there then it is mid-night in our Country by reason of the roundness of the Earth for our Lord made the Earth all round in the middest of the Firmament Of Paradise can I not speak properly for I have not béen there but that I have 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 near to the Circle of the Moon for it is so high that Noes floud might not come thereto which covered all the earth about CHAP. CIII A little of Paradise Terrestre This Paradise Terrestre is inclosed all about with a Wall and that Wall is all covered with Mosse as it seemeth that men may see 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 four Flouds that run through divers lands The first floud is called Pison or Ganges and that runneth through Iude in that River are many precious Stones and much Lignum Aloes and gravel of Gold Another is called Nilus or Giron and that runneth through Ethiope and Egypt The third is called Tygrée and that runneth through Assyria and Armony the great And the fourth is called Euphrates that runneth through Armony the less and Persia and men say that the swéet and fresh waters of the World take their springing of them The first River is called Pison that is to say gathering of many Rivers together and falling into one and some call it Ganges of a king that was in Iude that men call Gangeras for it runneth through his land and this River is in some places clean in some places troubled in some places hot in some places cold The second River is called Nilus or Giron for it is ever troubled for Giron is to say trouble The third River is called Tygrée that is to say fast running for it runneth faster then any of the other named so of a Beast that men call Tygris for he runneth fast The fourth River is called Euphrates that is to say well bearing for there groweth many good things upon that River And ye shall understand that no man living may go upon that Paradise for by land he may not go for wild Beasts that are in the Wildernesse and for Hills and Rocks which no man may pass Neither by those Rivers may any man pass for they come with so great a course and so great waves that no Ship may sail against them Many great Lords have assayed many times to go by these Rivers into Paradise but they might not speed in their way for some died for weariness in rowing some were blind and some deaf with noise of the waters so no man may pass there but through special grace of God I can tell you no more of that place which I may speak of upon mine own sight CHAP. CIV How Prester Johns land lyeth foot against foot to England THese Isles of the land of Prester John they are under the Earth to us and they lie foot against foot to England and other Isles there are whoso would pursue them for to compass the Earth having the Grace of God to help the way he might come right to the same countries that he were come of and come from and go about the earth but for that it asketh so long time and also there are so many perils to pass that few men assay to go so and yet it might be done for men come from those Isles to other Isles coasting on the Lordship of Prester John which men call Cassay and that country is near ix days journey long and more than fifty of breadth and this Cassay is the best land that is in those countries save Cathay and if Merchants came thither as commonly as they do to Cathay it would be better than in Cathay for it is so thick of Cities and Towns that when a man goeth out of a city he séeth another at each side there is good plenty of Spices and other goods the king of this Isle is rich and mighty and he holdeth his land of the great Caane for that is one of the twelve Princes that the great Caane hath under him beside his own land CHAP CV Of the Kingdom of Ryboth FRom this Isle men go to another Kingdom that is called Ryboth and that is also under the great Caane This is a good country and plenteous of Corn Wine and other things men of this land have no houses but they dwell in Tents made of Trées and the prineipall city of the Country is all black made of black stones and white and all the Streets are paved with such stones and in the city is no man so hardy to spill blood of man nor beast for worship of an Image that is worshipped there In that city dwelleth the Pope of their Law and they call him Lopasse he giveth all Dignities and Benefices that fall to the Image And men of Religion and men that have Church-livings in that country are obedient to him as men here to the king They have a custom in this country that when a mans Father is dead whom they will do worship unto they send after all his Friends religious Priests and many other and they bear the body to an Hill with great joy and mirth and when it is there the greatest Prelate smiteth off his head and layeth it upon a great place of Gold or Silver and giveth it to his son and the son taketh it and giveth it to other of his friends singing and saying many Orisons and then the Priests and the religious men cut the flesh off the body in pieces and say Orisons and the Birds of the country come thither for they know well the custom and they flye about them as the Eagles and other Birds that eat flesh and the Priests cast the pieces unto them and they bear it away a little from thence and then they eat it and as the Priests were wont to sing for souls Subvenite sancti Dei so those Priests there sing with high voice 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 bear him into Paradise And then thinketh the Son of his Father that he is greatly worshipped when birds have eaten him and when there are most plenty of birds there is most worship And then cometh the son home with all his friends and maketh them a great feast then maketh he clean his fathers Scalp and giveth them drink therein and the flesh of his fathers head he cutteth off and giveth it to his most special friends some a little and some a little for dainty And in remembrance of this holy man that the Birds have eaten the son kéepeth his Scalp for a Cup and therein drinketh he all his life in remembrance of his father CHAP. CVI. Of a rich man that is neither King Prince
the way of Nazareth to the Mount or Hill Tabor Chap. 36. Of the Sea of Galile Chap. 37. Of the Table whereon Christ eat after his Resurrection Cha. 38. Of strange manners and divers Chap. 39. For to turn again on the side of Galile Chap. 40. How a man may go the shortest Way to Hierusalem Chap. 41. Of other wayes for to go by Land unto 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 Book of their Law named Alkaron Chap. 44. Yet it teacheth more of Mahomet Chap. 45. Of the Birth of Mahomet Chap. 46. Of divers Isles and manner of People and of marvellous Beasts Chap. 47. Of the Haven of Gene for to go by Sea into divers Countries Chap. 48. Of the Country of Job of the Kingdom of Chalde Chap. 49. Of the Kingdom of Amazonie where dwell none but Women Chap. 50. Of the Land of Ethiope Chap. 51. Of Inde the more and less of Diamonds and of their great vertues Chap. 52. Of divers Isles and Kingdoms which are in the land of Inde of people that are of yellow and green colour and of many strange things Chap. 53. Of the Kingdom of Mabaron Chap. 54. Of a great Country called Lamory where the people go all naked Chap. 55. Of the Country and Isle named Jaza which is a mighty Land Chap. 56. Of the Kingdom of Pathen or Salmas which is a goodly Chap. 57. Of the Kingdom of Talonach the King whereof hath many Wives Chap. 58. Of the Island called Raso where men are hanged so soon as they are sick Chap. 59. Of the Land of Melks wherein dwelleth evil people Chap. 60. Of the Island named Macumeran whereas the people have heads like Hounds Chap. 61. Of a great Island called Dodin where are many men of evil conditions Chap. 62. Of the Kingdom named Mancy the which is one of the best Kingdoms of the World Chap. 63. Of the Land of Pigmes the people whereof are but three spans long Chap. 64. Of the City Menk where a great Navy is kept Chap. 65. Of the Land named Cathay and of the great riches thereof Chap. 66. Of the great City named Cadon wherein is the great Caanes Palace Chap. 67. Wherefore the Emperour of Cathay is called the great Caane Chap. 68. How the great Caane was hid under a Tree and so escaped his enemies by a Bird. Chap. 69. Of the great Caanes Letters and writing about the Seal Chap. 70. Of the governance of the Country of the great Caane Chap. 71. Of the great Riches of the Emperour and of his Pedigree Chap. 72. Of the Ordinance of the Lords of the Emperour when he rideth from one Country to another to War Chap. 73. How the Empire of the great Caane is divided into twelve Provinces and how that they do cast Incense in the fire where the great Caane passeth through the Cities and Towns in worship of the Emperour Chap. 74. How the great Caane is the mightiest Lord of all the World Chap. 75. Yet of other manners of his Country Chap. 76. How the Emperour is brought into his grave when he is dead Chap. 77. When the Emperor is dead how they chuse and make another Chap. 78. What Countries and Kingdomes lie next the Land of Cathay and the fronts thereof Chap. 79. Of other wayes coming from Cathay toward the Greek Sea and of the Emperor of Persia. Chap. 80. Of the Land of Armony which is a good Land and of the Land of Middy Chap. 81. Of the Kingdom of Georgy and Abcan and many marvels Chap. 82. Of the Land of Turky and divers other Countries and of the Land of Mesopotamia Chap. 83. Of divers Countries Kingdoms Isles and other Marvels beyond the Land of Cathay Chap. 84. Of the Land of Bactry and of many Griffons and other Beasts Chap. 85. Of the way for to go to Prester Johns Land which is the Emperor of Inde Chap. 86. Of the Faith and Beliefe of Prester John but he hath not all the full Beliefe as we have Chap. 87. Of another Island which is called Synople wherein dwelleth good people Chap. 88. Of two other Isles the one is called Pitan wherein be little men that can eat no meat and in the other Isle the men are full of Feathers Chap. 89. Of a rich man in Prester Johns land named