that wall is all couered with mosse as it séemeth that men may sée no stone nor nothing else whereof it is and in the highest place of Paradise in the middest of it is a Well that casteth out the foure flouds that runne through diuers Lands The first floud is called Pison or Ganges and that runneth through Inde in that Riuer are many precious stones and much Lignum Aloes and grauell of gold An other is called Nilus or Giron and that runneth through Ethiope and Aegypt The third is called Tigrée and that runneth through Asiria and Armony the great And the fourth is called Euphrates that runneth through Armony the lesse and Persia and men say that the swéet and fresh waters of the world take their springing of them The first Riuer is called Pison that is to say gathering of many Riuers together and falling into one and some call it Ganges of a king that was in Inde that men call Gangeras for it runneth through his land and this riuer is in some places cleane in some places troubled in some place hot in some place cold The second riuer is called Nilus or Giron for it is euer troubled for Giron is to say trouble The third riuer is called Tigrée that is to say fast running for it runneth faster then any of the other named so of a beast that men call Tigris for hée runneth fast The fourth riuer is called Euphrates that is to say well bearing for there groweth many good things vpon that riuer And yée shall vnderstand that no man liuing may goe vnto that Paradise for by land he may not goe for wilde beasts which are in the wildernesse and for hils and rocks where no man may passe Neither by those Riuers may any man passe for they come with so great course and so great waues that no ship may sayle against them Many great Lords haue assayed many times to goe by those Riuers to Paradise but they might not spéede on their way for some dyed for wearinesse of rowing some waxt blind and some deafe for noise of the waters so no man may passe there but through speciall grace of God I can tell you no more of that place which I may speake of vpon mine owne sight How Prester Iohns land lyeth foote against foote to England Chap. ciiij. THese Iles of the land of Prester Iohn they are vnder the earth to vs other Iles are there who so would pursue them for to compasse the earth hauing the grace of God to hold the way hée might come right to the same Countries that hée were come of and come from and goe about the earth but for that it asketh so long time and also there are so many perils to passe that few men assay to goe so and yet it might bée done for men come from those Iles to other Iles costing of the Lordship of Prester Iohn which men call Cassoy and that country is néere lx daies iourney long and more then fifty of breadth and this Cassoy is the best land that is in those countries saue Cathay and if merchants come thether as commonly as they doe to Cathay it would be better then Cathay for it is so thick of cities townes that when a man goeth out of a cittie hée séeth an other at each side there is great plenty of spices and other goods the king of this I le is rich and mightie and hée holdeth his land of the great Caane for that is one of the xii Princes that the great Caane hath vnder him beside his owne Land Of the Kingdome of Ryboth Chap. cv FRom this I le men goe to an other Kingdome that is called Ryboth and that is also vnder the great Caane that is a good country and plenteous of corne wine and other things men of this land haue no houses but they dwell in tents made of trées And the principall cittie of the country is all black made of black stones and white and all the stréetes are paued with such stones and in the Cittie is no man so hardy to spill blood of man ne beast for worship of a mawmet that is worshipped there In that citie dwelleth the Pope of their Law that they call Lopasse and hée giueth all dignities and benefices that fall to the mawmet And men of religion men that haue Churches in that country are obedient to him as men here to the King In this I le they haue a custome through all the Countrie that when a mans father is dead they will do him great worship they send after all his friends religious Priests and many other and they beare the body to an hill with great ioy and mirth and when it is there the greatest Prelate smiteth off his head and layeth it vpon a great plate of gold or siluer and giueth it to his Son and the Son taketh it and giueth it to other of his friendes singing and saying many orisons and then the priests and the religious men cut the flesh off the body in péeces and say orisons and the birds of the country come thether for they know well the custome and they flye about them as the Eagles and other birds that eate flesh the priests cast the péeces vnto them and they beare it away a little from thence and then they eate it and as the Priests in our Country sing for soules Subuenite sancti Dei and forsooth so those priests there sing with high voyce in their language in this manner wise Sée and behold how good and gracious a man this was that the Angels of God come for to fetch him and beare him into Paradise And then thinketh the sonne of the same man that hée is greatly worshipped when birdes haue eaten his father and when there are most plentie of birds there is most worship And then commeth the Son home with all his friends and maketh them a great feast then maketh hée cleane his fathers scalpe and giueth them drincke therein and the flesh of his fathers head hée cutteth off and giueth it to his most speciall friends some a little and some a little for daintie And in remembrance of this holy man that the Birds haue eaten the son kéepeth his scalpe for a cup and therein drinketh hée all his life in remembrance of his father Of a rich man that is neither King Prince Duke nor Earle Chap. cvj. AND from this place men goe ten dayes iourney through the land of the great Caane which is a full good Ile and a great kingdome and the king is ful mighty And in this I le is a rich man which is neither king Prince Duke nor Earle but hée hath each yéere foure thousand horses charged with rice and corne and hée liueth nobly and richly after the manner of the country for hée hath fiftie damsels that serue him euery day at his meate and bed and doe what hée will And when hée sitteth at the table they bring him meate and at each time fiue
Of the Iles and diuers manners of people and of meruailous beasts chap. 47 Of the hauen of Gene for to goe by the sea into diuers countries chap. 48 Of the Country of Iob and of the kingdome of Calde chap. 49 Of the kingdome of Amazony wher as dwelleth none but women chap. 50 Of the land of Ethiope chap. 51 Of Inde the more and the lesse and of Diamonds and of small people and other things chap. 52 Of diuers Kingdomes and Iles which are in the Land of Inde chap. 53 Of the kingdome of Mabaron chap. 54 Of a great Country called Lamory where the people goe all naked chap. 55 Of the country and I le named Iana which is a mighty land ch 56 Of the kingdome of Pathen or Salmas which is a goodly land ch 57 Of the kingdome of Talonach the king whereof hath many wiues chap. 58 Of the Iland called Raso where men are hanged as soone as they are sicke chap. 59 Of the Iland of Melke wherein dwelleth euill people chap. 60 Of an Iland named Mecumeran whereas the people haue heades like hounds chap. 61 Of a great Iland called Dodin where are many men of euill conditions chap. 62 Of the kingdome named Mancy the which is one of the best kingdomes of the world chap. 63 Of the land of Pigmen the people wherof are but three spans long chap. 64 Of the citie of Menke wher a great Nauie is kept chap. 65 Of the land named Cathay and of the great riches thereof chap. 66 Of a great Cittie named Cadon wherein is the great Caanes pallace and siege chap. 67 Wherefore that the Emperour of Cathay is called the great Caane chap. 68 How the great Caane was hid vnder a tree and so escaped his enimies because of a bird chap. 69 Of the great Caanes letters and the writing about his seale chap. 70 Of the gouernaunce of the country of the great Caane chap. 71 Of the great riches of the emperor and of his descending chap. 72 Of the ordinance of the Lords of the Emperour when he rideth frō one country to another to warre chap. 73 How the empire of the great Caanc is parted into xij prouinces and how that they doe cast insence in the fire where the great Caane passeth through the Citties and townes in worship of the Emperour chap. 74 How the great Caane is the mightiest Lord of all the world cha 75 Yet of other manners of his country chap. 76 How the emperour is brought vnto his graue when he is dead ch 77 When the Emperour is dead how they chuse make another ch 78 What countryes and kingdomes lie next to the Land of Cathay and the frontes thereof chap. 79 Of other wayes to come from Cathay toward the Greeke sea and also of the Emperour of Persia chap. 80 Of the land of Armony which is a good Land and of the Land of Middy chap. 81 Of the kingdome of George Abcan and many meruailes chap. 82 Of the land of Turkey and diuers other countryes and of the land of Mesopotamia chap. 83 Of diuers Countries kingdomes and Iles and meruailes beyond the land of Cathay chap. 84 Of the land of Bactry and of many Griffins and other Beastes chap. 85 Of the way for to goe to Prester Iohns land which is the Emperour of Inde chap. 86 Of the faith and beliefe of Prester Iohn but hee hath not all the full beliefe as we haue chap. 87 Of another Iland which is called Sinople wherein dwelleth good people chap 88 Of two other Iles the one is called Pitan wherein bee little men that eate no meat and in another I le are the men all rough with feathers chap. 89 Of a rich man in Prester Iohns land named Catolonapes and of his garden chap. 90 Of a meruailous valey that is beeside the riuer Phison chap. 91 Of an Iland wherein dwell people as great as Giants of xxix or of xxx foote of length and other things chap. 92 Of women which make great sorrow when as their children bee borne and great Ioy when they dye chap. 93 Of an Iland where men wed their owne Daughters and kinsewomen chap. 94 Of another Iland wherein dwell full good people true chap. 65 How king Alexander sent his men thether for to win the land ch 96 How the Emperour Prester Iohn when hee goeth to battaile hath three crosses of gold borne before him chap. 97 Of the most dwelling place of Prester Iohn in a cittie called Suse chap. 98 Of the wildernesse wherein groweth the trees of the Sun and the Moone chap. 99 Of a great Iland and kingdome called Taprobane chap. 100 Of two other Iles the one called Oriell the other Argete where are many gold mines chap. 101 Of the darke country and hils and rocks of stone nigh to Paradise chap. 102 A little of Paradise terrestre ch 103 How Prester Iohns land lyeth foote against foot to England cha 104 Of the kingdome of Riboth ch 105 Of a rich man that is neither king Prince Duke nor Earle cha 106 How all the lands Iles and kingdomes before rehearsed haue some of the articles of our faith ch 107 How sir Iohn Maundeuile leaueth many meruailes vnwritten and the cause wherefore chap. 108 What time Iohn Maundeuile departed out of England chap. 109 FINIS
