of delyces where a man shall fynde all maner of fruytes in all tymes / and waters and ryuers rennynge with mylke and hony / wyne and fresshe water / and they shall haue fayr houses and good as they haue deserued / and those houses are made of precyous stones golde and syluer / and euery man shall haue .x. wyues and all maydens / and he shall euery daye ones haue to do with theym and shall euermore be maydens Also they speke often and byleue of the virgyn Mary and saye of the Incarnacyon that Mary was lerned of aungelles / that Gabryell sayd to her that she was chosen before all other fro the begynnynge of the worlde / and that wytnesseth well theyr boke And Gabryell tolde her of the Incarnacyon of Ihesu cryste / and that she conceyued and bare a childe And they saye that cryste was a holy prophete in worde and dede / and meke ryghtwysse to all and withoute ony wyte And they saye that whan the aungell sayd her of thyncarnacōn she had grete drede for she was ryght yōge And there was one in that countree that medeled with sorcery that men call takyna that with enchauntementes coude make hym lyke an aungell and he wente often and laye with maydens / and therfore was Mary the more a ferde for the aungell and thought in her mynde that it had ben Takyna that wente with the maydens / and she couniured hym that he sholde say vnto her yf he were the same Takyna the aungell badde her haue no drede for he was certayne a messenger of Ihesu Cryste Also theyr boke of Alkaron sayth that she had chylde vnder a palme tree than was she gretely asshamed sayd that she wol be dede / and as soone her chylde spake conforted her and sayd too Mary Ne timeas maria That is too saye / Be not adrad Mary And in many other places sayth theyr beke Alkaron that Ihesu cryst spake as soone as he was borne / and the boke sayth that Ihesu cryste was sente fro god almyghty too be ensample to all men / and that god shall deme all men / the good to heuen and wycked to hell / and that Ihesu cryste is the beste prophete of all other and next to god and that he was very prophete that gaue the blȳde syght and heled meselles / and reysed dede men went all quycke to heuen / yf thry may fynde a boke with gospelles and namely Missus est angelus / they do it grete worshyp / they fast a moneth in the ye yere and they ete not but on the nyghte / and they kepe theym fro theyr wyues / but they that art syke are not constrayned to that And that boke Alkaron speketh of Iewes and sayth they are wycked people / for they wyll not byleue that Ihesu cryste is of god And they saye that the Iewes lye on oure lady and her sone Ihesu cryste saynge that they dyde hym not on the crosse / and for sarasyns beleue so nere our fayth and they are lyghty conuerted whan men preche the lawe of Ihesu cryste / and they saye they wote well by theyr prophecyes that theyr lawe of Machomet shall fayll as dothe the lawe of Iewes / and that crysten mennes lawe shall last vnto the worldes ende And yf a man aske them wherin they belyue / and they say that they byleue in god almyghty that is maker of heuen of erthe and other thynges / and without hȳ is nothȳge done / at the day of dome whan euery man shal be rewarded after his deseruynge / that all thynge is sothe that cryste sayd thrugh the mouthes of his prophetes ¶ Yet of Machomet ca. xlv And there be also other men that men calle Surryens they holden halfe our fayth and halfe that fayth of the Grekes they haue longe berdes as the Grekes haue And there be other that men calle Georgyens whom saynt George conuerted / and they do more worshyp to halowes of heuen than other do / and they haue theyr crownes shauen / the clerkes haue rounde crownes and the lewde haue crownes square / they holde the Grekes lawe And there be other that men calle crysten of gyrdynge / for as moche as they were gyrdels vnderneth / some other calle Nestorynes / some Aryens / some Nubyens / some Gregours / and some Indens that are of the londe of preter Iohan and euerychone of those haue some artycles of our byleue But eche of theym varye from other / and of theyr varyaunce were to moche for to telle ¶ Fro to torne ayen on this syde Galyle ca. xl NOw sythen I haue tolde you of many maners of men that dwelle in countrees before maūdeuyll sayd Now wyll I torne ayen to my waye for to torne vpon this syde / now he that wyll torne fro the londe of Galyle that I spake of to come on this syde he shal go thrugh Damas that is a fayre cyte and ful of good marchaundyses / it is thre Iourneys from the see / fyue Iourneys fro / Iherusalē / but they cary marchaūdyses vpon camelles / mules / horses dromedaryes other maner of beestes This cyte of Damas foūded Helyzeus that was Abrahams seruaunt before Isaac was borne / he thought to haue ben Abrahams eyre therfore he called the cyte his name Damas. And in that place slowe Cayn his broder Abell / and besyde Damas is the mount of Syry / and in that cyte is many a physycyon / and that holy man saynt Poule was a physycyen to saue mennes bodyes in hele before that he was conuerted / and after he was a physycyen of soules And Fro Damas men come by a place called our lady of Sardemarche that is fyue myle from Damas and it is on a roche / and there is a fayr chirche and there dwelle monkes nonnes ¶ Of the kyngedome named Mancy is the best kyngdome of the worlde ca. lxiij TO goo fro this yle towarde the eest many Iourneys a man shall fynde a kyngdom that is called Mancy this is in Ynde the more / it is moost delectable plente of goodes of all the worlde In this londe dwell crysten men sarasyns / for it is a grete londe / therin is .ij. M. grete cytees and many other townes In this londe noo man gooth on beggȳge for there is no poore man / the men haue berdes thynne of heere as it were cattes In this londe are fayre women / therfore some men calle the londe albany for the whyte folke / theris a cyte that men call Latorym is more than Parys / in that lōde are byrdes twyes greter than it be here / there is good chepe of all maner of vytaylles In this countree are whyte hennes they bere noo feders but woll as shepe do in oure londe / and women of that countre that are wedded bere crownes vp on