Catalonapes and of his Garden Chap. 90. Of a Marvellous Valley that is beside the River Pison Chap. 91. Of an Island wherein dwell people as great as Gyants of nine and twenty or thirty foot of length and of other things Chap. 92. Of Women which make great sorrow when as their Children be born and great joy when they die Chap. 93. Of an Island where men wed their own daughters and kinswomen Chap. 94. Of another Island wherein dwell good people true Chap 95. How King Alexander sent his men thither for to win the Land Chap. 96. How the Emperour Prester John when he goeth to Battel hath three Crosses of find Gold born before him Chap. 97. Of the most resident place of Prester John which is in a City called Suse Chap. 98. Of the Wilderness wherein groweth Trees of the Sun and the Moon Chap. 99. Of the great Island and Kingdom called Taprobane Chap. 100. Of two other Isles on is called Oriel and the other Argete wherein are many Gold Mines Chap. 101. Of the dark Country and Hills and Rocks of Stone nigh to Paradise Chap. 102. A little of Paradise Terrestre Chap. 103. How Prester Johns land lyeth foot against foot to England Chap. 104. Of the Kingdom of Ryboth Chap. 105. Of a rich man that is neither King Prince Duke nor Earl Chap. 106. How all the Islands Isles and Kingdoms before rehearsed have some of the Articles of our Faith Chap. 107. How Sir John Mandevile leaveth many marvels unwritten and the cause wherefore Chap. 108. What time Sir John Mandevile departed out of England Chap. 109. FINIS
so by the Bastle of Pallerins then to Askalon and to Iaphet and so to the holy City of Ierusalem CHAP. XI The way by Babylon where the Soldan dwelleth AND whoso will go through the Land of Babylon where the Soldan dwelleth he may go more securely through these Countries but must go up to Mount Sinai before he come to Ierusalem and then return by Ierusalem and then by Jerusalem and he shall go from Gaza to the Castle Dayre And after a man cometh out of Sury and goeth on the way is very sandy and the Wilderness lasteth eight days journey wherefore men must provide them of necessary victuals and that Wilderness is called Archellek When a man cometh out of this Desart he entreth into Egypt and they call Eygpt Canopat and in another Language men call it Mersine and the first good Town that men come to is called Beleth which is at the end of the Kingdom of Alap and from thence men come to Babylon and to Kayre and in Kayre is a fair Church of our Lady where she dwelt seven years when she was out of the Land of the Jews for dread of King Herod And there lyeth the body of Saint Babara Virgin and there dwelt Joseph when he was sold of his Brethren And in Babylon Nebuchodonosor put the Children into the Fire because they worshipped the true God these Children were called Ananias Azarias and Misael as the Psalm of Benedicite saith but Nebuchodonosor called them thus Sadrak Misak and Abednego that is God glorious and victorious God over all Kingdoms and that was for Miracle that he made God's Son as he said go with those Children through the Fire There dwelleth the Soldan for there is a fair City and a strong Castle which standeth upon a Rock In that Castle are always dwelling to keep the Castle and to serve the Soldan above eight thousand persons that take all their provision at the Soldans Court. This I well know for I dwelt with him a great while a Soldier in the Wars against the Bedians or Arabins and he would have marryed me unto a great Princess If I would have forsaken my Faith CHAP. XII Here followeth of the Soldan and of his Kingdoms that he hath Conquered which he holdeth still by force AND ye shall understand that the Soldan is Lord of seven Kingdoms which he hath Conquered and gotten to him by strength and these be they the Kingdom of Canopat the Kingdom of Egypt the Kingdom of Jerusalem whereof David and Solomon were Kings the Kingdom of Sury whose chief City is Damasse or Damascus the Kingdom of Alape in the Land of Dameth and the Kingdom of Arabia which was one of the three Kings that made Offering to our Lord when he was born Many other Isles he holds in his hand He holdeth Calupgas that is a great benefit unto him being among them of Royes Isle and that Vale is cold And then men go up to the Mount of St. Katharine and that is much higher than the Mount of Moses And this St. Katharine hath no Image in any Church or Castle nor other dwelling place but there is a Hill of Stones gathered together about the place where she was buryed There was wont to be a Chappel which now is wholly cast down but a great part of the Stones is there left And under the foot of Mount Sinai is a Monastery of Monks and there is the Church of Saint Katharine wherein be many Lamps burning and they have oyle-Olive enough to eat and to burn and that they have by Miracle for they say there come certain of all manner of Birds every year once like Pilgrims and each of them bringeth a Branch of Olive in token of offering whereof they make much Oyl CHAP. XIII For to return from Sinai to Jerusalem NOw when a man hath visited the holy place of St. Katharine and he will turn to Jerusalem if he shall first take leave of the Monks and recommend him especially to their prayers then those Monks will freely give to Pilgrims Victuals to pass through the Wilderness to Sury so much as shall last thirtéen days journey And in that Wilderness dwell many Arabians that men call Bedions and Ascopards These are Folks that are still of all manner of ill conditions and they have no Houses but Tents which they make of Beasts skins as of Camels and other Beasts which they eat and thereunder they lie and they seek to dwell in places where they may find water near the Red Sea for in that Wilderness is great want of water and it falleth out that where a man findeth water one time he findeth it not another time And therefore make they no Houses in those Countreys These men that I speak of Till not the Land for they eat no bread except it be those that dwell near a good Town and they rost their Fish and Flesh upon hot stones against the Sun and they are strong men and warlike but they do little but hunt wild Beasts for their sustenance and they set not by their lives therefore they dread not the Soldan nor any Prince of the World And they had great War with the Soldan at the same time that I was with the Soldan They bear but a Shield and a Spear to defend them with and they use no other Armour but they wind their Heads with a Linnen Cloth CHAP. XIV When men are passed this Wilderness then to come again to Jerusalem AND when men have passed this Wilderness to come to Jerusalem they pass by Bersheba that was sometime a fair and a rich Town of Christians and yet is there some of the Churches left and in that Town dwelt Abraham the Patriarch This Town of Bersheba was founded by Vrias on whose Wife David begat Solomon the wise that was King of Jerusalem and of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and he reigned forty years and from thence men go to the Vale of Ebron that is from thence near twelve miles and some call it the Vale of Mambre and it is called the Vale of Tears forasmuch as Adam in that Vale bewailed an hundred years the Death of his Son Abel whom Cain slew And this Ebron was sometime the principal City of the Philistims and there dwelt Byants and it was frée so that all that had done evil in other places were there saved In Ebron Joshua and Caleb and their Company came first to espy how they might win the Land of Promise In Ebron David reigned first seven years and a half and in Jerusalem he reigned two and thirty years and a half and there be the Graves of the Patriarchs Adam Abraham Isaac and Jacob and of their Wives Eve Sara Rebekah and Leah and they Ise in the side of the Hill And beside this Hill is a right fair Church builded after the fashion and manner of a Castle which the Sarasins kéep right well and they have the place in great Worship for the Holy Patriarchs sake that
may no more travel or work not because it is forbidden but they keep them for tilling their Land In this city of Bethlehem was King David born he was King of the Land of the Iews and reigned in Herusalem and had forty Wives and thrée hundred Concubines And at Bethlehem towards the South side is a Church of Saint Markoret that was Abbot there for whom they had much sorrow when he died and it was shewed there how he made lamentation when he died and it is a pitious thing to behold From Bethlehem to Hierusalem is two miles and in the way to Hierusalem half a mile from Bethlehem is the Church where the Angel told the Shepheards of the Birth of Christ. In that way is the Tomb of Rachel that was Mother to Joseph the Patriarch who died as soon as Benjamin was born and there she was buried and Jacob her Husband set twelve great stones upon her In this way to Hierusalem are many Christian Churches by the which men go CHAP. XIX Of the City Jerusalem FOR to speak of Hierusalem ye shall understand that it standeth fair among Hills and there is neither River nor Well but water cometh by Conduit from Ebron Also ye shall understand that at first it was called Jebus and since it was called Salem unto the time of David who called it Hierusalem and so it is called yet And about Hierusalem is the Kingdom of Sury and thereby is the land of Palestine and Askalon but Hierusalem is in the land of Iuda and it is called Judah for Judas Machabeus was King of that Land and it bordereth also upon the Kingdom of Arabia on the South side on the West side on the great sea on the North side on the Kingdom of Sury and the sea of Cypress About Hierusalem are these Cities Ebron at eight miles Jericho at six miles Barsabe at eight miles Askalon eighteen miles Jaff at twenty and fine miles Ramatha at four miles This Land of Hierusalem hath been in the hands of divers Nations as Jews Canaanites Assyrians Persians Macedonians Greeks Romans Christians Sarasins Barbarians Turks and many others For Christ will not suffer lend sinners long to possess it be they Christians or others