_Yet here followeth of the Soudan and of his Kingdomes that he
hath conquered, which he holdeth strongly with force._
AND ye shall understand that the Soudan is lorde of v Kingdomes: the
which he hath conquered and gotten to him by strength, and these be
they--the Kingdome of Canopate (_that is_) the Kingdome of Egipte,
the Kingdome of Hierusalem: whereof David and Salomon were Kings, the
Kingdome of Surry, of the which the citie of Damas[1] was the chiefe,
the Kingdome of Alape in the lande of Dameth, and the Kingdome of
Arabya: which was one of the three Kinges that made offeryng to our
Lorde when he was borne, and many other landes he holdeth in his
hande, and also he holdeth Calaphes[2] that is a great thing to the
Soudan, that is to say, among them Roys[3] yle and this vale is colde.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
And then men go uppon the mount of Sainct Katherina and that is
much higher than the mount Moyses. And there as saint Katheryn was
graven[4] is no church ne castell, ne other dwelling place, but there
is an hyll of stones gathered togither, about the place there she was
graven of Aungels, there was wont to be a chapell, but it is all cast
downe & yet lyeth there a great parte of the stones.
But under the foote of mount Sinay is a monasterie of Monkes,
and there is the church of Sainct Katherine wherein be many lamps
brenning, and they have oyle onlye enough to eate and to brenne, and
that they haue by myracle of God, there come certaine of all maner of
byrdes euery yeare once, lyke pylgrymes and eche of them bringeth a
braunch of olyve in token of offering, whereof they make much oyle.
[Footnote 1: Damascus.]
[Footnote 2: Khalifs.]
[Footnote 3: Who are accounted there as kings.]
[Footnote 4: Buried.]