that on their skynnes growe heer so longe that the people make therof robes mantellis and other vestimentys whiche they were whan they haue taken and made them. Yet ther is a∣nother maner of fysshe in this see whiche ben named escimuz whiche ben no lengre that a foot longe / but they haue suche strēgthe that in contynēt that they touche a ship one of them only reteyneth hym stylle that he may not goo forward ne afterward / Ther is also another maner of fysshe that be co∣mynly callyd dolphins. they haue acustome that whā they fele that the tempest shal come. and that the shippes ben in daūger for to be lost and perisshid / they warne them out of the watre and shewe and playe on the wawes of the see in suche wyse that somtyme they be playnly seen In this see of Inde is another fysshe so huge and grete that on his bac¦ke growrth erthe and grasse. And semeth proprely that it is a grete Ile / wherof it happeth somtyme that the maron∣ners sayllyng by this see ben gretly deceyued and abused / For they wene certaynly that it be ferme londe. Wherfor they goo out of their shippes theron / and whan they haue made their preparacions and their logys theron and lygh∣ted their fyre and made it to brenne after their nede wenyng to be on a ferme londe. but incontynent as this merueyl∣lous fysshe feleth the hete of the fyre. he meueth hym sodenly and deualeth doun in to the water as depe as he may / And thus alle that is vpon hym is lost in the see And by this moyen. many shippes ben drowned and perisshid. and the

people. whan they supposed to haue be in sauete / Ther is in this see plente of other fysshe the whiche haue heedes and bodyes lyke vnto a mayde / & haue fayr tresses made of their heer / the shapp of their bodies vnto y^e nauel is lyke a may∣de And the remenaunt is lyke the body & tayll of a fysshe And somme haue wynges lyke fowles / And their son¦ge is so swete & so melodyous that it is meruaylle to here & they be called seraynes or mermaydens. Of whom som∣me saye that they be fisshes & other saye that they be fowles whiche flee by the see. But take it a worth. For at this tyme I shal deporte to speke more of this mater For to telle & recoūte to yow of y^e meruayllous trees that growe in Inde / of whiche ben many dyuerse and bere sondrely fruyt / as here after al a longe shall be declared to yow /