And now hath that Land béen holden by Infidels an hundred years and more but God grant they may not hold it long CHAP. XX. Yet of this holy City Jerusalem AND ye shall understand that when men first come to Jerusalem they go first on Pilgrimage to the Church where the holy Grave is the which was out of the City on the North side but it is now closed in with the wall of the Town And there is a fair Church round all flat above and well covered with Lead and on the West side is a fair and strong tower for Bells and in the midst of the Church is a Tabernacle made like a little House in manner of a half Compass very richly trimmed with Gold Azure and other colours In the right side is the Sepulchre of our Lord Christ and the Tabernacle is eight foot long five foot wide and eleven foot high And it is not long since the Sepulchre was all open so that any man might then touch it but because the folks that came thither spoiled and brake the stones all in pieces therefore hath the Soldan made a Wall about the Sepulchre that no man may touch it In the left side is a window wherein are many Lamps lighted and there hangeth a Lamp burning before the Sepulchre which they say on Good Friday goeth out by it self and lighteth again by it self at the hour that our Lord rose from death to life And within that Church upon the right side of Mount Calvary where our Lord was Crucified the Cross was set in a Morteis in the Rock that is white of colour and mingled with a little red and upon that Rock dropped the blood of the wounds of our Lord when he was nailed on the Cross and that is called Golgatha and men go up to that Golgatha upon steps and in that Morteis was Adams Head found after Noahs Flood in token that the sin of Adam should be redéemed in the same place and upon that Rock Abraham offered sacrifice to our Lord and there is an Altar and before that Altar lyeth Godfrey of Bouloign Baldwin and others that were Christians and Kings of Jerusalem Likewise where our Lord was crucified it is written Hic Deus Rex noster ante saecula operatus est salutem in medio terrae that is This God our King before Worlds hath wrought health in the midst of the Church Vpon this Rock also where the Cross was fixed is written within the Rock Quod vides est fundamenta totius mundi hujus fidei that is That theu séest is the ground of all the World and of this Faith Ye shall understand also that when our Lord died he was two and thirty years old and thrée Months yet the prophesie of David saith that he should live forty years when he saith thus Quadraginta annis proximis sui generationi huic that is Forty years was I neighbour to this Generation and thus it should seem that Prophesie is not true but it is For in old time men counted but ten Moneths to a year of which March was the first and Dâ—â—â—mber the last but Gaius Caesar that was Emperour of Rome added to these two Months more January and February and ordained the year of twelve Months that is thrée hundred sixty five days without Leap-year the proper course of the Sun and therefore after the accounting of ten Moneths to the Year he died in the fortieth year and after our years of twelve Moneths it is thirty two years and thrée Months Also within Mount Calvary at the right side there is an Altar where the Pillar lyeth that our Lord was bound to when he was scourged and thereby are thrée other Pillars that always drop water and some say that those Pillars wéep for our Lords Death And near this Altar in a place forty steps déep was found the very Cross by the knowledge of St. Elene under a Rock where the Iews had hid it And they found thrée Crosses one of our Lord and two of the Théeves These Crosses St. Elene tryed upon a dead Body that did rise as soon as the very Cross of our Lord was laid upon him and thereby is the Vale of the place where the four Nailes of our Lord were hid for he had two in his hands and two in his féet and with one of those Nailes the Emperour of Constantinople did make a Bridle for his Horse to bear him in Fattel by the vertue whereof he overcame his Enemies and won all the Land of Asia Turkey Damasse the more and the less Sury Hierusalem Arabia Persia and Mesopotamia the Kingdoms of Asape Egypt the high and 〈◊〉 with many other Kingdoms even almost all unto Indie the less that then were Christened and there were at that
them that have medled with them Also the land is all common for every man taketh what he will for that one man hath now this year another man hath the next year And all the goods as Corn Beasts and all manner of things in that country are common For there is nothing under lock and as rich is one man as another but they have an evil custome to eating of flesh for they eat mans flesh more gladly than other Nevertheless in that land is abundance of Corn of Flesh of Fich of Gold of Silver and of all manner of good And thither do Marchants bring children for to sell and those that are fat they eat but those that be lean they keep till they be fat and then are they eaten And besides this Isle of Lamory is another called Somober the which is a good Isle and there both men and women that are of the Nobility are marked in the Visage with a hot Iron that they may be known from other for they think themselves the worthiest of the world and they have evermore War with those men that are naked of whom I spake before And there are many other Isles and People of the which it where overmuch for to speak here CHAP. LVI Of the Country and Isle called Java which is a mighty Land ANd there is also a great Isle that is called Iava and the King of that country hath under him seven Kings for he is a very mighty Prince In this Isle groweth all manner of Spices more plenteous then in any other place as Ginger Cloves Nutmegs and other And ye shall understand that the Nutme g beareth the Mace Also in that Isle is great plenty of all things save wine The King of this land hath a rich Palace and the best that is in the world for all the Stairs of his Hall and Chambers are made one of Gold and another of Silver and all the Walls are plated with fine Gold and Silver and in those places are written Stories of Knights and Battels and the Floors of the Hall and Chambers are of Gold and Silver so that no man would belive the great riches that are there except he had seen it and the King of this Isle is so mighty that he hath many times overcome the great Caane of Cathay which is the mightiest Emperor that is in the world there is often war between them for the great Caane would make him hold his land Tributary of him CHAP. LVII Of the Kingdom of Pathen or Salmasse which is a goodly land ANd for to go forth by the Sea there is an Isle that is called Pathen and some call it Salmasse for it is a great Kingdom with many fair Cities In this land grow Trees that bear Meal of which men make fair Bread and white and of good savour and it seemeth like as it were Wheat And there be other Trees which bear venim against the which is no medicine but only to take of the leaves of the same Trees and stamp them and temper them with water and drink it or else he shall die suddenly for nothing else may help him And if ye will know how these Trees bear Meal I shall tell you men hew with an Hatchet about the root of the Tree by the Earth and they pierce it in many places and then cometh out a Liquor the which they take into vessels and set it in the Sun and dry it and when it is dry they carry it unto the Mill to grind and thereof is fair Meal and White Also Honey Wine and Venim are drawn out of other Trees in the same manner and they put it into vessels to keep In that Isle is a dead Sea which is a water that hath no bottom and if any man fall therein he can never be found beside that Sea groweth great Canes and under their Roots men find precious Stones of a great vertue for he that beareth one of those Stones about him there may no Iron wound him nor draw blood of him and therefore they that have those Stones fight full hardy for there may no weapon that is of Iron wound them therefore they that know the manner make their weapons without Iron and so they slay them CHAP. LVIII Of the Kingdom of Talonach the King Whereof hath many Wives ANother Isle there is that men call Talonach the same is a great land and therein is great plenty of fish and other goods as you shall hereafter hear And the King of that Land hath as many Wives as he will a thousand and more and he never lieth but once by any one of them And also in that Land is a great marvel for all manner of Fishes of the Sea come thither once a year one after another and they lye near the land sometime on the land and so lye three days and men of that land come thither and take of them what they will and then go those Fishes away and another sort cometh end lyeth also three days and men take of them and thus do all manner of Fishes till all have been there and men have 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 thither to do worship to their King for they say he is the worthiest King of all the world for he hath so many Wives and getteth so many children of them And that same King hath fourteen thousand of Elephants or more which be tame and they be kept for his pleasure by the men of that country so that he may have them ready at his hand when he hath any War against any King or Prince and then he doth put upon their back Castles and men of War as the use of that land is as other Kings and Princes do thereabout CHAP. LIX Of the Island called Raso Where people be hanged if they be sick past hope of recovery ANd from this Isle men go to another Isle call'd Raso and the men of this Isle when their friends are sick and that they believe surely that they shall die they take them and hang them up quick on a tree and say it is better that Birds that are Angels of God eat them then Worms of the earth From thence men go to an Isle where the men are of an ill kind for they nourish Hounds for to strangle men And when their friends are sick that they think they shall die then do those Hounds strangle them for they will not that they die a kindly death for then should they suffer too great pain as they say and when they are thus dead they eat theiâ— flesh for Venison CHAP. LX Of the Island of Melk wherein dwelleth evil people FRom thence men go by sea through many Isles into an Isle called Melk and there be full ill people for they have none other delight but for to fight and slay men for they drink gladly mans-blood which blood they call good and
