OF ALBANIA AND OF LYBIA.—OF THE WISHINGS FOR WATCHING OF THE
SPARROW-HAWK; AND OF NOAH'S SHIP.
Now, since I have told you before of the Holy Land, and of that country
about, and of many ways to go to that land, and to Mount Sinai, and of
Babylon the Greater and the Less, and other places, now is the time, if
it please you, to tell you of the borders and isles, and divers beasts,
and of various peoples beyond these borders. For in the countries beyond
are many divers countries, and many great kingdoms, that are separated
by the four streams that come from terrestrial Paradise. For
Mesopotamia, and the kingdom of Chaldea, and Arabia, are between the two
rivers of Tigris and Euphrates. And Media and Persia are between the
rivers of Nile and Tigris. And Syria, Palestine, and Phœnicia are
between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean Sea, which sea extends in
length from Marok, on the sea of Spain, to the great sea, so that it
lasts beyond Constantinople three thousand and forty Lombard miles.
Towards the Ocean Sea, in India, is the kingdom of Scythia, which is
inclosed with mountains; and after, below Scythia, from the Caspian Sea
to the river Thainy, is Amazonia, or the land of Feminy, where there is
no man, but only women. And after is Albania, a full great realm; so
called because the people are whiter there than in other countries
thereabout. And in that country are so great and strong dogs, that they
assail lions and slay them. And then after is Hircania, Bactria, Iberia,
and many other kingdoms. And between the Red Sea and the Ocean Sea,
towards the south, is the kingdom of Ethiopia, and Lybia the Higher.
Which land of Lybia (that is to say, Lower Lybia) commences at the sea
of Spain, from thence where the Pillars of Hercules are, and extends to
Egypt and towards Ethiopia. In that country of Lybia the sea is higher
than the land, and it seems that it would cover the earth, and yet it
passeth not its bounds. And men see in that country a mountain to which
no man cometh. In this land of Lybia, whoso turneth towards the east,
the shadow of himself is on the right side, and here, in our country,
the shadow is on the left side. In that sea of Lybia is no fish, for
they may not live for the great heat of the sun; because the water is
ever boiling for the great heat. And many other lands there are that it
were too long to tell or to number; but of some parts I shall speak more
plainly hereafter.
Whoever will go towards Tartary, Persia, Chaldea, and India, must enter
the sea at Genoa, or at Venice, or at some other haven that I have
mentioned before, and then pass the sea and arrive at Trebizond, which
is a good city; and it was wont to be the haven of Pountz (Pontus).
There is the haven of Persians and of Medians, and of the countries
beyond. In that city lieth St. Athanasius, who was bishop of Alexandria,
and made the psalm _Quicunque vult_[358]. This Athanasius was a great
doctor of divinity; and because he preached and spake so deeply of
divinity and of the godhead, he was accused to the pope of Rome of being
a heretic; wherefore the pope sent after him, and put him in prison, and
while he was in prison he made that psalm, and sent it to the pope, and
said, that if he were a heretic that was his heresy; for that, he said,
was his belief. And when the pope saw it, and had examined it that it
was perfect and good, and verily our faith and our belief, he set him at
liberty, and commanded that psalm to be said every day at prayer; and so
he held Athanasius a good man. But he would never go to his bishopric
again, because he had been accused of heresy. Trebizond was formerly
held by the emperor of Constantinople; but a great man, whom he sent to
keep the country against the Turks, usurped the land and held it to
himself, and called himself emperor of Trebizond[359].
