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THE VOIAGE AND TRAVAILE OF SIR JOHN MAUNDEVILE, KT.

FROM CHAP. IV

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Bot per-aunter 12 thou will say: "I may noght despyse the worlde, I may not fynd it in my hert to pyne my body, and me behoves 13 lufe my fleschly frendes and take ese when it comes. If thou be temped" with swilk 15 thoghtes, I pray the that thou umbethynk 1 the,'' fra the begynnyng of this worlde, whare 18 the worldes lovers er 19 now, and whare the lovers er of God. Certes thai war 20 men and wymen as we er, and ete and drank and logh; "1 and the wreches that lofed 22 this worlde toke ese til 23 thair body and lyved as tham lyst," in likyng of thair wikked will, and led thair dayes in lust and delyces; 25 and in a poynt thai fel intil hell. Now may thou see that thai 20 foles and fowle glotons, that in a few yeres 27 wasted endles joy that was ordand "8 for tham if thai walde 29 have done penance for thair synnes. Thou sese 30 that al the ryches of this world and delytes vanys 31 away and commes til noght. Sothely,2 swa dose al the lofers thar of; for nathyng may stande stabely on a fals gronde. Thair bodys er gyn til wormes in erth, and thair sawles til the devels of hell. Bot all that forsoke the pompe and the vanite of this lyfe and stode stalworthly agaynes all temptacions and ended in the lufe of God, thai ar now in joy and hase" the erytage 38 of heven, thar to won 39 with owten end, restand" in the delyces " of Goddes syght. . .

wer

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'thereto also fasten memory torture know

8 death liking, desire 10 burning 11 delight 12 peradventure 13 behooves (impersonal) tempted

And from Ephesim Men gon' throghe many Iles in the See, unto the Cytee of Paterane, where Seynt Nicholas was born, and so to Martha, where he was chosen to ben Bis

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schoppe; and there growethe right gode Wyn and strong; and that Men callen Wyn of Martha. And from thens gon Men to the Ile of Crete, that the Emperour yaf⚫ somtyme to Janeweys. And thanne passen Men thorghe the Isles of Colos and of Lango; of the whiche Iles Ypocras was Lord offe. And some Men seyn,' that in the Ile of Lango is yit the Doughtre of Ypocras, in forme and lykeness of a gret Dragoun, that is a hundred Fadme of lengthe, as Men seyn: For I have not seen hire. And thei of the Isles callen hire, Lady of the Lond.1o And sche lyethe in an olde castelle, in a Cave, and schewethe "twyes or thryes in the Yeer. And sche dothe none harm to no Man, but-yif 12 Men don hire harm. And sche was thus chaunged and transformed, from a fair Damysele, in-to lyknesse of a Dragoun, be 13 a Goddesse, that was clept " Deane.is And Men seyn, that sche schalle so endure in that forme of a Dragoun, unto the tyme that a Knyghte come, that is so hardy, that dar come to hire and kiss hire on the Mouthe: And then schalle sche turne ayen to hire owne Kynde," and ben a Woman ayen: But aftre that sche schalle not liven longe. And it is not long siththen,1a that a Knyghte of the Rodes, that was hardy and doughty in Armes, seyde that he wolde kyssen hire. And whan he was upon his Coursere, and wente to the Castelle, and entred into the Cave, the Dragoun lifte up hire Hed ayenst 10 him. And whan the Knyghte saw hire in that Forme so hidous and so horrible, he fleyghe 20 awey. And the Dragoun bare " the Knyghte upon a Roche,22 mawgre his Hede;23 and from that Roche, sche caste him in-to the See: and so was lost bothe Hors and Man. And also a yonge Man, that wiste " not of the Dragoun,

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formerly, once upon a 8 yet 9 fathom 10 land

appears 12 unless 13 by 14 called 15 Diana 10 again, back 17 nature 18 since 19 against 20 fled 21 bore 23 despite his head (=despite all he could do) 25 knew

