Chapter VI: Appendix (4)

And from thence men go through lyttle Armony,[3] & in that countrey is an olde castell that is on a rock, y^t men call the castell of Spirys, & there men finde an hawke sitting upon a perch right well made & a faire lady of Fayry that keepeth it, & he that will wake[4] this same hawke seven days and seven nightes, and some say that it is not but three days and three nightes, alone without any company and without slepe, this faire ladie shall come unto him at the vii dayes or iii dayes ende & shall graunte unto him the first thing that he will aske of worldly things, and that hath often ben proved. And so uppon a time it befell that a man which that tyme was Kinge of Armonye that was a righte doughty[5] man waked uppon a tyme, and at the seven dayes ende the lady came to him and bade him aske what he would for he had wel done his devoure,[6] and the king aunswered and sayde that he was a great lorde and in good peace, and he was riche, so that he would aske nothing but all onely the body of the fayre lady, or to haue his will of hir. Then this fayre lady aunswered and sayde unto him, that he was a foole, for he wist not what he asked, for he might not have hir, for he shoulde not haue asked hir but worldly thinges & she was not worldly. And the king sayde he woulde nought else, and she said sith he would aske nought else, she should graunt him three thinges and all that came after hym, and sayde unto him, Sir kinge you shall haue warre without peace unto the ix degree, and you shall be in subjection of your enemies, and you shall have greate nede of good and cattell, and sithen that tyme all the Kynges of Armonye have been in warre and nedefull[7] and under trybute of the Sarasyns. Also a poore mannes sonne as he waked on a tyme, and asked the lady that he might be rych and happy in marchaundise and the ladye graunted him, but she sayde to him that he hadde asked his undoynge for great pryde that he shoulde haue thereof. And this became so greate a marchaunte bothe by sea and lande, that he was so ryche that he knew not the thousande parte of hys goods. Also a Knight of the Templers waked likewise and when he had done, he desired to haue a purse full of golde and what soever he tooke thereof it shoulde ever be full againe and the ladye graunted it hym, but she tolde him that hee had desyred his destruction for great mistrowing that hee shoulde have of the same purse, and so it befell. But he that shal wake hath great nede for to kepe him from slepe, for if he sleepe he is lost that he shall neuer bee sene, but that is not the righte way, but for the mervaile. And from Topasonde men go to greate Armony to a citie that men call Artyron[8] that was wont to be a great Citie, but Turkes have destroyed it, for there neyther groweth no wyne nor fruyt. From this Artyron men go to an hyll that is called Sabissacol & there nere is another hil that men call Arath,[9] but the Jewes call it Thano where Archa Noe[10] rested after the diluvie[11] & yet it is on that hyll, a man may se it from ferre in cleare wether, & the hilles be xii[12] myle of height & some saye they haue bene there & put theyr fingers in the holes where the fende[13] went out when Noe sayde in this maner of wyse _Benedicite_. But they note well, for none may go on that hyll for snowe, that is alwaye uppon that hyll bothe wynter and somer, that no man may go by and never yode[14] syth Noe was, but a monke, through the grace of God, broughte a planke that yet is at the Abbey, at the hyll foote, and he had great desyre to go uppon that hyll, and aforced him thereto, and when he was at the thyrde part upwarde he was so wery that he might goe no further, and he rested him & slept and when he was awake he was downe at the hyll foote, and then prayed he to God devoutly that he would suffer him to go upon the hill, and the Aungell sayd that he should go upon the hil, and so he dyd, and since that tyme no man came there. And therefore men shoulde not beleve such wordes.

And from thence men go to a citie that men call Tanziro[15] and that is a fayre citie & good. Besyde that citie is an hyll of salte, and thereof every man taketh what he wyll and there dwelled many Christen men under tribute to the Sarasyns. From thence men go through many cities, townes, and castels towarde Inde, and then come to a citie that men call Cassaye that is a fayre citie, and in that citie is aboundance of corne wynes, and all maner of goods, and there met the three kynges togither that wente to make theyr offeryng to our Lord in Bethlehem. From that citie men go to a citie that men call Cardabago, and paynims say y^t Christen men may not dwell there, by[16] they dye sone and they know not the cause. And from thence men go through many countreys, cities & townes, that it were to long to tell, & to the citie of Carnaa, that was wont to be so great, that the wall about was of xxv myle, the wall sheweth yet, but it is not inhabited now with men, and there endeth the land of the Emperour of Perce.

[Footnote 1: Trebizond.]

[Footnote 2: Neighbouring countries.]

[Footnote 3: Armenia.]

[Footnote 4: Watch.]

[Footnote 5: Brave.

