<County: Devon>
<Code: L5040>
<MS reference: London, BL Harley 2386>
<Text: Mandeville's Travels>
<Tranche 1>
<fol. 77r>mane tymes þt of Parys & Constantynopell for thay
wher~ bothe of on~ makyng~ of Joukes of þe See bote men
hath departyd tham~ yn~ ij parteys / of whych a partyes / ys
att paryes & þe other partye ys at Constantynopel and
J haue a poynt ther of þt semyth whytte thorne & þt was
yueue to me for gret worsupp & Frynsyppe & shulle ownder
stonde þt our~ lorde yn~ that ny3th whanne he was taken~
he was lad in to a gardyn of Cayphas & ther~ he was cro
wnyd of on~ Eˆ[u]legutere<?> & afterward he was lad yn~ to
a chamber of pylatys & ther he was opposyd & crowned
& þe jewys sette hym~ yn~ a cher~ chayer~ & clothyd hym~
wt a mantell & thanne thay crownyd hym~ wt þe crowne
of joukes of þe See & knelyd to hym~ & sayd <lat>aue rex iudeorum</lat>
þt ys to saye hale kyng~ of jewys & thys crowne had crist~
on~ hys hedde whanne he was done yn the crosce And
þe sper~ schafte hathe þe Emperour of almayn bote hedde
ys att parys // All so att Constantynople lyythe Syent
Anne our~ lady moder whanne seynt Elyon~ ys brothe // Syent Anne
fro Jerusalem & meny other relikys þt beth ther~ and ye schall
onderstond þt Constantynople ys a Fayr~ cyte & good
& well wallyd & hyt ys . iij . cornede & ther~ ys on~ arme
of þe See þt men~ klepyth hedespounte & Sum klepyth
hytt þe bouche of Constantynople & somm klepyth
hytt þe brace of syent Grygij & þs water enclosyth the
ij partyes of þe cety and upward vptoward þe see a .
<fol. 77v>a-pon þe same was wont to be þe cyte of troyes yn~ a fa
re playne bott þt cety was destryed wt tham~ of Grece
and ther~ beth meny Jles þt men~ clepyth thus Calcas
Calestre . Ceytyge . Tesberya . minona . Faxton~ . Molo . Car
pite . lempne & yn~ þs jle ys þe mont athos þt passyt the
cloudys . & þs & many other beth obessyant to þe Emperour
of Constantynople // yn~ þs contr~ was Arystotele y-bore
yn~ a cyte þt men~ clepyth Strage . & þer lyth he & ther~
ys a nauter a-pon hys tombe & ther~ maketh they
Grete feste yn~ evyr~ yer~ as he wer~ a syent And a
pon~ hys auter they holydth ther~ consels & they trowe
thurgth þe inspracyon~ of god & hym~ they schuld haue
þe beter consel // Jn þe contre ys on~ rygth grete hylle
& toward þe ende of masydone & Brasyhe & hyt ys hygh
vp to þe clowdes and a-nother þt hylle þt mon~ clepyth
athos & þt ys so heygth þt þe shadow of hym rechith
vn~-to Olimpus þt ys more than lxxvij myle by
tvene and a-bowen~ þt hylle ys þe ayr~ so cler~ that
men~ may fele no wynd þer . & þer-for þer may no best
lyue þer so dry hyt ys . and men~ sayth yn þt contr~
þt phylisphorys some tyme wente vp-on~ thys
hylles & helde to þer noses sponges most wt water for to
<fol. 78r>haue eyr~ & also a-bowtebowe yn~ þe powdre of þe hylle
they wrott letteres wt hyr~ Fynggres & att þe eyr~ ys
endy they come a-yen & fonde so þe same letterys whych
they hadde wrett þe yer~ be-for~ wt-owtt ony defaute & þer
for hyt semyth well þtthese hylles passyth the clowdes
to þe puer~ eyr~ And all so Constantynopel þe Emperour ys
palis ys rygth fayr~ & well dythe & þer ys yn~ a fayr~
palys for Justyng & ther~ beth stˆ[a]kes stages y-mad for
men~ þt syte on~ to see & non~ man~ to der~ other~ and
vnder þe stages beth stabelys wanted for þe Emperour ys
horce & all þe pyllerys beth of marbell & wt-in þe chyrche
of Synte Sopye þe Emperour wyllyd haue j-layde þe body
of hys fader whan~ he was dede & as they made a pytt
they fond a body yn~ þe erthe & on~ þt body lay a grete
patte of gold & þer a-pon~ was wrette yn~ ebrw grw &
yn~ latyn~ letterys þt sayd þus <lat>ihs xs nascetur de virgine
Maria & ego credo yn~ eu~ .</lat> That ys to say Ihesu cryst
schall be borne of virgine marie and J be-lyue yn~ hym
and þe date whanne þs body was leyd yn þe erthe was iiml
yer~ by for~ our~ lord was borne and yet ys þt place
yn~ þe trosur~ of þt churche & men~ sayth þt hytt was the