THE Voyages and Trauailes of Sir John Maundeuile KNIGHT Wherein is treated of the way towards Hierusalem and of the meruailes of Inde with other Lands and Countries LONDON Printed by Thomas Este The Preface Heere beginneth a little treatise or booke named Iohn Maundeuile Knight borne in England in the Towne of S. Albone and speaketh of the wayes to Hierusalem to Inde and to the great Caane and also to Prestor Iohns land and to many other countries and also of many meruailes that are in the holy land FOrasmuch as the land ouer the Sea that is to say the holie land that some call the land of Bihest among all other lands is most worthie and soueraigne for it is blessed hallowed and sacred of the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ in the which land it liked him to take flesh and bloud of the Virgin Marie and to enuiron that land with his owne feete and there he would do many miracles preach and teach the faith and the law of christian men as vnto his children and there he would suffer manie reproues and scornes for vs and hee that was king of heauen and hell of earth of aire of sea and land and of all things that are contained in them would alonely be called king of that land when hee said Rex sum Iudaeorum I am King of the Iewes For at that time it was the land of Iewes and that land he chose before all other lands as the best and most worthie of vertues of all the world And as the Philosopher saith Virtus rerum in medio consistit that is to say the vertue of things is in the midst and in that land hee would lead his life and suffer passion and death of the Iewes for vs to saue and deliuer vs from the paines of hell and from death without end the which was ordained to vs for the sinne of our father Adam and our owne sins also for as for himselfe he had none euill done nor deserued for he neuer thought ne did any euill for he that was king of glory and of ioy might best in that place suffer death For hee that will doe any thing that he will haue knowne openly he will proclaime it openly in the middle place of a towne or of a Citie so that it may be knowne to all parties of the citie So he that was king of glorie and of all the world would suffer death for vs at Hierusalem which is the midst of the world so that it might be knowne to all nations of the world how deare he bought man that hee made him with his hands to his owne likenesse for the great loue that he had to vs Ah deare God what loue hee had to his subiects when hee that had done no trespasse would for his trespassours suffer death for a more worthie cattel he might not haue set for vs then his owne blessed body and his owne precious bloud the which he suffered for vs right well ought men to loue worship dread and serue such a Lord praise such an holy land that brought forth a Lord of such fruite through the which each man is saued but if it be his owne default This is that land prepared for an heritage to vs and in that land would he die as seased to leaue it to his children For the which each good christian man that may and hath wherewith should strength him for to conquere our right heritage purchase out of the euill peoples hands for we are cleped christian men of Christ our father and if we be the right children of Christ we ought to challenge the heritage that our father left vs take it out of strange mens hands But now Pride Couetise and Enuie hath so inflamed the hearts of the Lords of the world that they are more busie to disherite their neighbours then to challenge or conquere their right heritage aforesaid And the common people that would put their bodies and their cattell for to conquere our heritage they may not do it without lords for assembling of the people without a chiefe Lord is as a flock of sheepe without a shepheard the which depart asunder and wot not whither they shall go But would God the worldly Lords were at a good accord with other of their common people would take this holy voyage ouer the sea I trust well that within a little time our right heritage before said should be reconciled and put into the hands of the right heirs of Iesu Christ And forasmuch as it is long time that there was any generall passage ouer the sea that many men desire to heare speaking of the holy land and haue thereof great solace and comfort Wherefore yee shall heare by me Iohn Maundeuile Knight which was borne in England in the towne of Saint Albones and passed the sea in the yeare of our Lord Iesu Christ a thousand iii. C. on the day of Saint Michael and there remained long time and went through many lands many prouinces kingdomes Iles and haue passed through Turky and through Armony the little the great through Tartary Persia Surry Araby Egypt the high and the low through Libia Chalde and a great part of Ethiope through Amazony through Inde the lesse the more a great part and through many other Iles which are about Inde where many people dwelleth of diuers lawes and shapes Of the men of which lands Iles I shall speake more plainly and I shall declare part of the things what they are when time shall be after it may best come to my minde and specially for them that will and are in purpose for to visite the holy citie of Hierusalem and the holy places that are thereabout and I shall tell the way that they shall hold thether for I haue many times passed and ridden it with good company and with many Lords The Voyages and Trauailes of Sir Iohn Maundeuile Knight Hee that will goe toward Hierusalem on horse on foote or by sea Chap. j. IN the name of God Almightie Hée that will trauaile to Hierusalem may goe many waies both by sea and by land after the country that he commeth from but thincke not I will tell all the Townes Cities and castels that men shall go by for then should I make too long a tale but onely the most principall countries cities and townes that men shall go by and through to go the right way First if a man come from the West side of the world as England Ireland Wales Scotland and Norway he may if hée will goe through Almaine and throughout the kingdome of Hungary which King is a great lord and a mightie and holdeth many lands and great for he holdeth the land of Hungary Sauoy Camony a great part of Bulgary that men call the land of Bugres and a great part of the kingdome of Russie and that lasteth to the land of Milland and marcheth on Ciprus and men passe thus through the land of
of Gréece is right in the mid way and beside this cittie of Acon toward the sea some viij hundred furlongs on the right hand toward the South is the hill Carme where Elias the prophet dwelled there was the order of Carmes first founded This hill is not right great ne high and at the foot of this hill was somtime a good cittie of christian men that was called Caiphas for Cayphas founded it but it is now all wasted at the left side of the hill is a towne that men call Saffre that is set vpon another hill there was Saint Iames and Saint Iohn borne in worship of them is there a fayre church made And from Tholomoda that men now call Acon to a great hill that men call Ekale de Tyrees is an hundred fourlongs and beside that cittie of Acon runneth a little riuer that men call Belion and there néere is the fosse of Minon all round that is an hundred cubites or shaftments broad and it is all full of grauell cléere shining whereof men make white glasse cléere and men come from far countries by ship and by land with carts to take of the grauell and if there be neuer so much taken therof on a day on the morrow it is full againe as euer it was and that is great meruaile and there is alway winde in the fosse that striketh away the grauell maketh it trouble And if a man put therein any mettall as soone as it is therein it waxeth glasse the glasse that is made of this grauell if it bée done into the grauell turneth againe into the grauell as it was before and some say that it is a gulfe of the sea grauell How Sampson slew the King and his enimies Chap. x. ALso from Acon before said men goe thrée dayes iourney to the Cittie of Philisten that now is called Gaza that is a rich cittie right faire and full of folke and it is a little vpon the Sea and from that Cittie brought the strong Samson the gates of the Cittie to an high hill and was taken in the said Cittie and there he slew the king in his seat and many thousands more with him for hée made an house to fall on them And from thence shall men goe to the cittie of Cesarien and so to the castell of Pillerins and then to Askalon and so forth to Iaphat and so vnto the holy cittie Hierusalem The way to Babilon whereas the Souldan dwelleth Chap. xj AND who so will go through the land of Babilon where the Souldan dwelleth to haue leaue to goe more securely through the churches and countries and to goe to mount Sinay before he come to Hierusalem and then turne againe by Hierusalem he shal go from Gaza to the castell Dayr And after a man commeth out of Surry and goeth by the wildernesse where the way is full sandy and the wildernesse lasteth eight dayes iourney where men findeth all that them néedeth of vittailes and men call that wildernesse Archelleke and when a man commeth out of this desert he entreth into Aegypt and they call Aegypt Canopat and in an other language men call it Mersine and the first good towne that men finde is called Beleth and it is at the end of the kingdome of Alape and from thence men come to Babilon and to Kayre and in Babilon is a fayre Church of our Lady where shée dwelled seauen yéere when shée was out of the land of the Iewes for dread of king Herod And there lyeth the body of Saint Barbara virgin and there dwelled Ioseph when hée was sold of his brethren and there caused Nabuchodonosor to put the children in fire for they were of right truth the which children men call Anania Azaria and Misaell as the Psalme of Benedicite saith but Nabuchodonosor called them thus Sidrac Misac and Abednago that is to say God glorious and victorious God ouer all kingdomes and that was for miracle that hée made Gods son as he said goe with those children through the fire There dwelleth the Souldan for there is a fayre cittie and a strong Castle and it standeth vpon a rock In that Castle is alway dwelling to kéepe the castle and to serue the Souldan aboue eight thousand persons that take all their necessaries of the Souldans Court. I well know it for I dwelled with him Souldier in his wars a great while against the Bedions and he would haue wedded me to a great princes daughter right richly if I would haue forsaken my faith Yet here followeth of the Souldan and of his kingdomes that he hath conquered which he holdeth strongly with force Chap. xij ANd yée shal vnderstand that the Souldan is Lord of