seye, goynge aboute, unto his owne Marches, zif he wolde have passed forthe, til he had founden his Contree and his owne knouleche. But he turned azen 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 men unlerned, that men ne mowe 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 zif 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 therfore seithe oure Lord God, Non timeas me, qui suspendi Terra 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, for the gretnesse of the Erthe and of the See, men may go be a 1000 and c Job, xxvi. 7.

a 1000 other weyes, that no man cowde redye him perfitely toward the parties that he cam fro, but zif it were be aventure and happ, or be the grace of God. For the Erthe is fulle large and fulle gret, and holt 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 noughte. But aftre my lytylle wytt, it semethe me, savynge here reverence, that it is more. And for to have bettere understondynge, I seye thus, Be ther ymagyned a Figure, that hathe a gret Compas; and aboute the poynt of the gret Compas, that is clept the Centre, be made another litille Compas: than aftre, be the gret Compas devised be Lines in manye parties; and that alle the Lynes meeten at the Centre; so that in as many parties, as the grete Compas schal be departed, in als manye schalle be departed the litille, that is aboute the Centre, alle be it that the spaces ben lesse. Now thanne, be the gret compas represented for the firmament, and the litille compas represented for the Erthe. Now thanne the Firmament is devysed, be Astronomeres, in 12 Signes; and every Signe is devysed in 30 Degrees, that is 360 Degrees, that the Firmament hathe aboven. Also, be the Erthe devysed in als many parties, as the Firmament; and lat every partye answere to a Degree of the Firmament: and wytethe it wel, that aftre the Auctoures of Astronomye, 700 Furlonges of Erthe answeren to a Degree of the Firmament; and tho ben 87 Miles and 4 Furlonges. Now be that here multiplyed by 360 sithes; and than thei ben 31500 Myles, every of 8 Furlonges, aftre Myles of oure Contree. So moche hathe the

Erthe in roundnesse, and of heghte enviroun, aftre myn opynyoun and myn undirstondynge. And zee schulle undirstonde, that aftre the opynyoun of olde wise Philosophres and Astronomeres, oure Contree ne Irelond ne Wales ne Scotlond ne Norweye ne the other Yles costynge to hem, ne ben not in the superficyalte cownted aboven the Erthe; as it schewethe be alle the Bokes of Astronomye. For the Superficialtee of the Erthe is departed in 7 parties, for the 7 Planetes: and tho parties ben clept Clymates. And oure parties be not of the 7 Clymates for thei ben descendynge toward the West. And also these Yles of Ynde, which beth evene azenst us, beth noght reckned in the Climates for thei ben azenst us, that ben in the lowe Contree. And the 7 Clymates strecchen hem envyrounynge the World.

Cap. XVIII.

Of the Palays of the Kyng of the Yle of Java. Of the Trees, that beren Mele, Hony, Wyn and Venym; and of othere Mervayilles and Customes, used in the Yles marchinge thereabouten.

BESYDE that Yle that I have spoken of, there is another Yle, that is clept Sumobor, that is a gret Yle: and the Kyng thereof is righte myghty. The folk of that Yle maken hem alweys to ben marked in the visage with an hote Yren, bothe men and women, for gret noblesse, for to

ben knowen from other folk.

For thei holden

hem self most noble and most worthi of alle the World. And thei han Werre alle weys with the folk that gon alle naked. And faste besyde is an

other Yle, that is clept Betemga," that is a gode Yle and a plentyfous. And many other Yles ben there aboute; where there ben many of dyverse folk of the whiche it were to longe to speke of alle.

But fast besyde that Yle, for to passe be See, is a gret Yle and a gret Contree, that men clepen Java and it is nyghe 2000 Myle in circuyt. And the Kyng of that Contree is a fulle gret Lord and a ryche and a myghty, and hathe undre him 7 other Kynges of 7 other Yles abouten hym. This Yle is fulle wel inhabyted, and fulle wel manned. There growen alle maner of Spicerie, more plentyfous liche than in ony other Contree; as of Gyngevere, Clowegylofres, Canelle, Zedewalle, Notemuges and Maces. And wytethe wel, that the

:

Notemuge berethe the Maces. For righte as the Note of the Haselle hathe an Husk with outen, that the Note is closed in, til it be ripe, and aftre fallethe out; righte so it is of the Notemuge and of the Maces. Manye other Spices and many other Godes growen in that Yle. For of alle thing is there plenty, saf only of Wyn: but there is Gold and Silver gret plentee. And the Kyng of that Contree hathe a Paleys fulle noble and fulle marveyllous, and more riche than ony in the World. For alle the Degrez to gon up in to Halles and Chambres, ben on of Gold, another of Sylver. And also the Pavmentes of Halles and Chambres ben alle square, on of Gold and another of Sylver and alle the Walles with inne ben covered with Gold and Sylver, in fyn Plates: and in tho Plates ben Stories and Batayles of Knyghtes enleved. And the Crounes and the Cercles abouten here Hedes ben made of precious Stones and riche Perles and grete. And the Halles and the Chambres of the Palays ben alle covered with inne with Gold and Sylver: so that no man wolde trowe the richesse of that Palays, but he had seen it. And witethe wel, that the Kyng of that Yle is so myghty, that he hathe many tymes overcomen the grete Cane of Cathay in Bataylle, that is the most gret Emperour that is undre the Firmament, outher bezonde the See or on this half. For thei han had often tyme Werre betwene hem, be cause that the grete Cane wolde constreynen him to holden his lond of him: but that other at alle tymes defendethe him wel azenst him.

Aftre that Yle, in goynge be See, men fynden another Yle, gode and gret, that men clepen