theyr heedes that they may be knowen by In this countree they take a beest that is called Loyres they kenne it to go in to waters or vyuers / and as soone he bryngeth oute of the water grete fysshes / thus they take fysshe as longe as they wyll to that theym nedeth Fro this cyte men go by many Iourneyes to an other grete cyte that is called Cassay that is the moost cyte of the worlde / that Cyte is fyfty myle aboute / there is in the cyte mo than .xij. pryncypall gates without Fro thens within thre myle is an other grete cyte / within this Cyte are more than .xij. thousande brydges / vpon eche brydge is a stronge toure where the kepers dwell too kepe it agayne the grete Chane for it marcheth on his londe / on one syde of the cyte renneth a grete ryuer / there dwell crysten men ans other / for it is a good countre plenteuous there groweth ryghte good wyne / this is a noble cyte where the kynge of Mancy was wonte to dwelle / there dwelle relygyous men crysten freres / And men goo vpon the ryuer tyll they come to an abbaye of monkes a lytell fro the cyte / in that abaye is a grete gardyn fayr therin is many maner of trees of dyuers fruytes In that gardyn dwell many maner of beestes as baboynes / apes / marmosettes other / whan the couent hath eten a monke taketh the relleef bere it in to the gardeyne / smytech ones with a bel of syluer whiche he holde in his hande / anone come out thyse bestes that I spake of many moo nere iij. or .iiij. thousande / he gyueth them to ete of fayre vessels of syluer / whan they haue eten he smyteth the bell agayne they goo agayne theyr way And the monke sayth that those bestes are soules of men that are dede / those beestes that are fayre are soules of lordes other ryche men / those that are foule bestes are soules of other comunes And I asked theym yf it had not be better to gyue that relefe to poore men they sayd theris no poore man in the countree yf there were yet it were more almes to gyue it to those soules the suffre there theyr penaūce may go no ferder to gete theyr mete than to men that haue wytte may trauayl for theyr mete Than come men to a cyte that is called Chybens there was the fyrst sege of the kynge of Mancy In this cyte are .lx. brydges of stone as fayre a they may be ¶ Of the londe of Pygmeen wherin dwelleth but small people of thre span longe ca. lxiiij WHan men passe fro the cyte of Chybens they passe ouer a grete ryuer of fresshe water / it is nere .iiij. myle brode / than men entre in too the londe of the grete Chane This Ryuer gooth thrughe the londe of Pygmeens / there men are of lytell stature for they are but thre span longe they are ryght fayre bothe men women though they be lytell / and they are wedded whan they are halfe a yere olde / they lyue but .viij. yere he that lyueth .viij. yere is holden ryght olde / and thyse small men are the best werke men in sylke of cotton in all maner thynge that are in the worlde thyse small men trauayl ne tyll no londe / but they haue amonge them grete men as we are to trauayle for them / and they haue grete scorne of those grete men as we wolde haue of gyauntes or of theym yf they were amonge vs. Of the cyte of Menke where a grete nauy is ca. lxv ERo this londe men go thrughe many countrees cyters and townes tyll they come to a cyte that men call menke In that cyte is a grete nauy of shyppes / they are as swyte as snowe of kynde of the wood that they are made of / they are made as it were grete houses with halles chambres other esymentes ¶ Of the londe named Cathay the grete rychesses therof ca. lxvi ANd from thens men goe vpon a ryuer that men call Ceremosan / this ryuer gooth thrughe Cathay doth many tymes harme whan it waxeth grete Caythay is a fayre coūtree ryche full of goodes marchaūdyses / thyder come marchauntes euery yere for too fetche spyces and other machaundyses more comunely than they do in to other coūtrees And ye shall vnderstande that marchauntes that come from Venyce or fro Geene or from other places of Lombardy or of Romayne / they go by se and londe .xi. monethes more or they may come to Caythay ¶ Of a grete cyte named Cadon where in is the grete Chanes palays sege ca. lxvij IN the prouynce of Caythay towarde the eest is an olde cyte / besyde that cyte the Tartarynes haue made an other Cyte that men calle Cadon that hath .xij. gates / and euer bytwene two gates is a grete myle / soo that those two cytees the olde and the newe is roūde aboute .xx. myle In this cyte is the palays and sege of the grete Chane in a full fayre place grete of whyche the walles about is two myle / within that are many fayre places in the gardeyne of that palays is a ryghte grete hyll on the whiche is an other palays / and it is the fayrest that may be founde in ony plade / and all aboute the hylle are many trees berynge dyuers fruytes / aboute that hylle is a grete dyche / and there nere are many vyuers on eche syde / and in those are many wylde foules that he may take go not out of the palays Within the halle of that palays are xxiiij pylers of golde / and all the walles are couered with ryche skynnes of beestes that men calle pauters Those are fayre beestes and well smellynge of the smell of the skynnes none euyll smelle may come to the palays / those skynnes are as reed as blode / they shyne so agayne the sonne that vnethes may men beholde them / and men prayse those skynnes as moche as it were colde In myddes of that palays is a place made that they call the mounture for the grete Chane that is well made with precyous stones grete perles hangynge aboute / at the four corners of that mountour are four nedders of golde / vnder that mountour aboue are conduytes of beuerage that they drynke in the emperours courte And the halle of that palays is rychely dyghte well / And fyrste at the ouer ende of the hall is the throne of the Emperoure ryght hye where he sytteth at mete at a table that is well bordured with golde / that bordure is full of precyous stones grete perles / and the greces on the whiche he gooth vp are of dyuerse
