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

Here shal we speke of dyuerse yles of the see. ca. ¶xiij^o

SYth we haue descryuid & deuysed the londe / it is re∣son that we enquyre of the yles of the see / And in especial of them that we knowe the names of whiche ther ben plente in the sce / Ther is a moche grete yle called an∣dos / whiche is toward europe / & syth is the yle of colchos / where the flyes of gold was foūd lyke as to vs reherceth thystorye of Iason / Ther is another yle called Maron / in this yle was born the holy man seynt denys whiche recey∣uid martyrdom in fraūce / Toward asye the grete ben the nombre of xliiij / There is one yle named delos / this yle appiered first after noes flood / ther is another whiche is called Meloth / And 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 yle groweth plen∣te 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 thynges of our lord

Ihesu cryst longe tyme bifore he was born of the virgyn•• marie / and she prophecyed thise thinges 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 con∣trees / In this yle was born a grete philosophre & a good clerke named pictogoras / the whiche by his grete entende∣ment fonde the poyntes and the difference of musyque / In affryke is also an yle in the see whiche is callid sar∣dayne / where an herbe groweth whiche is of suche vertue that yf one ete of it he deyeth anon forth with all la∣whyng / Another yle ther is named bosut wherin is no serpent ne vermyne / And ther is another whiche is called colombyne / where as is grete plente & foyson of vermyne and meruayllous serpentes / yet ther is another yle that is moche longe and right brode that is called alleares / In this yle was first founden the maner of meltyng of me∣tals / Also ther is the yle of Meroes the whiche at the myddle of the day hath no shadewe / yet ther is a pytte in this yle that by right nombre and mesure is .vij. foot ••edde and an hondred foot depe / And the sonne shyneth in to the bottom / Also ther is another yle whiche is called Cylla where the Cyclopiens were somtyme / Another yle is in this contre so grete as the wyse plato witnesseth̄ the whiche in his tyme was a clercke of right grete re∣nommee / whiche hath more of pourpris & space than alle Europe & affryke conteynen / But sith the tyme of plato it was in suche wyse destroyed & broken lyke as it plesid our lord / that it sanke doun in to Abisme for the grete synnes that they cōmysed y^• were dwellars & inhabitaūs

therin / And 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 somme goo thyder as men saye / and it is called the yle loste / This yle fonde seynt Brandon the whiche beyng therin on ferme londe sawe & fonde ma∣ny meruailles lyke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his legende conteyneth / & who that wil knowe it maye visyte his legende & rede it / In the marches hetherward ben fonde many good yles The yle of Cypre & of Secyle ther ben & other plente that be founden in the see / of whiche I now speke not / And be not admer∣uaylled of suche thinges as ye haue foūden wreton in this present booke / the whiche may seme to yow moche strange dyuse & moche diffycile to bileue / ffor our lord god whiche is almyghty maker & creatour of all thynges / & in whom alle goodes & vertues ben / h̄ath made by his only wille & playsir in the erthe many meruaylles & many werkes to be meruaylled on by cause that noman knoweth by no waye the raysons wherfore / & therfore we ought not to mysbileue in no wise that we here redde ne tolde of the meruaylles of the world vnto the tyme we knowe it be so or no / ffor the werkes of our lord ben so hye & to the men so difficile & hard that euery man may reporte hym to that / that it is / how wel that a man doth not moche amys sōtyme to gyue no bileue to sōme thinges / whan he knoweth not y^e trouthe / so that it be not in erryng ayenst y^e faith / ffor it is a good & prouf∣fytable thing to euy man to vnderstāde & reteyne to thende that he may lerne / of whiche he be not abasshed whan he hee∣reth speke of suche thinges / & can answere to the trouthe / ffor in like wise as to vs seme grete meruaille of thinges

that I here reherce / In lyke wyse semeth it to them that ben fer fro vs / that those thinges of thise cōtrees ben moche dyuerse & strange / & meruaylle gretly by cause they haue litil seen of it / & therfore a man ought not to meruaylle yf he here somtyme ony thyng though he can not vnder∣stonde the rayson / ffor alleway a man ought to lerne / and ther is noman that knoweth all / sauf only god whiche all seeth and alle knoweth / The geaunts that ben in som place haue right grete meruaylle / of this that we be so ly∣til ayenst them / Lyke as we meruaylle of them that ben half lasse than we be / as it is tofore said / And they ben the Pygmans whiche ben but iij foot longe / And in ly∣ke wise meruaylle they of vs / of that we ben so grete / & re∣pute vs also for geaunts / They that haue but one eye and one foot / haue grete meruaylle that we haue tweyne / lyke as we doo of them that haue but one / And also as we deuyse their bestis and name them by their names / in lyke wyse deuyse they oures / by theires / bothe of body and of membres / yf the centicore haue an foot of an hors / in lyke wyse hath the hors the foot of a centicore / Also we may wel saye that the hors hath the body of monotheros / ffor they ben lyke of corsaige / And thus their bestes re∣semble vnto oures whiche ben dyuerse of heedes of bodyes and of menbres / as oures ben contrarie to theires /