partes Hierosolymitanas potest saltem vsque ad Imperialem Greciæ Ciuitatem
Constantinopolim eligere sibi modum proficiscendi, siue per terras, siue
per aquas. Et si peregrinando eligit transigere viam, tendat per Coloniam
Agrippinam, et sic per Almaniam in Hungariam ad Montlusant Ciuitatem, sedem
Regni Hungariæ. [Sidenote: Regis Hungariæ olim potentia.] Et est Rex
Hungariæ multum potens istis temporibus. Nam tenet et Sclauoniam, et magnam
partem Regni Comannorum, et Hungariam, et partem Regni Russiæ. Oportet vt
peregrinus in finibus Hungariæ transeat magnum Danubij flumen, et vadat in
Belgradum; Hoc flumen oritur inter Montana Almaniæ, et currens versus
Orientem, recipit in se 40. flumina antequam finiatur in mare. De Belgrade
intratur terra Bulgariæ, et transitur per Pontem petrinum fluuij Marroy, et
per terram Pyncenars, et tunc intratur Græcia, in Ciuitates, Sternes,
Asmopape, et Andrinopolis, et sic in Constantinopolim, vbi communiter est
sedes Imperatoris Greciæ. Qui autem viam eligit per aquas versus
Constantinopolim nauigare, accipiat sibi portum, prout voluerit, propinquum
siue remotum, Marsiliæ, Pisi, Ianuæ, Venetijs, Romæ, Neapoli, vel alibi:
sicque transeat Tusciam, Campaniam, Italiam, Corsicam, Sardiniam, vsque in
Siciliam, quæ diuiditur ab Italia per brachiam maris non magnum. [Sidenote:
Mons ætna.] In Sicilia est mons Ætna iugiter ardens, qui ibidem apellatur
Mons Gibelle, et præter illum habentur ibi loca Golthan vbi sunt septem
leucæ quasi semper ignem spirantes: secundum diuersitatem colorum harum
flammarum estimant. [Sidenote: Aeolides insulæ.] Incolæ annum fertilem
fore, vel sterilem, siccum vel humidum, calidum, vel frigidum: hæc loca
vocant caminos Infernales, et à finibus Italiæ vsque ad ista loca sunt 25.
miliaria. [Sidenote: Temperes Siciliæ Insulæ.] Sunt autem in Sicilia aliqua
Pomeria in quibus inueniuntur frondes, flores, et fructus per totum annum,
etiam, in profunda hyeme. Regnum Siciliæ est bona, et grandis insula habens
in circuitu ferè leucas 300. [Sidenote: Leuca Lombardica. Quid sit dieta.]
Et ne quis eret, vel de facili reprehendat quoties scribo leucam,
intelligendum est de leuca Lombardica, quæ aliquantò maior est Geometrica;
et quoties pono numerum, sub intelligatur fere, vel circiter, siue citra,
et dietam intendo ponere, de 10. Lombardicis leucis: Geometrica autem leuca
describitur, vt notum est, per hos versus.
Quinque pedes passum faciunt, passus quoque centum
Viginti quínque stadium, si millia des que
Octo facis stadia, duplicatum dat tibi leuca.
[Sidenote: Portus Greciæ.] Postquam itáque peregrinus se credidit Deo et
mari, si prospera sibi fuerit nauigatio, non ascendet in terram, donec
intret aliquem portum Greciæ, scilicet, Myrroyt, Valonæ, Durase, siue alium
prout Diuinæ placuerit uoluntati, et exhinc ibit Constantinopolim
praædictam, quaæ olim Bysantium, vel Vesaton dicebatur. Hic autem notandum
est, quòd a portu Venetie, vsque ad Constantinopolim directè per mare
octingentæ leucæ et 80. communiter computantur ibi contentæ.
The English Version.