Berbent And an other waye is for too goo from the londe of Turkescon thrughe Persy / in this waye are many Iourneys in wyldernes And the thyrde way is that cometh fro Cosmane gooth thrugh the grete cyte and thrughe the kyngdom of Abachare And ye shall vnderstonde that all thyse kyngedomes londes vnto Persy are holden of the grete Chane of Cathay many other / therfore he is a full gretelorde of men of londe ¶ Of other wayes comynge from Cathay to warde the Grekes see And also of the Emperoure of Persy ca. lxxxx NOw haue I deuysed you the londes towarde the northe to come fro the londes of Cathay to the londes of Pruyse Rossy where crysten men dwell Now shall I deuyse to you other londes and kyngedomes in comynge downe from Cathay too the Grekes see where crysten men dwelle And for as moche as next the grete Chane of Cathay the Emperour of Persy is the gretest lorde / therfore I shall speke of hym / and ye shall vnderstonde that he hath two kyngdoms / the one begyÌ„neth eestwarde and is the kyngdom of Turkescon / and it lasteth westwarde to the see of Caspye / southwarde to the londe of Ynde / this londe is good playne and well manned / good cytees / but two moste pryncypall of the cytees are called Bacyryda SormagauÌ„t The other is the kyngdom of Persy lasteth fro the ryuer of Physon vnto the grete Armony / northwarde vnto the see of Caspy / southwarde to the londe of Ynde / this is a full plenteuous couÌ„tre good / and in this londe are thre pryÌ„cypall cytees Nessabor Saphan and Sarmasse ¶ Of the londe of Armony whiche is a good lond of the londe of Myddy ca. lxxxi THan is the londe of Armony in whiche was somtyme thre kyngdoms / this is a good loÌ„de plenteuous it begynneth at Persy lasteth westwarde to Turky of length / in brede lasteth fro the cyte of Alexandre that nowe is called Port de fear vnto the londe of Myddy In this Armony are many fayr cytees / but Canryssy is moost of name Than is the londe of Myddy is ful longe not brode / begyÌ„neth eestwarde at the londe of Persy / and ynde the lesse lasteth westwarde to the kyÌ„gdome of Caldee / northwarde to lytell Armony In this Myddy are many grete hylles lytell playne there dwel Sarasyns other maner of men that men call Cordyns Kermen ¶ Of the kyngdom of George of Abcan many meruaylles ca. lxxxij THan next is the kyngdom of George that begynneth eestwarde at a grete hylle that men calle Abyor / this londe lasteth fro Turky too the grete see the londe of Myddy and the grete Armonye and in this londe are two kynges / one of Abcan / an other of George / but he of George is in subgeccyon to the grete Chane / but he of Abcan hath a stronge countree and defendeth hym well agaynste his ennemyes / And in this londe of Abcan is a grete meruaylle / for there is a countre in this londe that is nere thre dayes longe and aboute / and it is called Hamfon / and that countree is all couered with derkenesse / soo that it hath no lyght that no man may se there / no man dare go in to that couÌ„tree for the derkenesse And neuertheles men of the couÌ„tree thereby saye that they may somtyme here therin the voyce of men hors whynynge cockes crowe they wote well that men dwell there / but they wote not what maner of men / and they saye this derkenesse came thrughe myracle of god that he dyde for crysten men there For there was a wycked Emperour that was of Poy / he was called Saures he pursued somtyme all crysten men too destroye / dyde them make sacryfyce to theyr false goddes / and in that countree dwelled many crysten men the whiche lefte all theyr goodes catelles rychesse wolde go in to Grece / whan they were all in a grete playn that is called Megon the Emperoure his men came to sle the crysten men / and than the crysten men al set them vpon theyr knees prayed to god / anone came a thycke cloude ouerlapped the Emperour all his hoost / so that he myght not go away / so dwelled they in derkenes / they came out neuer after / the crysten went where as they wolde / therfore they myght say thus / AdnÌ„o factuÌ„ est istud est mirabile iÌ„ oculis nostris That is to saye Of our lorde is this done it is wonderfull in our eyen Also out of this derke londe cometh a ryuer that men may se by good token that men dwell therin ¶ Of the londe of Turky and dyuers other countrees of the londe of Mesopotamy ca. lxxxiij THan next is the londe of Turky that marcheth to grete Armony / therin are many couÌ„trees as Capadoce Saure Bryke Quesycyon Pytan Geneth / in echone of thyse countrees are many good cytees / it is a playne loude and fewe hylles and fewe ryuers / and than is the kyngdome of Mesopotamye that begyÌ„neth eestwarde at flom of Tygre at a Cyte that men calle Mosell / and it lasteth westwarde to the flom of Eufraten to a cyte that men call Rochaym / westwarde fro hyghe Armony vnto the wyldernesse of Inde the lesse / it is a good londe playne / but there is fewe ryuers there is but two hylles in that loude / the one is called Symar / the other Lyson / and it marcheth vnto the londe of Caldee And ye shall wete that the londe of Ethyope marcheth