In the old Romance of Melusina, which was written
by Jean d'Arras, Secretary to the Duc de Berri, brother to
Charles V. of France--in 1387 (at the command of his master)
is the legend of the Lady of the Sparrow Hawk, which shows how
current it was at the time. According to his version, a fairy,
named Presine, married King Helmas, and made him vow that he
would never go near her at the time of childbirth. She bore
him three daughters--Melusina, Melior, and Palestine--and
at the birth of the latter the king broke his vow. When
his children grew up they learnt this fact, and were very
indignant at their father's conduct, to punish which (being
gifted with supernatural power) they enclosed him in an
enchanted mountain until he died. Presine was powerless
to undo this deed, but she visited their unnatural conduct
severely upon her daughters. Melusina was to become half
serpent, half woman, every Saturday; Palestine was ever to
watch their father's treasure on the top of a mountain in
Arragon; while Melior's fate is thus told by the chronicler:--

"And thou Melyor to the I gyve a Castel in the grette Armenye,
whyche is fayre and riche, wher thou shalt kepe a Sperschak
unto the tyme that the grett maister shall hold his Jugement.
And al noble and worthy knyghts, descended and come of noble
lynee, that wil you watche there the day byfore the even, and
th' even also of Saint Johan Baptiste, whiche is on the xx day
of Juny, without any slep, shal have a geft of the of suche
thinges, without to demande thy body, ne thy love, by maryage,
nor other wise. And al thos that shal demande the without
cesse, and that wol not forbere, and absteyn them not, shal
be infortunat unto the IX lynee, and shal be put from theire
prosperytees."]

[Footnote 6: Devoir, duty.]

[Footnote 7: Poor, needy.]

[Footnote 8: Erzeroum.]

[Footnote 9: Ararat.]

[Footnote 10: Noah's Ark.]

[Footnote 11: Flood.]

[Footnote 12: Others say seven.]

[Footnote 13: Fiend.]

[Footnote 14: Never went there.]

[Footnote 15: Tabreez or Tabriz.]

[Footnote 16: For.]

CAP. XLIX.

_Of the countrey of Job, and of the Kingedome of Caldee._

ON the other side of the citie of Carnaa men enter into the land of Job, that is a good lande & great plentie of all fruites & men call that land of Swere.[1] In this lande is the citie of Thomar. Job was a Paynim & also he was Cofraas son & he helde that lande as prince thereof, & he was so riche that he knew not the hondreth parte of his good, and after his povertie God made him richer than ever he was before, for after he was Kinge of Idumea after the death of King Esau, & when he was king he was called Joab, and in that kingedome he lived c yeare and lxx so that he was of age when he dyed cc yeare and xlviii. And in this lande of Job is no defaute[2] of nothing that is nedefull to mans body. There are hilles where men finde manna, and manna is called Aungell's bread that is a whit thing right sweete & much sweter than suger or hony, and that commeth of the dew of heaven that falleth on the herbes, and there it congeled and waxeth white and men doe it in medecines for riche men.

This lande marcheth to the lande of Caldee that is a great land, & there is full faire folke & well apparaited & they go richly araied with cloth of gold & with perls & other precious stones. But the women are righte foule & evill clad & go bare fote & bare an ill cote, large, wide, & short, unto theyr knees, & haue long sleves down to the fote, & they haue great black here long hanging about theyr shoulders & they are right foule for to loke upon that I dare not tell it all bicause that I am worthy for to haue a great reward for my praising of them. In this land of Caldee aforesayde is a citie that men call Hur & in y^t citie was Abraham y^e patriark born.

[Footnote 1: Susiana.]

[Footnote 2: Want of anything.]

CAP. L.

_Of the Kingedome of Amazony whereas dwelleth none but women._

AFTER the lande of Caldee is the lande of Amazony that is a land where there is no man but all women as men say, for they wil suffer no men to lyve among them nor to haue lordeshippe over them. For sometyme was a kinge in that lande and men were dwelling there as did in other countreys, and had wives, & it befell that the kynge had great warre with them of Sychy, he was called Colopius and hee was slaine in bataill and all the good bloude of his lande. And this queene when she herd that, & other ladies of that land, that the king and the lordes were slaine, they gathered them togither and killed all the men that were lefte in their lande among them, and sithen that time dwelled no man among them.

And when they will have any man they sende for them in a countrey that is nere theyr lande, and the men come and are ther viii dayes or as the woman lyketh, & then go they againe, and if they have men children they send them to theyr fathers when they can eate & go, and if they have maide chyldren they kepe them, and if they bee of gentill bloud they brene[1] the left pappe[2] away for bearing of a shelde, and if they be of little bloud they brene the ryght pappe away for shoting. For those women of that countrey are good warriours and are often in soudy[3] with other lordes, and the queene of that lande governeth well that lande, this lande is all environed with water. Beside Amazony is the lande of Termagute that is a good lande, King Alexander did make a citie ther that men call Alexandry.

[Footnote 1: Burn.]

[Footnote 2: Breast.]

[Footnote 3: War.]

[Decoration]

CAP. LI.

_Of the lande of Ethiope._

ON the other side of Calde toward the south side is Ethyope a great lande. In this lande on the south are the folke right blacke. In that side is a well that in the daye the water is so colde that no man may drinke thereof, & in the nighte it is so hote that no man may suffer to put his hand in it. In this lande the rivers and all the waters are troublous and some dele salte for the great hete, and men of y^t lande are lightly dronken & haue little appetite to meate, and they haue commonly the flixe of body and they live not long. In Ethiope[1] are such men that have but one foote, and they go so fast y^t it is a great marvaill, & that is a large fote that the shadow thereof covereth y^e body from son or rayne when they lye uppon their backes, and when their children be first borne they loke like russet, and when they waxe olde then they be all blacke. In Ethiope is the lande of Saba, of the which one of the three Kings that sought our Lorde at Bethleem was King.