First, zif a man come from the west syde of the world, as Engelond,
Irelond, Wales, Skotlond or Norwaye; he may, zif that he wole, go thorge
Almayne, and thorge the kyngdom of Hungarye, that marchethe to the lond of
Polayne, and to the lond of Pannonye, and so to Slesie. And the Kyng of
Hungarye is a gret lord and a myghty, and holdeth grete lordschippes and
meche lond in his hond. For he holdeth the kyngdom of Hungarie, Solavonye
and of Comanye a gret part, and of Bulgarie, that men clepen the lond of
Bougiers, and of the Reme of Roussye a gret partie, whereof he hathe made a
Duchee, that lasteth unto the lond of Nyflan, and marchethe to Pruysse. And
men gon thorghe the lond of this lord, thorghe a cytee that is clept
Cypron, and by the castelle of Neaseburghe, and be the evylle town, that
sytt toward the ende of Hungarye. And there passe men the ryvere of
Danubee. This ryvere of Danubee is a fulle gret ryvere; and it gothe into
Almayne, undre the hilles of Lombardye: and it receiveth into him 40 othere
ryveres; and it rennethe thorghe Hungarie and thorghe Greece and thorghe
Traachie, and it entreth into the see, toward the est, so rudely and so
scharply, that the watre of the see is fressche and holdethe his swetnesse
20 myle within the see.
And aftre gon men to Belgrave, and entren into the lond of Bourgres;
[Footnote: Bulgaria.] and there passe men a brigge of ston, that is upon
the ryver of Marrok. [Footnote: The river Maros.] And men passen thorghe
the lond of Pyncemartz, and comen to Greece to the cytee of Nye, and to the
cytee of Fynepape, and aftre to the cytee of Dandrenoble, [Footnote:
Adrianople.] and aftre to Constantynoble, that was wont to be clept
Bezanzon.
CAPVT. 3.
De vrbe Constantinopoli, et reltquijs ibidem contentis.
Constantinopolis pulchra est Ciuitas, et nobilis, triangularis in forma,
firmitérque murata, cuius duæ partes includuntur mari Hellesponto, quòd
plurimi modò appellant brachium sanctì Georgij, et aliqui Buke, Troia
vetus. Versus locum vbi hoc brachium exit de mari est late terræ planities,
in quâ antiquitus stetit Troia Ciuitas de qua apud Poetas mira leguntur sed
nunc valdè modica apparent vestigia Ciuitatis. In Constantinopoli habentur
multa mirabilia, ac insuper multæ sanctorum venerandæ relliquæi, ac super
omnia, preciosissimi Crux Christi, seu maior pars illius, et tunica
inconsutilis, cum spongia et arandine, et vno clauorum, et dimidia parte
coronæ spineæ, cuius altera medietas seruatur in Capetla Regis Franciæ,
Parisijs. Nam et ego indignus ditigenter pluribus vicibus respexi partem
vtrámque: dabatur quóque mihi de illa Parisijs vnica spina, quam vsque nunc
preciose conseruo, et est ipsa spina non lignea sed uelut de iuncis marinis
rigîda, et pungitiua. [Sidenote: Eclesia sanctæ Sophiæ] Ecclesia
Constantinopolitana in honorem sanctæ Sophiæ, id est, ineffabilis Dei
sapientiæ dedicato dicitur, et nobilissima vniuersarum mundi Ecclesiarum,
tam in schemate artificiosi operis, quàm in seruatis ibi sacrosanctis
Relliquijs: [Sidenote: Regina Helena Britanna] nam et continet corpus
sancte Annæ matris nostræ Dominæ translatum illuc per Reginam Helenam ab
Hierosolymis: et corpus S. Lucæ Euangelistæ translatum de Bethania Iudeæ;
Et Corpus beati Ioannis Chrysostomi ipsius Ciuitatis Episcopi, cum multis
atlijs reliquijs preciosis; quoniam est ibi vas grande cum huiusmodi
reliquijs velut marmoreum de Petra Enhydros; quod iugiter de seipso
desudans aquam semel, in anno inuenitur suo sudore repletum. [Sidenote:
Imago Iustiniani.] Ante hanc Ecclesiam, super columnam marmoream habetur de
ære aurato opere fuscrio, magna imago Iustiniani quondam Imperatoris super
equum sedentis, fuit autem primitus in manu imaginis fabricata sphæra
rotunda, quæ iam diu è manu sua sibi cecidit, in signum quòd Imperator
muliarum terraram dominium perdidit. Námque solebat esse Dominus, Romanorum
Græcorum, Asiæ, Syriæ, Iudeæ, Ægypti, Arabiæ, et Persiæ, at nunc solum
retinet Greciam, cum aliquibus terris Greciæ adiacentibus, sicut Calistrum,
Cholchos, Ortigo, Tylbriam, Minos, Flexon, Melos, Carpates, Lemnon,
Thraciam, et Macedoniam totam: Súntque sub eo Caypoplij, et alti
Pyntenardi, ac maxima pars Commannorum. Porrò imago tenet manum eleuatam et
extentam in orientem, velut in signum cominationis ad Orientales infideles.