seauen kingdomes the which hée hath conquered and gotten to him by strength and these be they the kingdome of Canopate the kingdome of Aegipt the kingdome of Hierusalem wherof Dauid and Salomon were kings the kingdome of Surry of the which the citty of Damas was the chiefe the kingdome of Alape in the land of Dameth and the kingdome of Arabia which was one of the thrée kings shat made offering to our Lord when hée was borne and many other lands hée holdeth in his hand and also hée holdeth Calaphas that is a great thing to the souldan that is to say among them of Royes Ile and this vale is cold And then men goe vpon the mount of Saint Katherin and that is much higher then the mount Moyses And this saint Katherin was grauen in no Church ne castle ne other dwelling place but there is an hill of stones gathered together about the place where shée was buried there was wont to be a chappell but it is all cast downe and yet lyeth there a great part of the stones But vnder the foot of mout Sina is a monastery of Monks and there is the Church of saint Katherin wherein be many lamps burning and they haue oyle oliue enough to eate and to burne and that they haue by miracle of God there come certaine of all manner of birds euery yéere once like pilgrims and each of them bringeth a braunch of oliue in token of offering whereof they make much oyle For to returne from Sina to Hierusalem Chap. xiij NOw sithen a man hath visited this holy place of saint Katherin and he will turne to Hierusalem if he shall first take leaue at the Monkes and recommend him specially to their prayers then those said monks giue with a good will to Pilgrims vittails to passe with through the wildernesse to Surry and that lasteth well xiij dayes iourney And in that wildernesse dwell many Arabins that men call Bedions and Ascoperds these are folke that are full of all manner of ill conditions and they haue no houses but tents the which they make of beasts skins as of Cammels and other beasts the which they eate and there vnder they lye and they séeke to dwell in places where they may find water néere the red sea for in that wildernes is great
thus sayd shée entred the fire and anone the fire went out and those branches that were burning became red Roses and those branches that were not kindled became white Rosiers full of white Roses and those were the first Roses and Rosiers that any man euer saw and so was the mayden saued through the grace of God and therefore is that field called the field of God flourished for it was full of Roses Also beside the Quire of that Church aforesaid at the right side as men come downeward xij steps is the place where our Lord was borne that is now full well dight of marble and full richly painted with gold siluer and asure and other colours And a litle thence by thrée paces is the crib of the Oxe and the Asse and béeside that is the place where the Star fell that lead the thrée kings Iasper Melchisor and Balthasor but men of Gréece call the kings thus Galgalath Saraphy Galgalath these thrée kings offered to our Lord Incence Gold and Mirre and they came together through the miracle of God for they mette together in a cittie that men call Chasake that is iiii daies iourney from Bethlehem and there they were at Bethlehem the fourth day after they had séene the Starre And vnder the Cloyster of this Church xviii degrées at the right side is a great pit where the bones of the Innocents lye and by that place is the tombe of Saint Hierom that was a Priest and a Cardinal that translated the Bible and the Psalter out of Ebrew into Latine and beside that Church is a Church of Saint Nicholas where our Lady rested her when shée was deliuered of childe and forasmuch as shée had so much milke in her paps that it grieued her shée milked it out vpon the red stones or Marble so that yet may the traces bée séene white vpon the stones And yée shall vnderstand that all that dwell in Bethlehem are Christians and there are fayre vines all about the Cittie and great plentie of wine but their booke that Mahomet betooke them the which they call Alcaron and some call it Massap and some call it Harme forbiddeth them to drinke any wine for in that booke Mahomet curseth all those that drincke of that wine and all that sell it and some men say that hée once slew a good hermit in his dronkennesse whom hée loued much and therefore hée cursed the wine and them that dronke wine but his malice is turned to himselfe as holy writ saith Et in verticem ipsius iniquitas eius discendit That is to say in English His wickednesse shall descend on his owne head And also the Sarasins bréed no Géese ne they eate no swines flesh for they say it is brother to man and that it was forbidden in the old law Also in the land of Palistine and in the land of Aegypt they eat litle Veale and Béefe except it be so olde that it may no more trauaile ne worke not that it is forbidden but they kéepe them for tilling of their land In this Cittie of Bethlehem was king Dauid borne and hée had fortie wiues and thrée hundred Concubines At Bethlehem toward the South side is a Church of saint Markerot that was Abbot there for whom they made much sorrow when hée dyed and it is painted there how they made dole when he dyed and it is a pittious thing to behold From Bethlehem to Hierusalem is two myle and in the way to Hierusalem halfe a mile from Bethlehem is a Church where the Angell told the Shepheards of the birth of Christ in that way is the tombe of Rachel that was mother to Ioseph the Patriarke and shée dyed as soone as shée had borne Beniamin and there shée was buried and Iacob her Husband set xij great stones vpon her betokening that she had borne xii children In this way to Hierusalem are many Christian Churches by the way which men goe to Hierusalem Of the Cittie Hierusalem Chap. xix FOr to speake of Hierusalem ye shall vnderstand that it standeth faire among hils and there is neither riuer nor well but water commeth by conduite from Ebron and yée shall vnderstand that men called it first Iebus and sithen it was called Salem vnto the time of king Dauid and hée set those two names together and called it Hierusalem and so it is called yet and about Hierusalem is the kingdome of Surry and thereby is the land of Palestine and Askalon but Hierusalem is in the land of Iuda and it is called Iuda for Iudas Machabeus was king of that land and also it marcheth afterward on the kingdome of Araby on the South side on the land of Aegypt on the west side on the great sea on the North side on the kingdome of Surry and the sea of Cipres About Hierusalem are these citties Ebron at eight myle Ierico at sixe mile Barsebe at eight myle Askalon at eightéene mile Iaffe at twentie and fiue myle Ramatha at foure myle This Land of Hierusalem hary beene in the hands of diuers Nations as Iewes Cananites Assyrians Persians Masedonians Gréekes Romaynes and Christian men also Sarasins Barbarians Turkes and many other Nations For Christ will not that it bée long in the hands of traitours nor sinners bée they Christians or other And now hath the misbeléeuing men holden that Land in their hands thréescore yéeres and more but they shall not hold it long and if God will Yet of this holy Cittie Hierusalem Chap. xx AND yée shall vnderstand that when men first come to Hierusalē they go first a pilgrimage to the church where that the holy graue is the which is out of the cittie on the north side but it is now closed in with the wall of the towne and there is a full faire Church rounde all open aboue and well couered with lead and on the west side is a faire Towre and a strong for belles and in the middest of the church is a tabernacle made like a little house in manner of halfe a Compasse right well and richly of gold and asure and other colors wel dight and on the right side is the sepulchre of our Lord and the tabernacle is viij foote long and fiue foote wide xj foote of height and it is not long since the Sepulcher was all open and men might then touch it but béecause men that came thether spoyled and also brake the stones in péeces to pouder therefore the Souldan hath made a wall about the Sepulcher that no man may touch it On the left side is a window and therein is many lamps light and there is a lamp that hangeth before the sepulcher light burning and on the Friday it goeth out by it felfe and lighteneth againe by it selfe at the houre as our Lord rose from death to life And within that church vpon that right side on the mount Caluary where our Lord was crucified and the crosse was set in a morteys in the rock that is white of coulour and mingled with a
shée haue children shée may liue with them if shée will and if the wife die before shée shall bée burnt and her husband also if he will In this country groweth good wine and women drinck wine and men none and women shaue their heads and not men Of the kingdome of Mabaron Chap. liiij FRom this land men goe many dayes iourney to a country called Mabaron and this is a great kingdome therein is many faire Citties and Townes In this land lyeth Saint Thomas in a faire tombe in the cittie of Calamy and the arme and the hand that hée put in our Lords side after his Resurrection when Christ said vnto him Noli esse incredulus sed fidelis that is to say bée not of vaine hope but beléeue that same hand lyeth yet without the tombe bare and with this hand they giue their domes in that country to wit who saith right and who doth not for if any strife bée betwéene two parties they write their names and put them into the hand and then incontinently the hand casteth away the bill of him that doth wrong and holdeth the other still that doth right and therefore men come from farre countries to haue iudgement of causes that are in doubt In this Church of Saint Thomas is a great Image that is a simulacre and it is richly beset with precious stones and pearles to that Image men come in pilgrimage from farre countries with great deuotion and there come some pilgrimes that beare sharpe kniues in their hands and as they goe by the way they sheare their shanks and thighes that the blood may come out for the loue of that Idoll and they say that hée is holy that will dye for that Idols sake And there is some that from the time that they goe out of their houses at each third pace they knéele till that they come to this Idoll and when they come there they haue insence or such other thing to offer to the Idoll And there before that Minster or Church of this Idoll is a riuer full of water and in that riuer pilgrims cast Gold Siluer pearles and other precious stones without number instead of offerings and therefore when as the minster hath any néed of mending then the master of the Minster goes vnto that riuer and takes out therof as much as is néedfull for the mending of the Minster And yée shall vnderstand that when any great feasts of that Idol come as the dedication of the Church or of the throning of the Idol all the country thereabout assemble