CAPVT. 3.
De vrbe Constantinopoli, et reltquijs ibidem contentis.
Constantinopolis pulchra est Ciuitas, et nobilis, triangularis in forma, firmitérque murata, cuius duæ partes includuntur mari Hellesponto, quòd plurimi modò appellant brachium sanctì Georgij, et aliqui Buke, Troia vetus. Versus locum vbi hoc brachium exit de mari est late terræ planities, in quâ antiquitus stetit Troia Ciuitas de qua apud Poetas mira leguntur sed nunc valdè modica apparent vestigia Ciuitatis. In Constantinopoli habentur multa mirabilia, ac insuper multæ sanctorum venerandæ relliquæi, ac super omnia, preciosissimi Crux Christi, seu maior pars illius, et tunica inconsutilis, cum spongia et arandine, et vno clauorum, et dimidia parte coronæ spineæ, cuius altera medietas seruatur in Capetla Regis Franciæ, Parisijs. Nam et ego indignus ditigenter pluribus vicibus respexi partem vtrámque: dabatur quóque mihi de illa Parisijs vnica spina, quam vsque nunc preciose conseruo, et est ipsa spina non lignea sed uelut de iuncis marinis rigîda, et pungitiua. [Sidenote: Eclesia sanctæ Sophiæ] Ecclesia Constantinopolitana in honorem sanctæ Sophiæ, id est, ineffabilis Dei sapientiæ dedicato dicitur, et nobilissima vniuersarum mundi Ecclesiarum, tam in schemate artificiosi operis, quàm in seruatis ibi sacrosanctis Relliquijs: [Sidenote: Regina Helena Britanna] nam et continet corpus sancte Annæ matris nostræ Dominæ translatum illuc per Reginam Helenam ab Hierosolymis: et corpus S. Lucæ Euangelistæ translatum de Bethania Iudeæ; Et Corpus beati Ioannis Chrysostomi ipsius Ciuitatis Episcopi, cum multis atlijs reliquijs preciosis; quoniam est ibi vas grande cum huiusmodi reliquijs velut marmoreum de Petra Enhydros; quod iugiter de seipso desudans aquam semel, in anno inuenitur suo sudore repletum. [Sidenote: Imago Iustiniani.] Ante hanc Ecclesiam, super columnam marmoream habetur de ære aurato opere fuscrio, magna imago Iustiniani quondam Imperatoris super equum sedentis, fuit autem primitus in manu imaginis fabricata sphæra rotunda, quæ iam diu è manu sua sibi cecidit, in signum quòd Imperator muliarum terraram dominium perdidit. Námque solebat esse Dominus, Romanorum Græcorum, Asiæ, Syriæ, Iudeæ, Ægypti, Arabiæ, et Persiæ, at nunc solum retinet Greciam, cum aliquibus terris Greciæ adiacentibus, sicut Calistrum, Cholchos, Ortigo, Tylbriam, Minos, Flexon, Melos, Carpates, Lemnon, Thraciam, et Macedoniam totam: Súntque sub eo Caypoplij, et alti Pyntenardi, ac maxima pars Commannorum. Porrò imago tenet manum eleuatam et extentam in orientem, velut in signum cominationis ad Orientales infideles. De prædicta terra Thraciæ fuit Philosophus Aristoteles oriundus in Ciuitate Stageres, et est ibi in loco tumba eius velut altare, vbi et singulis annis certo die celebratur à populo festum illius, ac si fuisset sanctus. Temporibus ergò magnorum consiliorum conueniunt illuc sapientes terræ, reputantes sibi per inspirationem immitti consilium optimum de agendis. Item ad diuisionem Thraciæ et Macedoniæ sunt duo mirabiliter alti montes, vnus Olympus, alter Athos, cuius vltimi vmbra oríente sole apparet ad 76. miliaria, vsque in insulam Lemnon. In horum cacumine montium ventus non currit, nec aer mouetur, quod frequentèr probatum est per ingenium Astronomorum, qui quandóque ascendentes scripserunt, literas in puluere, quas sequenti anno inuenerunt quasi recentèr scriptas, et quia est ibi purus aer sine mixtione elementi aquæ necesse est vt ascendentes habeant secum spongias aquæ plenas pro adhelitus respiratione: In prædicta autem