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1

OF THE CONTREE OF EGIPT; OF THE BRID
2FENIX; OF ARABYE; OF THE CYTEE OF
3CAYRE; OF THE CONNYNGE TO KNOWEN
4BAWME AND TO PREUEN IT, AND OF THE
5GERNERES OF JOSEPH.

6
7    EGYPT is a long contree but it is streyt þat is to seye
8narow for þei may not enlargen it toward the desert
9for defaute of water And the contree is sett along vpon
10the ryuere of Nyle be als moche as þat ryuere may serue
11be flodes or oþerwise þat whanne it floweth it may spreden
12abrood þorgh the contree, so is the contree large of lengthe.
13For þere it reyneth not but lityll in þat contree & for þat
14cause þei haue no water, but ȝif it be of þat flood of þat
15ryuere. And for als moche as it ne reyneth not in
16þat contree but the eyr is alwey pure & cleer, þerfore in

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17þat contree ben the gode astronomyeres, for þei fynde
18þere no cloudes to letten hem. Also the cytee of Cayre
19is right gret & more huge þan þat of Babyloyne the lesse
20And it sytt abouen toward the desert of Syrye a lytill
21abouen the ryuere aboueseyd. In Egipt þere ben .ij.
22parties, The heghte þat is toward Ethiope & the loweness
23þat is towardes Arabye. In Egypt is the lond of
24Ramasses & the lond of Gessen. Egipt is a strong
25contree for it hath many schrewede hauenes be cause
26of the grete Roches þat ben stronge and daungerouse
27to passe by. And at Egipt toward the Est is the rede
28see þat dureth vnto the cytee of Coston & toward the
29west is the cytee of lybye þat is a full drye lond & lityll
30of fruyt, for it is ouer moche plentee of hete And þat
31lond is clept Fusth. And toward the partie meridionall
32is Ethiope & toward the north is the desert þat dureth
33vnto Syrye & so is the contree strong on all sydes. And
34it is wel a .xv. iourneyes of lengthe & more þan two
35so moche of desert & it is but .ij. iournees of largeness.
36And betwene Egipt & Nubye it hath wel a .xij. iournees
37of desert And men of Nubye ben cristen but þei ben
38blake as the Mowres for gret hete of the sonne. In
39Egipt þere ben .v. prouynces, þat on hight Sahyth þat
40other hight Demeseer another Resich , þat is an Ile in
41Nyle , Another Alisandre & another the lond of Damyete .
42Þat citee was wont to be right strong but it was twyes
43wonnen of the cristene men And þerfore after þat the
44sarazines beten down the walles And with the walles &
45the toures þerof the sarazaines maden another cytee more
46fer from the see & clepeden it the newe Damyete, So þat
47now no man duelleth at the rathere toun of Damyete.
48At þat cytee of Damyete is on of the hauenes of Egypt
49& at Alisandre is þat other þat is a full strong cytee, But
50þere is no water to drynke, but ȝif it come be condyt from
51Nyle þat entreth in to here cisternes, And who so stopped
52þat water from hem, þei myghte not endure þere. In
53Egypt þere ben but fewe Forcelettes or castelles be cause

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54þat the contree is so strong of himself. Nota of a
55Merueyle. At the desertes of Egypte was a worthi man
56þat was an holy heremyte & þere mette with him a Monstre
57þat is to seyne a monstre is a þing difformed aȝen kynde
58bothe of man or of best or of ony þing elles & þat is cleped
59a Monstre. And this monstre þat mette with this holy
60heremyte was as it hadde ben a man þat hadde .ij. hornes
61trenchant on his forhede & he hadde a body lyk a man
62vnto þe navele And benethe he hadde the body lych a
63goot & the heremyte asked him what he was. And the
64monstre answerde him & seyde he was a dedly creature
65such as god hadde formed & duelled in þo desertes in
66purchacynge his sustynance, & besoughte the heremyte
67þat he wolde preye god for him the whiche þat cam from
68heuene for to sauen all mankynde & was born of a mayden
69& suffred passioun & deth as wee wel knowen, be whom
70wee lyuen & ben. And ȝit is the hede with the .ij. hornes
71of þat monstre at Alisandre for a merueyle. In Egipt
72is the citee of Elyople þat is to seyne the cytee of the sonne.
73In þat cytee þere is a temple made round after the schapp
74of the temple of Ierusalem. The prestes of þat temple han
75all here wrytynges vnder the date of the foul þat is clept
76Fenix & þere is non but on in all the world And he cometh
77to brenne himself vpon the awtere of þat temple at the ende
78of .v. hundred ȝeer for so longe he lyueth. And at the
79 .vc. ȝeres ende the prestes arrayen here awtere honestly
80and putten þere vpon spices & sulphur vif & oþer thinges
81þat wolen brennen lightly And þan the brid Fenix
82cometh & brenneth himself to askes. And the first day
83next after men fynden in the askes a worm And the
84seconde day next after men fynden a brid quyk & parfyt
85And the thridde day next after he fleeth his wey And
86so þere is no mo briddes of þat kynde in all the world
87but it allone & treuly þat is a gret myracle of god. And
88men may wel lykne þat bryd vnto god be cause þat þere
89nys no god but on And also þat oure lord aroos from
90deth to lyue the thridde day. This bryd men seen often

