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

Of dyuerse fontaynes and welles that sourde on therthe / capitulo ¶xxj^o

THer ben plente of fontaynes in other places that moche ofte chaunge their colour / and other of whom come myracles / but it is not wel knowen wherof this pro∣cedeth / In the londe of Samarye is a wel that chaungeth and differenceth his colour four tymes in the yere / hit is first grene / and after it chaungeth in to Sangwynne and after it becometh trowble / and after alle this it be∣cometh clere. nette. and right fyne / in suche wyse that men delyte them in beholdyng of it / but no persone dar drynke of it / In this partye is yet another fontayne whiche spryngeth thre or four dayes the weke good and hol∣somme / And the other thre dayes it spryngeth not / but is alle drye / Ther is also a grete Ryuer that renneth sixe dayes duryng in the weke / And on the sabotte daye it renneth not / ffor assone as the sabbotte day approcheth / he rebouteth and goth in to therthe agayn / By Acres the Cyte is founden a maner of sande / and there is founden also of the glayre of the see / whiche ben medled to gydre / And of thyse two myxtyons is made good glasse and clere / In Egypte is the rede see / where the chyldren of Israhel passed ouer drye foote

for to come in to the londe of byheste / This see taketh his name of therthe / ffor therthe is alle rede in the bottom & on the sydes in suche wyse that the water of this see se∣meth all reed / In Perse is a ryuer longe & brood whiche in the nyght is so hard frozen / that peple may goo ouer a∣foot and trauerse it / And on daye tyme it is cleer and rennyng / Ther is in Espyre a welle of whiche the nature is moche meruayllous the whiche quencheth brondes of fyre all brennyng / and after it setteth them a fyre agayn In ethiope is another whiche by nyght hath so grete hete that no creature may thenne drynke therof / And all the daye it is so colde that it is frorn alle harde / In lorayne nygh̄ vnto metz the cyte is a water that renneth there / the whiche is soden in grete payelles of copper / and it be∣cometh salt fayr and good / And this water furnyssheeth all the contre of salt / And this water sourdeth of a ••itte whiche is called the pytte of dauyd / In this contre ben other fontaynes that ben so hoot that it brenneth all that it toucheth / In the same place sourde and sprynge other that ben as colde as yce / There been baynes wel attemprid and medlid with colde water and hoot / And they that bayne them in thise baynes / their scabbes and soores beco∣me all hool / yet ther be of other fontaynes right black / whiche ben holden right holsom / and peple drynke of them in stede of medecynes / and they make oftymes grete pur∣gacions / and gretter than of a medycyne or a laxatyf / Another fontayne ther is toward the Oryent wherof is made fyre grekyssh with other myxtyons that is put therto the whiche fyre whan it is taken and light is so hoot / that

it can not be quenchid with water / but with aysel. vryne. or with sonde only / the sarasyns selle this water right dere and derrer than they doo good wyne / Other fontaynes sourde in many other places that hele sore eyen and many soores and woundes / Other fontaynes ther be that rendre to a man his mynde and memorye / Other make men to forgete Other that refrayne peple fro lecherye Other that meue them therto / Other ther be that make wymmen to conceyue and bere children / And other that make them bareyne. and may bere none / Ther ben somme ryuers that make sheep black / and other that make them whyte as the lylye / On that other syde ther ben many pondes or stagnes in whiche may nothyng swymme man ne hoūde ne other beeste but anon it synketh doun to the bottom / Ther ben other in whiche nothing may synke / but conty∣nuelly flote aboue / Ther ben yet other fontaynes hoot / that blynde the theues whan they forswere them of the trespaas that they haue commysed touchyng their thefte / And yf they be charged & born wrongly on honde without reson and thenne drynke of this water / certaynly they shal haue better sight than to fore / Of all thise thynges can noman rendre the reson / but that we ought to vnder∣stonde that alle this procedeth by myracle / yet ben ther other fontaynes whiche ben stylle and clere / whiche that whan men pleye ouer them with harpe or other instrumen∣tis that resowne in maner of consolacion by their sowne / the water of those wellis sprynge vp with grete bobles & sprynge ouer in the waye / Other fontaynes ben in other places whiche ben right peryllous / but for this present

we shal reste herwith all / ffor to telle of this that cometh by the waters / whiche holde their-cours within therthe and also aboue / of whiche it happeth other while so grete a qua∣uyng that the erthe meueth so strongly / that it behoueth to falle all that whiche is theron / thaugh it were a massy∣ue tour /