Body of Ermongenes the wyse man~ and ythe hyte
<fol. 78v>ys so þt men of Grece be crystynd yth they veryth yn~
þer faythe and goyth fro our~ faythe for thay sayth þt þe
holy gost comyth noth ovte of þe sone but onlych of the
Fader . // and they beth noth obeyssaunt to þe chyrch of Rome
ne to þe pope . & thay sayth þt hyr~ patryarke hath as moch
pover~ beyende þe see as þe pope hathe on~ þs side of þe
see þer-for pope Iohn þe xij xxij sende letterys to tham~
how crystyn~ faythe shulde all on~ & þt thay shulde be
obessante to on~ pope þt ys crystes vycar~ in erthe to h
wham~ god yeff power for to bynde & to assolye & þer-for
thay shuld be obedyent to hym~ . meny aswerys &
a-mong other~ thay sayd thus <lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
<lat></lat>
Thys ys to saye thus we trowe thy power~ ys grete a-pon~
thy suggytes we maye noth souffer thy grete pryde we
he beth+noth povrposyd to chanche thy couetyse lorde
be wt the . for lord ys whyt ous far~ well & other avn
swer~ hadde noth of tham~ . also thay make hyr~
sacrement of þe auter therfte bred for our~ lord made
hyt of therfte bred whan he made hys mavdy and
on~ þe scher~ thor[s]day made þer therfte bred yn~ toke
nyng of þe maunde & drye hyt by þe sonne & kepyth
<fol. 79r>hyt all þe eyr~ & yeve hyt to seke men~ yn~ stede of
godys body
<Tranche 2>
<fol. 103r>wonne of þe Emperour of Constontyn nople . and hys a Fayr~ cyte &
well y-wallyd . & ther~ goyth men by the alpes of Morpant & be
they valys of Masleiru3<?> & by þe vale of Ernay & by the Jles of
þt byth by þe Rychay . & so to Antyoch þt syttes on þe Rychay and
ther~ a-bowte bethe meny good hyllys // and meny Fayr~ wodys
& meny bestes wylld // and he þt woll go a-nother~ waye he goyth
to þe playnys of Roman~ Costand by þe Romand See // on~ þt cost
ys a Far~ castyll þt men clepyth Florache and whan~ a man~ ys
out of þe hyllys he passyth thruth the cyte of Maryoche and Artayse
whar~ ys a grytte brygge vppon þe Ryuer of Forne þt men callyth Fassar~
& hytt ys a gryt ryuer berand shippis & rynnys toward Damas and
by-syde þe cety of Damas ys a ryuer þt comyth fro þe hyllys of
lyban~ þt men callyth Alban passyng ouer þs ryuer Syent Eustace left
hys ij sonys whan~ he had lost hys w vyffe & hyt goyth thruth
þe plane of kebedes & so to þe Red See for þt men goyth to þe cyte
of Phenne . To þe cyte of ferme & antroche ys a fayr~ cyte &
well wallyd for hyt ys to myle longe and a halfe myle large //
& thruth þt cyte rennyth þe ryuer~ of Fenne & Fasser~ and on~ euery
peler~ of þe brygge ys a good tour~ þs ys þe best cyte of þe kyngdom
of Surrye and thrugh Antyoche men goyth to þe cyte of Facuth
& thanne to Geeble & thanne to Tourtouse . and ther~ nye3 ys
þe lond of Cambre whar~ ys a strong scastell þt men callyth mam
brek Tourtouse men goyth to Tryple ouer þe see & ouer þe see men
goyth to Dacres & þer ys ij ways to Jerusalem on þe left way
men goyth fyrst to Damas by Flom~ Iordan on þe rygh syde
men goyth thurgh þe lond of plagame Flagame & so to þe cyte
of Cayphas of þe whych cayphas was lord & somme clepyth
hyt þe castell of Percillirym~<?> and fro thennys ys iiij days yournys
<fol. 103v>to Jerusalem and thay goyth thrugh Cyserce Phylyppu~ & Jaffe
& Rames & þe castell of Emanx & so to Jerusalem
Now haue J told yow some wayes by lond & by water how
men mowe go to Jerusalem they3 hyt be þt þer ben~ meny other~
wayes þt men goyth by after þe contrayes þt thaye come fro natheles
thay torne to on ynde . hy yt þer ys a waye all by lond to Jerusalem
& passys no see . fro France to Flandrys . bot þt waye ys full
longe & perlys & of gret travell . & ther~-for men goyth nought
þt waye bot he that scell go þt waye he shell go thrugh Almayn
& Pruysse & so to tartarye þs Tartarye ys hold of þe gret chaue
of howme J shell spke afterward for thyder lastyth hys lord
shypp . & þe lordys of Tartarye yeldyth hym~ trybut thys ys a Full yvell lond & sondye & lytyll frut beryth for