into another world he shall not be without an house nor horse nor silver nor gold and the Mare shall give him Milk and bring forth more Horses till he be well slored in another World and one of his Chamberlains or servants is put with him in the earth for to do him service in the other World for they believe that when he is dead he shall go to another World and be a greater Lord there then here and when he is laid in the earth no man may be so hardy for to speak of him before his friend CHAP. LXXVIII When the Emperour is dead how they chuse and make another ANd when the Emperor is dead seven of the Kindred gather them together and they touth his Son or the next of his blood and they say thus We will and we ordain and we pray thée that thou wilt be our Lord and Emperor and he enquired of them and saith If ye will that I reign over you then must you do all that I bid you And if I bid that any shall be slain he shall be slain and they answer all with one loud voice All that ye bid shall be done Then says the Emperor From henceforth my word shall cut as my Sword and then they set him in a Chair and Crown him and then all the good Towns thereabout send to him presents so much that he shall have more then an hundred Camels loden with Gold and Silver beside other Iewels that he shall have of Lords as precious Stones and Gold without number and Horses and rich cloaths of Camacas and Tarius and such other CHAP. LXXIX What Countries and Kingdomes be next to the Land of Cathay and the Fronts thereof THis Land of Cathay is in Asia the déep and this same land reacheth towards the West upon the Kingdom of Sercie the which pertained some time to one of the thrée Kings that went to séek our Lord in Bethlem and all those that come of this kin are Christian men These men of Tartary drink no Wine In the Land of Corosayme that is at the North-side of Cathay is a very great plenty of goods but no Wine the which hath at the East side a great Wilderness that lasteth more then a hundred daies iourney and the best City of that land is called Corosaym and after the name of that City is the land called and men of this land are good Warriours and hardy and thereby is the Kingdom of Comayne this is the most and the greatest Kingdom of the World but 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 Faiths that a man cannot tell on what side he may turn him and in this land are few trées bearing fruit In this land men lie in Tents and they burn dung of Beasts for lack of wood This land descendeth toward Prusie and Rusie and through this land runneth the River Echel that is one of the greatest Rivers of the World and it is frozen so hard every year that men fight thereupon in great Battels on Horse and Foot-men more then a hundred thousand at once And a little from that River is the great Ocean that they call Maure and betwéen this Maure and Aspy is a very streight passage to go toward Inde and therefore King Alexander did make there a City that men call Alexandry for to kéep that passage so that no man may pass unless he have leave and now is that City called Port de Fear and the principall City of Comaine is called Sarachis that is one of the thrée ways to go to Inde but through this way may not men go unless it be in Winter and this passage is called Berbent And another way is to go from the land of Tulkescon through Persia in this way are many daies iourney in Wilderness And the third way is that that cometh from Cosmane and goeth through the great City and through the Kingdoms of Abachare And ye shall understand that all these Kingdoms and Lordships unto Persia are holden of the Caane and many other and therefore he is a great Lord of men and of land CHAP. LXXX Of other ways coming from Cathay toward the Greek Sea and of the Emperour of Persia. NOw that I have shewed you the land toward the North to come from the lands of Cathay to the lands of Prusie and Russie where Christian men dwell Now shall I shew unto you of other lands and Kingdomes in coming down from Cathay to the Gréek Sea where Christian men dwell and for as much as next the great Caane of Cathay the Emperor of Persia is the greatest Lord therefore I shall speak of him and ye shall understand that he hath two Kingdoms the one beginneth Eastward and it is the Kingdom of Turkescon and it lasteth Westward to the sea of Caspy and Southward to the land of Inde This land is great and plain and well manned with good Cities but two most principal the which are called Facirida and Sormaguant The other is the Kingdom of Persia and lasteth from the river of Pison unto great Armony and Northward unto the sea of Caspy Southwards to the land of Inde and this is a full plenteous country and a good In this land are thrée principal Cities Nassal or Saphen and Sermesse CHAP. LXXXI Of the Land of Armony which is a good Land and of the Land of Middy THen is the land of Armony in the which was sometimes thrée Kingdoms that is a good land and plenteous and it beginneth at Persia and lasteth Westward to Turky in length and in breadth lasteth from the City of Alexander that now is called Pott de Fear unto the land of Middy In this Armony are many fair cities but Canrissy is most of name Then is the land of Middy and it is very long and not bread and beginneth Eastward to the land of Persia and Inde the less and lasteth Westward to the Kingdom of Chalde and Northward to little Armony in this Middy are many great Hills and little Plains and there dwell Sarasins and other manner of men that men call Cordiner and Kermen CHAP. LXXXII Of the Kingdomes of Georgy and Abean and many marvels THen next is the Kingdom of Georgy that beginneth Eastward at a great Hill that men call Abior this land lasteth from Turkey to the great sea and to the land or Middy and to great Armony And in this land are two Kingdoms one of Abcan and another of Georgy but he of Georgy is in subiection to the great Caane but he of Abcan hath a strong country and defendeth him well against the Enemies and in this land of Abcan is a great marvel for there is a country in this land that is near three days iourney in length and it is called Hampton that country is all covered with darkness so
Carbuncles and other such Stones that give great light in the night and though the Carbuncles give great light nevertheless there burneth xii great Vessels of Chrystall full of Balm to give good smell and to drive away evil Air. The frame of his Bed is all Saphire well bound with Gold to make him sléep well and for to destroy Lechery for he will not lye by his Wives but thrice a year after the seasons and that only for getting of Children And he hath also a fair Palace in the city of Nise where he dwelleth when he will but the air there is not so well tempered as it is in the city of Tuse And he hath every day in his Court more then thirty thousand men beside commers and goers but thirty thousand there or in the Court of the great Caane spend not so much as twelve thousand in our country He hath evermore eight Kings in his Court to serve him and each one of them serveth a month and with these Kings serve alway seventy two Dukes and thrée hundred Earls and every day are in his Court twelve Archbishops and twenty Bishops The Patriark of Saint Thomas is as it were a Pope and the Archbishops Bishops and Abbots all are Kings in that country and some one of the Lords is Master of the Hall some of the Chamber some Stewerds Marshall and other Officers and thereby he is richly served And his land extendeth in breadth four Months journey and it is of length without measure CHAP. XCIX Of the Wilderness wherein groweth Trees of the Sun and the Moon ANd beyond this place is a great Wilderness as men that have béen there say In the Wilderness as men say are the Trées of the Sun and the Moon that spake to Alexander and told him of his death and men say that those that kéep those trées and eat of the fruits of them live four or five hundred year through the vertue of the fruit and we would gladly have gone thither but I think that an hundred thousand men of Arms could not pass that Wilderness for the plenty of wild Beasts as Dragons and Serpents that slay men when they pass that way In this land are many Elephants both white and blew without number and Vnicorns and Lyons of many colours Many other Isles are in the land of Prester John that were too long to tell and much riches and of precious Stones great plenty I have heard say why this Emperor is called Prester John and for these that know it not I will declare Sometime there was an Emperor a noble Prince and a doughty and he had many Christian Knights with him and the Emperor thought he would sée the Service in Christian Churches and then was Churches of Christendom in Turkey Sury and Tartary Hierusalem Palestine Araby and Alapy and in all the land of Egypt and this Emperor came with a Christian Knight into a Church of Egypt and it was on a Saturday after Whitsunday when the Bishop gave Orders and he beheld the Service and asked of the Knight what Folk those should he that stood before the Bishop and the Knight said they should be Priests and he said he would no more be called King nor Emperor but Priest and he would have the name of him that came first out of the Priests and he was called John and so have all the Emperors since béen called Prester John In this land are many Christian men of good Faith and good Law and they have Priests to sing Service and they receive the Sacrament as men of Gréece do and they say not otherwise but as the Apostle said as Saint Peter and Saint Thomas and other Apostles when they sung and said