sanctæ sophiæ Ecclesia, (sicut ibidem dicitur,) voluit olim quidam Imperator corpus cuiusdam sui defuncti sepelire cognati: cuius cum foderetur sepulchrum, ventum est ad mausoleum antiquum in quo super incineratum corpus iacebat discus auri puri, et erat sculptum in eo literis Græcis, Hebraicis, et Latinis sic. Iesus Christus nascetur de Virgine, et ego credo in eum. Et erat simul inscripta data defuncti secundum modum illius temporis quæ continebat duo millia annorum ante incarnationem ipsius Christi de Maria Virgine. Seruatur quóque hodierno tempore eadem patina in Thesaurario eiusdem Ecclesiæ, et dicitur illud corpus fuisse Hermetis sapientis. Omnes quidem, terrarum, regionum et insularum homines, qui isti Greco obediunt Imperatori sunt Christiani, et baptizati, tamen variant singuli in aliquo articulo fidem suam a nostra vera fide Catholica, et diuersificant in multis suos ritus à ritibus Romanæ Ecclesiæ, quia iamdiu omiserunt obedire Pontifici Romano, dicentes, quoniam beatus Petrus Apostolus habuit sedem in Antiochia, quamuis passus fuit in Roma: [Sidenote: Patriarchæ Antiocheni authoritas.] Idcirco patriarcha Antiochenus habet in illis Orientalibus partibus similem potestatem, quàm Pontifex Romanus in istis Occidentalibus. Imperator etiam Constantinopolitanus creat eorum patriarcham, et instituit pro sua voluntate Archiepiscopos, et Episcopos, et confert dignitates, et beneficia, similiter inuenta occasione destituit, deponit, et priuat.
The English Version.
And there dwellethe comounly the Emperour of Greece. And there is the most fayr chirche and the most noble of alle the world: and it is of Seynt Sophie. And before that chirche is the ymage of Justynyan the Emperour, covered with gold, and he sytt upon an hors y crowned. And he was wont to holden a round appelle of gold in his hond: but it is fallen out thereof. And men seyn there, that it is a tokene, that the Emperour hathe y lost a gret partie of his londes, and of his lordschipes: for he was wont to be Emperour of Romayne and of Grece, of alle Asye the lesse, and of the lond of Surrye, of the lond of Judee, in the whiche is Jerusalem, and of the lond of Egypt, of Percye, of Arabye. But he hathe lost alle, but Grece; and that lond he holt alle only. And men wolden many tymes put the appulle into the ymages hond azen, but it wil not holde it. This appulle betokenethe the lordschipe, that he hadde over alle the worlde, that is round. And the tother hond he lifteth up azenst the est, in tokene to manace the mysdoeres. This ymage stont upon a pylere of marble at Constantynoble.
Of the Crosse and the Croune of oure Lord Jesu Crist.
[Sidenote: Cap. II.] At Costantynoble is the cros of our Lord Jesu Crist, and his cote withouten semes, that is clept tunica inconsutilis, and the spounge, and the reed, of the whiche the Jewes zaven oure Lord eyselle [Footnote: Vinegar] and galle, in the cros. And there is on of the nayles, that Crist was naylled with on the cros. And some men trowen, that half the cros, that Crist was don on, be in Cipres, in an abbey of monkes, that men callen the Hille of the Holy Cros; but it is not so: for that cros, that is in Cypre, is the cros, in the whiche Dysmas the gode theef was honged onne. But alle men knowen not that; and that is evylle y don. For profyte of the offrynge, thei seye, that it is the cros of oure Lord Jesu Crist. And zee schulle undrestonde, that the cros of oure Lord was made of 4 manere of trees, as it is conteyned in this vers,
In cruce fit palma, cedrus, cypressus, oliva.