ther~ ys lytyll good grond of corne or wyne or benes or pesse
bote þer ys gret plente . & ther~-for etyth thay Fleshe wt-owte
bred . & thay sopyth þe broth & drynke mylkes of all maner
bestes thaye etyth cattys ratus & mys & other~ wyld bestes
& thay haue lytyll wode . and ther-for prynces and
other~ lordys ethyth bot onys a day & ryth lytyll and
thaye buth rygth Fole folke & of yvell kynd . & yn the
somer~ þer ys meny tempestes & thondrys þt sleyth myche
forlke and bestes & ryght sodynly & ther~ ys gryt colde
& also sodynly gryt hette . the prynce þt gouernyth that
lond þt thaye calle Raco dwelles at a Cyte þt thay
callyth orda for sothe þer wyll no good man~ dwyll
on þt lond for hyt ys good to sowe on ho thornys
& hemlokys & other~ good non~ as J haue herd saye
<fol. 104r>for y haue nought be ther~ bote y haue ben yn other~ londys
marchande ther to ys as þe lond of Russey Nefylond the keng
dom of Cracow lettew & the kyngdom of Crasten & meny other
placys but I went neuer þt waye to Jerusalem & þer-for J may not well
tell hyt . for J haue vnderstond þt men mow noght well go that waye
bote yn wynterys for waterys & Marryes þt ar~ ther~ þt a man~ maye
passe yt bote yt be hard frost & snowe a-bowan for ner~ þe so
snowe a man myht noght go // and ye shull vnderstond þt a man
schell go iiij iourneys fro Pruysse on þs waye or he come to þe londe
Sara3yn3 hybytable & thuff hyt be þt crystyn men neuer passyth
thayr~ thay carryth hir~ vytalys wt ham for thay schuld feynde
non þer . bote a maner of thyng þt thaye call scleys~<?> & thay carry hir~
thynges on Sledys & yn charryttes whyt-owte wheles ouer þe frost
& as longe as þer vytayles lest may thay dwell ther~ and ne longer~
And whane þe spyes of þe contry see crystyn men come they rynne
to þe townes & crye rygh loud kera . kera . kera .and as sone as they kepe
ham . // and schull vnderstond þt þe frost þt ys thar~ and þe yse ys hardyr~
thane yre . & ther~-for euery man hath a schephe yn hyr~ howys and
ther~ ynne ette theye & doyth alle hyr~ thyngys þt thay maye For
ther~ ys at þe Northsyde of þe worlle ys comlly<?> colde for þe sonne
senyth bote a lytyll on þt contrye & þt lond ys yn som place so
colde þt ther~ maye man dwell ther~ & on þe sowthe syde of the
worle hyt ys yn som place so hott þt no man maye yndur~ to dw
yll þer . For þe sonne whane he ys ryth southe he castyth hys bemys
vppon þt contrye & yeveth ryght grett hette on þt contye
FOr as moche as J haue told yow of sara3yn3 & of þer <?> londes
yff ye woll y schell tell yow a party of ther~ law & of thay
trowthe of hyr~ boke that calle alkaron seys . & some calles that
<fol. 104v>boke mesaper
<Tranche 3>
<fol. 120r>all put hir~ hondis on hir~ hedys / & þan on hir~ mothe & by he
beddyth ham take a waye hir~ hondys / & thay do so / & thus fro //
hour~ to hour~ thay beddyth dyuerys thyngys / and y asked priuely
of ham what þs schuld mene & on of þe mastrys sayde þt þe lontyng~
& knelyng on þe yerth at þt tyme hath þs token / þt all theis men þt
knele so shall neuermore euermore be trwe / to þe Emperour / þt for no gyfte
ne non hetyng~ thay shell neuer be falce / ne traytours / to hym~ & þt put
tyng~ of hir~ fynger~ on þe yere / hadde thys token / þt non of thues / shel
her~ no thyng~ yuel be spekyn of þe Emperour of no man bout fader
ne sone or brother~ bote he shell say to þe Emperour or hys consell / and
ye shull vnderstond þt men dyde no thynge to þe Emperour clothys
bred ne drynke / ne no shuche thynge bote at Certyn hourys //
huche þe philosophers telle / & if eny wer~ be-gynne ayens þe Emperour
yn eny contraye / þe philosopherys well<?> hyt sone / & tell þe Emperour or
his concell he sendyth his men thyder / and þer beth meny barons<?>
& Seriantes on his contrye / þt beth crystyn & he hathe on hys //
chamber~ a piler~ of gold / on huche ys a rube & a charbuncle of
a footte long~ þe huche lygthe all þe Chamber~ yn þe nyghte / and
