_A lyttle of Paradise terrestre._
THIS Paradise terrestre is enclosed al about with a wall, and that
wall is all covered with mosse as it semeth, y^t men may see no stone
nor nothing else whereof it is, and in the highest place of Paradise
in the middest of it is a well that casteth out the foure flouds that
run through divers landes. The first floud is called Phison or Ganges,
and that runneth through Inde, in that river are many precious stones
and much _Lignum Aloes_ & gravel of golde. Another is called Nilus or
Gison, and y^t runneth through Ethiope & Egipt. The third is called
Tigre & that runneth through Assyry & Armony the great. And the fourth
is called Eufrates, y^t runneth through Armony and Percy & men say
that the sweete and fresh waters of y^e world take their springing of
them. The first river is called Phison, that is to say, gathering of
many rivers together & faling into one, and some call it Ganges, for a
King y^t was in Inde that men cal Gangeras, for it runneth through his
land & this river is in some places cleane, in some places troble,[1]
in some places hot, in some places cold. The second river is called
Nilus or Gison, for it is ever trouble, for Gison is to say troble.
The third river is called Tigris that is to say fast running, for it
runneth faster than any of the other, & so is a beast that men call
Tigris for he runneth fast. The fourth ryver is called Eufrates y^t
is to say well bearing, for there groweth many good things upon that
ryver. And ye shall understande that no man living may go unto y^t
Paradise, for by land he may not go for wylde beastes which are in the
wyldernesse, and for hylls and rocks where no man may passe. Nor by
those ryvers may no man passe, for they come with so great course and
so great waves that no ship may saile against them. Many great lordes
haue essayed many times to go by those rivers to Paradise, but they
might not spede in theyr way, for some dyed for werynesse of rowinge,
some waxt blynde and some defe for noise of the waters, so no man may
passe there but through speciall grace of God--for I can tell you no
more of that place. I shall tell you of that I haue seene.
[Footnote 1: Troubled or muddy.]
[Decoration]