[Footnote 1: Like many other marvellous stories related by
Sir John Mandeville, they were told by Pliny, in his Natural
History, nearly 1200 years previously. For instance, in Book
7, chap, li., devoted to Man, he quotes Ctesias as saying that
in India is another race of men, who are known as Monocoli,
who have only one leg, but are able to leap with surprising
agility. The same people are also called Sciapod[oe], because
they are in the habit of lying on their backs during the time
of extreme heat and protect themselves from the sun by the
shade of their feet. For other types of these "peculiar
people" see Appendix.]

CAP. LII.

_Of Inde the more, & Inde the lesse, & of diamonds, and small
people, & other things._

FROM Ethyope men go into Inde through many dyverse countreys, and it is called Inde the more, and it is departed in three parties, that is to say, Inde the more that is a full hote lande, & Inde the lesse is a temperate land, and the thyrde part that is toward the north there it is right cold, so that for greate colde, frost & yce, the water becommeth Cristal & upon that groweth the good diamondes y^t is like a trouble[1] colour, & that Diamonde is so harde that no man may breake it. Other Diamonds men finde in Araby that are not so good for they are more softer and some are in Cipres and in Macedony men also finde diamondes but the best are in Inde & some are founde many times in a masse that cometh oute where men fynde golde from the myne when men breake the masse in pyeces, and sometyme men finde some of greatnesse of a pese,[2] and some lesse, and those are as harde as those of Inde, and all if it be that men fynde good dyamondes in Indie upon the Roch of Crystall, also menne finde good dyamondes upon the Roch of Adamante[3] in the sea and on hilles, as it were haysell noutes,[4] and they are all square and poynted of theyre owne kynde, and they grow both togither, male and female, and are noryshed with the dewe of heaven, and they engendre commonly & bring forth small children that multiply & growe all the yeare. I haue many times assayed that if a man kepe them with a lyttle of the roche, and wette them with many dewes oft times, they shal grow euery yeare, and the small shall waxe greate. And a manne shall bere the Diamonde in his left side, and then it is of more vertue, for the strength of theyr growing is toward the North, that is on the lefte side as men of those countreys say. To him that beareth the diamond upon him it giveth him hardinesse, it kepeth his lims of his body hole, it giveth victory of[5] enimies if a mans cause be ryght, and hym that bereth it in good will, it kepeth him from strife, from ryote, ill dreames, and sorcerys, and enchauntements, and no wylde beste shall greve him nor assaile him. And also the Dyamonde shoulde be given freely without covetyse and bying, & then it is of more vertue, it healeth him that is lunatyke, and he that is travailed with a divell, and if venym or poyson be brought in the presence of the Diamonde so soon it moysteth and beginneth to sweate, and men may well polyce[6] them to make men beleve that they may not be polyshed. But men may assaye them well in this maner, fyrst cut with them an diverse precious stones, as Saphyrs or other uppon Crystall and then men take a stone that is called Adamande, lay a nedell before that Adamande and if the Diamond is good & vertuous the Adamande draweth not the nedell to him whiles the Diamonde is there. And this is the proof that they make beyonde the sea. But it falleth sometime that the good diamond loseth his vertue through him that wereth it, and therefore it is nedefull for to make it to recover his virtue againe, or else it is lyttle of value.[7]

[Footnote 1: Prismatic.]

[Footnote 2: Pea.]

[Footnote 3: Rocks of Magnetic Loadstone were then firmly
believed in.]

[Footnote 4: Hazel nuts.]

[Footnote 5: Over.]

[Footnote 6: Polish.]

[Footnote 7: This description of the diamond is largely taken
from Pliny, book 37, chap. iv.]

CAP. LIII.

_Of diverse countreys & Kingdomes & yles of the lande of Inde._

MANY diverse countreys & Kingdoms are in Inde, and it is called Inde of a river that runneth through it, which is called Inde also & there are many precious stones in that river Inde. And in that ryver men finde Eles of xxx foote long & men y^t dwell nere that river are of evill colour, yelowe & grene. In Inde is more than fyve thousande yles that men dwell in good and great, beside those that men dwel not in. And in eche one of those is great plenty of cities and muche people, for men of Inde are of that condicion that they passe not out of theyr lande commonly, for they dwell under a planet that is called Saturne, & that planet maketh his course by the xii signes in xxx[1] yeare and the Mone passeth through the xii signes in a moneth and for that Saturne is of so late sterying,[2] therefore men that dwell under him, & in that clymate have no good will to be much sterying aboute. And in our countrey is it contrary, for we are in a climate that is of the mone, & of light stering and that is the planet of way, & therefore it giveth us will to much moving & steryng and to go into diverse countreys of the world, for it goeth about the worlde more lyghtly than any other planet dothe. Also men passe through Inde by many countreys unto the great Occean Sea. And then they fynde the yle of Hermes where marchaunts of Venis and of Gene and of other diverse partes of christendome come for to by them marchaundise.