eestwarde to the grete wyldernesse / westwarde to the londe of Nuby southwarde to the londe of Marytan / northwarde to the reed see / than is Marytane that lasteth fro the hylles of Ethyope vnto Lyby the hygh the lowe that lasteth to the grete see of Spayne ¶ Of dyuerse countrees kyngdoms yles meruaylles beyonde the londe of Cathay ca. lxxxiiij NOw haue I sayd spoken of many thyÌ„gê on this syde of the grete kingdom of Cathay of whome many are obeysaunt to the grete Chane / Now shall I saye of some londes couÌ„trees yles that are beyonde the londe of Cathay Who so gooth fro Cathay to Ynde the hyghe the lowe he shall go thrughe a kyngdom that men call Cadissen is a grete londe / there groweth a maner of fruyte as it were gourdes / whan it is rype men cutte it asonder men fynde therin a beest as it were of flesshe of bone bloode as it were a lytell lambe without wolle men ete the beest the fruyte also and that is a grete meruayl Neuertheles I sayd to them that I helde that for no meruayle / for I sayd that
in my couÌ„tree are trees that bere fruyte that become byrdes fleynge they are good to ete / that that falleth in water lyued / tthat that falleth on the erthe deyed they had grete meruayle of this In this londe mani other about there are trees that bere clowes and nutmygges canell and many other spyces And there are vynes that bere so grete grapes that a stronge man shall haue ynoughe to do to bere a cluster of the grapes In that same londe are the hylles of Caspye that men call Vber / and amonge those hylles are the Iewes of the .x. kyndes enclosed within that men calle Gog and Magog and they may not come out on no syde There was enclosed .xxij. kyngê with theyr folke that dwelled bytwene the hylles of Sychâ— and kynge Alexander chased theym thyder amonge those hylles / for he trusted for to haue enclosed theym there thorugh werkynge of mâ—n but he myght not / whan he sawe that he myght not he prayed to god that he wolde fulfyll that he had begonne / god herde his prayer enclosed the hylles togyder so that the Iewes dwell there as they wete locked in / there is hylles all about them but at the one syde / there is the see of Caspye And some men myght aske / there is a see on one syde why go they not out there / for there to answere I that all yf it be called a see it is noo se / but a stange stondynge amonge hylles / and it is the gretest stange of all the worlde / and yf they wente ouer the see they wote not where for too aryue / for they can noo speche but theyr owne And ye shall vnderstande that the Iewes haue no lawe of theyr owne lawe in all the worlde / but they that dwelle in those hylles / and yet they paye trybute for theyr londe to the quene of Armony And somtyme it is so that some of the Iewes goo ouer the hylles / but many men may not passe there too gyder for the hylles are so grete hyghe Neuerthelesse men saye in that countree there by that in the tyme of Antecryst they shall doo moche harme to crysten men therfore all the Iewes that dwelle in dyuerse partyes of the worlde lerne for too speke Ebrewe / for they hope that the Iewes that dwelle amonge the hylles aforesayd shal come out of the hylles they speke all Ebrewe not ellâ—… / and than shall thyse Iewes speke Ebrewe to theym leede theym in to crystendome for to destroye crysten men For thyse Iewes saye they wote by theyr prophecyes that those Iewes that are amoÌ„ge those hylles of Caspy shall come out crysten men shall be in theyr subgeccoÌ„n as they be vnder crysten men And yf ye wyll wete how they shall fynde the passage out as I haue vnderstande I shall telle you In tyme of Antecryste a foxe shall make his denne in the same place where kynge Alexander dyde make the gates he shall dygge in the erthe so longe tyll he perce it thorugh vnto that he come amonge the Iewes And whan they se this foxe they shall haue grete meruayle of hym / for they sawe neuer suche beest / for other beestes haue they amonge theym many / and they shall chase this foxe pursue hym vnto that he be fledde agayne in to his hole that he came fro And than shall they dygge after as he wente vnto they come to the gates that Alexander dyde make of grete stones well dyght with syment / they shall breke thyse gates so shall they fynde the yssue ¶ Of the londe of Bactry and of many gryffons and other beestes ca. lxxxv FRom this londe men shall go vnto the londe of Bactry where are many wycked men and fell In that londe are trees that bere wolle as it were shepe of whiche they make cloth In this londe are many Ypotaynes that dwelle somtyme on londe / somtyme on water are halfe man and halfe hors / they ete not but men whan they may gete theym In this londe are many gryffons more than in other places / some saye they haue the body before as an agle behynde as a lyon / and they saye soth for they are made so / but the gryffon hath a body gretter than .viij. lyons and gretter stal worthyer than an hondred egles For certaynly he wyll bere to his nest fleynge an hors and a man vpon his backe or two oxen yocked samen as they go at plough / for he hath longe nayles on his feet and grete as it were hornes of oxen / and of those they make cuppes there to drynke of / and of his rybbes they make bowes to shote ¶ Of the waye for to go to prester Iohans londe whiche is Emperour of Ynde ca. lxxxvi FRo this londe of Bactry men goo many a dayes Iourney to the londe of prester Iohn that is a grete Emperour of Ynde / and men calle his londe the yle of Pantoxore This Emperour prester Iohan holdeth grete londe many good cytees good townes in his kyngdom / many grete yles large For this londe of Ynde is all departed in yles by cause of grete flodes that come out of Paradyse / also in the see are many grete yles The best cyte that is