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He travelled especially in Palestine, but visited also Egypt, and most of the countries of Asia. He is exceedingly credulous, and his narrative deserves little confidence. He seems in his travels to have served as a military adventurer, and must have spent the greater part of his life abroad, for he did not return home till 1356. On his return he compiled a narrative of his travels, chiefly as a guide-book for pilgrims to the Holy Land; and as he wrote entirely from memory, this may go far to explain both the confusion that prevails in his work, and his frequent borrowing from the history of Pliny, and the travels of Marco Polo and others. His work was, as he says, originally written in Latin, then "put out of Latin into French, and translated again into English, that every man of my nation may understand it." It enjoyed for a long time a high amount of popularity. Maundeville is said to have died at Liege in 1382. The extracts are given from the edition of Mr Wright.

1. THE DEAD SEA.-(CHAPTER IX.)

About that sea

From Jericho it is three miles to the Dead Sea. groweth much alum and alkatran.1 The Dead Sea divides the lands of India and Arabia, and the sea reaches from Soara to Arabia. The water of that sea is very bitter and salt, and if the earth were moistened with that water, it would never bear fruit. And the earth and land changeth often its colour. The water casteth out a thing that is called asphalt, in pieces as large as a horse every day, and on all sides. From Jerusalem to that sea is 200 furlongs. That sea is in length 580 furlongs, and in breadth 150 furlongs, and is called the Dead Sea, because it does not run, but is ever motionless. Neither man, beast, nor anything that hath life may die in that sea; and that hath been proved many times by men that have been condemned to death who have been cast therein, and left therein three or four days, and they might never die therein, for it receiveth nothing within him that breatheth life. And no man may drink of the water on account of its bitterness. And if a man cast iron therein it will float on the surface; but if men cast a feather therein it will sink to the bottom; and these are things contrary to nature. And there beside grow trees that bear apples very fair of colour to behold, but when we break or cut them in two we find within ashes and cinders, which is a token that, by the wrath of God, the cities and the land were burned and sunk into hell. Some call that sea the Lake Dasfetidee ;3 some the River of Devils; and some the River that is ever stinking. Into that sea, by the wrath of God, sunk the five cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, Aldama, Seboym, and Segor, for the abominable sin that reigned in them. At the right side of the Dead Sea the wife of Lot still stands in likeness of a salt stone, because she looked behind her when the cities sunk into hell.

3 ie., d'Assa fœtida.

1 This probably means bitumen. 2 Old English for it.
i.e., Zoar; from Segor, Maundeville ingeniously derives Seir.

OF THE COUNTRY WHERE PEPPER GROWS.

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And you shall understand that the River Jordan runs into the Dead Sea and there it dies, for it runs no further, and its entrance is a mile from the Church of St John the Baptist, toward the west, a little beneath the place where Christians bathe commonly. A mile1 from the River Jordan is the River of Jabbok, which Jacob passed over when he came from Mesopotamia. This River Jordan

is no great river, but it has plenty of good fish, and it cometh out of the hill of Libanus by two wells, that are called Jor and Dan ; and of those two wells it hath its name. It passes by a lake called Maron; and after it passes through the sea of Tiberias and under the hills of Gilboa, and there is a very fair valley on both sides of the river. The hills of Libanus separate the kingdom of Syria and the country of Phoenicia. Upon these hills grow cedar trees that are very high, and bear long apples as great as a man's head.

2. OF THE COUNTRY WHERE PEPPER GROWS, AND THE WELL OF YOUTH.- —(CHAPTER XV.)

Men go by sea to the land of Lomb,2 in which grows the pepper, in the forest called Combar, and it grows nowhere else in all the world; that forest extends full eighteen days in length. And you shall understand that the pepper grows like a wild vine, which is planted close by the trees of that wood to sustain it; the fruit hangs like branches of grapes, with which the tree is so laden that it seems that it would break, and when it is ripe it is all green like, ivy berries; and then men cut them as they do the vines, and put them upon an oven where they become black and crisp. There are three kinds of pepper all on one tree, long pepper, black pepper, and white pepper. The long pepper comes first when the leaf begins to appear, and is like the catkins of hazel that come before. the leaf, and it hangs low. Next comes the black, with the leaf like clusters of grapes, all green, and, when gathered, it becomes the white, which is somewhat less than the black, and of that but little is brought to this country, for they keep it for themselves, because it is better and milder than the black. In that country are many kinds of serpents and other vermin, in consequence of the great heat of the country and of the pepper. And some men say that, when they will gather the pepper, they make fires and burn thereabouts to make the serpents and cockodrills fly, but this is not true. But thus they do they anoint their hands and feet with a juice made of snails and other things, of which the serpents and venomous

1 This is probably a mistake for a day, that is day's journey, which is more nearly the distance of the Jabbok from the Dead Sea. 2 i. e., waters of Merom.