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91tyme fleen in þo contrees And he is not mecheles more
92þan an Egle And he hath a crest of fedres vpon his hed
93more gret þan the poocok hath & his nekke is ȝalow after
94colour of an Oriell þat is a ston wel schynynge. And
95his bak is coloured blew as ynde And his wenges ben
96of purpre colour And the tayll is ȝelow & red, castynge
97his tayll aȝen in travers. And he is a full fair brid to
98loken vpon aȝenst the sonne, for he schyneth full gloriously
99& nobely. Also in Egipt ben gardynes þat han
100trees & herbes þe whiche beren frutes .vij. tymes in the
101ȝeer And in þat lond men fynden manye fayre Emeraudes
102& ynowe And þerfore þei ben þere grettere cheep. Also
103whan it reyneth ones in the somer in the lond of Egipt
104þanne is all the contree full of grete myzs. Also at Cayre
105þat I spak of before sellen men comounly bothe men &
106wommen of other lawe as we don here bestes in the markat.
107And þere is a comoun hows in þat cytee þat is all full of
108smale furneys & thider bryngen wommen of the toun here
109eyren of hennes of gees & of dokes for to ben put into
110þo forneyses And þei þat kepen þat hows coueren hem
111with hete of hors dong Withouten henne goos or doke
112or ony oþer foul. And at the ende of .iij. wokes or of a
113moneth þei comen aȝen & taken here chikenes & norisschen
114hem & bryngen hem forth so þat all the contree is full of
115hem And so men don þere bothe winter & somer. Also
116in þat contree & in oþere also men fynden longe Apples to
117selle in hire cesoun & men clepen hem Apples of Paradys
118& þei ben right swete & of gode sauour And þogh ȝee
119kutte hem in neuer so many gobettes or parties ouerthwart
120or endlonges eueremore ȝee schull fynden in the
121myddes the figure of the holy cros of oure lord Ihesu
122But þei wil roten within .viij. dayes And for þat cause
123men may not carye of þo apples to no fer contrees. Of
124hem men fynden the mountance of an hundred in a
125bascat to selle & þei han grete leues of a fote & an half
126of lengthe & þei ben couenably large. And men fynden
127þere also the appull tree of Adam þat han a byte at on

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128of the sydes And þere ben also Fige trees þat beren no
129leves but fyges vpon the smale braunches & men clepen
130hem Figes of Pharoon . Also besyde Cayre withouten
131þat cytee is the feld where Bawme groweth And it
132cometh out on smale trees þat ben non hyere þan to a
133mannes breek girdill & þei semen as wode þat is of the
134wylde vyne. And in þat feld ben .vij. welles þat oure
135lord Ihesu crist made with on of his feet whan he wente
136to pleyen with oþer children. Þat feld is not so wel
137closed but þat men may entren at here owne list, But
138in þat cesoun þat the bawme is growynge men put
139þere to gode kepynge þat no man dar ben hardy to
140entre. This bawme groweth in no place but only þere
141And þough þat men bryngen of þe plauntes for to planten
142in oþer contrees þei growen wel & fayre but þei bryngen
143forth no fructuous thing. & the leves of bawme ne falle
144nought. And men kutten the braunches with a scharp
145flyntston or with a scharp bon whanne men wil go to
146kutte hem, For who so kutte hem with jren it wolde
147destroye his vertue & his nature. And the sarazines
148clepen the wode Enochbalse , And the fruyt the whiche
149þat is as quybybes þei clepen Abebissam And the lycour
150þat droppeth fro the braunches þei clepen Guybalse.
151And men maken all weys þat bawme to ben tyled of the
152cristen men or elles it wolde not fructyfye As the Sarazins
153seyn hemself for it hath ben oftentyme preued.
154Men seyn also þat the bawme groweth in ynde the more
155in þat desert where Alysaundre spak to the trees of the
156sonne & of the mone But I haue not seen it For I haue
157not ben so fer abouen vpward because þat þere ben to
158many perilouse passages. And wyte ȝee wel þat a man
159oughte to take gode kepe for to bye bawme but ȝif he
160cone knowe it right wel, for he may right lyghtly ben
161disceyued For men sellen a gomme þat men clepen
162Turbentyne in stede of bawme And þei putten þereto a
163litill bawme for to ȝeuen gode odour And summe putten