there together and then men set this Idol with great reuerence and worship in a chaire well dressed with cloth of gold and other tapistrie and so they carry him with great reuerence and worship round about the Cittie and before the chaire goeth first in Procession all the maydens of the country two and two together and so after them goe the pilgrims that are come from farre countries of the which pilgrimes some fall downe before the Chaire and letteth all go ouer them and so are they slaine and some haue their armes legs broken and they doe it for loue of the Idoll and they beléeue the more paine that they suffer here for their Idoll the more ioy shall they haue in the other world but a man shall finde few Christians that will suffer so much penance for our Lords sake as they do for their Idol And nigh before the chaire goe all the minstrels of the Country which are without number with many diuers melodies And when they are come againe to the Church they set vp the Idoll againe in his Throne and for worship of the Idoll two or thrée are willingly slaine with sharp kniues and the men in that country think they haue great worship if that holy man which is slaine bée of their kindred likewise they say that all those that are there slaine are holy men and Saints and they are written in their lettany and when they are thus dead their friends burne their bodies and they take the ashes and those are kept as reliques and they say it is an holy thing and that they haue doubt of no perill when they haue of those ashes Of a great country called Lamory where the people go all naked and other things Chap. lv FRom this country two and fifty dayes iourney is a country that is called Lamory and in that land is great heat and it is the custome there that men and women goe all naked and they scorne all them that are clad for they say that God made Adam and Eue all naked and that men should haue no shame of that God made and they beléeue in the same God that made Adam and Eue and all the world and there is no woman marryed but women are all common there and they refuse no man And they say that God commaunded to Adam and Eue and all that come of him saying Crescite et multiplicamini et repleti terram Encrease and multiply and fill the earth no man there may say this is my wife nor no woman may say this is my husband and when they haue children they giue them to whom they will of them that haue medled with them Also the Land is all common for euery man taketh what hée will for that one man hath now this yéere an other man hath the next yéere And all the goods as Corne Beasts and all manner of things in that country is all common For there is nothing vnder lock and as rich is one man as another but they haue an euill custome in eating of flesh for they eate more gladly mans flesh then other Neuerthelesse in that land is abundance of corne of flesh of fish of gold of siluer and of all manner of goods And thether doe Marchaunts bring children for to sell and those that are fat they eat but those that be leane thay kéepe till they bée fat and then are they eaten And beside this I le of Lamory is another called Somober the which is a good I le and there both men and women that are of the nobilitie are marked in the visage with an hot yron that they may be knowne from other for they thinke themselues the worthyest of the world and they haue euermore warre with those men that are naked of whom I spake before And there are many other Iles and people of the which it were ouermuch for to speak here Of the country and I le named Iana which is a mightie Land Chap. lvi ANd there is also a great Ile that is called Iana and the king of the country hath vnder him seauen kings for hée is a full mightie Prince In this I le groweth all manner of spices more plenteously then in any other places as Ginger Cloues Nutmegs and other and yée shall vnderstand that the Nutmeg beareth the Mace also in that I le is great plentie of all things saue wine The king of this Land hath a rich Pallace and the
best that is in the world for all the stares of his hall and chambers are made one of gold and another of siluer and all the walles are plated with fine gold and siluer and in those plates are written stories of knights and battailes and the floures of the hall and chambers are of gold and siluer so that no man would beléeue the great riches that are there except hée had séene it and the king of this I le is so mighty that hée hath many times ouercome the great Caane of Cathay which is the mightiest Emperor that is in all the world there is often war betwéene them for the great Caane would make him hold his land of him Of the kingdome of Pathen or Salmasse which is a goodly land Chap. lvij ANd for to goe forth by the Sea there is an I le that is called Pathen and some call it Salmasse for it is a great with many faire citties In this land growes trées that beare meale of which men make faire bread while of good sauour it séemeth like as it were wheate And there be other trées which beare venim against the which is no medicine but onely to take of the leaues of the same trées and stampe them and temper them with water and drinck it or else hée shall dye sodainely for nothing else may helpe him And if yée will know how these trées beare meale I shall tell you men hewe with an hatchet about the roote of the trée by the earth they pearce it in many places and then commeth out a licour the which they take in a vessell and set it in the Sunne and drie it and when it is drie they carry it vnto the mill to grind and so it is faire meale and white Also hony wine and venim are drawne out of other trées in the same manner and they put it in vessels to kéepe In that I le is a dead sea which is a water that hath no bottome and if any thing fall therein it shall neuer bée found beside that sea groweth great Canes and vnder their rootes men finde a precious stone of great vertue for hée that beareth one of those stones about him ther may no Iron gréeue him nor draw bloud on him and therefore they that haue those stones fight full hardly for there may no weapon that is of Iron grieue him therefore they that know the manner make their weapons without yron and so they slay them Of the kingdome of Talonach the king whereof hath many wiues Chap lviij THen is there another I le that men call Talonach the same is a great land and therein is great plentie of fish other goods as you shal hereafter heare And they king of that land hath as many wiues as he wil a thousand and moe and he neuer lyeth but once by any one of them also in that land is a great meruaile for all manner of fishes of the sea commeth thether once a yéere one after another and lyeth néere the land somtime on the land and so lie thrée dayes and men of that land come thether and take of them what they will and then go those fishes away and an other sort commeth and lyeth also thrée dayes men take of them and thus do all manner of fishes till all haue béene there and men haue taken what they will But no man can tell the cause why it is so But they of that country say that those fishes come so thether to doe worship to their king for they say hée is the worthiest king of the world for he hath so many wiues and getteth so many children of them And that same king hath xiiij M. Elephants or moe which bée tame and they be kept for his pleasure by the men of the country so that hée may haue them ready at his hand when hée hath any warre against any King or Prince and then hée doth put vpon their backs castles and men of war as the vse of the land is and likewise doe other kings and princes thereabout Of the Iland called Raso where men be hanged as soone as they are sicke Chap. lix AND from this I le men goe to another I le called Raso and the men of this I le when their friends are sicke and that they beléeue surely that they shall dye they take them and hang them vp quicke on a trée and say it is better that birds that are Angels of God eate them then wormes of the earth From thence men goe to an I le where the men are of an il kind for they nourish hounds for to strangle men And when their friends are sicke that they hope they shall dye then doe those hounds strangle them for they will not that they die a kindely death for then should they suffer too great paine as they say and when they are thus dead they eate their flesh for venison Of the Iland of Melke wherein dwelleth euill people Chap. lx FRom thence men goe by sea through many Iles vnto an I le called Melke and there bée full ill people for they haue none other delight but for to fight and slay men for they drinke gladly mans blood which blood they call good and they that may slay most is of most fame among them And if there bée two men at strife and after bée made at one then must they drinke eyther others blood or else the accord is of no value From this I le men goe to an other I le that is called Traconit where all men are as beasts for they are vnreasonable and they dwell in caues for they haue not wit to make houses these men eate Adders and speake not but make such a noise as Adders doe one to another and they make no force of riches but of a stone that is of forty coulours and it is called Traconit after that I le they know not the vertue thereof but they couet it for the great fairenesse Of the Iland named Macumeran whereas the people haue heads like hounds Chap. lxi FRom that I le men goe to an other that is called Macumeran which is a great Ile a faire and the men and women of that country haue heades like hounds they are reasonable and worship an Oxe for their God they goe all naked but a litle cloath before their priuie members they are good men to fight and they beare a great Target with which they couer all the body and a speare in their hand and if they take any man in battaile they send him to their king which is a great Lord and deuout in his faith for hée hath about his neck on a Corde thrée hundred Pearles great and orient and as wée say our Pater noster and other prayers right so their king saith euery day thrée hundred praiers to his God before hée eyther eate or drinck and he beareth also about his neck a Ruby orient fine and good that is néere a foote and fiue fingers