In this lande men and women lye all naked in the ryvers and waters, from undren[3] or heate of the day tyll it be past none, and they ly all in the water but the face, for the great heat that is there, and the women be not ashamed for the men. In that yle are the ships without nayles of yron, or bond, for roches of Adamand[4] that are in the sea would draw shippes to them. From this yle men go by the sea to the yle of Lana where is great plenty of corne, and the King of this yle was sometime so mighty that he helde war against King Alexander with great strength. Men of this yle have many maner beleves and faithe & have also diverse lawes, for some do worship the Sunne, some the fyre, some the trees, & some the serpents, or any other thinge that they fyrst meete in the morning, and some doe worship simulacres[5] and Idoles, but betwene symulacres & ydoles is no[6] difference, and that is to understande, ymages made to what lykenesse of thing that man may invent, for some ymage hath an head lyke an Oxe, some haue three or foure heddes, on of a man or an hors or Oxe or any other best that no man hath seene. And ye shall understande that they that worship symulacres they worship them as for worthy men that were sometime, as Hercules, and other that dyd many mervayles in theyr tymes. For they saye they know well that they are not god of kynde[7] that made all thinges, but that they are wel[8] with god for the mervayles that they did, and therefore they worship them. And so say they of the sonne, for it chaungeth oft tymes, for it giueth sometime great heate for to nourych[9] all things on earth, & bicause it is of so greate profyte they knowe well that it is not God but it is well with God & that God loveth it more than any other thing, and for this cause they worshippe it. And also they saye theyr reasons of other planettes, and of fyre also, for it is profitable, and nedefull. And of ydolls they say the Oxe is the holyest that they may finde here in earthe, and more profitable than any other, for he doth much good, and none ille, and they knowe well that it maye not bee without the speciall grace of God, and therefore they make theyr God of an Oxe, the one halfe, and the other halfe a man, for man is the fairest and the best creature of the worlde. And they doe worship to serpentes, and other beastes that they fyrste meete with in the morninge, and namely those bestes that have good, meting after whome they speake[10] well all the day after, the which they have proved of long time, & therefore they say that this meting cometh of Gods grace, and therefore they doe make ymages lyke unto those things that they may worship them before they meete anythinges else. And there are some christen men that say that some bestes are better for to meet than some, for hares, swine, and other bestes are ill to meete first, as they saye. In this yle of Cana is many wilde bestes, & rattes in that countrey are as great as houndes here, and they take them with mastifes, for cattes may not take them. Fro thence men come to a citie that men call Sarchys, and it is a faire and a goode citie and there dwell many christen men of Gods faith, and there be men of religion. From thence men come to the land of Lombe & in that lande groweth peper in a forest that men call Tomber & it groweth in none other place more in all the worlde than in that forest, and that forest is well L[11] daies journey. And there by the lande of Lombe is the Citie of Polomes,[12] and under that Citie is an hyll that men call Polombe and thereof taketh the citie his name. And so at the fote of the same hill is a right faire and a clere well, that hath a full good and sweete savoure, and it smelleth of all maner of sortes of spyces, and also at eche houre of the daye it changeth his savour diversly, and who drinketh thries on the daye of that well, he is made hole of all maner (_of_) sickenesse that he hathe. I have sometime dronke of that well, and methinketh yet that I fare the better; some call it the well of youth, for they that drinke thereof seme to be yong alway, and live without great sicknesse, and they saye this well, cometh from Paradise terrestre, for it is so vertuous, and in this lande groweth ginger, and thither come many good marchauntes for spyces. In this countrey men worship the Oxe for his great simpleness and mekenesse, and the profite that is in him, for they make the Oxe to travaile vi or vii yere and then men do eate him. And the Kinge of that land hath euermore one Oxe with him, and he that kepeth him euery day taketh hys fees for the keping. And also euery daye he gathereth his uryne and his dong in a vessell of gold, and bereth it to the prelate that they call, Archi porta papaton[13] and the prelate bereth it to the King, and maketh thereupon a great blessing and then the King putteth his hande therein, and they call it gaule and hee anoynteth his fronte, and his breste therewith, and they doe it great worship, and saye he shall be fulfilled with the vertu of the Oxe before sayde, and that he is halowed through vertue of that holy thinge as they saye. And when the Kinge hath this done, then doe it other lordes, and after them other men after theyr degree, if they may haue any of the remenaunt.[14] In thys countrey theyr ydoles are halfe men and halfe oxe, as the figure sheweth in the seconde lefe here before, and out of these ydolles the wycked ghost[15] speaketh unto them, and giveth them aunswere of what thing that they aske him, and before these ydolles they many times sleay theyr children, and sprinkle the blood on the ydoles, and so make they sacrifice. And if any man die in that countrey, they brene them in tokening of penaunce that he should suffer no penance if he were layd in the earth for eating of wormes. And if his wife haue no children then they burne hir with him, and they saye that is good reason that she keepe him company in the other worlde, as she dyd in this, & if she haue children she may liue with them and[16] she will; and if the wyfe dye before, she shall be burnt, & hir husbande also, if he will. In this countrey groweth good wine, & women drink wine & men none, and women shaue theyr berds & not men.

[Footnote 1: _Pynson_ says 20 years.]

[Footnote 2: Slow motion.]