For that pece, that went upright fro the erthe to the heved, [Footnote: Head.] was of cypresse; and the pece, that wente overthwart, to the whiche his honds wern nayled, was of palme; and the stock, that stode within the erthe, in the whiche was made the morteys, was of cedre; and the table aboven his heved, that was a fote and an half long, on the whiche the title was writen, in Ebreu, Grece and Latyn, that was of olyve. And the Jewes maden the cros of theise 4 manere of trees: for thei trowed that oure Lord Jesu Crist scholde han honged on the cros, als longe as the cros myghten laste. And therfore made thei the foot of the cros of cedre. For cedre may not, in erthe ne in watre, rote. And therfore thei wolde, that it scholde have lasted longe. For thei trowed, that the body of Crist scholde have stonken; therfore thei made that pece, that went from the erthe upward, of cypres: for it is welle smellynge; so that the smelle of his body scholde not greve men, that wenten forby. And the overhwart pece was of palme: for in the Olde Testament, it was ordyned, that whan on overcomen, he scholde be crowned with palme: and for thei trowed, that thei hadden the victorye of Crist Jesus, therfore made thei the overthwart pece of palme. [Footnote: The reference is to the Olympic Games.] And the table of the tytle, thei maden of olyve; for olyve betokenethe pes. And the storye of Noe wytnessethe, whan that the culver [Footnote: Dove. Anglo-Saxon, Cuifra.] broughte the braunche of olyve, that betokened pes made betwene God and man. And so trowed the Jewes for to have pes, when Crist was ded: for thei seyd, that he made discord and strif amonges hem. And zee schulle undirstonde, that oure Lord was y naylled on the cros lyggynge; and therfore he suffred the more peyne. And the Cristene men, that dwellen bezond the see, in Grece, seyn that the tree of the cros, that we callen cypresse, was of that tree, that Adam ete the appulle of: and that fynde thei writen. And thei seyn also, that here Scripture seythe, that Adam was seek, [Footnote: Sick] and seyed to his sone Sethe, that he scholde go to the Aungelle, that kepte paradys, that he wolde senden hym oyle of mercy, for to anoynte with his membres, that be myghte have hele. And Sethe wente. But the aungelle wolde not late him come in; but seyd to him, that he myghte not have of the oyle of mercy. But he toke him three greynes of the same tree, that his fadre eet the appelle offe; and bad him, als sone as his fadre was ded, that he scholde putte theise three greynes undre his tonge, and grave him so: and he dide. And of theise three greynes sprang a tree, as the aungelle seyde, that it scholde, and bere a fruyt, thorghe the whiche fruyt Adam scholde be saved. And whan Sethe cam azen, he fonde his fadre nere ded. And whan he was ded he did with the greynes, as the aungelle bad him; of the whiche sprongen three trees, of the whiche the cros was made, that bare gode froyt and blessed, oure Lord Jesu Crist; thorghe whom, Adam and alle that comen of him, scholde be saved and delyvered from drede of dethe withouten ende, but it be here own defaute. This holy cros had the Jewes hydde in the erthe, undre a roche of the Mownt of Calvarie; and it lay there 200 zeer and more, into the tyme that Seynt Elyne, that was modre to Constantyn the Emperour of Rome. And sche was doughtre of Kyng Cool born in Colchestre, that was Kyng of Engelond, that was clept thanne, Brytayne the more; the whiche the Emperour Constance wedded to his wyf, for here bewtee, and gat upon hire Constantyn, that was aftre Emperour of Rome.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the cros of oure Lord was eyght cubytes long, and the overthwart piece was of lengthe thre cubytes and an half. And a partie of the crowne of oure Lord, wherwith he was crowned, and on of the nayles, and the spere heed, and many other relikes ben in France, in the kinges chapelle. And the crowne lythe in a vesselle of cristalle richely dyghte. For a kyng of Fraunce boughte theise relikes somtyme of the Jewes; to whom the Emperour had leyde hem to wedde, for a gret summe of sylvre. And zif alle it be so, that men seyn, that this croune is of thornes, zee schulle undirstonde, that it was of jonkes of the see, that is to sey, rushes of the see, that prykken als scharpely as thornes. For I have seen and beholden many tymes that of Parys and that of Costantynoble: for thei were bothe on, made of russches of the see. But men han departed hem in two parties: of the whiche, o part is at Parys, and the other part is at Costantynoble. And I have on of tho precyouse thornes, that semethe licke a white thorn; and that was zoven to me for gret specyaltee. For there are many of hem broken and fallen into the vesselle, that the croune lythe in: for thei breken for dryenesse, whan men meven hem, to schewen hem to grete lords, that comen thidre.