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164wax in oyle of the wode of the fruyt of bawme & seyn
165þat it is bawme And summe destyllen clowes of gylofre
166& of spykenard of Spayne & of oþere spices þat ben
167wel smellynge & the lykour þat goth out þerof þei
168clepe it bawme And þus ben many grete lordes & oþere
169disceyued And þei wenen þat þei han bawme & þei haue non.
170For the Sarazines countrefeten it be sotyltee of craft for to
171disceyuen the cristene men as I haue seen full many a
172tyme. And after hem the marchauntes & the Apotecaries
173countrefeten it eftsones & þanne it is lasse worth & a gret
174del worse. But ȝif it lyke ȝou I schall schewe how ȝee
175schull knowe & preue to the ende þat ȝee schull not ben
176disceyued. First ȝee schull wel knowe þat the naturell
177bawme is full cleer & of cytryne colour & strongly
178smellynge. And ȝif it be thikke or reed or blak it is
179Sophisticate þat is to seyne contrefeted & made lyke it
180for disceyt. And vnderstondeth þat ȝif ȝee wil putte a
181lityll bawme in the pawme of ȝoure hond aȝen the sonne,
182ȝif it be fyn & gode ȝee ne schull not suffre ȝoure hand
183aȝenst the hete of the sonne. Also taketh a lytill bawme
184with the poynt of a knyf & touche it to the fuyr & ȝif it
185brenne it is a gode signe. After take also a drope of
186bawme & put it into a dissch or in a cuppe with mylk of
187a goot And ȝif it be naturell bawme anon it wole take &
188beclippe the mylk. Or put a drope of bawme in clere
189water in a cuppe of syluer or in a clere bacyn & stere it
190wel with the clere water And ȝif þat the bawme be
191fyn & of his owne kynde the water schall neuere trouble,
192And ȝif the bawme be sophisticat þat is to seyne
193countrefeted the water schall become anon trouble.
194And also ȝif the bawme be fyn it schall falle to the
195botme of the vessell as þough it were quyk syluer, For
196the fyn bawme is more heuy twyes þan is the bawme þat
197is sophisticat & countrefeted. Now I haue spoken of
198bawme & now also I schall speke of another thing þat is
199beȝonde Babyloyne aboue the Flode of Nile toward the

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200desert betwene Affrik & Egypt þat is to seyne of the
201Gerneres Joseph þat he leet make for to kepe the
202greynes for the perile of the dere ȝeres. And þei ben
203made of ston full wel made of Masounes craft Of the whiche
204 .ij. ben merueylouse grete & hye And the toþere ne ben
205not so grete. And euery Gerner hath a ȝate for to entre
206withjnne A lytill hygh from the erthe For the lond is
207wasted & fallen sithe the Gerneres were made. And
208withjnne þei ben all full of serpentes And abouen the
209Gerneres withouten ben many scriptures of dyuerse
210langages. And summen seyn þat þei ben sepultures of
211grete lordes þat weren somtyme but þat is not trewe For
212all the comoun rymour & speche is of all the peple þere
213bothe fer & nere þat þei ben the Garneres of Joseph And
214so fynden þei in here scriptures & in here cronycles. On
215þat oþer partie, ȝif þei weren sepultures þei scholden not
216ben voyd withjnne Ne þei scholde haue no ȝates for to
217entre withjnne. For ȝee may wel knowe þat tombes &
218sepultures ne ben not made of such gretness ne of suche
219highness, Wherfore it is not to beleue þat þei ben tombes
220or sepultures. In Egypt also þere ben dyuerse langages
221& dyuerse lettres & of oþer manere condicioun þan þere
222ben in oþer partes as I schall deuyse ȝou suche as þei
223ben And the names how thei clepen hem, To such entent
224þat ȝee mowe knowe the difference of hem & of othere.
225
226