[Footnote 3: An early hour before noon. A Latin edition has
it:--"_A diei hora tertia, usq: ad nonam_."]

[Footnote 4: Loadstone rocks.]

[Footnote 5: Images.]

[Footnote 6: Other editions have "a gret difference," which
the context shows should be the right reading.]

[Footnote 7: Similar to Him that made, &c.]

[Footnote 8: They were helped by God in the marvels, &c.]

[Footnote 9: Nourish.]

[Footnote 10: Speed, _i.e._ have good luck.]

[Footnote 11: Other editions say 18.]

[Footnote 12: Quilon, on the Malabar Coast.]

[Footnote 13: Archi proto papaton.]

[Footnote 14: Remnant.]

[Footnote 15: Wicked spirit.]

[Footnote 16: An, if.]

CAP. LIIII.

_Of the Kingedome of Mabaron._

FROM this lande men go many journeys to a countrey that men call Mabaron,[1] and this is a greate Kingdome, therein is many fayre cities & townes. In this lande lyeth Sainct Thomas in a fayre tombe, in fleshe and bones, in the Citie of Calamy, and the arme and hande that hee put in our Lordes syde after his resurrection, when Christ sayde unto hym, _Noli esse incredulus sed fidelis:_, that is to saye, Be not of vaine hope but beleve; that same hande lyeth yet without the tombe bare, and with this hande they giue theyr domes[2] in that countrey, to mete[3] who saith righte, and who doeth not, for, if any stryfe be betwene two parties, they write their names, & put them into the hand, & then incontinently the hande casteth away the byll[4] of him that hath wronge and holdeth the other still that hathe righte, and therefore they come from farre countreys to have Judgementes of causes that are in doubte. In this church of Saint Thomas is a great image, y^t is a simulacre, & it is richly beset with precious stons & perles, to that image men come in pilgrimage from farre countreys, with great devocion, as Christen men go to Saint James, & there come some pilgrims y^t beare sharp knives in theyr handes, & as they go by the waye they shere[5] theyr shankes & thyghes, that the bloude may come out for the love of that ydoll and they saye that he is holy that will dye for that ydols sake. And there is some that for the time that they go out of their houses at eche third pace they knele till that they come to this idole. And when they come there they have ensence[6] or such other thing for to ensence the ydole, as we would do to Gods body. And there before that mynster or church of this ydol, is a river full of water, & in that river pilgrims cast gold, silver, perles & other precious stones without number, in stede of offerings, and therefore, when y^e maister of the minster hath any neede of helping, as sone they go the river & take thereout as much as they haue neede to helping of y^e minster. And ye shall understande when that any greate festes come of y^e Idol, as the dedication day of the church, or of the throning of the Idol, all the countrey there about assemble them there togither and then men set this Idoll with great reverence & worship in a chaire well dressed with cloth of gold, and other tapistry, & so they carry him with great reverence & worship, rounde about the citie, and before the chaire goeth firste in procession all the maidens of the countrey two & two togither, & so after them go the pilgrimes that are come fro far countreys, of the which pilgrims some fall downe before the chaire, & letteth all go over them and so are they slaine, and some haue theyr armes broken & leggs,[7] and this they doe for love of the Idol, and they beleve the more paine that they suffer here for their Idol the more joy shall they haue in y^e other world, & a man shall finde few Christen men will suffer so much penaunce for our Lordes sake as they do for the ydoll. And nighe before the chaire go all the mynstrels of the countrey, as it were without nomber with many divers melodyes. And when they are come againe to the Church they sette up the ydol againe in his throne, and for worship of the ydoll two or three[8] are slaine with sharpe knives with their good will. And also a man thinketh in our countrey that he hath a great worshippe to haue an holy man in his kyn, lykewise they saye that those that are there slayne are holye men and sayntes & they are wrytten in their letany, and when they are thus dead theyr frendes brene theyr bodies & they take the ashes, and those are kepte as relykes, and they say it is an holy thing, & that they doubte of no perill when they haue of those ashes.

[Footnote 1: Identical with the Maabav of Marco Polo, book 3,
cap. xvi., where he gives a very interesting account of the
place. It was what we call the Coromandel Coast.]

[Footnote 2: Judgments.]

[Footnote 3: Find out.]

[Footnote 4: Paper.]

[Footnote 5: Cut their legs.]

[Footnote 6: Incense.]

[Footnote 7: Mandeville probably describes the Car of
Juggernaut.]

[Footnote 8: Other editions have it "two or three hundred."]

CAP. LV.