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The lufe of Jhesu Criste es ful dere 10 tresure, ful delytabyl " joy, and ful syker 12 to trayst man on. For-thi," he wil not gyf it to folys," that kan noght hald 16 it and kepe it tenderly; bot 17 til 18 thaim he gese1 it the whilk 20 nowther " for wele ne for wa 22 wil lat 23 it passe fra tham, bot are thai wil dye or thai wolde wrath Jhesu Criste. And na man dose 27 precyous lycor in a stynkand vessell, bot in a clene. Als 28 Criste dose 27 noght his lufe in a foule hert in syn and bownden in vile lust of flesche, bot in a hert that es fayre and clene in vertues. Noght-for-thi," a fowle vessel may be made sa clene that a ful dere thyng savely 30 may be done tharin.32 And Jhesu Criste oft-sythes 33 purges many synfull mans sawle" and makes it abyl thurgh his grace to receyve the delitabel " swetnes of hys luf, and to be his wonnyng-stede 36 in halynes; and ay 38 the clennar it waxes, the mare joy Forand solace of heven Criste settes thar-in. thi," at the fyrst tyme when a man es • turned to God, he may not fele 10 that swete lycor til he have bene wele used in Goddes servys and his hert be purged thorow prayers and penance and gode thoghtes in God. For he that es slaw 13 in Goddes servyce may noght be byrnand" in lufe, bot-if he do al his myght and travell nyght and day to fulfill Goddes will. And when that blyssed lufe es in a mans hert, it will not suffer hym be ydel," bot ay it stirres hym to do som gode that myght be lykand 8 til God, as in praying, or in wirkyng

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safe-keeping ourselves the crowning is 10 precious

14 therefore 15 fools 20 which

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17 but 23 let

18 trust 18 to 19 gives 24 sooner

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20 nevertheless 30 safely

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no 27 puts 28 SO 32 therein 33 oft-times

25 able 6 dwelling-place 37 holiness 88 ever

40 feel 41 service

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profitabel thynges, or in spekyng of Cristes passyon; and principally in thoght, that the mynde of Jhesu Criste passe noght fra his thoght. For if thou lufe hym trewly, thou wil glad the" in hym and noght in other thyng; and thou wil thynk on hym, kastand away al other thoghtes. Bot if thou be fals, and take other than hym, and delyte the in erthly thyng agaynes his wille, wit thou wele he will forsake the as thou hase done hyme, and dampne the for thi

Wharfore, that thou may lufe hym trewly, understand that his lufe es proved in thre thynges; in thynkyng, in spekyng, in wirkyng. Chaunge thi thoght fra the worlde, and kast it haly on hym, and he sall norysche the. Chaunge thi mowth fra unnayte and warldes 10 speche, and speke of hym, and he sall comforth 12 the. Chaunge thi hend 13 fra the warkes of vanitese, and lyft tham 15 in his name, and wyrke anly 16 for hys lufe, and he sall receyve the. Do thus, and than lufes "7 thou trewly and gase 18 in the way of perfitenes. Delyte the sa 19 in hym that thi hert receyve nowther 20 worldes joy ne worldes sorow, and drede no anguys ne noy 22 that may befalle bodyly on the or on any of thi frendes; bot betake 23 all in-til Goddes will and thank hym ay of all hys sandes,24 swa" that thou may have rest and savowre in hys lufe. For if thi hert owther 25 be ledde with worldes drede or worldes solace, thou ert 26 full fer 2 fra the swetnes of Cristes lufe. Wasche thi thoght clene wyth lufe-teres 28 and brennand 20 yernyng,30 that he fynd na 31 thyng fowle in the, for his joy es that thou be fayre and lufsom 32 in his eghen.33 Fayrehede of thi sawle, that he covaytes, es that thou be chaste and meke, mylde and sufferand, never irk 35 to do his wille, ay hatand all wykkednes. In al that thou dose, thynk ay to com to the syght of his fairehede, 34 and sett al thine entent thar-in, that thou may com thar-til 38 at thine endyng; for that aght" to be the ende of al oure traveyle, that we evermare, whils we lyve here, desyre that syght, in all oure hert, and