De prædicta terra Thraciæ fuit Philosophus Aristoteles oriundus in Ciuitate
Stageres, et est ibi in loco tumba eius velut altare, vbi et singulis annis
certo die celebratur à populo festum illius, ac si fuisset sanctus.
Temporibus ergò magnorum consiliorum conueniunt illuc sapientes terræ,
reputantes sibi per inspirationem immitti consilium optimum de agendis.
Item ad diuisionem Thraciæ et Macedoniæ sunt duo mirabiliter alti montes,
vnus Olympus, alter Athos, cuius vltimi vmbra oríente sole apparet ad 76.
miliaria, vsque in insulam Lemnon. In horum cacumine montium ventus non
currit, nec aer mouetur, quod frequentèr probatum est per ingenium
Astronomorum, qui quandóque ascendentes scripserunt, literas in puluere,
quas sequenti anno inuenerunt quasi recentèr scriptas, et quia est ibi
purus aer sine mixtione elementi aquæ necesse est vt ascendentes habeant
secum spongias aquæ plenas pro adhelitus respiratione: In prædicta autem
sanctæ sophiæ Ecclesia, (sicut ibidem dicitur,) voluit olim quidam
Imperator corpus cuiusdam sui defuncti sepelire cognati: cuius cum
foderetur sepulchrum, ventum est ad mausoleum antiquum in quo super
incineratum corpus iacebat discus auri puri, et erat sculptum in eo literis
Græcis, Hebraicis, et Latinis sic. Iesus Christus nascetur de Virgine, et
ego credo in eum. Et erat simul inscripta data defuncti secundum modum
illius temporis quæ continebat duo millia annorum ante incarnationem ipsius
Christi de Maria Virgine. Seruatur quóque hodierno tempore eadem patina in
Thesaurario eiusdem Ecclesiæ, et dicitur illud corpus fuisse Hermetis
sapientis. Omnes quidem, terrarum, regionum et insularum homines, qui isti
Greco obediunt Imperatori sunt Christiani, et baptizati, tamen variant
singuli in aliquo articulo fidem suam a nostra vera fide Catholica, et
diuersificant in multis suos ritus à ritibus Romanæ Ecclesiæ, quia iamdiu
omiserunt obedire Pontifici Romano, dicentes, quoniam beatus Petrus
Apostolus habuit sedem in Antiochia, quamuis passus fuit in Roma:
[Sidenote: Patriarchæ Antiocheni authoritas.] Idcirco patriarcha
Antiochenus habet in illis Orientalibus partibus similem potestatem, quàm
Pontifex Romanus in istis Occidentalibus. Imperator etiam
Constantinopolitanus creat eorum patriarcham, et instituit pro sua
voluntate Archiepiscopos, et Episcopos, et confert dignitates, et
beneficia, similiter inuenta occasione destituit, deponit, et priuat.
The English Version.