he hathe meny oþer precyous stones / & Rubuys bote þs ys þe most
þe Emperour dwellyth on þe somer~ toward þe north / yn a cyte þt
men calle Sady3 for þer ys colde and yn on wynter / he dwyllyth
yn on Cyte / þt men calle Chamelach þer is ryght / hoot lond / & ther~
he dwllyth for þe most parte and whane þs gret Chau / shell
<fol. 120v>ryde fro o contrye to a-noþer then ordayne <ill><2-3 chars></ill>ostys of folkes of huch
goyth by fore hym~ a days iouryny for þt oft lyes at eny whar~ þe Emperour
lyes on þe morwe / whar~ is gryt plente of vytale and a-noþer oft comyth
at þe Ryght syde of hym~ / and a-noþer atte the lyft syde / and yn euery oft
ys moche folkes and thanne comeþ þe ferþe ost by-hynde hym a-bowe
drautht<?> & þer ys mo men on ham and eny of þe oþer / and ye shell vnde[r]stond
þt þe Emperour rydeth noght on a horse bote if he wolle wyende to ey eny priue
place wt priuy company / bote redeth on a charyot wt-ynne wheles / & ther~
a-pon ys a chambre mad of tree þt men call lyngun@ aloes þt comyth
out of parades paradys terrestr~ & þt chamber~ ys all couyd couered wt-ynne
wt platys of gold & precyous stones [& iiij Olyfantes] & iiij stedys goyth þer-yn / & v or vj
gret lordys Rydyth a-bovte hym So þt no oþer man schall come to bote if
he call eny / and on þe same maner wt charotys & schuch oftes Rydyth þe
Emperys by a-noþer syde / and þe Empour is eldyst sone / on þe same raye
and thaye Rydith wt myche folkes þt is a gret mervel to see and also th<ill><?></ill>
lond of þe gret Chau is depardyt yn xij provinces / and euerych provynce haþ
more þan iijml Cytees & townes meny and yn þs provynces
beth xij kynges
also whenne þe Emperour redyth throgh þe contray / & townes & cetyes
and passe through townes & cytees echeman makyth a fyre be-for~
his dore & castyth þer-ynne yncens oþer shuche other~ thyng~ to geue good
smylle to þe Emperour and if men of Crystyn Relygeon dwelle ner~ whar~
þe Emperour comyth thay met hym~ wt processyon wt a crous and holy water
and thay synge <lat></lat> wt a lovde voyce and whenne he
<fol. 121r>seyth ham come he comandyþ þe lordis þt rydyþ ner~ to hym~ / to make way
þt thay may come to hym~ & whenne he seyþ þe cros / he doyth done hys hatte
and lovtyth to þe croys / and þer prelyte of þe Relygyon~ men sayth mey orysons
be-for hym~ and geveth hym~ meny benedycouns wt the Crouys / & he louth
þer-to Ryght lowe / & deuotly / and thanne þt same prelet gevyth hym~ sour
fyute of þe nomber of ix yn plate of gold / for þe maner ys shuch
ther~ þt þer no stronge man shell come by-fore þe Emperour / bote yf he geve
geve hym~ Som~ thyng after þe olde lawe / þt sayþ <lat>
</lat> þt is to saye no man~ come in my sight lerhond<?> / and þe
relygion~ men þt dwell whar~ þe Emperce & þe Emperour sone cometh & doyþ
yn þe same maner Jn þe lond of Grece Can a man hath a C wyffes
and som xl & some more & som beec lees & thay take of hyr~ kyn
to wyffes bote her~ modrys & sustrys & doghters þer ys plente of al maner
of bestys bote swyn thay non have and belyve well yn god þt mad
all thynge and yet have thay mamettys of gold & syluer to
wham thay offern~ þe fayrst mylke of þe bestes and Emperour of þe gret
Can hath iij wyffes & his princypall wyfe was preter John ys doghter~
þe folke of þs contrye be-gynnyth to do all hyr~ thyngys yn þe nwe mone
and thay worshuppyth þe sonne Sone and þe mone / and thys men
comlych Rydyth wt-ovte sporys and thay holdyth gret synne to breke
a-boue whyt a-noþer & to cast mylke or ony other~ lyvcor~ appon þe yerþ
þt men may drynke and þe y most synne þt thay may do ys to pysse
yn his howse thar~ he dwylles and þt pyssys / yn his howse shell be slayn
<fol. 121v>and of all hir~ synnes thay schrev ham to hyr~ prystys & for hyr~ pennace
thay geve syluer and þe place whar~ a man hath pissyd behovyth to be
halvyd hallwed or ellys may no man~ come ther~ yn~ & whanne thay
have do hir~ pennance thay shell passe thrugh a fyr~ to make ham clene /