wente out of a Schipp, and wente thorghe the Ile, til that he come to the Castelle, and cam in to the Cave; and wente so longe, til that he fond a Chambre, and there he saughe1 a Damysele, that kembed' hire Hede, and lokede in a Myrour; and sche hadde meche Tresoure abouten hire: and he trowed, that sche hadde ben a comoun Woman, that dwelled there to receyve Men to Folye. And he abode, tille the Damysele saughe the Schadewe of him in the Myrour. And sche turned hire toward him, and asked hym, what he wolde. And he seyde, he wolde ben hire Limman

or Paramour. And sche asked him, yif that he were a Knyghte. And he seyde, nay. And than sche seyde, that he myghte not ben hire Lemman:" But sche bad him gon ayen unto his Felowes, and make him Knyghte, and come ayen upon the Morwe, and sche scholde come out of the Cave before him; and thanne come and kysse hire on the mowthe, and have no Drede; "for I schalle do the no maner harm, alle be it that thou see me in Lyknesse of a Dragoun. For thoughe thou see me hidouse and horrible to loken onne, I do the to wytene,' that it is made be Enchauntement. For withouten doute, I am non other than thou seest now, a Woman; and therfore drede the noughte. And yif thou kysse me, thou schalt have alle this Tresoure, and be my Lord, and Lord also of alle that Ile." And he departed fro hire and wente to his Felowes to Schippe, and leet 10 make him Knyghte, and cam ayen upon the Morwe, for to kysse this Damysele. And whan he saughe hire comen" out of the Cave, in forme of a Dragoun, so hidouse and so horrible, he hadde so grete drede, that he fleyghe 12 ayen to the Schippe; and sche folewed him. And whan sche saughe, that he turned not ayen, sche began to crye, as a thing that hadde meche 3 Sorwe: and thanne sche turned ayen, in-to hire Cave; and anon the Knyghte dyede. And siththen 13 hidrewards," myghte no Knyghte se hire, but that he dyede anon. But whan a Knyghte comethe, that is so hardy to kisse hire, he schalle not dye; but he schalle turne the Damysele in-to hire righte Forme and kyndely 15 Schapp, and he schal be Lord of alle the Contreyes and Iles aboveseyd.

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• know 14 till now

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FROM CHAP. XVII

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And

Also yee have herd me seye that Jerusalem is in the myddes of the World; and that may men preven and schewen there be a Spere that is pighte in-to the Erthe, upon the hour of mydday, whan it is Equenoxium, that schewethe no schadwe on no syde. And that it scholde ben in the myddes1 of the World, David wytnessethe it in the Psautre, where he seythe, Deus operatus est salute[m] in medio Terre. Thanne thei that parten fro the parties of the West for to go toward Jerusalem, als many jorneyes as thei gon upward for to go thidre, in als many jorneyes may thei gon fro Jerusalem, unto other Confynes of the Superficialtie of the Erthe beyonde. And whan men gon beyonde tho journeyes toward Ynde and to the foreyn Yles, alle is envyronynge the roundnesse of the Erthe and of the See, undre oure Contrees on this half." And therfore hathe it befallen many tymes of o10 thing that I have herd cownted " whan I was yong: how a worthi man departed somtyme from oure Contrees for to go serche the World. so he passed Ynde and the Yles beyonde Ynde, where ben mo 12 than 5000 Yles; and so longe he wente be 13 See and Lond and so enviround the World be many seysons, that he fond an Yle where he herde speke his owne Langage, callynge on Oxen in the Plowghe, suche Wordes as men speken to Bestes in his owne Contree; whereof he hadde gret Mervayle," for he knewe not how it myghte be. But I seye, that he had gon so longe be Londe and be See that he had envyround alle the Erthe, that he was comen ayen envirounynge, that is to seye, goynge aboute, unto his owne Marches, 16 yif he wolde have passed forthe til he had founden his Contree and his owne knouleche." But he turned ayen from thens, from whens he was come fro; and so he loste moche peynefulle labour, as him-self seyde a gret while aftre that he was comen hom. For it befelle aftre, that he wente in to Norweye; and there Tempest of the See toke him; and he arryved in an Yle; and whan he was in that Yle, he knew wel that it was the Yle where he had herd speke his owne Langage before and the callynge of the Oxen at the Plowghe; and that was possible thinge. But how it semethe to symple

