[Decoration]
[Decoration]
+The Voiage and Travayle of Syr John Maundeville, Knight.+
_Here beginneth a lyttle treatise or boke, named John Maundevile
Knight, borne in England in the towne of Sainct Albone, &
speaketh of the wayes to Hierusalem, to Inde, and to the greate
Cane,[1] and also to Prester Johns land, & to many other
countreys, & also of many marvailes that are in the holy Lande._
FOR AS MUCH as the lande over the sea, that is to say, the holy land,
that men cal the land of Behest,[2] among all other lands is most
worthy & Soveraine, for it is blessed, halowed, and sacred of the
precious bloud of our Lord JESU CHRIST, in the which land, it liked
him to take flesh and bloud of the Virgin Mary, & to environ that
lande with his owne feete, and there he wold do many myracles, preach
and teach the fayth and the law of Christen men, as unto his children,
& there he would suffer many reprouves and scornes for us, and he that
was King of heaven and hell, of ayre, of sea, of lande, and of all
things that are contained in them, wold alonely[3] be called King of
that land, when he sayde, _Rex sum Judeorum_, I am King of Jewes: For
that tyme was that lande of Jewes, and that lande he chose before all
other landes, as the best & most worthy of vertues of all the world.
And as the Philosopher sayth, _Virtus rerum in medio consistit_. That
is to say, the vertue of things is in the midst: and in that lande he
would leade his lyfe, and suffer passion and death of the Jewes for
us, to save and deliver us from the paines of hell, and from deathe
without ende, the which was ordeyned to us for the sinne of our father
Adam, and our owne synnes also, for as for himself he had none evil
done ne[4] deserved, for he never thought ne dyd any evyll, for he
that was King of Glory and of joy might best in that place suffer
death. For he that will do any thinge that he will haue knowen openly,
he wyll proclayme it openly in the myddle place of a towne or of a
citie, so that it may bee knowne to all parties of the citie, so he
that was King of glory and of all the worlde would suffer death for us
at Hierusalem, which is in the mydst of the worlde, so that it might
be knowen to all nations of the worlde how deare he bought man, that
he made with his handes in his owne likenesse, for the great loue that
he had to us. Ah dere God, what love he had to his subjects, when he
that had done no trespasse, would for us trespassours suffer death:
for a more worthy catell[5] he might not have sette for us, then his
owne blessed bodie and his owne precious bloud the which he suffered
for us: right wel ought men to love, worship dreade, and serve such a
Lord, and prayse such an holy lande that brought forth a lord of
such fruite, through the which eche man is saved but if it be his own
defaute. This is that lande prepared for an heritage to us, and in
that lande would he dye as seased,[6] to leaue it to his children.
For the which eche good Chrysten man that may & hath wherewith, should
strengthen him for to conquere our righte heritage, and purchace[7]
out of the evill peoples handes: for we are cleped[8] christen men
of Christ our father, and if we be the ryght children of Christ, we
oughte to challenge the heritage that our father lefte us & take it
out of straunge mens handes. But now Pryde, Covetyse and Envy hath so
inflamed the hearts of the lordes of the worlde, that they are more
busy for to disheryte theyr neighbours than to challenge or conquere
their right heritage aforesayde. And the common people that would put
their bodies and theyr catell for to conquere our heritage, they
may not do so without lordes: for assembling of the people without a
chiefe lorde, is as a flocke of sheepe without a sheepherd, the which
depart asunder, and wot not whether they shall go. But would[9] God,
the worldly Lordes were at a good accorde, and with other of their
common people would take this holy voyage over the sea. I trust well
that within a little tyme our right heritage before sayd should be
reconsiled and put into the hands of the right heires of Jesu Christ.
And for as much as it is long time that there was any general passage
over the sea, and that many men desire to here speaking of the holy
lande, and have therefore great solace and comfort, therefore ye shall
here by me John Maundevile Knight which was borne in England in the
towne of Saint Albones, and passed the sea in the yeare of our Lord
JESU CHRIST A. MIII.C.[10] on the day of Sainct Michael, and there
remained long tyme, and went through many landes, and many provinces,
kingdomes and yles, & have passed through Turkey, and through
Armony[11] the lyttle and the great, through Tartary, Percy,[12]
Surre,[13] Araby, Egypt the high and the low, through Libie, Caldee
and a great part of Ethiope, through Amazonie through Inde the lesse
& the more a great part, and through many other yles which are about
Inde, where many people dwelleth of divers lawes and shapes. Of the
men of which landes and yles I shall speake more plainly and I shall
devise[14] a parte of the things what they are when time shall be,
after it may best come to my mynde & specially for them that will,
and are in purpose, for to visite the holy citie of Hierusalem and
the holy places that are there aboute & I shall tell the way that they
shall holde[15] thither, for I have many times passed and ridden it
with good company and with many lordes.
[Footnote 1: Khan.]
[Footnote 2: Promise.]
[Footnote 3: _Pynson_, all oonly.]
[Footnote 4: Nor.]
[Footnote 5: Treasure, money, goods, property, possessions.]
[Footnote 6: Possessing (seized).]
[Footnote 7: _Pynson_, "and _chase_ out the ylle trowand."]
[Footnote 8: Called.]
[Footnote 9: (to) omitted.]
[Footnote 10: _Pynson_ and other authorities say MCCCXXXII.]
[Footnote 11: Armenia.]
[Footnote 12: Persia.]
[Footnote 13: Syria.]
[Footnote 14: Relate.]
[Footnote 15: Travel or journey.]