Pater noster and the words with the which the Communion is sacred we have many additions of Popes that have béen Ordained of which men of these countries know not CHAP. C. Of the great Island and Kingdom called Taprobane TOward the east-side of Prester Johns land is an Isle that men call Taprobane and it is right good and fruitfull and there is a great King and a rich and he is obedient to Prester John and the King is alway made by Election In this Isle are two Winters and two Summers they reap Corn twice in the year and Gardens flourish at all times in the year There dwelleth good people and reasonable and many Christian men among them are full rich and the water betwéen the side of Prester John and this Isle is not very déep for men may sée the ground in many places CHAP. CI. Of two other Isles one is called Oriel and the other Argete wherein are many Gold-mines THere are more east-ward two other Isles the one is called Oriel and the other Argete of which all the land is full of Mines of Gold and Silver In those Isles may men sée no stars clear shining but one Star that is called Canapos and there men sée not the Moon but in the last quarter In that Isle is a great Hill of Gold that Pismires kéep and they part the fine Gold from other that is not fine and the Pismires are as great as Hounds so that no man dare come there for dread of Pismires that would assay them so that mén cannot dig for the Gold nor get thereof but by subtilty and therefore when it is very hot the Pismires hide themselves in the Earth from morn to noon of the day and then men of the country take Camels and Dromedaries and other Beasts and go thither and lade them with Gold and go fast away ere 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 have Foals and they lay upon those Mares two long vessels as it were two long Barrels with the mouth upwards and drive them thither and kéep their Foals at home and when the Pismires sée these vessels they leap thereto for by kind they leave no Hole nor Pit open and anon they fill those vessels with Gold and when the men think the vessels be full they take the Foals and bring them as near as they dare and then they whinny and the Mares hear them anon they come to their Foals and so they take the Gold for those Pismires will suffer Beasts to come among them but no men CHAP. CII Of the dark Country and Hills and Rocks of Stone nigh to Paradise BEyond the Isles of the land of Prester John and his Lordship of Wilderness to go right East men shall find nothing but Hills great Rocks and other dark land where no man may sée day or night as men of that country say and this Wilderness and dark land lasteth to Paradise Terrestre where Adam and Eve was set but they were but a little while there and that is toward the East at the begining of the Earth but that is not our East that we call where the Sun riseth for when their Sun riseth
Duke nor Earl ANd from this place men go ten dayes journy through the land of the great Caane which is a very good Isle and a great Kingdom and the King is very mighty And in this Isle is a rich man which is neither King Prince Duke nor Earl but he hath each year four thousand Horses charged with Rice and Corn and he liveth Nobly and richly after the manner of the country for he hath fifty Damesels that serve him every day at his meat and bed and do what he will And when he sitteth at the Table they bring him meat and at each time five Messes together and they sing in the bringing in a Song and they cut his meat and put it into his mouth and he hath very long Nails on his hands for that is great Nobility in that country and therefore they let their Nails 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 have small feet and therefore so soon as they are born they bind their feet so straight that they cannot wax half as they should And he hath a very fair Palace and rich where he dwelleth of which the Wall is two mile about and therein is many fair Gardens and all the Pavements of the Hall and Chambers is of Gold and Silver and in the midest of one of his Gardens is a little Hill whereon is a place made with Towers and Pinacles all of Gold and there he will sit often to take the air and disport for it is made for nothing else From this Land men may go to the Land of Caane CHAP. CVII How all the Lands Isles and Kingdoms before rehearsed have some Articles of our Faith ANd ye shall understand that all these men and folk that have reason that I have spoken of have some Articles of our Faith and though they be of divers Laws and Beliefs yet they have some good points of our Faith and they believe in God as the Prophesie saith Et meruent eum omnes fines terrae that is to say And all the Ends of the Earth shall fear him And in another place Omnes gentes servient ei That is to say all Nations shall serve him But they cannot speak perfectly but as their natural wit teacheth them netther of the Son nor of the holy Ghost but they can well speak of the Bible and especially of Genesis and the Books of Moses 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 be without the special grace of God and of Simulacres and Idols they say that all men have Simulacres whereby they mean the papists who have Images of our Lady and others but they think that they worship the Images of Stone and of Wood and not the Saints whom they do represent for as the Letter teacheth Clerks how they shall believe so Images and Pictures teach Lay-men they say also that the Angel of God speaketh to them in their Idols and doth Miracles and they say thus but it is the evil Angel that doth Miracles to maintain them in their Idolatry CHAP. CVIII How Sir John Mandevile leaveth many marvels unwritten and the causes wherefore THere are many other countries where I have not yet been nor seen and therefore I cannot speak properly of them Also in countries where I have been are many marvels that I speak not of for it were to long a Tale and therefore hold you apaid at this time with that I have said for I will say no more of marvels that are there so that other men that go thither may find enough for to say that I have not told CHAP. CIX What time Sir John Mandevile departed out of Engeland ANd I John Mandevile Knight was born in England in the Town of Saint Albans went out of my Country and passed the sea in the year of our Lord 1332 on St. Michaels day and have passed through many lands Isles and Countries and now come to rest I have compiled this Book and write it the year of our Lord 1364 thirty two years after my departing from my Country The rather for the pleasure of all such as delight to read the strange and wonderful marvels of other forraign countries as also for a direction to all such as shall desire to see either all or some of these countries herein specified and because some things herein spoken of may seem strange and scarcely credible therefore I have thought good to make known unto all that will see more proof hereof in the Book called Mappa mundi there they shall find the most part of the same ratified and confirmed And I pray all that shall read this Book and look for no further proof to judge favourable thereof since they shall in conceipt see as much at home without much paine as I did after many weary and dangerous steps passed and I pray to God of whom all grace cometh that he will fullfil with his grace the Readers and Hearers hereof and save them body and soul and bring them to his Ioy that ever shall last Amen FINIS THE TABLE THe way toward to Hierusalem on Horse on Foot or by Sea Chap. 1. Of the Land of Greece Chap. 2. To come again to Constantinople to go to the holy Land Ch. 3. Of a terrible Dâ—agon Chap. 4. Of a young Man and his Lemman Chap. 5. Of the manner of hunting in Cypres Chap. 6. Of the Haven named Jaffe Chap. 7. Of the Haven Tyre Chap. 8. Of the Hill of Carme Chap. 9. How Sampson slew the King and his Enemies Chap. 10. The way to Babylon where the Souldan dwelleth Chap. 11. Yet here followeth of the Souldan and Kingdoms that he hath conquered which he holdeth strongly by force Chap. 12. For to return from Sinay to Hierusalem Chap. 13. As men are passed the Wilderness again coming to Hierusalem Chap. 14. Here followeth a little of Adam and Eve and other things Chap. 15. Of the dry Tree Chap. 16. From Ebron to Bethlem Chap. 17. Of a fair Maiden that should be put to death wrongfully Chap. 18. Of the City of Jerusalem Chap. 19. Yet of the holy City of Jerusalem Chap. 20. Of the Church and of the old Sepulchre Chap. 21. Of the Temple of God Chap. 22. Yet of the Temple of God Chap. 23. Of King Herod Chap. 24. Of Saint Salvatorâ— Church Chap. 25. The Field of Acheldemack which was bought with the thirty pence Chap. 26. Of the Mount Jov. Chap. 27. Of the Castle of Bethania Chap. 28. Of Jericho and of other things Chap. 29. Of the holy place between Bethania and the River Jordan with other things Chap. 30. Of Abraham and his Generation Chap. 31. Of the River Jordan Chap. 32. Of many other marvels Chap. 33. Of the Samaritans Chap. 34. Of Galile Chap. 35. Of