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men unlerned that men ne mowe1 not go undre the Erthe, and also that men scholde falle toward the Hevene from undre! But that may not be, upon lesse than wee mowe falle toward Hevene fro the Erthe where wee ben." For fro what partie of the Erthe that men duelle, outher aboven or benethen, it semethe alweys to hem that duellen that thei gon more righte than ony other folk. And righte as it semethe to us that thei ben undre us, righte so it semethe hem that wee ben undre hem. For yif a man myghte falle fro the Erthe unto the Firmament, be grettere resoun, the Erthe and the See, that ben so grete and so hevy, scholde fallen to the Firmament: but that may not be; and therefore seithe oure Lord God, Non timeas me, qui suspendi Terra[m] ex nichilo?" And alle be it that it be possible thing that men may so envyronne alle the World, natheles of a 1000 persones on ne myghte not happen to returnen in-to his Contree. For the gretnesse of the Erthe and of the See, men may go be a 1000 and a 1000 other weyes, that no man cowde redye 10 him perfitely toward the parties that he cam fro, but-yif it were be aventure and happ or be the grace of God. For the Erthe is fulle large and fulle gret, and holt 12 in roundnesse and aboute envyroun, be aboven and be benethen, 20425 Myles, aftre the opynyoun of the olde wise Astronomeres. And here Seyenges I repreve 13 noughte. But aftre my lytylle wytt, it semethe me, savynge here14 reverence, that it is more.

FROM CHAP. XXVII

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In the Lond of Prestre John ben many dyverse thinges and many precious Stones, so grete and so large that men maken of hem Vesselle; 15 as Plateres, Dissches, and Cuppes. And many other marveylles ben there; that it were to 16 combrous and to 16 long to putten it in scripture 17 of Bokes.

But of the princypalle Yles and of his Estate and of his Lawe I schalle telle you som partye.18 This Emperour Prestre John is Cristene; and a gret partie of his Contree also: but yit thei have not alle the Articles of oure Feythe, as wee have. Thei beleven wel in the

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Fadre, in the Sone, and in the Holy Gost: and thei ben fulle devoute and righte trewe on1 to another. And thei sette not be no Barettes,3 ne be Cawteles, ne of no Disceytes." And he hathe undre him 72 Provynces; and in every Provynce is a Kyng. And theise Kynges han Kynges undre hem; and alle ben tributaries to Prestre John. And he hathe in his Lordschipes many grete marveyles. For in his Contree is the See that men clepen the Gravely See, that is alle Gravelle and Sond with-outen ony drope of Watre; and it ebbethe and flowethe in grete Wawes 10 as other Sees don; and it is never stille ne in pes " in no maner cesoun." And no man may passe that See be Navye11 ne be no maner of craft: 15 and therfore may no man knowe what Lond is beyond that See. And alle-be-it that it have no Watre, yit men fynden 10 there-in and on the Bankes fulle gode Fissche of other maner of kynde and schappe thanne men fynden in ony other See; and thei ben of right goode tast and delycious to mannes

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And a 3 journeys long fro that See, ben gret Mountaynes; out of the whiche gothe 1 out a gret Flood,18 that comethe out of Paradys; and it is fulle of precious Stones, withouten ony drope of Water; and it rennethe 19 thorghe the Desert, on that 20 o1 syde, so that it makethe the See gravely; and it berethe 17 in-to that See, and there it endethe. And that Flome 18 rennethe also 3 dayes in the Woke," and bryngethe with him grete Stones and the Roches 22 also therewith, and that gret plentee. And anon as thei ben entred in-to the gravely See, thei ben seyn 23 no more, but lost for evere more. And in tho 3 dayes that that Ryvere rennethe no man dar24 entren in-to it: but in the other dayes men dar entren wel ynow.25 Also beyonde that Flome,18 more upward to the Desertes, is a gret Pleyn alle gravelly betwene the Mountaynes; and in that Playn every day at the Sonne risynge begynnen to growe smale Trees; and thei growen til mydday, berynge Frute; but no man dar taken of that Frute, for it is a thing of Fayrye.26 And aftre mydday thei discrecen 27 and entren ayen 28 in-to the Erthe; so that at the goynge doun of the Sonne thei apperen no more; and so thei don every day: and that is a gret marvaylle.