Chapter 15 |
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Chapter 17
OF THE LANDS OF ALBANIA AND OF LIBIA. OF THE WISHINGS FOR WATCHING
OF THE SPARROW-HAWK; AND OF NOAH'S SHIP
NOW, sith I have told you before of the Holy Land and of that
country about, and of many ways for to go to that land and to the
Mount Sinai, and of Babylon the more and the less, and to other
places that I have spoken before, now is time, if it like you, for
to tell you of the marches and isles and diverse beasts, and of
diverse folk beyond these marches.
For in those countries beyond be many diverse countries and many
great kingdoms, that be departed by the four floods that come from
paradise terrestrial. For Mesopotamia and the kingdom of Chaldea
and Arabia be between the two rivers of Tigris and of Euphrates;
and the kingdom of Media and of Persia be between the rivers of
Nile and of Tigris; and the kingdom of Syria, whereof I have spoken
before, and Palestine and Phoenicia be between Euphrates and the
sea Mediterranean, the which sea dureth in length from Morocco,
upon the sea of Spain, unto the Great Sea, so that it lasteth
beyond Constantinople 3040 miles of Lombardy.
And toward the sea Ocean in Ind is the kingdom of Scythia, that is
all closed with hills. And after, under Scythia, and from the sea
of Caspian unto the flom of Thainy, is Amazonia, that is the land
of feminye, where that no man is, but only all women. And after is
Albania, a full great realm; and it is clept Albania, because that
the folk be whiter there than in other marches there-about: and in
that country be so great hounds and so strong, that they assail
lions and slay them. And then after is Hircania, Bactria, Hiberia
and many other kingdoms.
And between the Red Sea and the sea Ocean, toward the south is the
kingdom of Ethiopia and of Lybia the higher, the which land of
Lybia (that is to say, Lybia the low) that beginneth at the sea of
Spain from thence where the pillars of Hercules be, and endureth
unto anent Egypt and toward Ethiopia. In that country of Lybia is
the sea more high than the land, and it seemeth that it would cover
the earth, and natheles yet it passeth not his marks. And men see
in that country a mountain to the which no man cometh. In this
land of Lybia whoso turneth toward the east, the shadow of himself
is on the right side; and here, in our country, the shadow is on
the left side. In that sea of Lybia is no fish; for they may not
live ne dure for the great heat of the sun, because that the water
is evermore boiling for the great heat. And many other lands there
be that it were too long to tell or to number. But of some parts I
shall speak more plainly hereafter.
Whoso will then go toward Tartary, toward Persia, toward Chaldea
and toward Ind, he must enter the sea at Genoa or at Venice or at
some other haven that I have told you before. And then pass men
the sea and arrive at Trebizond that is a good city; and it was
wont to be the haven of Pontus. There is the haven of Persians and
of Medians and of the marches there beyond. In that city lieth
Saint Athanasius that was bishop of Alexandria, that made the psalm
QUICUNQUE VULT.
This Athanasius was a great doctor of divinity. And, because that
he preached and spake so deeply of divinity and of the Godhead, he
was accused to the Pope of Rome that he was an heretic. Wherefore
the Pope sent after him and put him in prison. And whiles he was
in prison he made that psalm and sent it to the Pope, and said,
that if he were an heretic, then was that heresy, for that, he
said, was his belief. And when the Pope saw it, and had examined
it that it was perfect and good, and verily our faith and our
belief, he made him to be delivered out of prison, and commanded
that psalm to be said every day at prime; and so he held Athanasius
a good man. But he would never go to his bishopric again, because
that they accused him of heresy.
Trebizond was wont to be holden of the Emperor of Constantinople;
but a great man, that he sent for to keep the country against the
Turks, usurped the land and held it to himself, and cleped him
Emperor of Trebizond.
And from thence men go through Little Armenia. And in that country
is an old castle that stands upon a rock; the which is clept the
castle of the Sparrow-hawk, that is beyond the city of Layays
beside the town of Pharsipee, that belongeth to the lordship of
Cruk, that is a rich lord and a good Christian man; where men find
a sparrow-hawk upon a perch right fair and right well made, and a
fair lady of faerie that keepeth it. And who that will watch that
sparrow-hawk seven days and seven nights, and, as some men say,
three days and three nights, without company and without sleep,
that fair lady shall give him, when he hath done, the first wish
that he will wish of earthly things; and that hath been proved
often-times.
And one time befell, that a King of Armenia, that was a worthy
knight and doughty man, and a noble princes watched that hawk some
time. And at the end of seven days and seven nights the lady came
to him and bade him wish, for he had well deserved it. And he
answered that he was great lord enough, and well in peace, and had
enough of worldly riches; and therefore he would wish none other
thing, but the body of that fair lady, to have it at his will. And
she answered him, that he knew not what he asked, and said that he
was a fool to desire that he might not have; for she said that he
should not ask but earthly thing, for she was none earthly thing,
but a ghostly thing. And the king said that he ne would ask none
other thing. And the lady answered; "Sith that I may not withdraw
you from your lewd corage, I shall give you without wishing, and to
all them that shall come of you. Sir king! ye shall have war
without peace, and always to the nine degree, ye shall be in
subjection of your enemies, and ye shall be needy of all goods."