And zee schalle undirstonde, that oure Lord Jesu, in that nyghte that he was taken, he was y lad in to a gardyn; and there he was first examyned righte scharply; and there the Jewes scorned him, and maden him a crowne of the braunches of albespyne, that is white thorn, that grew in that same gardyn, and setten it on his heved, so faste and so sore, that the blood ran down be many places of his visage, and of his necke, and of his schuldres. And therfore hathe white thorn many vertues: for he that berethe a braunche on him thereoffe, no thondre ne no maner of tempest may dere him; ne in the hows, that it is inne, may non evylle gost entre ne come unto the place that it is inne. And in that same gardyn, Seynt Petre denyed our Lord thryes. Aftreward was oure Lord lad forthe before the bisschoppes and the maystres of the lawe, in to another gardyn of Anne; and there also he was examyned, repreved, and scorned, and crouned eft with a whyte thorn, that men clepethe barbarynes, that grew in that gardyn, and that hathe also manye vertues. And aftreward he was lad in to a gardyn of Cayphas, and there he was crouned with eglentier. And aftre he was lad in to the chambre of Pylate, and there he was examynd and crouned. And the Jewes setten him in a chayere and cladde him in a mantelle; and there made thei the croune of jonkes of the see; and there thei kneled to him, and skornede him, seyenge, Ave, Rex Judeorum, that is to seye, Heyl, Kyng of Jewes. And of this croune, half is at Parys, and the other half at Costantynoble. And this croune had Crist on his heved, whan he was don upon the cros: and therfore oughte men to worschipe it and holde it more worthi than ony of the othere.
And the spere schaft hathe the Emperour of Almayne: but the heved is at
Parys. And natheles the Emperour of Costantynoble seythe that he hathe the
spere heed: and I have often tyme seen it; but it is grettere than that at
Parys.
Of the Cytee of Costantynoble, and of the Feithe of Grekis.
[Sidenote: Cap. III.] At Costantynoble lyethe Seynte Anne oure Ladyes modre, whom Seynte Elyne dede brynge fro Jerusalem. And there lyethe also the body of Iohn Crisostome, that was Erchebisschopp of Costantynoble. And there lythe also Seynt Luke the Evaungelist: for his bones werein broughte from Bethanye, where he was beryed. And many other relikes ben there. And there is the vesselle of ston, as it were of marbelle, that men clepen enydros, that evermore droppeth watre, and fillethe himself everiche zeer, til that it go over above, withouten that that men take fro withinne.
Costantynoble is a fulle fayr cytee, and a gode and a wel walled, and it is three cornered. And there is an arm of the see Hellespont: and sum men callen it the mouthe of Costantynoble; and sum men callen it the brace of Seynt George: and that arm closethe the two partes of the cytee. And upward to the see, upon the watre, was wont to be the grete cytee of Troye, in a fulle fayr playn: but that cytee was destroyed by hem of Grece, and lytylle apperethe there of, be cause it so longe sithe it was destroyed.