send to him presents so much that hée shall haue more then C. Cammels loden with gold and siluer béeside other iewels that he shal haue or Lords as precious stones and gold without number and horse and rich clothes of Camacas and Tarius and such other What Countries and Kingdomes lye next to the land of Cathay and the fronts thereof Chap. lxxix THis land of Cathay is in Asia the déepe and this same Land reacheth toward the West vpon the Kingdome of Sercy the which pertained sometime to one of the thrée kings that went to séeke our Lord in Bethlem all those that come of his kin are christian men These men of Tartary drincke no wine In the land of Corosaym that is at the North side of Cathay is right great plentie of goods but no wine the which hath at the East side a great wildernesse that lasteth more then an hundred dayes iourney and the best cittie of that land is called Corosaym and alter the name of that cittie is the land called and men of this land are good warriours and hardy and thereby is the kingdome of Comayne this is the most and the greatest kingdome of the World but it is not all inhabited for in one place of the Land is so great cold that no man may dwell there for cold and in another place is so great heat that no man may dwell there and there are so many faithes that a man cannot tell on what side hée may turne him and in this land are few trées bearing fruit In this land men lye in tentes and they burne doung of Beastes for lacke of wood This Land descendeth toward Pruse Russy and through this land runneth the Riuer Echel that is one of the greatest riuers of the world and it is frozen so hard euery yéere that men fight thereupon in great battailes on horse and footmen more then C.M. at once And a little from the Riuer is the great of Occian that they call Maure and betwéene this Maure and Aspy is a full strayght passage to go toward Inde and therefore king Alexander did make there a cittie that men call Alexander for to kéepe that passage so that no man may passe vnlesse hée haue leaue and now is that cittie called Port de Fear and the principall citty of Comaine is called Sarachis that is one of the thrée wayes to goe to Inde but through this way may not many men go but if it be in winter and this passage is called Berbent And another way is to goe from the land of Turkescon through Persia in this way are many dayes iourneys in wildernesse And the third way is that commeth from Cosmane and goeth through the great cittie through the kingdome of Abachare And yée shall vnderstand that all these kingdomes and Lords vnto Persia are holden of the great Caane and many other and therefore hée is a great Lord of men and of land Of other wayes comming from Cathay toward the Greeke Sea and also of the Emperour of Persia Chap. lxxx NOW that I haue shewed you the lands towards the North to come from the lands of Cathay to the lands of Pruse Russy where Christian men dwell Now shall I shew vnto you of other lands and kingdomes in comming downe from Cathay to the Gréekes Sea where Christian men dwell and forasmuch as next the great Caane of Cathay the Emperour of Persia is the greatest Lord therefore I shall speake of him and ye shall vnderstand that hée hath two kingdomes the one beginneth Eastward and it is the kingdome of Turkescon and it lasteth Westward to the sea of Caspy and Southward to the land of Inde This land is great and plaine and well manned with good citties but two most principall the which are called Bacirida and Sormagaunt The other is the kingdome of Persia and lasteth from the Riuer of Phison vnto great Armony and Northward vnto the sea of Caspy and Southward to the land of Inde and this is a full plenteous country and a good In this land are thrée principall citties Nassabor Saphen and Sermesse Of the land of Armony which is a good land and of the land of Myddy Chap. lxxxj THen is the land of Armony in the which was sometime thrée kingdomes that is a good land and plenteous and it beginneth at Persia and lasteth westward to Turky of lenght and in breadth lasteth from the Cittie of Alexander that now is called Port de Fear vnto the land of Middy In this Armony are many faire citties but Canrissy is most of name Then is the land of Middy and it is full long and not broad and béeginneth Eastward at the land of Persia and Inde the lesse and lasteth Westward to the kingdome of Chalde and Northward to little Armony in this Myddy are many great Hills and little Plaines and there dwell Sarasins and other manner of men that men call Cordines and Kermen Of the kingdome of George and Abcan and many meruailes Chap. lxxxij THen next is the kingdome of George that beginneth Eastward at a great hill that men call Abior this land lasteth from Turky to the great Sea and to the land of Middy and great Armony and in this Land are two Kingdomes one to Abcan and an other of George but hée of George is in subiection of the great Caane but hée of Abcan hath a strong Countrie and defendeth him well against his enimies and of this land in Abcan is a great maruaile for there is a country in this land that is néere thrée dayes iourney in length and is called Hamfon and that country is all couered with darknesse so that it hath no light that no man may sée there and no man dare goe into that countrie for darknesse And neuerthelesse men of that country thereby say that they may sometime heare therein the voyce of men horse crying and cocks crow and they know well that men dwell there but they know not what manner of men they say this darknesse came through the miracle of God that hée did for Christian men there For there was a wicked Emperour that was of Poy and was called Saures and hée pursued sometime all christian men to destroy them and did make them do sacrifice to their false gods in that country dwelled many christian men the which left all their goods and cattell riches and would goe to Gréece and when they were all in a great plaine that is called Mecon the Emperour and his men came to slay the christian men and then the christian men knéeled downe and prayed to God and anon came a thicke cloud and couered the Emperour and all his hoasts so that he might not goe away and so dwelled they in darknesse and they neuer came out after and the christian men went forward as they would and therefore they say thus A domino factum est istud est mirabile in oculis nostris That is to say of our Lord is this
then xxx thousand men beside commers and goers but xxx thousand there or in the court of the great Caane spendeth not so much as xij thousand in our countrie Hée hath euermore vii kings in his court to serue him and each one of them serueth a moneth and with these kings serue alway lxxii Dukes CCC Earles and euery day eate in his court xii Archbishops and xx Bishops The Patriarke of Saint Thomas is as it were a Pope and Archbishops Bishops and Abbots all are kings in that country and some of the Lords is Maister of the hall some of the chamber some steward some Marshall and other Officers and therefore hée is full richly serued And his Land lasteth in breadth foure monethes iourney and it is of length without measure Of the wildernesse wherein groweth the trees of the Sunne and the Moone Chap. xcix AND béeyond this place is a great wildernesse as men that haue béene there say In this wildernesse as men say are the trées of the Sunne and of the Moone that spake to king Alexander and told him of his death and men say that folke that kéepe these trées and eate of the fruits of them liue foure or fiue hundred yéere through vertue of the fruit and wée would gladly haue gone thether but I beléeue that an hundred thousand men of armes should not passe that wildernesse for great plenty of wilde beasts as Dragons and serpents that slay men when they passe that way In this land are many Elephants all white and blew without number and Vnicornes and Lyons of many coulours Many other Iles are in the land of Prester Iohn that were too long to tell and much riches and of precious stones is great plentie I haue heard say why this Emperour is called Prester Iohn and for those that know it not I will declare Therefore sometime an Emperour that was a noble Prince and doughtie and hée had many Christian Knights with him and the Emperour thought hée would sée the seruice in christian Churches and then was Churches of Christendome in Turky Surry and Tartary Hierusalem Palistine Araby and Alapy and all the Lords of Aegypt And this Emperour came with a Christian Knight into a Church of Aegypt and it was on a Satterday after Whitsunday when the Bishop gaue Orders and hée beheld the Seruice and asked of the knight what folke those should bée that stood before the Bishop and the Knight sayd they should bée Priests and hée sayd hée would no more bée called king ne Emperour but Priest and hée would haue the name of him that came first out of the Priests and hée was called Iohn and so haue all the Emperours since béene called Prester Iohn In this land are many Christian men of good faith and good law and they haue priests to sing seruice and they receiue the sacrament as men of Gréece doe and they say not otherwise but as the Apostles said as Saint Peter and Saint Thomas and other Apostles when they sung and sayd Pater noster and the words with the which the Communion is sacred wée haue many additions of Popes that haue béene ordained of which men of those countries know not Of a great Iland and Kingdome called Taprobane Chap. c. TOward the East side of Prester Iohns Land is an I le that men call Taprobane and it is right good and fruitfull and there is a great King and a rich and he is obedient vnto Prester Iohn the King is alway made by election In this I le are two winters and two Summers and they reape corne twice in the yéere and gardens flowrish at all times in the yéere There dwelleth good people and reasonable and many christian men among them are full rich and the water betwéene the side of Prester Iohn and this I le is not very déepe for men may sée the ground in many places Of two other Iles one is called Oriell and the other Argete where are many gold mines Chap cj. THere are more Eastward two other Iles the one is called Oriell and the other Argete of which all the land is full of mines of gold and siluer In those Iles many men sée no Stars cléere shining but one Star that is called Canapos and there many men sée not the Moone but in the last quarter In that I le is a great hill of gold that Pismires kéepe and they do the fine gold from other that is not fine gold and the Pismires are as great as hounds so that no man dare come there for dread of pismires that should assay them so that men may not worke in that gold nor get therof but by subtiltie and therefore when it is right hot the pismires hide themselues in the earth from morne to noone of the day and then men of the country take Cammels and Dromedaries and other beasts and goe thether and charge them with gold and goe away fast or the pismires come out of the earth And other times when it is not so hot that the pismires hide them not they take Mares that haue soles and they lay vpon these mares two long vessels as it were two small barrels and the mouth vpwards and driue them thether and hold their foles at home and when the pismires sée these vessels they spring therin for by kinde they leaue no hole nor pit open and anone they fill these vessels with gold and when men thinke that the vessels bée full they take the foles bring them as néere as they dare and then they whine and the mares heare them and anone they come to their foles and so they take the gold for these pismires will suffer beasts to come among them but no men Of the darke country and hils and rocks of stone nigh to Paradise Chap. cij BEyond the Iles of the land of Prester Iohn and his Lordship of wildernesse to goe right East men shall finde nothing but hils great rocks and other darke land where no man may sée a day or night as men of the Country say and this wildernesse and darke land lasteth to Paradise terrestre where Adam and Eue were set but they were but a little while there and that is toward the East at the beginning of the Earth but that is not our East that we call where the Sun riseth for when the Sunne riseth there then it is midnight in our country by reason of the roundnesse of the Earth for our Lord made the earth all round in the middest of the firmament Of Paradise can I not speake properly for I haue not béene there but that I haue heard I shall tell you Men say that Paradise terrestre is the highest land of all the world and it is so high that it toucheth néere to the circle of the Moone for it is so high that Noes floud might not come thereto which couered all the Earth about A little of Paradise terrestre Chap. ciij. THis Paradise terrestre is enclosed all about with a wall and
