The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight / Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys

by Sir John Mandeville

[1:] Damascus.

[2:] Pynson and others say lordship.

[3:] Vale.

[4:] Kindred or tribe.

[5:] Dig.

[6:] Lot.

CAP. XVI.

Of the dry tree.

WHEN a lyttle from Ebron is the mounte of Mambre, of the which mount the vale toke his name, and there is the tree of oke that the Sarasins call dypre,[¹] that is of Abraham's time, that men call the dry tree. And they say that it hath ben from the beginning of the worlde, and was sometime grene and bare leaves, unto the tyme that our Lorde dyed, and so did all the trees in the worlde, or else they fayled in their heartes, or else they faded, and yet is there many of those in the worlde. And some prophesies say, that a lorde or prince of the weste syde of the worlde shall winne the lande of promission, that is the holy lande, with the helpe of Christen men, and he shall do singe[²] a masse under that tree, and the tree shall waxe grene and beare fruite and leaves, and through that miracle many Sarasins and Jewes shal be turned to the Christen fayth, and therefore they do great worship therto, and kepe it right[³] basely. And yet though it be dry, it beareth a great vertue, for certainly he that hath a lyttle thereof about him, it healeth a sicknesse called the falling evill, and hath many other vertues also, and therefore it is holden right precious.

[1:] Pynson and others read Dyrpe or Dirpe.

[2:] Cause a mass to be sung.

[3:] To keep it carefully.

CAP. XVII.

Fro Bethlehem.

FROM Ebron men go to Bethlehem in halfe a daye, for it is but five myle, and it is a fayre waye & thorow[¹] woddes full pleasaunt. Bethlem is but a little citie long and narowe, and well walled, and enclosed with a great diche and it was wont to be called Effrata as holy wryte sayth Ecce audivimus eum in Effrata &c., That is to saye, Lo we herde him in Effrata. And toward the ende of the citie toward the East, is a ryght fayre churche and a gracious and it hath many toures, pinacles and kirnelles[²] full strongly made & within that Church is xliiii great pyllers of marble & betwene this church the field[³] florished, as ye shall here.