Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

Hew foloweth of the trees that ben in ynde and of theyr fruytes / capitulo ¶x^o

IN ynde groweth a tree moche grete and right faye / And is moche swete smellyng and is called pal∣myer / and bereth dates / This fruyt is good and holsom Ther ben also apple trees the whiche ben ful of longe ap∣ples / whiche ben of merueyllous good sauour / And they entretiene and cleue to gydre wel an hondred in a clustre And the l••ues that growe on this apple trees ben wel two

fote longe / & a foot brode / Other apples ther growe moche grete / wherin appiereth the bytte of a man with his teeth / And ben called thapples of Adam by cause of the bytte that appiereth in them / Ther ben other trees whiche bere apples / that ben right fair without forth / And within it is as it were asshes / The vygnes bere there grapes / of whiche wyn̄ is maad / they ben so habendaunt of fruyt / And the clustres of grapes ben so grete and so full of Muste / that two men ben gretly charged to bere one of them only vpon a colestaff / Also ther growe lytil smale trees that be remeuyd euery yere the whiche bere cotoun / Also ther growe in many places canes grete and longe / whiche ben within forth ful of sugre / so moche and espe∣cial that ther growe none lyke in alle the worlde / At one of the hedes of the Royame of babylone groweth the ••ame whiche is moche dere / and crysten men that ben prisonners there delue and laboure the erthe / And the sarasyns saye that they haue ofte preuyd it / that whan they doo delue and laboure that erthe with peple of other nacions than crysten men that it lereth no fruyt ne bame that yere / And vpon the felde where the bame groweth / somme saye that there spryngeth a fontayne where the blessyd virgyne Marie bayned her sone Ihesus / And wyth the watre of this fontayne is the bame watred / and of this water may not be employed ne born in to other place / ffor in substaunce it doth nomore than other water / In this contre ben other trees the whiche in stede of leues bere wulle / of whiche is made cloth right fair & subtyle / of whiche thyn∣habitauns of the contre make them robes and mantelli••

for their weryng / yet ben ther other trees that bere a fruyt right swete smellyng / But this tree takyth his fruyt by nyght in hym / and in the mornyng it cometh out agayn when the sonne is rysen / Ther growe there plente of other trees / Of whom the cooles whan they be afyre duren in their asshes an hole yer without goyng out. or quenchyng or mynuyssyng / Also ther growe plente of Cedres and of lybans / the whiche as men saye may not rote / other trees there growe moche gloryous and right good whiche bere clowes And other that bere notemygges / And of the rynde and scorce is the canell or synamom̄ / and also ther groweth gynger / In this partye growe the good espyces of alle maner haboūdantly / Also there growe notes gre∣te plente / whiche ben also grete as grete Apples / and other that ben as grete as the hede of a man / To the Re∣gard of the trees that ben in paradys terrestre we knowe not what fruyt they beynge forth / But it is wel knowen of the tree / that Eue had so grete desire to ete aboue the commandement of our lord goo / & of whiche she deceyued Adam our first fader / and in lyke wyse is there the tree of lyf / of whiche we haue spoken to fore more largely / Ther ben in this right noble paradys so many other tree•• beryng fruyt so good and so delicyous that it semeth that the glorye of our lord be therin ouerall / But ther is a meruayllous watche and kepar / ffor the Angele of god is kepar of thentree with a naked swerd in his hande contynuelly brennyng / to thende that nomen ne bestes ne euyll spirytes approche ne Auaunce them for to take in ony wyse there their delytes and playsaunces / and

••accomplissh them ther within / And here wyth we make an ende of this purpoos for to speke of the contrees of Europe and of the condicions /