and the kingdome of Surry Palestine and Femines are betwéene Euphrates and the sea of Mediterani it is of length from Marroch on the sea of Spaine vnto the great Sea and so lasteth it beyond Constantinople thrée hundred and twentie mile of Lumbardy and to the Ocean sea In Inde is the kingdome of Sichem that is all closed among hils and beside Sichem is the land of Amazony wherin dwell none but women And thereby is the kingdome of Albany which is a great land and it is called so because that men are more white there them in other places and in this country are great hounds and strong so that they ouercome Lyons and slay them And yée shall vnderstand that in those countries are many Iles and lands of the which it were too long to tell but of some I will speake more plainely afterward Of the hauen of Gene for to goe by sea into diuers Countries Chap. xlviij NOw he that will go to Tartarie Persie Chalde or Inde he taketh ship at Gene or at Venice or at any other hauen and so hée passeth by the sea and ariueth at Topasond that is a good citie that sometime men called the hauen of bridge and there is the hauen of Persia of Medes and of other marches In this cittie lyeth Saint Athanasius that was bishop of Alexandria that made the Psalme Quicunque vult This man was a great Doctor of Diuinitie and of the Godhead hée was accused vnto the Pope of Roome that hée was an Heritike and the Pope sent for him and put him in prison and while hée was in that prison he made this Psalme and sent it vnto the Pope and said it that he were an Heritike then was that Herisie for that was his faith and his beliefe and when the Pope saw that hée had said therein was all our faith then anone hée did deliuer him out of prison and hée commanded that Psalme to be said euery day at the beginning of of seruice so hée held Athanasius for a good Christian but hée would neuer after go to his Bishoprike because they accused him of Heresie To pasond was sometime holden of the Emperour of Constantinople but a great man that hée sent to helpe the country against the Turks did hold it to himselfe and called him selfe Emperour of Topasond And from thence men go through little Armony and in that country in an old Castle that is on a rocke that men call the Castell of Sypris and there men finde an Hauke sitting vpon a perch right well made and a faire Lady of Fairy that kéepeth it and hée that will watch this same Hauke seauen daies and seauen nights and some say that it is but thrée dayes and thrée nights alone without any company and without sléepe this faire Lady shall come vnto him at the seauen or at thrée dayes end and shall graunt vnto him the first thing that hée shal aske of worldly things and that hath often béene proued And so vpon a time it besel that a man who at that time was king of Armony that was a right doughtie man watched vpon a time and at the seauen daies end the Lady came to him and bad him aske what hée would for hée had well done his duetie and the king answered and said that hée was a great Lord and in good peace hée was rich so that hée would aske nothing but onely all the body of the faire Lady or to haue his will of her Then this faire Lady answered and said vnto him that hée was a foole for hée wist not what hée asked for hèe might not haue her for hée should haue asked of her onely worldly things and shée was not worldly And the king said hée would naught else and shée sayd sith hée would aske naught else shée would graunt him and all that came after him thrée things and said vnto him Sir king yée shall haue warre without peace vnto the ninth degrée and yée shal be in subiection vnto your enimies and yée shall haue great néede of good cattell and since that time all the Kings of Armonie haue béene in warre and néedful and vnder tribute of the Sarasins Also a poore mans sonne as hée watched on a time and asked the Lady if that hée might bée rich and happy in marchandise and the Lady graunted him but shée said to him that hée had asked his vndoing for great pride that hée should haue therof And this man became so great a marchant both by sea and land that hée was so rich that hée knew not the thousand part of his goods Also a knight of the templers watched likewise and when the had done he desired to haue a purse full of gold and whatsoeuer hée tooke thereof it should euer bée full againe and the Lady graunted it him but shée told him that hée had desired his destruction by the great mispending that he should haue of the same purse and so it befell But hée that shall wake hath great néede to kéepe him from sléepe for if hée sléepe hée is lost so that hée shall neuer bée séene after but that is not the right way but for the meruaile And from Tapasond men goe to great Armony to a Citie that is called Artyron that was wont to bée a good Cittie but that Turkes haue destroyed it for there neither groweth wine nor yet fruite From this Artyron men go to an hill that is called Sabissocoll and there néere is an other hill called Arath but the Iewes call it Thano where the Arke of Noe rested after the Deluge and yet it is on that hill a man may sée it from farre in cléere weather and the hils bée xij mile of height and some say they haue béene there and put their fingers in the holes where the fiend went out when Noe said in this manner Benedicite But I vnderstand that for snow that is alway vpon the hill both Winter and Summer no man may goe vp since Noe was there but onely a Monk through the grace of God who brought a plank that yet is in the Abbey at the hils foote for hée had great desire to goe vpon that hill and when hée was at the third part vpward hée was so weary that hée might goe no further and hée rested him and slept and when hée was awake hée was downe at the hils foote and then prayed hée to God deuoutly that hée would suffer him to goe to the vpper part of the hill and the Angell said that hée should haue his desire and so bée did and since that time no man did euer come there And therefore a man ought not to beléeue all things that are spoken of it Of the Country of Iob and of the Kingdome of Calde Chap. xlix ON the other side of the Cittie of Carnaa men enter into the land of Iob that is a good Land and great plentie of all fruits and that Land is called Swere In this Land is the Cittie of Thomar Iob was a
long For when they choose their king they giue to him that Ruby to beare in his hand then they lead him riding about the cittie and then euer after are they subiect to him and therefore hée beareth that Ruby alway about his neck for if hée beare not the Ruby they would no longer hold him for King The great Caane of Cathay hath much coueted this Ruby but hée might neuer haue it neither for warre nor for other goods and this king is a full true and righteous man for men may goe safely surely through his land and beare all that hée will for there is no man so hardy to let them And from thence men goe to an I le that is called Silo this I le is more then an hundred mile about and therein be many Serpents which are great with yealow-stripes and they haue foure féete with short legs and great clawes some be fiue fadom of length and some of eight and some of tenne and some more some lesse and bée called Cocodrils and there are also many wilde beasts and Elephants Also in this I le and in many Iles thereabout are many wilde géese with two heads and there bée also in that country white Lions and many other diuers meruailous beasts and if I should tell all it would be to long Of a great Iland called Dodyn where are many men of euill conditions Chap. lxij THen is there another I le called Dodyn and it is a great I le In the same I le are many and diuers sorts of men who haue euill manners for the father eateth the son the son the father the husband his wife and the wife her husband And if it so be that the father bée sicke or the mother or any friend the Son goes soone to the priest of the law and praieth him that he wil aske of the Idoll if his father shall die of that sicknesse or not And then the priest and the son knéele downe béefore the Idoll deuoutly and aske him and hée answereth to them and if hée say that hée shall liue then they kéepe him well and if hée say that hée shall dye then commeth the Priest with the sonne or with the wife or any that is a friend vnto him that is sicke and they lay their hands ouer his mouth to stop his breath so they slay him and then they smite all the body into péeces and prayeth all his friends for to come and eate of him that is dead and they make a great feast therof and haue many minstrels there and eat him with great melody And so when they haue eaten all the flesh then they take the bones and bury them all singing with great worship and all those of his friends that were not there at the eating of him haue great shame and reproofe so that they shal neuer more bée taken as friends Of the kingdome of Mancy which is a large kingdome of the world Chap. lxiij TO goe from this I le toward the East after many daies a man shall come to a kingdome called Mancy and this is in great Inde and it is the most delectable and plentifull land in all the world In this land dwell Christians Sarasins for it is a great land and therein are two thousand great Citties and many other townes In this land no man goeth a begging for there is no poore man and there men haue beards as it were Cats In this I le are faire women and therefore some men call that land Albany for the white folke and there is a cittie that is called Latorim and it is bigger then Paris and in that land are Birds twise greater then they bée here and there is all manner of vittailes good cheape In this country are white hens and they beare no feathers but wooll as shéepe do in our Land and women of that Country that are wedded beare crownes vpon their heads