in the yle of Pantoxore is called Nyse / for that is a noble cyte and ryche Prester Iohan hath vnder hym many kynges many dyuerse people / and his londe is good and ryche but not so ryche as the londe of the grete Chane / for marchauntes come not so moche thyder as they do in to the londe of the grete Chane for it is to longe a waye And also they fynde in the yle of Cathay all that they haue nede of / as spycery clothes of golde and other rychesse And all yf they myght haue better chepe in the londe of preester Iohan than in the londe of Cathay and more fyner / neuertheles they wolde lette it for the longe waye grete pevyls in the see / for there are many places in the see where are grete Roches of a stone that is called adamande / the whiche of his owne kynde draweth to hym yron / and for as moche that there sholde passe no shyp that had nayles of yron for it sholde drawe it to hym / therfore they dare not wende in to that countree with shyppes for drede of adamandes I wente ones in that see and sawe as longe as it had ben a grete yle of trees and stockes and braunches growynge / and the shypman sayd to me that those was of grete shyppes that were dwellynge there thorugh the vertue of the adamandes and of thynges that were in the shyppes were those trees sprongen and waxen / and suche Roches are there many in dyuerse places of that see and therfore dare no shypman passe that waye And an other also that they drede
the longe waye / and therfore they goo moost all to Cathay and that is nerer vnto theym And yet is it not so nere but theym behoueth fro Venys or fro Geene be in see towarde Cathay .xi. or .xij. monethes The londe of prester Iohn is longe marchaūtes passe thyder thorugh the londe of Persy and come vnto a Cyte that men calle Hermes / for a phylosophre that men called hermes foūded it / they passe an arme of the see come to an other cyte that men calle Saboth there fynde they all marchaūdyses popyniayes as grete plente as larkes in our countree In this countree is lytell whete or barley and therfore they ete ryse and mylke chese and other fruytes This Emperour prester Iohan weddeth comonly the doughter of the grete Chane and the grete Chane his doughter In the londe of prester Iohn is many dyuerse thynges many precyous stones so grete so large that they make of theym vessels platers cuppes and many other thynges of whiche it were to longe to telle / but somwhat of his lawe of his fayth shall I telle you ¶ Of the fayth byleue of prester Iohan / but he hath not all the full byleue as we haue ca. lxxxvij THis Emperour prester Iohan is crysten a grete parte of his londe also / but they haue not all the artycles of our fayth / but they byleue well in the fader the sone and the holy goost and they are full deuoute true one to an other / they make no force of catell / and he hath vnder hym .lxxij. prouynces coūtrees and in echone is a kynge / those kynges haue other kynges vnder theym And in this londe are many meruayles / for in that londe is the grauelly see that is of sonde of grauel no droppe of water / and it ebbeth and floweth with ryght grete wawes as an other see doth and it is neuer styll ne neuer in rest no man may passe that londe beyonde it And all yf it so be that there is no water in that see / yet men may fȳde there in ryght good fysshe of other facyon and shape than is in ony other sees / and also they are of full good sauour swete and good to ete And at thre Iourneys fro that see are grete hylles thrugh whiche renneth a grete flood that cometh fro Paradyse and it is full of precyous stones and no drope of water / it renneth with grete wawes in to the grauelly see And this flood renneth thre dayes in the weke so fast stereth grete stones of the roches with hym that make moche noyse / as soone as they come in to the grauelly see they are no more seen / in those thre dayes whan it renneth thus no man dare come in it / but the other dayes men may goo therin where they wyll And also beyonde the flood towarde the wyldernesse is a grete playne also sondy grauelly amonge hylles / and in the playne growe trees that at the rysynge of the sonne eche daye begynne to growe / so grewe they to myddaye bere fruytes but no man dare ete of that fruyte / for it is a maner of yron / and after myddaye it torned agayne in to the erthe / so that whan the sonne gooth downe it is no thynge seen / so doth it euery daye And there is in that wyldernesse many wylde men with hornes on theyr heedes ryght hydeous / and they speke not but grunt as swyne And in that coūtree are many popyniayes that they calle in theyr langage pystak they speke thrugh theyr owne kynde as apertly as a man / those that speke well haue longe tonges large on euery foot fyue toos there are some that haue but thre toos and tho same speke nought or very lytell ¶ How the Emperour preester Iohan whan he gooth to batayll hath thre crosses borne before hym of fyne golde ca. lxxxviij THis Emperour preester Iohan whan he gooth to batayll he hath no baner borne before hym / but he hath born before hȳ thre crosses of fyne golde those are grete and large and well dyght with precyous stones / for to kepe eche crosse is ordeyned a thousande men of armes mo than an hondred thousande on foot in maner as men kepe a standarde in batayll in other places he hath men without nombre whan he goth to ony batayll ayenst ony other lorde And whan he hath no batayll but rydeth with preuy company than dooth he bere before hym but a crosse of tree not paynted without golde precyous stones all playne in token that our lorde Ihu cryste suffred deth on a crosse of tree And also he hath born before hym a plate of golde full of erthe in token that his lordshyp nobley shall torne to nought his flesshe shall torne to