Abouten Grece there ben many iles, as Calistre,[Footnote: Calliste, one of the Cyclades.] Calcas, [Footnote: Colchos.] Critige, [Footnote: Cerigo.] Tesbria, [Footnote: Resorio.] Mynea, [Footnote: Mynia is a town in the Island of Amorgos.] Flaxon, [Footnote: Flexos.] Melo, [Footnote: Milo.] Carpate, [Footnote: Carpathos, probably.] and Lempne. [Footnote: Lemnos.] And in this ile is the Mount Athos, [Footnote: Athos is on the main land, on a promontory S.E. of Solonica.] that passeth the cloudes. And there ben many dyvers langages and many contreys, that ben obedyent to the Emperour; that is to seyn Turcople, Pyneynard, Cornange, and manye othere, at Trachye, [Footnote: Thrace.] and Macedoigne, of the whiche Alisandre was kyng. In this contree was Aristotle born, in a cytee that men clepen Stragera, a lytil fro the cytee of Trachaye. And at Stragera lythe Aristotle; and there is an awtier upon his toumbe: and there maken men grete festes of hym every zeer, as thoughe he were a seynt. And at his awtier, thei holden here grete conseilles and here assembleez: and thei hopen, that thorghe inspiracioun of God and of him, thei schulle have the better conseille. In this contree ben righte hyghe hilles, toward the ende of Macedonye. And there is a gret hille, that men clepen Olympus, [Footnote: The altitude is 9753 feet.] that departeth Macedonye and Trachye: and it is so highe, that it passeth the cloudes. And there is another hille, that is clept Athos, [Footnote: It is only 6678 feet. This is the old Greek verse: [Greek: Athoos kaluptei pleura lemnias boos.] that is so highe, that the schadewe of hym rechethe to Lempne, that is an ile; and it is 76 myle betwene. And aboven at the cop of the hille is the eir so cleer, that men may fynde no wynd there. And therefore may no best lyve there; and so is the eyr drye. And men seye in theise contrees, that philosophres som tyme wenten upon theise hilles, and helden to here nose a spounge moysted with watre, for to have eyr; for the eyr above was so drye. And aboven, in the dust and in the powder of the hilles, thei wroot lettres and figures with hire fingres: and at the zeres end thei comen azen, and founden the same lettres and figures, the whiche thei hadde writen the zeer before, withouten ony defaute. And therfore it semethe wel, that theise hilles passen the clowdes and joynen to the pure eyr.
At Constantynoble is the palays of the Emperour, righte fair and wel dyghte: and therein is a fair place for justynges, or for other pleyes and desportes. And it is made with stages and hath degrees aboute, that every man may wel se, and non greve other. And undre theise stages ben stables wel y vowted [Footnote: Vaulted.] for the Emperours hors; and alle the pileres ben of Marbelle. And with in the chirche of Seynt Sophie, an emperour somtyme wolde have biryed the body of his fadre, whan he was ded; and as thei maden the grave, thei founden a body in the erthe, and upon the body lay a fyn plate of gold; and there on was writen, in Ebreu, Grece and Latyn, lettres that seyden thus, Jesu Cristus nascetur de Virgine Maria, et ego credo in eum: That is to seyne, Jesu Crist schalle be born of the Virgyne Marie, and I trowe in hym. And the date whan it was leyd in the erthe, was 2000 zeer before oure Lord was born. And zet is the plate of gold in the thresorye of the chirche. And men seyn, that it was Hermogene the wise man.
