“And other trees that bear venom, against which there is no medicine, but one; and that is to take their proper leaves and stamp them and temper them with water, and then drink it, and else he shall die; for triacle will not avail, ne none other medicine. Of this venom the Jews had let seek of one of their friends for to empoison all Christianity, as I have heard them say in their confession before their dying; but thank be to Almighty God! they failed of their purpose; but always they make great mortality of people.”
Yet again Sir John has marvels of other countries, where are men who—“when their friends be sick they hang them upon trees, and say that it is better that birds that be angels of God eat them, than the foul worms of the earth.”
And near by is the isle of Calonak, where gardeners would indeed be evily distressed by reason of the snail—“that be so great, that many persons may lodge them in their shells, as men would do in a little house.”
By taking ship Sir John goes from isle to isle discussing the sights, and arrives at length at an isle where—“be white hens without feathers, but they bear white wool as sheep do here”; and he passes by Cassay, of the greatest cities of the world, and goes from that city by water to an abbey of monks.
A ROSE GARDEN IN BERKSHIRE.
VIII
OF THE ABBEY GARDEN
“From that city men go by water, solacing and disporting them, till they come to an abbey of monks that is fast by, that be good religious men after their faith and law.
“In that abbey is a great garden and fair, where be many trees of diverse manner of fruits. And in this garden is a little hill full of delectable trees. In that hill and in that garden be many diverse beasts, as of apes, marmosets, baboons, and many other diverse beasts. And every day, when the convent of this abbey hath eaten, the almoner let bear the relief to the garden, and he smiteth on the garden gate with a clicket of silver that he holdeth in his hand; and anon all the beasts of the hill and of the diverse places of the garden come out a 3,000 or a 4,000; and they come in guise of poor men, and men give them the relief in fair vessels of silver, clean over-gilt. And when they have eaten, the monk smiteth efftsoons on the garden gate with the clicket, and then anon all the beasts return again to their places that they come from.