that they may bée knowne by In this country they take a beast that is called a Loyre and they kéepe it to goe into waters or riuers straight way he bringeth out of the water great fishes and thus they take fish as much as them néedeth From this cittie men goe many dayes iourney to another Cittie called Cassay which is the fairest Cittie of the world and that cittie is fiftie mile about and there is in that Cittie aboue xij principal gates without From thence within thrée myle is another great Cittie and within this Cittie are more then twelue thousand bridges vpon each bridge is a strong tower where the kéepers dwell to kéepe it against the great Caane for it boundeth on his land and on each side of the cittie runneth a great riuer and there dwell Christians and other for it is a good and plenteous country and there groweth right good wine in this noble cittie the king of Mancy was wont to dwell and there dwell religious men as friers And men go vpon the riuer till they come to an Abbey of Monkes a little from the cittie and in that Abbey is a great garden and therein is many manner of trées of diuers fruites in that garden are diuers kindes of beasts as Baboynes Apes Marmozets and other and when the couent haue eaten a Monke taketh the reliefe and beareth it into the Garden and smiteth once with a bell of siluer which hée holdeth in his hand and anone come out these beasts that I spake of and many moe néere two or thrée thousand and hée giueth them meat in faire vessels of siluer and when they haue eaten hée smiteth the bell againe and they goe away and the Monke saith that those beasts are soules of men that are dead and those beasts that are faire are soules of Lords and other rich men and those that are foule beasts are soules of other commons and I asked them if it had not béene better to giue that reliefe to poore men and they said there is no poore men in that country but if there were yet were it more almes to giue it to those soules that suffer there their penance and may goe no farther to get their meat then to men that haue wit and may trauaile for their meat Then men come to a Cittie that is called Chibens and there was the first siege of the king of Mancy In this cittie are thrée score bridges of stone as faire as may bée made Of the Land of Pigme the people whereof are but three spans long Chap. lxiiij WHen men passe from that Cittie of Chibens they passe ouer a great riuer of fresh water and it is néere foure mile broad and then men enter into the land of the great Caane This riuer goeth through the land of Pigme and there men are of little stature for they are but thrée spans long and they are right faire both men and women though they be little and they are marryed when they are halfe a yéere old and they liue but eight yéere for hée that
done and it is meruailous in our eyes Out of this land commeth a riuer whereby men may sée by good tokens that men dwell therein Of the land of Turkey and diuers other countries and of the Land of Mesopotamia Chap. lxxxiij THen next is the land of Turkey that reacheth to great Armony and therein are many countries as Caperdoce Saure Bryke Ouecion Patan and Geneth in each one of these countries are many good citties and it is a plaine land with few hils and Riuers and then is the kingdome of Mesopotamia that béeginneth Westward at the flome of Tygre at a Cittie that men call Mosell and it lasteth Westward to the flome of Euphrate to a Cittie that men call Rochaim and Westward from high Armony vnto the wildernesse of Inde the lesse and it is a good land and plaine but there is few riuers and there is but two hils in that land the one is called Simar and the other Hison and it reacheth vnto the land of Calde and yée shall vnderstand that the land of Ethiope reacheth Eastward to the great wildernesse Westward to the land of Nuby Southward to the land of Maratan and Northward to the red Sea and then is the Maritan that lasteth from the hils of Ethiope vnto Liby the high and the low that lasteth to the great sea of Spaine Of diuers countries kingdomes and Iles and meruailes beyond the land of Cathay Chap. lxxxiij NOw haue I said and spoken of many things on this side of the great kingdome of Cathay of whom many are obeisant to the great Caane Now shall I tell of some lands countries and Iles that are beyond the land of Cathay Who so goeth from Cathay to Inde the high and the low hée shall goe through a kingdome that men call Cadissen and it is a great land there groweth a manner of fruit as it were gourdes and when it is ripe men cut it a sunder and they finde therein a beast as it were of flesh and bone blood as it were a little lambe without wooll and men eate the beast and fruit also and sure it séemeth very strange Neuerthelesse I sayd to them that I held that for no meruaile for I said that in my country are trées that beare fruit that become birds flying they are good to eat and that that falleth on the water liueth and that that falleth on the earth dyeth and they meruailed much thereat In this land and many other therabout are trées that beare cloues and nutmegs and chanell and many other spices and there be vines that beare so great grapes that a strong man shall haue enough to beare a cluster of grapes In that same land are the hils of Caspy that men call Vber and enclosed within those hils are the Iewes of the x. kindes that men call Gog and Magog and they may come out on no side Ther were enclosed xxij kings with their folke that dwelled betwéene the hils of Syche and king Alexander chased them thether among those hils for hée trusting to haue enclosed them there through the working of men but hée might not and when hée saw hée might not hée prayed to God that hée would fulfill that which hée had béegun God heard his prayer and enclosed the hils all about them but at the one side and ther is the sea of Caspy Here some men might aske if there be a sea on one side why goe they not out there for thereto aunswere I that although it be called a sea it is not a sea but a poole standing among hils and it is the greatest Poole of all the world and though they go ouer that poole yet they wot not where to ariue for they can no speach but their owne And yée shall vnderstand that these Iewes which dwel among the hils haue no law among them and yet they pay tribute for their land to the Quéene of Armony and sometime it is so that some of these Iewes goe ouer the hils but many may not passe there together for the hils are so great and high Neuerthelesse men say in that country thereby that in the time of Antichrist they shall doe much harme to christian men and therefore all the Iewes that dwell in diuers parts of the world learne for to speake Ebrew for they hope that these Iewes that dwell among the hils aforesaid shal come out of the hils and speake all Ebrew and nought else and then shall these Iewes speake Ebrew to them and lead them into Christendome for to destroy Christian men For these Iewes say they know by their Prophesies that those Iewes that are among those hilles of Caspy shall come out and christian men shall bée in their subiection as they be vnder Christian men now And if yée will know how they shall finde the passage out as I haue vnderstood I shall tell you In the time of Antichrist a Foxe shall make his denne in the same place where King Alexander did make the Gates and hée shall dig in the earth so long till hée pierce it through and come among the Iewes and when they sée the Foxe they shall haue great meruaile of him for they neuer saw such a beast but other Beastes haue they among them many and they shall chase this foxe and pursue him vntill that hée bée fled againe into his hole that he came from and then shall they dig after him vntill they come to the gates that Alexander did make of great stones well dight with morter then shall they breake these gates and they shall finde the way forth Of the land of Bactrie and of many Griffons and other beasts Chap. lxxxv FRom this land men shall go vnto the land of Bactrie where are many wicked men and fell in that land are trées that beare woll as it were shéepe of which they make cloth In this land are Ypotains that dwell sometime on land sometime on water and are halfe a man and halfe a horse and they féede on men when they may get them In this land are many Griffons more then in other places and some say they haue the body before as an Eagle and behinde as a Lyon and it is truth for they be made so but the Griffon hath a body greater then eight Lyons and stronger then an hundred Eagles for certainly hée will beare to his nest flying a horse and a man vpon his back or two Oxen yoked together as they goe at plough for he hath long nailes on his féet as great as it were horns of Oxen and of those they make cups there to drinck with and of his ribs they make bowes to shoot with Of the way for to goe to Prester Iohns land which is Emperour of Inde Chap. lxxxvj FRom this land of Bactrie men goe many dayes iourney to the Land of Prester Iohn that is a great Emperour of Inde and men call his land the yle of Pantrore This Emperour Prester Iohn holdeth a great land and many good cities and
messes together they sing in the bringing a song and they cut his meate and put it in his mouth and hée hath right long nailes on his hands that is great nobilitie in that country and therefore they let their nailes grow as long as they may and some let them grow so long that they come about their hands and that is great honour and gentry and the gentry of a woman is to haue small féete and therefore as soone as they are borne they binde their féete so straight that they cannot waxe halfe as they should And hée hath a full faire Pallace and rich where hée dwelleth of which the wall is two mile about and there is many faire gardens and all the pauements of the hal and chambers is of gold and siluer and in the midst of one of his gardens is a little hill wheron is a place made with towres and pinacles all of gold and there he will sit often to take the ayre and disport for it is made for nothing else From this land men may goe through the land of the great Caane How all the Lands Iles and kingdomes before rehearsed haue some Articles of our Faith Chap. cvij. AND yée shall vnderstand that all these men and folke that haue reason that I haue spoken of haue some articles of our faith and though they bée of diuers lawes and beliefes yet they haue some good points of our faith and they beléeue in God as the Prophesie saith Et metuent cum omnes fines terrae That is to say And all the ends of the earth shal dread him And in another place Omnes gentes seruient ei That is to say All Nations shall serue him but they cannot speake perfectly but as their naturall wit teacheth them neither of the Sonne nor of the holy Ghost but they can well speake of the Bible and specially of Genesis and of the bookes of Moyses And they say that those creatures which they worship are no Gods but