And zif alle it so be, that men of Grece ben Cristene, zit they varien from our feithe. For thei seyn, that the Holy Gost may not come of the Sone; but alle only of the Fadir. And thei are not obedyent to the Chirche of Rome, ne to the Pope. And thei seyn, that here patriark hathe as meche power over the see as the Pope hathe on this syde the see. And therefore Pope Johne the 22'd sende letters to hem, how Christene feithe scholde ben alle on; and that thei scholde ben obedyent to the Pope, that is Goddis vacrie [Footnote: Vicar.] on erthe; to whom God zaf his pleyn power, for to bynde and to assoille: and therfore thei scholde ben obedyent to him. And thei senten azen dyverse answeres; and amonges other, thei seyden thus: Potentiam tuam summam, circa tuos subjectos firmiter credimus. Superbiam tuam summam tolerare non possumus. Avaritiam tuam summam satiare non intendimus. Dominus tecum: quia Dominus nobiscum est. That is to seye: We trowe wel, that thi power is gret upon thi subgettes. We mai not suffre thi high pryde. We ben not in purpos to fulfille thi gret covetyse. Lord be with thi: for oure Lord is with us. Fare welle. And other answere myghte he not have of hem. And also thei make here sacrement of the awteer of therf [Footnote: Unleavened. Anglo-Saxon, þeorf ('peorf' in source text—KTH)] bred: for oure Lord made it of suche bred, whan he made his mawndee. [Footnote: Last Supper.] And on the Scherethors [Footnote: Shrove Thursday.] day make thei here therf bred, in tokene of the mawndee, and dryen it at the sonne, and kepen it alle the zeer, and zeven it to seke men, in stede of Goddis body. And thei make but on unxioun, whan thei christene children. And thei annoynte not the seke men. And thei saye, that there nys no purgatorie, and the soules schulle not have nouther joye ne peyne, tille the day of doom. And thei seye, that fornicatioun is no synne dedly, but a thing that is kyndely: and the men and women scholde not wedde but ones; and whoso weddethe oftere than ones, here children ben bastardis and geten in synne. And here prestis also ben wedded. And thei saye also, that usure is no dedly synne. And they sellen benefices of Holy Chirche: and so don men in others places: God amende it, whan his wille is. And that is gret sclaundre. [Footnote: Scandal.] For now is symonye kyng crouned in Holy Chirche: God amende it for his mercy. And thei seyn, that in Lentone, men schulle nor faste, ne synge masse; but on the Satreday and on the Sonday. And thei faste not on the Satreday, no tyme of the zeer, but it be Cristemasse even on Estre even. And thei suffre not the Latines to syngen at here awteres: and zif thei done, be ony aventure, anon thei wasschen the awteer with holy watre. And thei seyn, that there scholde be but o masse seyd at on awtier, upon o day. And thei seye also, that oure Lord ne eet nevere mete: but he made tokene etyng. And also thei seye, that wee synne dedly, in schavynge oure berdes. For the berd is tokene of a man, and zifte of oure Lord. And thei seye, that wee synne dedly, in etynge of bestes, that weren forboden in the Old Testament, and of the olde lawe; as swyn, hares, and othere bestes, that chewen not here code. And thei seyn, that wee synnen, when wee eten flessche on the dayes before Assche Wednesday, and of that wee eten flessche the Wednesday, and egges and chese upon the Frydayes. And thei accursen alle tho, that absteynen hem to eten flessche the Satreday. Also the Emperour of Costantynoble makethe the patriarke, the erchebysschoppes and bisschoppes; and zevethe dygnytees and the benefices of chirches, and deprivethe hem that ben worthy, whan he fyndethe ony cause. And so is the lord bothe temperelle and spirituelle, in his contree, And zif zee wil wite [Footnote: Know.] of here A, B, C, what lettres thei ben, here zee may seen hem, with the names, that thei clepen hem there amonges them.
Alpha, Betha, Gamma, Deltha, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa,
Lambda, My,Ny, Xi, Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi,
Omega. [Greek letters removed for pain-text edition—KTH]
And alle be it that theise thinges touchen not to o way, nevertheles thei touchen to that, that I have hight zou, to schewe zou a partie of custumes and maneres, and dyversitees of contrees. And for this is the first contree that is discordant in feythe and in beleeve, and variethe from our feythe, on this half the see, therefore I have sett it here, that zee may knowe the dyversitee that is betwene our feythe and theires. For many men han gret lykynge to here speke of straunge thinges of dyverse contreyes.