And never since, neither the King of Armenia nor the country were
never in peace; ne they had never sith plenty of goods; and they
have been sithen always under tribute of the Saracens.
Also the son of a poor man watched that hawk and wished that he
might chieve well, and to be happy to merchandise. And the lady
granted him. And he became the most rich and the most famous
merchant that might be on sea or on earth. And he became so rich
that he knew not the thousand part of that he had. And he was
wiser in wishing than was the king.
Also a knight of the Temple watched there, and wished a purse
evermore full of gold. And the lady granted him. But she said him
that he had asked the destruction of their order for the trust and
the affiance of that purse, and for the great pride that they
should have. And so it was. And therefore look he keep him well,
that shall wake. For if he sleep he is lost, that never man shall
see him more.
This is not the right way for to go to the parts that I have named
before, but for to see the marvel that I have spoken of. And
therefore whoso will go right way, men go from Trebizond toward
Armenia the Great unto a city that is clept Erzeroum, that was wont
to be a good city and a plenteous; but the Turks have greatly
wasted it. There-about groweth no wine nor fruit, but little or
else none. In this land is the earth more high than in any other,
and that maketh great cold. And there be many good waters and good
wells that come under earth from the flom of Paradise, that is
clept Euphrates, that is a journey beside that city; and that river
cometh towards Ind under earth, and resorteth into the land of
Altazar. And so pass men by this Armenia and enter the sea of
Persia.
From that city of Erzeroum go men to an hill that is clept
Sabissocolle. And there beside is another hill that men clepe
Ararat, but the Jews clepe it Taneez, where Noah's ship rested, and
yet is upon that mountain. And men may see it afar in clear
weather. And that mountain is well a seven mile high. And some
men say that they have seen and touched the ship, and put their
fingers in the parts where the fiend went out, when that Noah said,
BENEDICITE. But they that say such words, say their will. For a
man may not go up the mountain, for great plenty of snow that is
always on that mountain, neither summer nor winter. So that no man
may go up there, ne never man did, since the time of Noah, save a
monk that, by the grace of God, brought one of the planks down,
that yet is in the minster at the foot of the mountain.
And beside is the city of Dain that Noah founded. And fast by is
the city of Any in the which were wont to be a thousand churches.
But upon that mountain to go up, this monk had great desire. And
so upon a day, he went up. And when he was upward the three part
of the mountain he was so weary that he might no further, and so he
rested him, and fell asleep. And when he awoke he found himself
lying at the foot of the mountain. And then he prayed devoutly to
God that he would vouchsafe to suffer him go up. And an angel came
to him, and said that he should go up. And so he did. And sith
that time never none. Wherefore men should not believe such words.
From that mountain go men to the city of Thauriso that was wont to
be clept Taxis, that is a full fair city and a great, and one of
the best that is in the world for merchandise; thither come all
merchants for to buy avoirdupois, and it is in the land of the
Emperor of Persia. And men say that the emperor taketh more good
in that city for custom of merchandise than doth the richest
Christian king of all his realm that liveth. For the toll and the
custom of his merchants is without estimation to be numbered.
Beside that city is a hill of salt, and of that salt every man
taketh what he will for to salt with, to his need. There dwell
many Christian men under tribute of Saracens. And from that city,
men pass by many towns and castles in going toward Ind unto the
city of Sadonia, that is a ten journeys from Thauriso, and it is a
full noble city and a great. And there dwelleth the Emperor of
Persia in summer; for the country is cold enough. And there be
good rivers bearing ships.
After go men the way toward Ind by many journeys, and by many
countries, unto the city that is clept Cassak, and that is a full
noble city, and a plenteous of corns and wines and of all other
goods. This is the city where the three kings met together when
they went to seek our Lord in Bethlehem to worship him and to
present him with gold, incense, and myrrh. And it is from that
city to Bethlehem fifty-three journeys. From that city men go to
another city that is clept Gethe, that is a journey from the sea
that men clepe the Gravelly Sea. That is the best city that the
Emperor of Persia hath in all his land. And they clepe flesh there
Dabago and the wine Vapa. And the Paynims say that no Christian
man may not long dwell ne endure with the life in that city, but
die within short time; and no man knoweth not the cause.
After go men by many cities and towns and great countries that it
were too long to tell unto the city of Cornaa that was wont to be
so great that the walls about hold twenty-five mile about. The
walls shew yet, but it is not all inhabited. From Cornaa go men by
many lands and many cities and towns unto the land of Job. And
there endeth the land of the Emperor of Persia. And if ye will
know the letters of Persians and what names they have, they be such
as I last devised you, but not in sounding of their words.
Chapter 15 |Index | Chapter 17