OF THE YLE OF CECYLE; OF THE WEYE FRO
227BABYLOYNE TO THE MOWNT SYNAY; OF
228THE CHIRCHE OF SEYNTE KATERYNE, AND
229OF ALLE THE MERUAYLLES ÞERE.

230
231    Now wil I retourne aȝen or I procede ony ferthere for
232to declare ȝou the othere weyes þat drawen towardes
233Babiloyne where the Soudan himself duelleth þat is at

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234the entree of Egypt, for als moche as many folk gon
235þider first & after þat to the mownt Synay & after retournen
236to Ierusalem, As I haue seyd ȝou here beforn.
237For þei fulfillen first the more longe pilgrymage & after
238retournen aȝen be the nexte weyes because þat the more
239ny weye is the more worthi & þat is Ierusalem, For non
240other pilgrymage is not lyk in comparsoun to it. But
241for to fulfille here pilgrymages more esily & more sykerly
242men gon first the longer weye rathere þan the nerere
243weye. But whoso wil go to Babyloyne be another weye
244more schort from þe contrees of the west þat I haue
245reherced before or from oþer contrees next fro hem, þan
246men gon by Fraunce be Burgoyne & be Lombardye. It
247nedeth not to telle ȝou the names of the cytees ne of
248the townes þat ben in þat weye For the weye is comoun
249& it is knowen of many nacyouns. And þere ben manye
250havenes where þat men taken the see. Summe men taken
251the see at Gene, Somme at Venyse & passen be the see
252Adryatyk þat is clept the Goulf of Venyse, þat departeth
253ytaylle & Grece on þat syde. And somme gon to Naples
254somme to Rome & from Rome to Brandys & þere þei
255taken the see & in many othere places where þat hauenes
256ben. And men gon be Tussye be Champayne be Calabre
257be Appuille & be the hilles of ytaylle be Chorisqe be
258Sardyne & be Cycile þat is a gret Ile & a gode. In þat
259Ile of Cycile þer is a maner of a gardyn in the whiche
260ben many dyuerse frutes And the gardyn is alweys
261grene & florisshing, all the cesouns of the ȝeer als wel
262in winter as in somer. Þat Ile holt in compas aboute
263 .ccc & l. frensche myles And betwene Cycile & Itaylle
264þere is not but a lytill arm of the see þat men clepen
265the Farde of Mescyne And Cycile is betwene the see
266Adryatyk & the see of lombardye, And fro Cycile in
267to Calabre is but .viij. myles of lombardye. And in
268Cycile þere is a manere of serpentes be the whiche men
269assayen & preuen wheþer here children ben bastardes or
270none or of lawefull mariage, For ȝif þei ben born in right

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271mariage the serpentes gon aboute hem & don hem non
272harm And ȝif þei ben born in avowtrie the serpentes
273byten hem & envenyme hem & thus manye wedded men
274preuen ȝif the children ben here owne. Also in þat Ile
275is the Mount Ethna þat men clepen Mount Gybell & the
276wlcanes þat ben eueremore brennynge. And þere ben
277 .vij. places þat brennen & þat casten out dyuerse flawmes
278and dyuerse colour And be the chaungynge of þo flawmes
279men of þat contree knowen whanne it schall be derthe or
280gode tyme or cold or hoot or moyst or drye or in all
281othere manere how the tyme schall be gouerned. And
282from Itaille vnto the wlcanes nys but .xxv. myle And
283men seyn þat the wlcanes ben weyes of helle. Also
284whoso goth be Pyse ȝif þat men list to go þat weye þere
285is an arm of the see where þat men gon to oþere hauenes
286in þo marches And þan men passen be the Ile of Greef
287þat is at Gene And after arryueth men in Grece at the
288hauene of the cytee of Myrok or at the hauene of Valone
289or at the cytee of Duras, & þere is a Duk at Duras, or at
290oþere hauenes in þo marches & so men gon to Constantynoble.
291And after gon men be watre to the Ile of Crete &
292to the Ile of Rodes & so to Cypre & so to Venyse & fro
293þens to Constantynoble, to holde the more right weye be
294see it is wel a .m viij & iiij. score myle of lombardye.
295And after from Cipre men gon be see & leven Ierusalem &
296all þat contre on the left hond vnto Egypt & arryuen at
297the cytee of DAMYETE þat was wont to ben full strong &
298it sytt at the entree of Egypt. And fro Damyete gon
299men to the Cytee of Alizandre þat sytt also vpon the see.
300In þat cytee was seynte kateryne beheded And þere was
301seynt Mark the Euuangelist martyred & buryed, But the
302Emperour Leoun made his bones to ben brought to
303Venyse. And ȝit þere is at Alizandre a faire chirche
304all white withouten peynture and so ben all the othere
305chirches þat weren of the cristene men all white withjnne,
306For the Paynemes & the Sarrazynes maden hem
307white for to fordon the ymages of seyntes þat weren