3 Perhaps Colombo and Kandy in Ceylon.

+ Maundeville elsewhere describes the cockodrills thus:-"These cockodrills are serpents, yellow and rayed above, having four feet, and short thighs, and great nails like claws; and some are five fathoms in length, and some of six, eight, or even ten, and when they go by places that are gravelly, it appears as if men had drawn a great tree through the gravelly place."-Cap. xviii.

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beasts hate the savour, and that makes them fly before them because of the smell, and then they gather in the pepper in safety.

Toward the head of that forest is the city of Polombe, above which is a great mountain, also called Polombe, from which the city hath its name. And at the foot of that mountain is a fair and great well, which has the odour and savour of all spices; and at every hour of the day it changes its odour and savour diversely; and whosoever drinks three times fasting of that well is whole of all kind of sickness that he has; and they that dwell there, and drink often of that well, never have sickness, but appear always young. I have drunk thereof three or four times, and methinks I still fare the better. Some men call it the Well of Youth; for they that often drink thereof appear always young, and live without sickness. And men say that that well comes out of Paradise, and therefore it is so virtuous. All that country grows good ginger; and therefore merchants go thither for spicery. In that land men worship the ox, for his simpleness and for his meekness, and for the profit that comes of him. They say that he is the holiest beast on earth; for they consider that whosoever is meek and patient, he is holy and profitable, for then, they say, he hath all virtues in him.

3. OF THE GREAT CHAN OF CATHAY; OF THE ROYALTY OF HIS PALACE, AND HOW HE SITS AT MEAT; AND OF THE GREAT NUMBER OF OFFICERS THAT SERVE HIM.-(CHAP. XX.)

Cathay1 is a great country, fair, noble, rich, and full of merchants. Thither merchants go to seek spices and all manner of merchandises, more commonly than in any other part. And you shall understand that merchants who come from Genoa, or from Venice, or from Romania, or other parts of Lombardy, go by sea and by land eleven or twelve months, or more sometimes, before they reach the isle of Cathay, which is the principal region of all parts beyond; and it belongs to the Great Chan. From Cathay men go towards the east, by many days' journey, to a good city, one of the best stored with silk and other merchandises in the world. Then men come to another old city, toward the east, in the province of Cathay, near which the men of Tartary have made another city, called Caydon, which has twelve gates. And between the two gates there is always a great mile; so that the two cities, that is to say, the old and the new, have in circuit more than twenty miles. In this city is the seat of the Great Chan, in a very great palace, the fairest in the world, the walls of which are in circuit more than two miles; and within the walls it is all full of other palaces. And in the garden of the great palace there is a great hill, upon which there is another palace, the fairest and richest that any man may devise. And all about the palace and the hill are many trees, bearing divers fruits. And all about that hill are great and deep ditches; and beside them are 1Cathay corresponds with Independent and Chinese Tartary. Its limits varied very much.

THE GREAT CHAN OF CATHAY, ETC.

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great fish-ponds, on both sides; and there is a very fair bridge to pass over the ditches. And in these fish-ponds are an extraordinary number of wild geese, and ganders, and wild-ducks, and swans, and herons. And all about those ditches and fish-ponds is the great garden, full of wild beasts, so that when the Great Chan will have any sport, to take any of the wild beasts, or of the fowls, he will cause them to be driven, and take them at the windows, without going out of his chamber. Within the palace, in the hall, there are twenty-four pillars of fine gold; and all the walls are covered within with red skins of animals called panthers, fair beasts and well smelling; so that, for the sweet odour of the skins, no evil air may enter into the palace. The skins are as red as blood, and shine so bright against the sun that a man may scarcely look at them. And in the middle of this palace is the mountour1 of the Great Chan, all wrought of gold, and of precious stones, and great pearls; and at the four corners are four serpents of gold; and all about there are made large nets of silk and gold, and great pearls hanging all about it.