erthe And also he hath borne before hym an other vessell full of Iewelles golde and precyous stones in token of his nobley his myght ¶ Of the moost dwellynge place of prester Iohan in a cyte called Suse ca. lxxxix ANd he dwelleth comonly at the cyte of Suse there is his pryncypall palays that is so ryche that meruayle is to tell / aboue the pryncypall toure of the palays are two pomels of golde all roūde / eche one of those hath two carbuncles grete large that shyne ryght clere on the nyght And the pryncypall gates of this palays are of precyous stones that men calle Sardyn / the borders of the barres are of yuory / the wyndowes of the halfe chambres are of crystall And tables that they ete of some are of Emeraudes some are of mastyk / some of golde precyous stones / and the pylers that bere the tables are of suche stones also the greces on whiche the Emperour gooth to his see where he sytteth at mete one is of mastyk an other of crystall an other of Iaphy grene an other of dyasper an other of sardyn an other of cormlyn another of sempton / and that he setteth his foot vpon is of crysolytes all thyse greces are bordured with fyne golde and well dyght with grete perles other precyous stones / and the sydes of his sege are Emeraudes bordured with golde with precyous stones / the pylers in his chambre are of fyne golde with many carbuncles other suche stones that gyue grete lyght on the nyght / and all yf the carbuncles gyue grete lyght neuertheles there brenneth eche nyght .xij. grete vessels of crystall full of bame to gyue good smell and to dryue awaye wycked ayre The forme of his bedde is all of saphyre well boūde with golde to make hym to slepe well for to destroye lechery / for he wyll not lye by his wyues but thryes in the yere after the sesons and all only for getynge of childern
that men callle Pytan men of this londe tylle no londe for they ete nought / they are smale men but not so smale as Pygmeens Thyse men lyue with smell of wylde apples / whan they go ferre out of the countree they bere apples with theym / for anone as they lese the sauour of apples they deye / they are not resonable but as it were bestes And there is an other yle where the people are all fethers but the face the palmes of theyr hondes Thyse men go as well aboue these as on the londe they ete flesshe fysshe all rawe In this yle is a grete ryuer that is two myle brode an halfe that men calle Renemar ¶ Of the wyldernesse wherin that growe the trees of the sonne of the mone ca. lxxxxix ANd beyonde that ryuer is a grete wyldernesse as men that haue ben there saye In this wyldernesse as men saye are the trees of the sonne of the mone that spake to kynge Alexander tolde hym of his deth / men saye that folke that kepe thyse trees ete of the fruytes of theym they lyue four or fyue hondred yere thrugh vertue of the fruyte / we wolde gladly haue gone thyder / but I byleue that an hondred thousande men of armes sholde not passe the wyldernesse for prete plente of wylde bestes as dragons serpentes that slee men whan they haue ony In this londe is many olyfaūtes all whyte blewe without nombre / and vnycornes and lyons of many maners Many other yles are in the londe of prestes Iohan that were to longe to telle moche rychesse and nobley of precyous stones in grete plente I byleue that we haue herde saye why this Emperous is called preester Iohan / but for those that wote it not I shall saye There was somtyme an Emperour that was a noble prynce doughty / and he had many crysten knyghtes with hym / and the Emperour thought he wolde see the maner of seruyce in crysten chirches than was chirches of crystendom in Turky Surry Tartary Ierusalem Palestyn Araby Alapy all the londes of Egypt And this Emperour came with a crysten knyght in to a chirche of Egypt it was on a saterdaye after Wytsondaye whan the bysshop made ordres / and he behelde the seruyce he asked of the knyght what folke those sholde be that stode before the bysshop / the knyght sayd they sholde be preestes / he sayd he wolde no more be called kynge ne Emperour but preest he wolde haue the name of hym that came fyrst out of the preestes / he was called Iohan so haue all the Emperours sythen be called preester Iohan. In that londe are many crysten men of good fayth good lawe / and they haue preestes to synge masse and they make the sacrament as men of Grece do but they saye not so many thynges as our prestes do for they saye not but that the apostles sayd as saȳt Peter saynt Thomas and other apostles whan they sange masse sayd Pater nr̄ Noster And the wordes with the whiche goddes body is sacred / we haue many addycyons of popes that haue ben ordeyned of whiche men of those coūtrees knowe not ¶ Of a grete ylonde and kyngedom called Taprobane ca. C. TOwarde the eest syde of preester Iohans londe is an yle that men calle Taprobane / is ryght good fructuous / there is a grete kynge a ryche and he is obedyent vnto prester Iohan and the kynge is alwaye made by eleccyon In this yle are two wynters two somers / and they shere corne twyes in the yere / all tymes in the yere are gardeyns florysshed There dwelleth good people