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308peynted on the walles. Þat cytee of Alizandre is wel
309 .xxx. furlonges in lengthe but it is but .x. on largeness
310And it is a full noble cytee & a fayr. At þat cytee
311entreth the ryuere of Nyle in to the see as I to ȝou haue
312seyd before. In þat ryuere men fynden many precyouse
313stones & meche also of lignum aloes And it is a manere
314of wode þat cometh out of paradys terrestre the whiche
315is good for manye dyuerse medicynes And it is right
316dereworth. And from Alizandre men gon to Babyloyne
317where the Soudan dwelleth þat sytt also vpon the ryuere
318of Nyle, And this weye is most schort for to go streyght
319vnto Babiloyne.

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320

OF THE GRETE CHANE OF CHATAY; OF THE
321RIALTEE OF HIS PALAYS & HOW HE SITT
322AT METE, AND OF THE GRETE NOMBRE OF
323OFFICERES ÞAT SERUEN HYM.

324
325    Chatay is a grete contree & a fair, noble & riche &
326full of marchauntes; þider gon Marchaundes all
327ȝeres for to sechen spices & all manere of marchandises
328more comounly þan in ony oþer partye. And ȝee schull
329vnderstonde þat Marchaundes þat comen fro Gene or
330fro Venyse or fro Romanye or oþer parties of Lombardye
331þei gon be see & be londe .xj. monethes or .xij. or more
332sumtyme or þei may come to the yle of Cathay , þat is
333the princypall regyoun of all partyes beȝonde & it is of
334the grete Cane . Fro Cathay go men toward the est be
335many iorneyes & þan men fynden a gode cytee betwene
336þeise oþere þat men clepen Sugarmago . Þat cytee is
337on of the beste stored of sylk & oþer marchandises þat
338is in the world. After gon men ȝit to anoþer old cytee
339toward the est & it is in the prouynce of Cathay , And
340besyde þat cytee the men of Tartarye han let make
341a nother cytee þat is clept Caydon & it hath .xij. ȝates
342And betwene the .ij. ȝates þere is allweys a gret myle.
343So þat the .ij. cytees, þat is to seyne the olde & the
344newe han in cyrcuyt more þan .xx. myle. In this cytee
345is the sege of the grete Cane in a full gret palays &
346the most passynge fair in all the world, Of the whiche
347the walles ben in circuyt more þan .ij. myle, And within
348the walles it is all full of oþer palays. And in the gardyn
349of the grete palays þere is a gret hill vpon the whiche
350is anoþer palays And it is the most fair & the most riche
351þat ony man may deuyse And all aboute the palays & the
352hill ben many trees berynge many dyuerse frutes. And