Of divers Countries and of marvellous Beasts ANd sithence I have spoken before of the holy land and Countries thereabout and many ways thither and to Mount Sinai and to Babylon and divers other places which I have spoken of Now will I speak of strange Beasts of divers People Countries and Isles that are parted by the Rivers which run through Paradise terrestre For Mesopotamia and the Kingdom of Chalde and Araby are between two Rivers Tigris and Euphrates and the Kingdom of Media and Persia are between two Rivers Tigris and Indus and the Kingdom of Sury Palestine and Femines are between Euphrates and the Mediterranian Sea It is of length from Moroch on the Sea of Spain unto the great Sea and so it lasteth beyond Constantinople three hundred and twenty miles of Lumbardy and to the Oceon Sea In Inde is the Kingdom of Sichem which is all closed among Hills and beside Sichem is the Land of Amazony wherein dwell none but Women And thereby is the Kingdom of Albany which is a great Land and it is so called because that men are more white there than in other places In this Country are great Hounds and strong so that they overcome Lyons and slay them And ye shall understand that in those Countries are many Isles and Lands of all which it were too long to tell but of some I will speak more plainly afterward CHAP. XLVIII Of the Haven of Gene for to go by Sea into divers Countries NOw he that will go to Tartary Persia Chalde or Inde he taketh Ship of Gene or at Venice or at any other Haven and so he passeth by the Sea and arriveth at Topasond that is a good City that sometime was called the Haven of Briga and thereby is the Haven of Persia of Media and of other Marches In this City lyeth Saint Athanasius that was Bishop of Alexandria and made the Psalm Quicunque vult This man was a great Doctor of Divinity and of the God-head he was accused unto the Pope of Rome that he was an Heretick and the Pope sent for him and put him in Prison and while he was in that Prison he made this Psalm and sent it unto the Pope and said if that he were an Heretick then was that Heresie for that was his Faith and his Belief and when the Pope saw that what he had said therein was all our Faith he anon delivered him out of Prison and commanded that Psalm to be said every day at the beginning of Service and so he held Athanasius for a good Christian but he would never after go to his Bishoprick hecause they accused him of Heresie Topasond was sometime holden of the Emperor of Constantinople but a great man that he sent to help the Country against the Turks did hold it to himself and called himself Emperor of Topasond Also a poor mans son who watched on a time asked of the Lady that he might grow rich and happy by Merchandise and the Lady granted him but she said to him that he had asked his undoing for great pride that he should have thereof And this man became so great a Merchant both by Sea and Land that he was so rich that he knew not the thousand part of his goods Also a Knight of the Templers watched likewise and when he had done he desired to have a Purse full of Gold and whatsoever he took thereof it should ever be full again and she granted it him but she told him that he had desired his destruction by the great mispending that he should have of the same Purse and so it befell But he that shall watch hath great néed to kéep him from sléep for if he sléep he is lost so that he shall never be séen after But this is not the right way but for a marvel From Topasond men go to great Armony to the City Artyron which aforetime was a fair City but the Turks have so destroyed it that there neither groweth Wine nor Fruit. From Artyron men go to the Hill Sabissocal and there near is another Hill called Arah but the Jews call it Thano where the Ark of Noah rested after the Deluge and on that Hill a man may sée very far in clear weather for the Hill is full seven miles of height and some say they have been there and put their fingers in the holes where the Fiend went out when Noah said in this manner Benedicite But I judg that for Snow that is alwaies upon that Hill both Winter and Summer no man hath ever gone up since Noah was there but only one is said to have been there who brought a Plank that yet is in the Abbey at the Hills foot for he had great desire to go up that Hill and when he was at the third part upward he was so weary that he might not go further and he rested him and slept and when he was awake he was down at the Hill foot and then prayed he to God devoutly that he would suffer him to go to the upper part of the Hill and an Angel said that he should have his desire and so he did and since that time no man did ever come there but a man ought not to believe all things that are spoken of it CHAP. XLIX Of the Country of Job and of the Kingdom of Chalde ON the other side of the City of Carnaa men enter into the land of Job that is a good land surnished with plenty of all fruits and it is also called Swere In this land is the City of Thomar This Job was a Painim and also he was Cofraas Son and he held that land as the Prince thereof and he was so rich that he knew not the hundred part of his goods and after his poverty God made him richer then ever he was before so that he was King of Idumea after the death of King Esau and when he was King he was called Joab and in that Kingdom he lived an hundred thréescore and ten years so that when he died he was two hundred forty and eight years old And in the land of Job is no want of any thing that is needfull for mans body There are Hills where men find Manna which Manna is called Angels Bread it is white of colour and much sweeter than Sugar or Honey and it cometh of the dew of Heaven that falleth on the Herbs and there it congealeth and waxeth white and it is used in medicines for rich men This land boundeth on the land of Chalde which is a great land and there the men are very fair and well apparelled as with Cloth of Gold beset with costly Pearls and many other precious Stones The woman are but hard favoured and go bare-foot and meanly clad with a wide and coarse Coat but so short that it scarce covers their knees their sleeves are long down to the foot they have long black hair hanging about their shoulders and are nothing lovely to look upon but I had best say no more
for I am afraid I shall get small thanks for my praising of them In this land of Chalde aforesaid is a City called Hur and in that City was Abraham the Patriarch born CHAP. L. Of the Kingdom of Amazony where dwell none but Women NEar the land of Chalde is the land of Amazony wherein dwell no men but all women as men say for they will suffer no man to live among them nor to have rule over them For aforetime there was a King and men dwelling in that land and they had wives as in other Countries Now it befell that the King had great War with the men of Scithy this King was called Colopius and he was slain in Battel and all the Nobles of his Land When the Queen and the other Ladies of the Land heard that the King and the Lords were slain they gathered them together and killed all the men that were left in their Land among them And when they will have any men to lie by them they send for them into a country that is near their land and the men come and stay there eight days or as the woman liketh and then go they again and if they have men-children they send them to their Fathers when they can eat and go if they have maid-children they keep them and if they be of Noble blood they burn the left Pap away for bearing of a Shield and if they be of base degree they burn the right Pap away for shooting For the women of that Country are good Warriours and are often in pay with other Lords and the Queen of that Land governeth well the land this Land is â—nvironed with Water Beside Amazony is the land of Termagute that is a good Land and profitable and for the goodness of that Land King Alexander did make a City there and called it Alexandria CHAP. XXXIII Of the Land Ethiope ON the other side of Chalde toward the South is Ethiope which is a great Land and ye shall understand that the Land of Ethiope reacheth Eastward to the great Wilderness Westward to the land of Nuby Southward to the land Maritane and Northward to the Red Sea and then is a Maretim that lasteth from the Hills of Ethiope unto Lidy the high and the low that lasteth to the great Sea of Spain In this Land on the South are the folk very black In this land is a Well that in the day the water is so cold that no Man may drink thereof and in the night it is so hot that no man may abide to put his hand in it In this land the Rivers and all the Waters are troubled and some yield salt for the great heat and men of that land are soon drunken and have little appetite to meat They have commonly the Flux of the Body and live not long In Ethiope are such men as have but one foot and they go so fast that it is a great marvel and that is a large foot for the shadow thereof covereth the body from Sun or Rain when they lie upon their backs and when their children are first born they look like russet but when they wax old then they be all black In Ethiope is the land of Suba of which one of the Kings that sought our Lord at Bethlehem was King CHAP. LII Of Inde the more and the less of Diamonds and of their great vertues FRom Ethiope men go through many and divers Countries before they come into Inde and it is parted into thrée parts that is to say Inde the more which is a hot Land and Inde the less which is a temperate Land and the third part is toward the North and there it is very cold so that with great cold frost and ice the water becomes Chrystal and upon that groweth the rich Diamonds that are of a troubled colour which Diamond is so hard that no man may break it Other Diamonds men find in Araby that are not so good for they are more soft and there be some in Cypress In Macedonia men find Diamonds likewise but the best are in Inde and some are many times found in a masse in the Mines where gold is gotten when men break the masse in pieces sometimes men find some as great as a Pease and some less and those are as hard as those of Inde sometime there are good Diamonds found in Inde upon the Rock of Chrystal and also upon the Rock of Adament in the Sea And upon other Hills are Diamonds found that are as great as Hazel Nuts which are square and pointed of their own kind and they grow two together male and female and are nourished with the Dew of Heaven and they engender commonly and bring forth other small ones which encrease and grow all the year I have many times tryed that if a man keep them with a little of the Rock and wet them often with the Dew they will grow every year and the small will wax great and if a man do bear that Diamond on his left side then it is of more vertue for the strength of their growing is toward the North that is on the left side as men of those Countries say To him that beareth the Diamond with him it giveth hardiness it keepeth the limbs of the body it also giveth a man victory over his Enemies if his cause