_Of many other mervailes._
AND ye shall understande, that for to go from the dead sea afterward
out of the marche of the land of promissions, is a stronge Castell
that men call Carran[1] in Sermoys, that is to saye, the kinges hyll
in English. This castell did a King of Fraunce make, that men call
Baudewin, that had conquered all that lande, and put it into Christen
mens handes to kepe, and under that castell is a fayre towne that men
call Sabaoth, and there about dwell many Christen men under tribute.
And then go men to Nazareth, of the which our Lord had his name. And
from Nazareth unto Hierusalem is three dayes journey. Also men go
through the province of Galyle, through Romacha,[2] through Sophyn,[3]
and through the hygh hill of Effrayne,[4] where Anna that was Samuells
mother the prophet dwelled, & there was the prophete borne and after
his deathe was buried at mount Joye as I have sayde. And after come
men to Sybula,[5] where the Arke of God was kepte under Helye[6] the
Prophete. And there made the people of Israell[7] theyr sacrafyce unto
our Lorde. Also there spake our Lorde fyrst unto Samuell and there
mynistered God the sacrament. Also nere there at the lefte side is
Gabaon[8] and Rama[9] & Benjamin of the which holy writ speaketh.
After that come men to Sychem, that some men call Sycar and this is in
the province of Samaritanes, and sometime there was a Church, but it
is all wasted, and it a faire vale and plenteous, and there is a good
citie that men call Neople,[10] and from thence it is a dayes journey
unto Hierusalem. And there is the well where oure Lorde spake to the
woman of Samaritane, and Sechen is ten myle from Hierusalem and it is
called Neople, that is to saye, the new towne. And there is the Temple
of Joseph, Jacobs sonne, that governed Egipte, and from thence were
his bones brought and layde in the temple, and thyther came Jewes
often in pilgrimage with great devotion, and in that citie was Jacob's
daughter Diana ravished, for whom hir brethren slewe many men, and
thereby is the citie of Garysim[11] where the Samaritanes make their
sacrifyce.
[Illustration]
On this hill wold Abraham haue sacryfised his sonne Isaac and there
nere is the vale Dotaym,[12] and there is the cesterne that Josephe
was cast in of his bretherne before that they solde him, and it is two
myle to Sichar, and fro thence men come to Samary,[13] that men call
Sabaste, and that is the chiefe citie of that countrey, and in that
citie was the seat of the twelve Kynges of Israell, but it is not so
great as it was. And there was saint John Baptist buried betwene two
prophetes Helyas[14] and Abdon,[15] but he was beheaded in the castell
of Makaryn besyde the dead sea and he was translated[16] of his
disciples and buried at Samary, but there dyd Julius apostata take
hys bones and brente[17] them, for he was that tyme Emperour, but that
finger with whiche hee shewed our Lord saying, _Ecce Agnus dei_, That
is to say, Beholde the lamb of God, and that finger might not bee
brent, and sainct Tecla[18] the Virgin did bring this finger under the
Alphen,[19] that be mountaynes, where they do it great worshippe. And
there was sainct Jhon Baptist head closed in a wall, but the Emperour
Theodosius did take it out, and found it lapped in a clothe all
bloudie, and bare it to Constantinople, and there is yet the one halfe
of the head, and the other is at Rome in Saint Sylvesters church, &
the vessell wherein his head was layde when it was smitten of is at
Geene,[20] and they do it great worship. Some saye that Sainct Jhons
hedde is at Amiens in Pycardy, and some say it is saincte Johns head
the byshop. I wot not but to God it is knowne.
[Footnote 1: In some other editions called Carak.]
[Footnote 2: Ramoth.]
[Footnote 3: Sodom.]
[Footnote 4: Ephraim.]
[Footnote 5: Shiloh.]
[Footnote 6: Eli.]
[Footnote 7: Hebron.]
[Footnote 8: Gibeon.]
[Footnote 9: Ramah.]
[Footnote 10: Neapolis.]
[Footnote 11: Gerizim.]
[Footnote 12: Dothan.]
[Footnote 13: Samaria.]
[Footnote 14: Elisha.]
[Footnote 15: Abdias.]
[Footnote 16: Carried away.]
[Footnote 17: Burnt.]
[Footnote 18: Was an English woman, and was invited by St.
Boniface into Germany, where she was made Abbess of Kissengen,
near Wurtzburg in Bavaria.]
[Footnote 19: Alps.]
[Footnote 20: Genoa.]