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353all aboute þat hill ben dyches grete & depe And besyde
354hem ben grete vyueres on þat o part & on þat other
355And þere is a full fair brigge to passen ouer the dyches.
356And in þeise vyueres ben so many wylde gees & gandres
357& wylde dokes & swannes & heirouns þat it is withouten
358nombre. And all aboute þeise dyches & vyueres is the
359grete gardyn full of wylde bestes so þat whan the gret
360Cane wil haue ony desport ouþer to taken ony of the
361wylde bestes or of the foules, he wil lete chace hem
362& taken hem at the windowes withouten goynge out of
363his chambre. This palays where his sege is is bothe
364gret & passynge fair And within the palays in the halle
365þere ben .xxiiij. pyleres of fyn gold & all the walles ben
366couered withjnne of rede skynnes of bestes þat men
367clepen Panteres , þat ben faire bestes & wel smellyng
368so þat for the swete odour of þo skynnes non euyll ayr
369may entre in to the palays. Þo skynnes ben als rede as
370blode & þei schynen so brighte aȝen the sonne þat vnethes
371noman may beholden hem. And many folk worschipen
372þo bestes whan þei meeten hem first at morwe for here
373gret vertue & for the gode smell þat þei han, & þo skynnes
374þei preysen more þan þough þei were plate of fyn gold.
375And in the myddes of this palays is the mountour for
376the grete Cane þat is all wrought of gold & of precyous
377stones & grete perles. And at .iiij. corneres of the
378mountour ben .iiij. serpentes of gold And all aboute þer is
379ymade large nettes of sylk & gold & grete perles hangynge
380all aboute the mountour. And vnder the mountour ben
381Condytes of beuerage þat þei drynken in the Emperours
382court And besyde þe condytes ben many vesselles of gold
383be the whiche þei þat ben of houshold drynken at the
384condyt. And the halle of the palays is full nobelych
385arrayed & full merueylleousely atyred on all partyes in
386all thinges þat men apparayle with ony halle. And first
387at the chief of the halle is the Emperoures throne full
388high where he sytteth at the mete & þat is of fyn

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389precyouse stones bordured all aboute with pured gold &
390precyous stones & grete perles, And the grees þat he goth
391vp to the table ben of precious stones medled with gold.
392And at the left syde of the Emperoures sege is the sege
393of his firste wif o degree lowere þan the Emperour & it is
394of jaspere bordured with gold & precious stones. And the
395sege of his seconde wif is also anoþer degree more lowere
396þan his firste wif & it is also of jaspere bordured with
397gold as þat oþer is. And the sege of the thridde wif is
398also more lowe be a degree þan the seconde wif. For he
399hath alweys .iij. wifes with him where þat euere he be &
400after his wyfes on the same syde sytten the ladyes of his
401lynage ȝit lowere after þat þei ben of estate. And all þo
402þat ben maryed han a countrefete made lyche a mannes
403foot vpon here hedes cubyte long all wrought with grete
404perles of fyne & oryent & abouen made with pecokes fedres
405& of oþer schynynge fedres & þat stont vpon here hedes
406lyke a crest, in tokene þat þei ben vnder mannes fote &
407vnder subieccioun of man, And þei þat ben vnmaryed
408han none suche. And after at the right syde of the
409Emperour first sytteth his oldest sone þat schall regne
410after him; And he sytteth also o degree lowere þan the
411Emperour in suche manere of seges as don the Emperesses.
412And after him sitten oþer grete lordes of his lynage, euery
413of hem a degree lowere þan oþer, as þei ben of estate.
414And the Emperour hath his table allone be him self þat
415is of gold & of precious stones or of cristall bordured with
416gold & full of precious stones or of Amatystes or of
417Lignum Aloes þat cometh out of paradys or of Iuory
418bounden & bordured with gold. And euerych of his
419wyfes hath also hire table be hireself And his eldest sone
420& the oþer lordes also & the ladyes & all þat sitten with
421the Emperour han tables allone be hemself full riche.
422And þere nys no table but þat it is worth an huge tresour
423of godegoldeEdition: gode. And vnder the Emperoures table sitten .iiij.
424clerkes þat writen all þat the Emperour seyth, be it good,