_Of a great countrey called Lamory, where the people go all naked
& other things._

FROM this countrey LII journeys is a countrey that men call Lamory,[1] and in that lande is greate heate, and it is the custome there, that men and women go al naked and they scorne all them that are clade, for they say that God made Adam & Eve all naked, and that men shoulde haue no shame of that God made, & they beleve in the same God that made Adam & Eve and all the world, and there is no woman wedded, but women are all common there, and they forsake no man. And they say that God commaunded to Adam & Eve and all that come of them saying, _Crescite & multiplicamini, & replete Terram_. That is to say in English, Encrease & multiply and fyll the earth, and no man may say there, This is my wife, & no woman may say, this is my husbande. And when they haue any children they give them to whom they will of men that haue medled with them. Also the lande is all common, for every man taketh what he will, for that one man hath in one yere now, an other man hath another yeare. Also all the goods, as corne, beastes and all maner thing of that countrey are all in common. For there is nothing under locke, and as riche is one man as an other, but they haue an evill custome in eating of fleshe, for they eate gladlier mans fleshe than other. Neverthelesse in that lande is abundaunce of corne, of fleshe, of fishe, of golde of silver and all maner of goods. And thether doeth the marchauntes bring their children for to sell, and those that are fatte they eate them, & those that be lean, they kepe them tyll they befatte, & then are they eaten. And besyde this yle of Lamory, is another yle that men call Somober,[2] and is a good yle, men of that yle do marke them in the visage with an hot yron, bothe men & women for great nobility & to be knowen from other, for they hold themselfe the worthiest of y^e world and they haue warre evermore with those men that are naked that I spake of before. Also there are many other yles and diverse maner of men, of the which it were overmuch for to speake of all.

[Footnote 1: Sumatra.]

[Footnote 2: ? Sumatra. One or other, Lamory or Somober, is
evidently this island.]

CAP. LVI.

_Of the countrey and yle named Java, which is a mighty lande._

AND there is also a great yle that men call Java & the kinge of that countrey hath under hym seven kinges, for he is a full mightie prince. In this yle groweth all maner of spyces more plenteously than in any other place, as ginger, clowes, canell[1] nutmyge[2] and other, and ye shall understande that the nutmyge beareth the maces, & of all thing therein is plenty savinge wine. The King of this lande hath a riche palace and the best that is in the worlde, for all the greces of his hall and chambres are all made one of gold & another of silver, & all the walls are plated with fine gold and silver, & on those plates are written stories of knightes, and batayles, and the pavimente of the hall and chambres is of golde and silver, and there is no man that woulde beleve this riches that is there except hee had sene it, and the Kynge of this yle is so mightie, that he hath many times overcom the great Caane of Cathay which is the myghtiest Emperour that is in all the worlde, for there is often warre amonge them, for the great Caane would make hym hold his land of him.

[Footnote 1: Cinnamon.]

[Footnote 2: Nutmeg.]

CAP. LVII.

_Of the Kingdome of Pathen or Salmasse, which is a goodly lande._

AND for to go forth by the sea, there is an yle that is called Pater, and some call it Salmasse, for it is a great kingedome with many faire cities. In this lande groweth trees that beare meale, of which men make faire bread & white & of good savour, and it seemeth lyke as it were of wheate. And there be other trees that beare venym,[1] againe the which is no medicine but one, that is to take of the leaves of the same tree and stampe them, and tempre them with water and drinke it, or else he shall dye sodainly, for Treacle may not helpe. And if you will know how this tree beare meale, I shall tell you, men hew with a hatchet aboute the rote of the tree by the earth, and they perce him in many sundry places, and then cometh out a lycoure the which they take in a vessell, and sette in the sonne and dry it, and when it is dry, they cary it unto the mille to grynde, and so it is faire meale and white. Also hony wyne, and venym are drawen out of other trees in the same maner, and they put it in vessels to keepe. In that yle is a dead sea, which is a water that hath no grounde and if anythinge fall therein it shall never be founde, besyde that sea groweth great canes and under theyr rootes men finde precious stones of great vertue, for he that beareth one of those stones uppon him, there may no yron greve[2] him nor drawe blood on hym, and therefore they y^t have those stones fyght full hardely, for there may no quarell[3] nor such thing greve them, therefore they that knowe the maner make their quarell without yron & so they sleay them.

[Footnote 1: Poison, _i.e._, are poisonous.]

[Footnote 2: Wound or hurt.]

[Footnote 3: Arrow.]

CAP. LVIII.

_Of the Kingdome of Talonach, the king thereof hath many wyves._

THEN is there another yle that men call Talonach, that is a greate lande, and plenteous of goods & fyshes, as you shall hereafter heare. And the King of the lande hath as many wives as he will, a thousande & mo, and lyeth never by one of them but once, and that lande hath a marvayle that is in no other land, for all maner of fyshes of the sea cometh there once a yeare, one after another, and lyeth him nere the lande, sometime on the lande, and so lye three dayes, and men of that lande come thither and take of them what he will, and then go those fyshes awaye and another sorte commeth, and lyeth also three dayes and men take of them, and doe thus all maner of fyshes tyll all haue bene there, and menne have taken what they wyll. And menne wot[1] not the cause why it is so. But they of that countrey saye, that those fyshes come so thyther to do worship to theyr king, for they say he is the most worthiest king of the worlde for he hath so many wives and geateth so many children of them. And that same kinge that XIIII M Olyfauntes or mo which be all tame, and they be all fedde of the men his countrey, for his pleasure bicause that he may haue them redy to his hande when he hath any warre against any kyng or prince, and then he doth put uppon theyr backs castels & men of warre as the use is of the lande, and lykewyse do other kyngs and princes thereabout.

[Footnote 1: Know.]

[Decoration]

CAP. LIX.