And from thence men go through Little Ermony (Armenia), in which is an
old castle, on a rock, called the castle of the Sparrow-hawk. It is
beyond the city of Layays (Lajazzo), beside the town of Pharsipee, which
belongs to the lordship of Cruk, a rich lord and a good Christian. There
is found a sparrow-hawk upon a fair perch, and a fair lady of fairie,
who keeps it; and whoever will watch that sparrow-hawk seven days and
seven nights, and, as some men say, three days and three nights, without
company and without sleep, that fair lady shall give him, when he hath
done, the first wish that he will wish of earthly things; and that hath
been proved oftentimes. And once a king of Ermony, who was a worthy
knight and brave man, and a noble prince, watched that hawk some time;
and at the end of seven days and seven nights the lady came to him, and
bade him wish, for he had well deserved it; and he answered that he was
a great lord enough, and well in peace, and had enough of worldly
riches; and therefore he would wish no other thing but the body of that
fair lady, to have at his will. And she answered him, that he knew not
what he asked, and said that he was a fool to desire what he might not
have; for she said that he should only ask an earthly thing; and she was
no earthly thing, but a spiritual thing. And the king said that he would
ask no other thing. And the lady answered, "Since I may not withdraw you
from your lewd boldness, I shall give you without wishing, and to all
that shall come of you. Sir king, you shall have war without peace, and
always, to the ninth degree, you shall be in subjection to your enemies,
and you shall be in need of all goods." And since that neither the king
of Ermony nor the country were ever in peace or rich; and they have
since been always under tribute to the Saracens. At another time the son
of a poor man watched the hawk, and wished that he might have good
success, and be fortunate in merchandise. And the lady granted it him,
and he became the richest and most famous merchant that might be on sea
or on land; and he became so rich that he knew not one-thousandth part
of what he had; and he was wiser in wishing than the king. Also a knight
of the temple watched there, and wished a purse ever full of gold; and
the lady granted him; but she told him that he had asked the destruction
of the order; for the trust of that purse, and for the great pride that
they should have; and so it was. And therefore let him who watches
beware; for if he sleep he is lost, that never man shall see him more.
This is not the direct way to go to the parts that I have mentioned
before, but to see the marvel of which I have spoken.
And, therefore, whoever will go the direct way must proceed from
Trebizond towards Ermony the Great, to a city called Artyroun
(Erzeroum), which was formerly a good and populous city, but the Turks
have greatly wasted it. Thereabout grows little or no wine or fruit. In
this land the earth is higher than in any other; and that makes it very
cold. And there are many good waters and good wells, that come under
earth from the river of Paradise, which is called Euphrates, which is a
day's journey from this city. And that river comes towards India, under
earth, and reappears in the land of Altazar. And so men pass by this
Ermony, and enter the sea of Persia. From that city of Artyroun men go
to a mountain called Sabissocolle; and there beside is another mountain
called Ararat, but the Jews call it Taneez, where Noah's ship rested,
and still is upon that mountain; and men may see it afar in clear
weather. That mountain is full seven miles high; and some men say that
they have seen and touched the ship, and put their fingers in the parts
where the devil went out, when Noah said "Benedicite."[360] But they
that say so speak without knowledge; for no one can go up the mountain
for the great abundance of snow which is always on that mountain, both
summer and winter, so that no man ever went up since the time of Noah,
except a monk, who, by God's grace, brought one of the planks down,
which is yet in the monastery at the foot of the mountain. And beside is
the city of Dayne, which was founded by Noah, near which is the city of
Any[361], in which were one thousand churches. This monk had great
desire to go up that mountain; and so upon a day he went up; and when he
had ascended the third part of the mountain he was so weary that he fell
asleep; and when he awoke he found himself lying at the foot of the
mountain. Then he prayed devoutly to God that he would suffer him to go
up; and an angel came to him, and said that he should go up; and so he
did. And since that time no one ever went up; wherefore men should not
believe such words.
From that mountain we go to the city of Thauriso (Tabreez), which was
formerly called Taxis, a very fair and great city, and one of the best
in the world for merchandise; and it is in the land of the emperor of
Persia. And they say that the emperor receives more in that city for
custom of merchandise than the richest Christian king alive from all his
realm; for the toll and custom of his merchants is beyond calculation.
Beside that city is a hill of salt, of which every man taketh what he
will. There dwell many Christians under tribute of Saracens. And from
that city men pass by many towns and castles, on the way towards India
to the city of Sadony, which is ten days from Thauriso; and it is a very
noble and great city. And there the emperor of Persia dwells in summer,
because the climate is temperate. And there are good rivers capable of
bearing ships. Then men go the way towards India for many days, and by
many countries, to the city called Cassak, a full noble city, abounding
in corn, wines, and all other goods. This is the city where the three
kings met together when they went to seek our Lord in Bethlehem, to
worship him, and to present him with gold, essence, and myrrh. And it is
from that city to Bethlehem fifty-three days. From that city men go to
another city, called Bethe (Beth-Germa? or Old Bagdad), a day from the
sea which they call the Sandy Sea. This is the best city which the
emperor of Persia has in all his land, and it is called there
Chardabago; and others call it Vapa. And the Pagans say that no
Christian may remain long alive in that city; but they die within short
time, and no man knows the cause. Afterwards men go by many cities and
towns and great countries to the city of Cornaa (Kornah?), which was
formerly so great that the walls are twenty-five miles about. The walls
are still standing, but it is not all inhabited. From Cornaa men go by
many lands, and many cities and towns, unto the land of Job; and there
ends the land of the emperor of Persia.