be right and it keepeth him that beareth it in good temper free from strife riot ill dreams sorceries and enchantments Moreover no wild beast shall assail or any way hurt them This Diamond should be neither bought nor sold but given freely for then it is of most vertue It healeth the Lunatick and him that is possessed with a Devil and as soon as any Venome or Poyson is brought near to the Diamond it moistneth and begins to sweat And men may easily pollish them though some think they may not be pollished and men may assay them well in this manner First cut them on prceious Stones Saphirs or upon Christal and then take a Stone that is called Adamant and lay a Néedle before that Adamant and if the Diamond be good and of vertue the Adamant draweth not the Néedle to it whiles the Diamond is there And this is the proof that they make beyond the Sea But it chanceth sometime that the good Diamond loseth the vertue through him that beareth it and therefore it is néedfull for to make it recover the vertue again or else it is of little value CHAP. LIII Of divers Kingdomes and Isles in the Land of Inde and of people that are of a yellow and green colour and of many strange things Also they have their reasons for other Planets and for Fire also for it is profitable néedfull And of Idols they say that the Ox is the holiest that they may find on Earth and more profitable than any other for he doth much good and none ill and they know well that it may not be without the special grace of God and therefore they make
he that can slay most is of most Fame among them And if there be two men at strife and after be made friends then must they drink either others blood or else the accord is of no value From this Isle men go to another Isle that is call'd Tarkonet where all men are as Beasts for they are unreasonable and they dwell in Caves for they have not wit to make Houses these men eat Adders and speak not but make such noise as Beasts do one to another and they make no force of riches but of a Stone that is of forty colours and is called Trakonet and in that Isle they know not the vertue thereof but they covet it for the fairness CHAP. LXI Of the Isle named Macumeran Where the People have heads like Hounds FRom this Isle men go to another that is called Macumeran which is a great Isle and a fair and the men and women of that Country have Heads like Hounds they are reasonable and worship an Ox for their God they go all naked but a little cloth before their Privy Members they are good men to fight and they bear a great Target with which they cover all their body and a Spear in their hand And if they take any man in battel they send him to their King which is a great Lord and devout in his Faith for he hath about his neck on a Chain three hundred great Pearls and as the Papists say their Pater noster and other prayers so their King saith every day three hundred prayers to his God before he either eat or drink and he beareth also about his neck a Ruby Orient fine and good that is near a foot and five fingers long For when they chuse their King they give to him that Ruby to bear in his hand and then they lead him riding about the city and then ever after they are subject to him and therefore he beareth that Ruby alway about his neck for if he bear not the Ruby they would no longer hold him for their King The great Caane of Cathay hath much coveted this Ruby but he might never have it neither by war nor by other means And this King is a full true and vertuous man for men may go safely and surely through his land and bear all that they will for there is no man so hardy to let them And from thence men go to an Isle that is called Silo this Isle is more than an hundred mile about and therein be many Serpents which are great with yellow strikes and they have four feet with short legs and great claws some be five fadome of length and some of eight and some of ten and some more some less and they be called Crocodiles and there be also many wild Beasts and Elephants Also in this Isle and in many Isles thereabout are many wild Geese with two heads and there are also in that country white Lyons and many other strange beasts but if I should tell all it would be too long CHAP. LXII Of a great Island called Dodyn there are many men of evil condition THere is there another Isle called Dodyn and it is a great Isle In the same Isle are many and divers sorts of men who have evil manners for the Father eateth the Son and the Son the Father the Husband his Wife and the Wife her Husband And if it so be that the Father be sick or the Mother or any Friend the Son goes soon to the Priest of the Law and prayeth him that he will ask of the Idol if his Father shall die of that sickness or not And then the Priest and the Son kneel down before the Idol devoutly and ask him and he answereth to them and if he say that he shall live then they keep him well and if he say that he shall die then cometh the Priest with the Son or with the Wife or any that is a friend unto him that is sick and they lay their hands over his mouth to stop his breath and so they slay him and then they smite all the body into pieces and pray all his friends for to come and eat of him that is dead and they make a great Feast thereof and have many Ministrils there and eat him with great melody And so when they have eaten all the flesh then they take the bones and bury them all singing with great mirth and all those of his friends that where not there at the eating of him have great shame and reproof so that they shall nevermore be taken as friends CHAP. LXIII Of the Kingdom of Mancie which is a large Kingdom TO go from this Isle toward the East after many days journy a man shall come to a kingdom called Mancy and this is in great Inde and it is the most delectable and plentiful land in all the world In this land dwell Christians and Sarasins for it is a great land and therein are fair women and therefore some men call that land Albany for the white Folk and there is a city that is called Latorim and it is bigger than Paris and therein are two thousand great Cities and many other Towns In this land no man goeth a begging for there is no poor man and there men have Beards as it were Cats In this Isle are Birds twice greater than they be here and there is all manner of Viduals good cheap In this country are white Hens and they bear no Featters but Wool as sheep do in our land and woman of that country that are Wedded bear Crowns upon their heads that they may be known by it In this country they take a beast that is called a Loyre and they keep it to go into Waters and Rivers and straight way he bringeth forth of the Water great Fishes and thus they take Fish as much as them needeth From this city men go many days journey to another city called Cassay which is one of the fairest in the World for that city is near fifty mile about and there is in that city above xii principal gates without From thence within three miles is another great city and within this city are more than ten thousand Bridges and upon each Bridge is a strong Tower where the keepers dwell to keep it against the great Caane for it boundeth on his land and on each side of the city runneth a great River and there dwell Christians and other for it is a good and plenteous country and there groweth very good Wines In this city the King of Mancie was wont to dwell and there dwell yet Religious men And men go upon the River till they come to an Abbey of Monks a little from the city and in that Abbey is a great Garden and therein is sundry sorts of Trees of divers Fruits In that Garden are divers kinds of Beasts as Baboones Apes Marmozets and other and when the Covent have eaten a Monk taketh the remainder and beareth it into the Garden ringeth once with a
that it hath no light that no man may see there and no man dare go in that country for darkness And nevertheless men of that country thereby say that they may sometime bear therein the voices of Men and Horses crying and Cocks crow and they know well that men dwell there but they know not what manner of men and they say this darkness came through the work of God that he did for Christian men there For there was a wicked Emperor that was of Poy and was called Saures and he pursued sometime the Christian men to destroy them and did make them do sacrifice to his false gods for in that country dwelled many Christian men the which left all their goods and cattel and riches and went to Gréece and when they were all in a great Plain that is called Mécon the Emperor and his men came to slay the Christian men and then the Christian men knéeled down and prayed to God and anon came a thick cloud and covered the Emperor and all his Beasts so that he might not go away and so they dwelt in darkness and they never 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 done and it is marvellous in our eyes Out of this land cometh a River whereby men may see by good tokens that men dwell therein CHAP. LXXXIII Of the Land of Turky and divers other Countries and of the Land of Mesopotamia THen next is the land of Turky that reacheth to great Armony and therein are many countries as Capeâ—doce Saure Bryke Nuecion Patyn and Geneth in each one of these countries are many good cities and it is a plain land with few Hills and Rivers And then is the Kingdom of Mesopotamy that beginneth westward at the River of Tyger at the city that men call Mosel and it lasteth Westward to the River of Euphrate to a city that men call Rochaim and westward from high Armony unto the Wilderness of Inde the less and it is a good land and plain but there is few Rivers and there is but two Hills in that land the one is call Siniar and the other Lison and it reacheth unto the land of Chalde CHAP. LXXXIV Of divers Countries Kingdoms and Isles and Marvels beyond the Land of Cathay NOw have I said and spoken of many things on this side of the great Kingdom of Cathay of whom many are obeysant to the great Caane Now I shall tell of some land countries and Isles that are beyond the land of