_Of the ylande called Raso[1] where men be hanged as sone as
they are sicke._

AND from this yle menne go unto another yle that men call Raso, and menne of this yle when that theyr friendes are sicke & that they beleve surely that they shal dye, they take them & hange them al quick on a tree, and say that it is better that byrdes, that are aungels of God, eate them, than wormes of the earthe. Fro thence men go to an yle where the men are of ill kinde, for they nourishe houndes for to strangle men. And when theyr friendes are sicke that they hope they shal dye, then do those houndes strangle them, for they wyll not that they dye a kyndely death, for then shoulde they suffre to great paine as they say, & when they are thus dead they eate theyre flesh for venison.

[Footnote 1: _Pynson_ and others say Gaffolo or Caffolos.]

CAP. LX.

_Of the ylande of Melke wherein dwelleth evill people._

FROM thence menne go through many yles by sea unto an yle that men call Melke, and there be full yll people, for they haue none other delyte but to fyght and slee men, for they drinke gladly mans blood, which blood they call good, and they that maye most sleay is of moste name amonge them. And if two men there be at stryfe and after bee made at one, it behoveth them to drink eyther others blood, or else the accorde is nought. From this yle men go to an yle that is called Tracota where all men are as beastes & not reasonable, they dwell in caves, for they haue not wyt to make them houses, they eate adders[1] and they speake not, but they make such a noyse as adders doe one to another, and they make no force of ryches but of a stone that hath forty colours, and it is called Traconyt after that yle, they know not the vertue thereof but they covete it for the great fayreness.

[Footnote 1: Pliny speaks (Book 7, cap. 2) of adder-eating
people in India and elsewhere, but he says they live to the
age of four hundred years, which is supposed to be owing to
the flesh of vipers, which they use as food, in consequence
of which they are free from all noxious animals, both in their
hair and their garments. In book 29, c. 38, he also gives
directions for the preparation of viper's flesh for food.]

CAP. LXI.

_Of an yland named Macumeran, whereas the people haue heads lyke
houndes._[1]

FROM that yle menne go to an yle that is called Macumeran, whiche is a greate yle and a fayre and the men and women of the countrey haue heads like houndes, they are reasonable & worship an oxe for their god, they go all naked but a little clothe before them, they are good men to fighte, & they beare a great target with which they couer all the body and a speare in theyr hande, and if they take any man in batayle they sende him to theyr King which is a great lorde & devoute in his faith, for he hath about his necke on a cord thre hondred pearles great & orient,[2] in maner of Pater noster, and as we saye Pater noster, and Ave maria. Right so ye King saith euery day three hundred prayers to his god before he eate, & he beareth also about hys necke a ruby, oryent, fine & good, that is neer a foote & five fingers long. For when they chuse theyr Kyng they giue to him that Ruby to beare in his hande, and then they lead him riding about the citie, and then euer after are they subjecte to him, and therefore he beareth that Ruby alway about his necke, for if he beareth not the Ruby, they woulde no longer holde hym for kynge. The greate Caane of Cathay hath much coveted this Ruby: but he might never haue it, neither for war nor for other catell,[3] and this Kinge is a full true & a righteous man, for men may go safely & surely through his lande & beare y^t he will, for there is no man so hardy to let[4] them. And from thence men go to an ile that is called Silo, this ile is more than a hundred[5] myle about and therein be many serpents which are great with yelow stripes & they haue foure feete, with short leggs & great claws, some be five fadome[6] of length & some of viii & some of x & some more and some lesse & be called Cocodrylles & there are also many wylde beasts & Olyfants.[7] Also in this yle & in many yles thereabout are many wyld geese with two heads, and there be also in y^t countrey white lyons and many other dyverse mervaylous beastes, & if I should tell it all it should be to long.

[Footnote 1: Again in Book 7, cap. 2, Pliny speaks of
_Cynocephali_, or dog-headed people, for he says that on many
of the mountains there is a tribe of men, who have the heads
of dogs, and clothe themselves with the skins of wild beasts.
Instead of speaking, they bark; and, furnished with claws,
they live by hunting and catching birds.]

[Footnote 2: Oriental,--coming from the East.]

[Footnote 3: Nor in exchange.]

[Footnote 4: Hinder.]

[Footnote 5: Others say 800.]

[Footnote 6: A fathom is 6 feet.]

[Footnote 7: Elephants.]

CAP. LXII.