people of this countree begynne too do all theyr thynges in the newe mone / and they worshyp moche the sonne the mone those men ryde comunely without spores / and they holde it grete synne too breke a bone with an other to cast mylke on the erthe or other lycoure the men may drynke And the moost synne that they may doo is to pysse in theyr houses there they dwell / and he that pysseth in his house shall be slayne / and of those synnes they shryue them to theyr prestes / and for theyr penaunce they shal gyue syluer / the place where they haue pyssed shall be halowed / or els may no man come there And whan they haue do theyr penaunce they shall passe thrugh a fayr fyre or two too make theym clene of theyr synnes And they haue eten they wype theyr handes vpon theyr skyrtes for they haue noo table clothes but it be ryghte grete lordes / whan they haue all eten they put theyr dysshes or doublers not wasshen in the pot or caudron with flesshe that is lefte whan they haue eten vnto they wyll ete an other tyme / and ryche men dryÌ„ke mylke of mares or asses or other bestes other beuerage that is made of mylke water togyder for they haue neyther wyne ne ale And whaÌ„ they goo to warre the warre full wysely / and eche man of them bereth two or thre bowes many arowes a grete hachet / gentylmen haue shorte swerdes / he that fleeth in batayll they slee hym / they are euer in purpose to brynge all londes in subgeccyon to theym / for they say prophecyes saye that they shall be ouercome by shot of archers that they shall torne theym to theyr lawe / but they wote not what men they shall be / it is grete peryll to pursue the Tartaryns whan they flee / for they wyll shote behynde flee men as well as before / they haue small cyen as lytell byrdes / they are comunely false for they holde not that they promyse And whan a man shall deye amonge theym they steke a spere in the erthe besyde hym / whan in draweth to the deth they go out of the hous tyll he be dede and than they put hym in the erthe in the felde ¶ How the Emperour is brought vnto his graue whan he is dede ca. lxxvij AN whan the Emperour is deed they sette hym in a chayre in the myddes of his tente / and they set before hym a table couered with a clothe and therupon flesse and other mete and a cuppe full of mylke of a mare / and they set a mare with a colte by hym and an horse sadled and brydeled / and the lay vpon the horse golde syluer / and all about hym they make a grete graue / and with all thyse thynges they put hym therin as the tent hors golde syluer all that is a bout hym / ad they say whan he cometh in to an other worlde he shall not be without an house ne horse ne syluer ne golde / the mare shal gyue hym mylke brynge forth more horses tyll he be well stored in the other worlde and one of his chamberlaynes or seruauÌ„tes is put with hym in the erthe for to do hym seruyce in the other worlde / for they byleue that whan he is dede he shall goo in to an other worlde be a greter lorde there than here And whan that he is layde in the erthe noman shall be so hardy for to speke of hym before his frendes ¶ Whan the Emperour is dede how they chese make an other ca. lxxviij ANd than whan the Emperour is deed the seuen lynages gader them togyder they touche his sone or the next of his blode they saye thus / we wyll and we ordeyne and we praye that thou be our lorde our Emperour And he enquyreth of them sayth yf ye wyll that I regne vpon you so must ye do all that I bydde you to doo And yf he bydde that ony he slayne he shall be slayne / And they answere all with one voyce / all that ye bydde shall be done Than sayth the Emperour fro nowe forth my wordes shall cutte as my swerde / than they sette hym in a chayr crowne hym / and than all the good townes theraboute sende to him presentes so moche that he shal haue more than C Camels laden with olde syluer besyde other Iewâ—lles that he shall haue of lordes of precyous stones golde wtout nombre / hors ryche clothes of camacas tartaryns and suche other ¶ What couÌ„trees kyngdoms lye next to the londe of Cathay the frontes therof ca. lxxix THis londe of Cathay is in Asye the depe / this same londe marcheth towarde the west vpon the kyngedom of Sercy the whiche was somtyme to one of the thre kynges that wente to seke our lorde in Bethleem / and all those that come of his kynne are crysten Thyse men of Tartary drynke no wyne In the londe of Corosaym that is at the north syde of Cathay is ryght grete plente of good but no wyne / the whiche hath at the eest syde a grete wyldernesse that lasteth more than an hondred Iourneys / and the best cyte of that londe is called Corosaym therafter is the londe soo called / and men of this londe are good warryoures hardy / therby is the kyngdom of Comayn / this is the moost the gretest kyngedom of the worlde / but it is not all Inhabyte / for in one place of that londe is soo grete colde that noo man may dwell there for colde / in an other place is grete hete that no man may dwelle there / there are soo many feyghes that a man wote not on what syde he may torne hym / in this londe are but fewe trees berynge fruyte In this londe men lye in tentes they brenne dounge of bestes for defaute of wood This londe dyscendeth towarde Pruyse Rossy / and thorugh this loÌ„de renneth the ryuer Echell that is one of the greteste ryuers in the worlde / it is frosen soo harde euery yere that men fyght thervpon in grete batayles on horse / and fote men more than hondred thousandes at ones And a lytell fro that ryuer is the grete see of Occean that they call Maure / and bytwene this Maure Caspye is a full strayte passage too go towarde Ynde therfore kynge Alexander dyde make there a cyte that men calle Alexander for to kepe that passage / soo that noo man may passe but yf he haue leue / and nowe is that cyte called Porte de fear / and the pryncypall cyte of Comayn is called sarachys / this is one of the thre wayes to go in to Ynde / but thrugh this waye may not many men goo but yf it be in wynter and this passage is called
