[1:] Bactria.
[2:] Crafty.
[3:] Wool.
[4:] Hippopotamuses.
[5:] Stouter, braver.
[6:] The editor of the edition of 1827 says, in a footnote, p. 325: "One 4 foot long, in the Cotton Library, has a Silver Hoop about the end, whereon is engraven Griphi Unguis, Divo Cuthberto Dunelmensi sacer. Another, about an Ell long, is mentioned by Dr. Greis, in his History of the Rarities of the Royal Society, p. 26; tho' the Doctor there supposes it rather the horn of a Rock Buck, or of the Ibex mas." Such was science a little over fifty years since!
[7:] Ribs.
CAP. LXXXVI.
Of the way for to go to prester Johns land which is Emperour of Inde.
FROM this lande of Bactry men goe many dayes Jorneyes to the lande of Prester John, that is a great Emperour of Inde, and men call his lande the yle of Pantoroze.[1] This Emperour Prester John holdeth great land, & many good cities, and good townes, in his kingedome is many great yles & large for this land of Ynde is departed in yles because of great flods that come out of Paradise, and also in the sea are many great yles, the best citie that is in the yle of Pantoroze is called Nile,[2] that is a noble citie & a rich. Prester John hath under him many kings and many diverse people, and his land is good & rych, but not so rich as the land of the great Caane, for marchaunts come not so much thyther as they do unto the lande of the greate Caane, for it is so long a journey. And also they finde in the yle of Cathay all thing that they haue nede of, as spycery, clothes of gold, and other riches, and all if they might haue better cheape in the lande of Prester John than in the land of Cathay, and more finer, neverthelesse they would let[3] it, for the long waye and great perils on the sea, for there are many places in the sea where are many roches of a stone that is called Adamand, the which of its own kinde, draweth to him all maner of yron, & therefore there may no ships that hath yron nayles passe, but it draweth them to him, and therefore they dare not go into that countrey with ships for dread of the Adamand. I went once into that sea & sawe along as it had bene a great yle of trees, stockes & braunches growinge, and the shipmen told me that those were of great shippes that abode there, through the vertue of the Adamandes and of things that were in the ships, whereof those trees sprong and waxed. And such roches are there many in diverse places of that sea & therefore dare there no shypman passe that waye. And another thing also that they dread the long way, and therefore they go moste to Cathay, and that is nerer unto them. And yet it is not so nere, but then behoveth[4] for Venice or Gene be in ye sea toward Cathay xi or xii moneths. The land of Prester John is long, & marchaunts passe thither through the lande of Persy, and come unto a citie that men cal Hermes,[5] for a Philosopher that was called Hermes founded it, and they passe an arme of the sea, & come to another citie that men call Saboth,[6] & there fynde they all marchaundises, & popiniayes, as great plentie as larkes[7] in our countrey. In this countrey is little wheat or barly, and therefore they eate ryce mylk and chese, & other fruits. This Emperour Prester John weddeth commonly the daughter of the greate Caane, and the great Caane his daughter. In the land of Prester John is many divers things, and many precious stones so great & so large that they make of them vessels, platters, and cuppes, and many other things of which it were to long to tell, but somewhat of his law and of his faith I shall tell you.
[1:] Other editions say Pentexoire.
[2:] Nyse in other copies.
[3:] Would not go that.
[4:] This must be a misprint, and the text must read that travellers from Venice or Genoa to Cathay must make a voyage lasting 11 or 12 months.
[5:] Ormuz.
[6:] Other editions say Colbache.
[7:] Others say geese.
CAP. LXXXVII.
Of the faith and belyfe of Prester John, but he hath not all the full beliefe as we haue.
THIS Emperour prester John is christen & a great part of his lande also, but they haue not all the articles of our fayth, but they beleve well in the Father, the Sonne, & the Holy Ghost, & they are full devout and true to one another, & they make no force of Catal,[1] and he hath under him Lxxii provinces and countries, and in eche one is a king, & those kings haue other kinges under them. And in this lande are many marvailes, for in that lande is the gravely sea, that is of sande and gravaile and no drop of water, and ebbeth and floweth with righte great waves as another sea doth, and it is never standing still, nor never in rest, and no man may passe that land beyond it. And al if it so be that there bee no water in the sea, yet men may finde therein right good fishe, and of other fashion & shape than is in any other seas, and also they are of full good savour & swete, and good to eat. And three jorneys from that sea are many greate hills, through which runneth a great floud that cometh from Paradise, and it is full of precious stones, and no drop of water, and it runneth with great waves into the gravely sea. And this floud runneth three dayes in the weke so fast, & stirreth great stones of the roches with him that make muche noise, and as sone as they come into the gravely sea, they are no more sene, and in those three dayes when it runneth thus, no man dare come in it, but the other dayes men go therein where they will. And also beyond that floud towards that wildernesse is a great plaine all sandy and gravely among hills, & in that plain grow trees that at the rising of the Son ech day begin to grow, and so grow they to midday, and beare fruit, but no man dare eate of that fruite, for it is a maner of yron,[2] and after myddaye it turneth againe to the earth, so that when the Sonne goeth downe it is nothinge seene, and so doeth it every day. And there is in yt wildernesse many wild men with horns on their heads righte hidious, and they speke not but rout[3] as swine & in yt countrey are many popiniayes, yt they call in theyr language (pistak) & they speke through their own kind as a part as a man, & those that speake well haue long tonges and large & on every fote five toes, but there are som that haue but three toes but those speake nought and very ill.
[1:] They care not for property.
[2:] In other editions it is "for it is a thing of Fayrye," or Magic.
[3:] Root like hogs.