The hall of the palace is full nobly arrayed, and full marvellously attired on all parts, in all things that men apparel any hall with. And first, at the head of the hall, is the emperor's throne, very high, where he sits at meat. It is of fine precious stones, bordered all about with purified gold, and precious stones, and great pearls. And the steps up to the table are of precious stones, mixed with gold. And at the left side of the emperor's seat is the seat of his first wife, one step lower than the emperor; and it is of jasper, bordered with gold. And the seat of his second wife is lower than his first wife, and is also of jasper, bordered with gold, as that other is. And the seat of the third wife is still lower by a step than the second wife, for he has always three wives with him wherever he is. And after his wives, on the same side, sit the ladies of his lineage, still lower, according to their ranks. And all those that are married have a counterfeit,2 made like a man's foot, upon their heads, a cubit long, all wrought with great, fine, and orient pearls, and above made with peacocks' feathers, and of other shining feathers; and that stands upon their heads like a crest, in token that they are under man's foot, and under subjection of man. The emperor has his table alone by himself, which is of gold and precious stones; or of crystal bordered with gold, and full of precious stones; or of amethysts; or of lignum aloes, that comes out of Paradise; or of ivory, bound or bordered with gold. And under the emperor's table sit four clerks, who write all that the emperor says, be it good or evil; for all that he says must be held good, for he may not change his word nor revoke it.

At great feasts, men bring before the emperor's table great tables of gold, and thereon are peacocks of gold, and many other kinds of different fowls, all of gold, and richly wrought and enamelled; and they make them dance and sing, clapping their wings together, and

1 A rising ground, or elevated part of the interior of the palace.
sie, a figure, or imitation.

making great noise; and whether it be by craft or by necromancy I know not, but it is a goodly sight to behold. But I have the less marvel, because they are the most skilful men in the world in all sciences and in all crafts; for in subtlety, malice, and forethought, they surpass all men under heaven; and therefore they say themselves that they see with two eyes, and the Christians see but with one, because they are more subtle than they. I busied myself much to learn the craft, but the master told me that he had made a vow to his god to teach it no creature, but only to his eldest son. Also above the emperor's table, and the other tables, and above a great part of the hall, is a vine made of fine gold, which spreads all about the hall; and it has many clusters of grapes, some white, some green, some yellow, some red, and some black, all of precious stones. And they are all so properly made, that it appears a real vine bearing natural grapes. And before the emperor's table stand great lords, and rich barons, and others, that serve the emperor at meat; and no man is so bold as to speak a word unless the emperor speak to him, except minstrels, that sing songs, and tell jests or other disports, to solace the emperor. And all the vessels that men are served with, in the hall or in chambers, are of precious stones, and, especially at great tables, either of jasper, or of crystal, or of amethyst, or of fine gold. And the cups are of emeralds, and sapphires, or topazes, of perydoz,' and of many other precious stones. Vessel of silver is there none, for they set no value on it to make vessels of, but they make therewith steps, and pillars, and pavements to halls and chambers. And before the hall-door stand many barons and knights full armed, to hinder any one from entering, unless by the will or command of the emperor, except they be servants or minstrels of the household.

III. SIR THOMAS MORE.

SIR THOMAS MORE was the only son of Sir John More, judge of the King's Bench in the reign of Henry VIII. He was born in 1480 in London, where he also received his early education. His precocious talents and ready wit secured for him the favour and patronage of Cardinal Morton, then Primate of England, who sent More to complete his studies at Christ Church, Oxford. From Oxford he returned to Lincoln's Inn, in London, and devoted himself to the study of the law as his profession. In this his ability would probably soon have raised him to eminence, had he not defeated all his prospects by opposing in Parliament a measure for levying a large sum of money on the country, as a portion to the eldest daughter of Henry VII., who was about to be married to James IV. of Scotland. His patriotism ruined his own prospects, and drew down upon his father the indignation of the avaricious tyrant. On the death of Henry VII., More's talents

1 An unknown precious stone.

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