they worship them for the great vertue that is in them which may not bée without the speciall grace of God and of simulacres and Idols they say that al men haue simulacres wherby they meane the Papists who haue Images of our Lady and other but they think that they worship the Images of stone and of wood and not the Saints whom they doe represent for as the letter teacheth Clarks how they shall beléeue so Images and Picture teacheth lay men they say also that the Angell of God speaketh to them in their Idols and doe miracles and they say truth but it is the euill Angell that doth miracles to maintaine them in their Idolatry How Sir Iohn Maundeuile leaueth many meruailes vnwritten and the cause wherefore Chap. cviij THere are many other Countryes where I haue not yet béene nor séene and therefore I cannot speake properly of them Also in countries where I haue béene are many meruailes that I speake not of for it were too long a tale and therefore hold you apaid at this time with that I haue said for I will say no more of meruailes that are there so that other men that goe thether may find enough for to say that I haue not told What time Sir Iohn Maundeuile departed out of England Chap. cix ANd I Iohn Maundeuile went out of my country and passed the Sea the yéere of our Lord 1332. and haue passed through many Lands Iles and countries and now am come to rest I haue compiled this booke and writ it the yéere of our Lord. 1366. thirtie two yéere after my departing from my Country The rather for the pleasure of all such as delight to read of the strange and wonderfull meruailes of other forraine countries as also for a direction to all such as shall desire to sée eyther all or some of these countries heretofore specified and because some things herein spoken of may séeme straunge and scarcely credible therefore I haue thought good to make knowne vnto all that will sée more proofe hereof in the booke called Mapa Mundy there they shall finde the most part of the same ratified and confirmed And I pray all that shall read this booke and looke for no further proofe to iudge fauourably therof since they shall in conceit sée as much at home without much paines as I did after many weary and dangerous steps passed and I pray to God of whom all grace commeth that hée will fulfill with his grace the readers and hearers hereof and saue them body and soule and bring them to his Ioy that euer shall last Amen FINIS THE TABLE HEe that will goe toward Hierusalem on horse on foote or by sea chap. 1 Of the Ilands of Greece chap. 2 To come againe to Constantinople to go to the holy land chap. 3 Of a terrible Dragon chap. 4 Of a young man and his lemman chap. 5 Of the manner of hunting in Cypres chap. 6 Of the hauen named Iaffe chap. 7 Of the hauen of Tire chap. 8 Of the hill Carme chap. 9 How Sampson slew the king and his enimies chap. 10 The way to Babilon whereas the Souldan dwelleth chap. 11 Yet here followeth of the Souldan and the kingdomes that hee hath conquered which hee holdeth strongly with force chap. 12 For to returne from Sinay to Hierusalem chap. 13 As men are passed this wildernesse againe comming to Hirusalem chap. 14 Here followeth a little of Adam and Eue and other things chap. 15 Of the dry tree chap. 16 From Ebron to Bethlehem cha 17 Of a faire mayden that should bee put to death wrongfully chap. 18 Of the cittie Hierusalem chap. 19 Yet of the holy cittie of Hierusalem chap. 20 Of the Church and of the holy sepulcher chap. 21 Of the Temple of God chap. 22 Yet of the Temple of God chap. 23 Of king Herod chap. 24 Of saint Saluatours church cha 25 The field of Acheldemack which was bought with the xxx pence chap. 26 Of the mount Ioy. chap. 27 Of the castle of Bethania chap. 28 Of Iericho other things cha 29 Of the holy place betweene Bethania and the riuer Iordane with other things chap. 30 Of Abraham and his generation chap. 31 Of the riuer Iordane chap. 32 Of many other meruailes chap. 33 Of the Samaritones chap. 34 Of Galile chap. 35 Of the way of Nezareth to the mount or hill of Tabor chap. 36 Of the sea of Galile chap. 37 Of the Table whereon Christ eate after his resurrection chap. 38 Of strange manners and diuers chap. 39 For to turne againe on this side of Galile chap. 40 How a man may goe furthest and longest in those Countries that are here rehearsed chap. 41 Of other wayes for to goe by land vnto Hierusalem chap. 42 Yet of another way by land toward the land of Promise chap. 43 Of the faith of the Sarasins and of the booke of their Law named Alkaron chap. 44 Yet it treateth more of Mahomet chap. 45 Of the birth of Mahomet chap. 46
good townes In his kingdome are many great Iles and large for this land of Inde is parted into Iles because of great flouds that come out of Paradise and also in the sea are many great Iles. The best cittie that is in the I le of Pantrore is called Nile that is a noble cittie and a rich Prester Iohn hath vnder him many kings and diuers people and his land is good and rich but not so rich as the land of the great Caane for merchants come not so much thether as they doe into the land of the great Caane for it is too long a iourney And also they finde in the I le of Cathay all things that they haue néede of as spicery clothes of gold and other riches and although they might haue better cheape in the land of Prester Iohn then in the land of Cathay and more fine neuerthelesse they wil not go thether by reason of the length of the iourney and great perils on the sea for there are many places in the sea where are many rocks of a stone that is called Adamand the which of his owne kinde draweth to him all manner of iron and therefore there may no ships that haue iron nayles passe but it draweth them to it and therefore they dare not go into that country with ships for dread of the Adamand I went once into that sea saw as it had béene a great I le of trées stocks branches growing and the shipmen told me that those were great ships that abode there through the vertue of the Adamands and of things that were in the ships whereof those trées sprong and waxed and such rocks are there many in diuers places of that sea and therefore dare there no shipmen passe that way And another thing also is that they dread the long way and therefore they go most to Cathay and that is néere vnto them And yet it is not so néere but that from Venice or Gene by Sea to Cathay is xi or xij moneths iourney The land of Prester Iohn is long and Merchants passe thether through the land of Persia and come vnto a Cittie that men call Hermes for a Philosopher that was called Hermes founded it and then passe an arme of the Sea come to another Cittie that men call Saboth and there finde they all marchandises and popiniayes as great plenty as larks in our country In this Country is little wheate or barly and therefore they eat rice milke and chéese and other fruits This Emperour Prester Iohn weddeth commonly the daughter of the great Caane and the great Caane his Daughter In the land of Prester Iohn is many diuers things and many precious stones so great and so large that they make of them vessels platters and cups and many other things of which it were too long to tell but somwhat of his law and of his faith I shall tell you Of the faith and beleefe of Prester Iohn but he hath not all the full beliefe as wee haue Chap. lxxxvij THis Emperour Prester Iohn is christened and a great part of his land also but they haue not all the articles of our Faith but they beléeue well in the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost and they are full deuoute and true one to another and they make no force of cattell And hée hath vnder him lxxii Prouinces and countries and in each one is a king and those kings haue other kings vnder them And in this land are many meruailes for in this land in the gauely sea that is of sand and grauaile and no drop of water and it ebbeth and floweth with right great waues as an other sea doth and it is neuer standing still and neuer in rest and no man may passe that land beyond it And although there bée no water in the sea yet men may finde therein right good fish and of other fashion and shape then are in any other seas and also they are of a full good sauor and swéete and good to eat And thrée dayes iourney from that sea are many great hils through which runneth a great floud that commeth from Paradise and it is full of precious stones and no drop of water and it runneth with great waues into the grauely Sea And this floud runneth thrée dayes in the wéeke so fast and stirreth great stones of the rockes with him that make much noyse as soone as they come into the grauely sea they are no more séene and in those thrée dayes when it runneth thus no man dare come in it but the other dayes men goe therein when they will And so béeyond that floud toward that wildernesse is a great plaine among hils all sandy and grauely and in that plaine grow trées that at the rising of the Sun each day begin to grow and so grow they till mid-day and beare fruit but no man dare eate of that fruit for it is a manner of yron and after midday it turneth againe to the earth so that when the Sun goeth downe it is nothing séene and so doth it euery day and there is in that wildernesse many wilde men with hornes on their heads right hedious and they speake not but rout as swine and in that country are many popiniayes that they call in their language Pistak and they speake through their owne kinde partly as a man and those that speake well haue long tongues and large and on euery foote fiue toes but there are some that haue but thrée toes but those speake naught or very ill Of another Iland where also dwelleth good people therein and is called Sinople Chap. lxxxviij THen is there an other I le that is called Synople wherein also are good people and true and full of good faith and they are much like in their liuing to the man béefore said and they go all naked Into that Iland came king Alexander and when hée saw their good faith and trouth and their good beléefe hée said that hée would doe them no harme and bad them aske of him riches or ought else and they stould haue it And they answered that they had riches enough when they had meat and drinck to sustaine their bodies and they said also that riches of this world is nought worth but if it were so that hée might graunt them that they should neuer dye that would they pray him And Alexander sayd that might hée not do for hée was mortall and should die as they should Then said they why art thou so proud and wouldest win all the world and haue it in thy subiection as it were a God and hast no terme of thy life and thou wilt haue all riches of the world the which shall forsake thée or thou forsake it and thou shalt beare nothing with thée but it shall remaine to other but as thou were borne naked so shalt thou be done in earth And Alexander was greatly astonied at this speach and though it be so that they haue not the Articles of our