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425be it euyll. For all þat he seyth moste ben holden, for
426he may not chaungen his woord ne revoke it. And at
427grete solempne festes before the Emperoures table men
428bryngen grete tables of gold & þereon be Pecokes of gold
429& many oþer maner of dyuerse foules all of gold & richely
430wrought & enameled & men maken hem dauncen and
431syngen clappynge here wenges to gydere & maken gret
432noyse & wheþer it be by craft or be nygromancye I wot nere,
433but it is a gode sight to beholde & a fair, And it is gret
434meruayle how it may be. But I haue the lasse meruaylle
435because þat þei ben the moste sotyle men in all sciences &
436in all craftes þat ben in the world, For of sotyltee & of
437malice & of fer castynge þei passen all men vnder heuene.
438And þerfore þei seyn hem self þat þei seen with .ij. eyen
439& the cristene men see but with on be cause þat þei ben
440more sotyll þan þei, For all oþer naciouns þei seyn ben
441but blynde in conynge & worchinge in comparisoun to
442hem. I did gret besyness for to haue lerned þat craft
443but the maistre tolde me þat he had made avow to his god
444to teche it to no creature but only to his eldeste sone.
445Also aboue the Emperoures table & the oþere tables &
446abouen a gret partie in the halle is a Vyne made of fyn
447gold & it spredeth all aboute the hall & it hath many
448clustres of grapes, somme white, somme grene, summe
449ȝalowe & somme rede & somme blake, all of precious
450stones. The white ben of cristall & of berylle & of
451jris , the ȝalowe ben of topazes , the rede ben of
452rubies & of Grenaz & of Alabraundynes , The grene
453ben of Emeraudes of Perydos & of Crisolytes, And the
454blake ben of Onichez & Garantez. And þei ben all so
455propurlych made þat it semeth a verry vyne berynge
456kyndely grapes. And before the Emperoures table
457stonden grete lordes & riche barouns & othere þat seruen
458the Emperour at the mete. But noman is so hardy to
459speke a word but ȝif the Emperour speke to him, But ȝif
460it be Mynstrelles þat syngen songes & tellen gestes or oþer

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461desportes to solace with the Emperour. And all the
462vessell þat men ben serued with in the halle or in
463chambres ben of precious stones And specyally at grete
464tables, ouþer of jaspre or of cristall or of Amatystez or
465of fyn gold. And the cuppes ben of Emeraudez & of
466Saphires or of Topazes, of Perydoz and of many oþer
467precyouse stones. Vessell of syluer is þere non, for þei
468tell no prys þere of to make no vessell offe, But þei
469maken þerof grecynges & pileres & pawmentes to halles &
470chambres. And before the halle dore stonden manye
471barounes & knyghtes clene armed to kepe þat noman
472entre, but ȝif it be the wille or the commandement of the
473Emperour or but ȝif þei ben seruauntes or mynstrall of
474the houshold; And oþer non is not so hardy to neighen
475ny the hall dore. And ȝe schull vndirstonde þat my
476felawes and I with oure ȝomen we serueden this
477Emperour & weren his Soudyoures .xv. monethes aȝenst
478the kyng of Mancy þat held werre aȝenst him. And the
479cause was for wee hadden gret lust to see his noblesse &
480the estat of his court & all his gouernance, to wite ȝif it
481were such as we herde seye þat it was. And treuly we
482fond it more noble and more excellent & ricchere & more
483merueyllous þan euer we herde speke offe. In so moche
484þat we wolde neuer han leved it, had wee not a seen it,
485For I trowe þat noman wolde beleve the noblesse, the
486ricchesse ne the multytude of folk þat ben in his court,
487but he had seen it. For it is not þere as it is here, For
488the lordes here han folk of certeyn nombre als þei may
489suffise, But the grete Chane hath euery day folk at his
490costages & expens as withouten nombre. But the
491ordynance ne the expenses in mete & drink ne the
492honestee ne the clennesse is not so arrayed þere as it is
493here; for all the comouns þere eten withouten cloth vpon
494here knees & þei eten all maner of flessch & lityll of bred,
495And after mete þei wypen here hondes vpon here skyrtes
496& þei eten not but ones a day. But the estat of lordes is
497full gret & riche & noble. And all be it þat sum men wil

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498not trow me, but holden it for fable to tellen hem the
499nobless of his persone & of his estate & of his court & of
500the gret multytude of folk þat he holt, natheles I schall
501seye ȝou A partye of him & of his folk, after þat I haue
502seen the manere & the ordynance full many a tyme. And
503whoso þat wole may leve me ȝif he will, And whoso will
504not may leue also. For I wot wel ȝif ony man hath
505ben in þo contrees beȝonde, þough he haue not ben in the
506place where the grete Chane duelleth, he schall here
507speke of him so meche merueylouse þing, þat he schall
508not trowe it lightly; And treuly no more did I myself til
509I saugh it. And þo þat han ben in þo contrees & in the
510gret Canes houshold knowen wel þat I seye soth And
511þerfore I will not spare for hem þat knowe not ne beleue
512not but þat þat þei seen for to tell ȝou a partie of him &
513of his estate þat he holt whan he goth from contree to
514contree & whan he maketh solempne festes.