he may loke ouer an hygh house / there is many camylyons that is a lytell beest he eteth ne drynketh neuer / and he chaungeth often his coloure / for somtyme he is of one coloure somtyme of an other / he may chaūge hym in to all colours that he wyll saue blacke reed There are many wylde swyne of many coloures and as grete as oxen / and they are spotted as it were small fawnes / there are lyons all whyte / there be other beestes as grete as grete stedes that men call Lonhorans some men call them Tontes theyr hede is blacke / thre longe hornes in his fronte as cuttynge as sharpe swerdes / and he chaseth wyll slee the olyfauntes And there is many other maner of bestes of whome it were to longe for too wryte all ¶ Of an other ylonde where in dwelleth full good people and true ca. lxxxxv THere is an other ylonde good and grete and plenteuous where are good men and true of goodly lyfe after theyr fayth / and all yf they be not crysten Neuertheles of kynde they are full of good vertues they fle all vyces and all synne and malyce / for they are not enuyous ne proude ne couytous ne lecherous ne glotenous / and they do not vnto an other man but that they wolde he dyde too them / they fulfyll the .x. cōmaundementes / and they make no force of rychesse ne of hauynge / and they swere not but saye ye naye / for they saye he that swereth he wyll dysceyue his neyghbour / and some men call this the yle of Bragamen / some calle it the londe of fayth / thorughe it renneth a grete ryuer that men calle Thebe / and generally all men in those yles other thereby are truer and ryghtwyser than are in other coūtrees In this yle are no theues ne murderers ne comune woman ne beggers / and for as moche they are so true and so good that there is no tempest ne thonder ne warre ne hunger ne other trybulacyons / thus it semeth well that god loued theym well is well payde of theyr trouth theyr dedes / and they byleue in god that made all thynge hym they worshyp they lyue so ordynatly in mete drynke that they lyue ryght longe / many of theym deye without sykenesse that kynde faylleth them for aege ¶ How kynge Alexander sent his men thyder for to wynne that londe ca. lxxxxvi ANd kynge Alexander somtyme sente his men to wynne that londe And they sente hym lettres that sayd thus What behoueth a man to haue all the worlde that is not contente there with / thou shalte fynde not thynge in vs why thou sholdest make warre vpon vs / for we haue no rychesse ne tresoure / and all the goodes catell of our countree are comune / our metes that we ete are oure rychesse And in stede of tresoure of golde syluer we make our tresoure peas accorde of loue / and we haue nought but a cloth vpon our bodyes / our wyues are not arrayed rychely too pleasynge / for we holde it a grete fooly a man to dyg hee his body to make it to seme fayrer than god made it We haue ben euermore in peas tyll now that thou wylte dysheryte vs. We haue a kynge amonge vs not for nede of the lawe ne to deme no man / for there are no trespassours amonge vs but all onely / 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vs to be obedyent to hym / and soo mayste thou not take from vs but our good peas And whan kynge Alexander sawe this lettre / hȳ thought al thus that he sholde do to moche harme yf he troubled them sent to theym that they sholde kepe well theyr good maners haue no drede of hym ¶ Of an other ylonde where also dwelleth good people in is called Synople ca. lxxxxvij THan is there an other ylonde that is called Synople where in also are good people trewe and full of good fayth / and they are moche lyke in theyr lyuynge to the men before sayd / and they go all naked And in to that ylonde came kynge Alexander And whan that he sawe theyr good faythe and trouthe and theyr good byleue / he sayd that he sholde doo to theym noo harme / and badde theym aske of hym rychesse and nought elles and they sholde haue it And they answered that they hadde ryches ynoughe whan they hadde mete and drynke to susteyne theyr bodyes / and they sayd also that rychesse of this worlde is nought worth but yf it were so that he myght graunte theym that they sholde neuer deye that wolde they praye hym And Alexander sayd that myght he not do for he was dedely and sholde dey as they sholde Than sayd they why art thou so proude wolde wynne all the worlde haue in thy subgeccyon as it were a god thou hast no terme of thy lyf / and thou wylt haue all rychesse of the worlde the whiche shall forsake the or thou forsake it / thou shalt bere no thynge with the / but it shal dwelle to other / but as thou was borne naked so shalt thou be done in erthe And Alexander was gretly astonyed of this answere / yf it be so that they haue not the artycles of our fayth / neuertheles I byleue that god loueth theym well theyr good entencyon that he taketh theyr seruyce to gree as he dyde of Iob that was a paynym the whiche he helde for his true seruaūt many other I byleue well that god loueth all those that loue hym serue hym mekely truly that despyse the vayne glorye of the worlde as thyse men do as Iob dyde / and therfore sayd our lorde thorugh the mouth of Ysaye the prophete thus Ponā cis multiplices leges meas That is to saye I shall put to theym my lawes in many maners / the gospell sayth thus Alias oues habeo que nō sūt ex hoc ouili That is to saye I haue other shepe that are not of this folde / and there to accordeth the vysyon that Saynt Peter sawe at Iaffe how the angell came fro heuen brought with hym of all maner of beestes as serpentes foules in all maner and sayd to saynt Peter Take ete And saȳt Peter answered I ete neuer of vnclene beste And the aūgell sayd to hym Non ditas in unda q̄ deus mū dauit That is to saye Calle thou not those thynges vnclene that god hath clensed This was done in token that men sholde not haue many men in despyte for theyr dyuerse lawes / for we wote neuer whome god loueth and whome god hateth ¶ Of other two yles that one is called Pytan wherin be lytel men that ete no mete / and in that other yle are the men all rough of fethers ca. lxxxxviii THere is an other yle