Cathay whoso goeth from Cathay to Inde the High and the Low he shall go through a Kingdom that men call Cadissen and it is a great land there groweth a manner of Fruit as it were Gourds and when it is ripe men cut it asunder and they find therein a Beast as it were of flesh bone and bloud as it were a little Lamb without wooll and men eat the beast and Fruit also and sure it seemeth very strange Nevertheless I said to them that I held that for no marvel for I said that in my country are Trees that bear Fruit that become Birds flying and they are good to eat and that that falleth on the water liveth and that that falleth on the earth dieth and they marvelled much thereat In this land and many other thereabout are Trees that bear Cloves and Nutmegs and Mace and many other Spices and there be Vines that bear so great Grapes that a strong man shall have enough to bear a Cluster of Grapes In that same Land are the Hills of Caspy that men call Vber and inclosed within these Hills are the Iews of the. x. kinds that men call Gog and Magog and they may come out on no side There were inclosed xxii Kings with their Folk that dwelled between the Hills of Syche and King Alexander chased them thither among those Hills for he trusted to have inclosed them there through the working men but he might not and when he saw be might not he prayed to God that he would fulfill that which he had begun God heard his Prayer and inclosed the Hills all about them but at one side and there is the sea of Caspy Here some men might ask if there be a sea on one side why go they not out there thereto answer I That although it be called a sea it is not a sea but a Pool standing among Hills and it is tho greatest Pool of all the world and though they go over that pool yet they wot not where to arrive for they can speak no speech but their own and ye shall understand that those Iews which dwell among the Hills have no Law among them and yet they pay tribute for these land to the Kings of Armony and sometime it is so that some of those Iews go over the Hills but many may not pass there together for the Hills are so great and high Nevertheless men say in that country thereby that in the time of Antichrist they shall do much harm to Christian men and therefore all the Iews that dwell in divers parts of the World learn for to speak Hebrew for they hope that these Iews that dwell among the Hills aforesaid shall come out of the Hills and speak all Hebrew and nothing else and then shall these Iews speak Hebrew to them and lead them into Christendom for to destroy Christian men For these Iews say they know by their Prophesies that those Iews that are among those Hills of Caspy shall come out and Christian men shall be in their subjection as they be under Christian men now And if ye will know how they shall find the Passage out as I have understood I shall tell you In the time of Antichrist a Fox shall make his Den in the same place where King Alexander did make his Gates and he shall dig in the earth so long till he pierceit through and come among the Iews and when they see the Fox thry shall have great marvels of him for they never saw such a Beast but other Beasts they have among them many and they shall chase this Fox and pursue him until that he be fled again into his Hole that he come from and then shall they dig after him until they come to the Gates that Alexander did make of great Stones well laid with Morter then shall they break those Gates and they shall find the way forth CHAP. LXXXV Of the land of Bactrie and of many Griffons and other Beasts FRom this land men shall go unto the land of Bactrie where are many wicked men and cruel In this land are Trees that bear Wool as it were Sheep of which they make Cloth In this land are Ypotains that dwell sometime on land and sometime on Water and are half a man and half a Horse and they feed on men when they may get them In
this land are many Griffons more than in other places and some say they have the body before as an Eagle and behind as a Lyon and it is true for they be made so but the Griffon hath a body greater than 8 Lyons and stronger then 100 Eagles for certainly he will bear to his Nest flying a Horse and a man upon his back or two Oxen yoked together as they go to Plough for he hath long nails on his feet as great as it were horns of Oxen and of those they make Cups there to drink with and of his ribs they make Bows to shoot with CHAP. LXXXVI Of the way to go to Prester Johns land which is Emperour of Inde FRom this land of Badile men go in many days journey to the land of Prester John that is a great Emperor of Inde and men call his land the Isle of Pantrore This Emperor Prester John holdeth a great land and many good Cities and good Towns In this Kingdom are many good Isles and large for the land of Inde is parted into Isles because of great Rivers that come out of Paradise and also in the sea are many great Isles The best City that is the Isle of Pantrore is called Nile that is a noble City end a rich Prester John hath under him many Kings and divers Lords and his land is good and rich but not so rich as the land of the great Caane for Merchants come not so much thither as they do into the land of the great Caane for it is too long a journey And also they find in that Isle of Cathay all things that they have need of as Spicerie Cloth of Gold and other Riches and although they might have better cheap in the land of Prester John then in the land of Cathay and more fine nevertheless they will not go thither by reason of the length of the journey and great perils on sea for there are many places in the sea where are many Rocks of a Stone that is called Adamant the which of his own kind draweth to him all manner of Iron and therefore there may be no Ships that have iron nails pass but it draweth them to it and therefore they dare not go into that country with Ships for fear of the Adamant I went once into that sea and saw as it had been a great Isle of trees stocks and branches growing and â—he Shipmen told me that those were great ships that above there through the vertue of the Adamants and of things that were in the ships whereof those Trees sprung and wared and such Rocks are there many in divers places of the Sea and therefore dare there no shipmen pass that way And another thing also is that they fear the long way and therefore they go most to Cathay and that is nearer unto them And yet it is not so near but that from Venice or Gene by sea to Cathay is xi or xii months journy The land of Prester John is long and Merchants pass thither through the land of Persia and come into a City that men call Hermes for a Philospher that was called Hermes founded it and then pass an arm of the sea and come to another City that men call Saboth and there find they all Merchandises and Popinjayes as great plenty as Larks in our country In this country is little Wheat or Barley and therefore they eat Rice Milk and Cheese and other fruits This Emperor Prester John wedded commonly the Daughter of the great Caane and the great Caane his Daughter In the land of Prester John is many strange 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 some what of his Law and of his Faith I shall tell you CHAP. LXXXVII Of the Faith and Belief of Prester John but he hath not all the full Belief as we have THis Emperor Prester John is Christred and a great part of his land also but they have not all the Articles of our Faith but they believe well in the Father the Son and the Holy Gost and they are very devout and true one to another and they make no force of Cattel And he hath under him 72 Provinces and countries and in each one is a King and those Kings have other Kings under them And in this land are many marvels for in this land is a gravelly sea that is of sand and gravel and no drop of water and it ebbeth and fleweth with very great waves as another sea doth and it is never standing still and never in rest and no man can pass to the land beyond it And although there be no water in the Sea yet men may find therein very good Fish and of other fashion and shape then are in any other sea and also they are of a very good taste and sweet and good to eat And three daies journey from that Sea are many great Hills through which runneth a great Floud that cometh from Paradise and it is full of precious stones and no drop of water and it runneth with great Waves into the gravelly sea and this floud runneth three daies in the week so fast that it carrieth great stones of the Rock with it that make such noise and as soon as they come into the gravel sea they are no more seen and in those three daies when it runneth thus no man dare come in it but the other daies men go therein when they will And so beyond that floud toward the Wilderness is a great Plain among Hills all sandy and gravelly and in that plain grow trees that at the rising of the Sun each day begin to grow and so grow they till-midday and bear fruit but no man dare eat of that fruit for it is a manner of Irâ—n and after mid-day it turneth again to the earth so that when the Sun goeth down it is nothing seen and so doth it every day And there is in that Wilderness many wild men with Horns on their Heads very hideous and they speak not but rout as Swine And in that country are many Popinjays that they call in their Language Pistak and they speak through their own kind partly as a man and those that speak well have long Tongues and large and on every foot five Toes but there are some that have three Toes but those speak not or very ill CHAP. LXXXVIII Of another Island where also dwelleth good people therein and it is called Synople THen is there another Isle that is called Synople wherein also are good people and true and full of good Faith and they are much like in their living to the men beforesaid and they go all naked Into that Island came King Alexander and when he saw their good Faith and Truth and their good Belief he said he would do them no harm and bid them ask of him Riches or any thing else and they should have