_Of a great yland called Dodyn, where are many diverse men of
evill conditions._

THEN there is another yle that men call Dodyn, & it is a great yle. In this yle are maner diverse maner of men y^t haue evyll maners, for the father eateth the son & the son the father the husband his wyfe and the wyfe hir husbande. And if it so be that the father be sicke, or the mother, or any frend, the sonne goeth soone to the priest of the law & prayeth him that he will aske of the ydoll if his father shall dye of that sicknesse or not. And then the priest and the son kneele downe before the ydole devoutly & asketh him, and he aunswereth to them, and if he say that he shall lyve, then they kepe him wel, and if he say that he shall dye, then commeth the priest with the son or with the wyfe or what frende that it be unto him y^t is sicke, and they lay their hands over his mouth to stop his breath, and so they sley him & then they smite all the body into peces & praieth all his frendes for to come and eate of him that is dead, and they make a great feste thereof and haue many minstrels there, and eate him with great melody. And so when they haue eaten al y^e flesh, then they take the bones and bury them all singing with great worship, and all those that are of his friendes that were not there at the eating of him haue great shame and vylany, so that they shall never more be taken as frends. And the King of this yle is a great lord and mightie, & he hath under him LIIII grete Yles and eche of them hath a King, and in one of these yles are men that haue but one eye, & that is in the middest of theyr front and they eate not flesh & fishe all rawe. And in another yle dwell men that haue no heads & theyr eyen are in theyr shoulders & theyr mouth is on theyr breste.[1] In another yle are men that haue no head ne eyen and theyr mouth is in theyr shoulders. And in another yle are men that haue flatte faces without nose and without eyen, but they haue two small round holes in stede of eyen, and they haue a flatte mouth without lippes. And in that yle are men also that haue their faces all flat without eyen, without mouth & without nose, but they haue their eyen and their mouth behinde on their shoulders. And in an other yle are foule men that haue the lippes aboute the mouth so greate that when they sleepe in the sonne, they cover all theyr face with the lippe. And in another yle are lyttle men as dwarfes, and haue no mouth but a lyttle rounde hole & through that hole they eate their meat with a pipe, & they haue no tongue & they speake not but they blow & whistle and so make signes one to another. And in another yle are men with hanging eares unto their shoulders.[2] And in another yle are wild men with hanging eares & haue feete lyke an hors & they run faste & they take wild beastes and eate them. And in another yle are men that go on theyr handes & feete lyke beasts & are all rough and will leape upon a tree like cattes or apes. And in an other yle are men that go euer uppon theyr knees mervaylosly, and haue on euery foote viii Toes.[3] Many other maner of folke bee in the sea in yles thereabout, of whome it were to longe to tell all.

[Footnote 1: Here again Pliny says in his 7th book, cap.
2:--"These people dwell not very far from the Troglodytæ
(_dwellers in caves_) to the west, of whom again there is
a tribe who are without necks, and _have eyes in their
shoulders_."]

[Footnote 2: See Appendix.]

[Footnote 3: Here a paragraph is omitted, not being suitable
for general readers.]

CAP. LXIII.

_Of the Kingedome named Mancy which is the best kingedome of
the worlde._

TO go from this yle toward the east many journies a man shall finde a kingdome that is called Mancy[1] & this is in Inde the more, & it is y^e most delectable and plenty of goods of all the worlde. In this lande dwell christen men and Sarasins, for it is a great lande, and therein are II M great cities & many other townes. In this lande no man goeth a begging, for there is no pore man, and there men haue beardes of heare[2] as it were cattes. In this lande are faire women, and therefore some men call that lande Albany, for the white folke, and there is a citie that men call Latorim and is more[3] than Paris, and in that land are birdes twise greater than they be here and there is all maner of vytayles good cheape.[4] In this countrey are whyte hennes, and they beare no feathers but woll[5] as shepe doe in our lande; and women of that countrey that are wedded beare crownes uppon theyr heads that they may be knowne by. In this countrey they take a beast that is called Loyres, and they keepe it to goe in to waters or ryvers, and straighte waye hee bringeth out of the water great fishes, and thus they take fishe as longe as they will, and as them nedeth. Fro this citie men go by many journeys to an other citie that is called Cassay,[6] that is the fayrest citie of the worlde, and that citie is fifty myle about and there is in that citie mo than xii[7] principall gates without. From thence within three myle is an other great citie, and within this citie are more than xii thousand bridges and upon eche bridge is a stronge toure where the kepers dwell to kepe it against the great Caane, for it marcheth[8] on his land. And on one side of the citie runneth a great river, and there dwell christen men & other for it is a good countrey and plentious, & there groweth right good wine. In this noble citie the King of Mancy was wont to dwell and there dwell religious men, as fryers. And men go vpon the river till they come to an Abbey of Monkes a lyttle from the citie & in y^t Abbey is a great gardeine, and therein is many maner of trees of divers fruites, in that gardein are divers kindes of beastes, as Baboyns,[9] Apes, Marmosets and other, & when the covent[10] haue eaten, a monke taketh the reliefe[11] & beareth it into the gardein, & smiteth once with a bell of silver which he holdeth in his hand, anone come out these beastes that I speake of and many nere II or III thousand,[12] and he giveth them to eate of[13] faire vessels of silver, & when they haue eaten he smyteth the bell againe and they go away, and the monke sayth that those beasts are soules of men that are dead, and those beastes that are fayre are soules of Lordes and other rich men, & those that are foule beastes are soules of other commons, and I asked them if it had not been better to give that relife to pore men, & they sayde there is no pore men in y^e countrey and if there were yet were it more almes to give it to those soules y^t suffer there their penaunce & may go no farther to get their meat, than to men that haue wit & may travail for theyr meat. Then come men to a citie y^t is called Chibens & there was the first sege[14] of the King of Mancy. In this citie are LX brydges of stone as fayre as they may be.

[Footnote 1: Or Manzi, that part of China south of the river
Hoang-ho.]

[Footnote 2: _Pynson_ has "berdes _thynne_ of here, as it were
cattes."]