And there dwellethe comounly the Emperour of Greece. And there is the most
fayr chirche and the most noble of alle the world: and it is of Seynt
Sophie. And before that chirche is the ymage of Justynyan the Emperour,
covered with gold, and he sytt upon an hors y crowned. And he was wont to
holden a round appelle of gold in his hond: but it is fallen out thereof.
And men seyn there, that it is a tokene, that the Emperour hathe y lost a
gret partie of his londes, and of his lordschipes: for he was wont to be
Emperour of Romayne and of Grece, of alle Asye the lesse, and of the lond
of Surrye, of the lond of Judee, in the whiche is Jerusalem, and of the
lond of Egypt, of Percye, of Arabye. But he hathe lost alle, but Grece; and
that lond he holt alle only. And men wolden many tymes put the appulle into
the ymages hond azen, but it wil not holde it. This appulle betokenethe the
lordschipe, that he hadde over alle the worlde, that is round. And the
tother hond he lifteth up azenst the est, in tokene to manace the
mysdoeres. This ymage stont upon a pylere of marble at Constantynoble.
Of the Crosse and the Croune of oure Lord Jesu Crist.
[Sidenote: Cap. II.] At Costantynoble is the cros of our Lord Jesu Crist,
and his cote withouten semes, that is clept _tunica inconsutilis_, and the
spounge, and the reed, of the whiche the Jewes zaven oure Lord eyselle
[Footnote: Vinegar] and galle, in the cros. And there is on of the nayles,
that Crist was naylled with on the cros. And some men trowen, that half the
cros, that Crist was don on, be in Cipres, in an abbey of monkes, that men
callen the Hille of the Holy Cros; but it is not so: for that cros, that is
in Cypre, is the cros, in the whiche Dysmas the gode theef was honged onne.
But alle men knowen not that; and that is evylle y don. For profyte of the
offrynge, thei seye, that it is the cros of oure Lord Jesu Crist. And zee
schulle undrestonde, that the cros of oure Lord was made of 4 manere of
trees, as it is conteyned in this vers,
In cruce fit palma, cedrus, cypressus, oliva.
For that pece, that went upright fro the erthe to the heved, [Footnote:
Head.] was of cypresse; and the pece, that wente overthwart, to the whiche
his honds wern nayled, was of palme; and the stock, that stode within the
erthe, in the whiche was made the morteys, was of cedre; and the table
aboven his heved, that was a fote and an half long, on the whiche the title
was writen, in Ebreu, Grece and Latyn, that was of olyve. And the Jewes
maden the cros of theise 4 manere of trees: for thei trowed that oure Lord
Jesu Crist scholde han honged on the cros, als longe as the cros myghten
laste. And therfore made thei the foot of the cros of cedre. For cedre may
not, in erthe ne in watre, rote. And therfore thei wolde, that it scholde
have lasted longe. For thei trowed, that the body of Crist scholde have
stonken; therfore thei made that pece, that went from the erthe upward, of
cypres: for it is welle smellynge; so that the smelle of his body scholde
not greve men, that wenten forby. And the overhwart pece was of palme: for
in the Olde Testament, it was ordyned, that whan on overcomen, he scholde
be crowned with palme: and for thei trowed, that thei hadden the victorye
of Crist Jesus, therfore made thei the overthwart pece of palme. [Footnote:
The reference is to the Olympic Games.] And the table of the tytle, thei
maden of olyve; for olyve betokenethe pes. And the storye of Noe
wytnessethe, whan that the culver [Footnote: Dove. Anglo-Saxon, _Cuifra_.]
broughte the braunche of olyve, that betokened pes made betwene God and
man. And so trowed the Jewes for to have pes, when Crist was ded: for thei
seyd, that he made discord and strif amonges hem. And zee schulle
undirstonde, that oure Lord was y naylled on the cros lyggynge; and
therfore he suffred the more peyne. And the Cristene men, that dwellen
bezond the see, in Grece, seyn that the tree of the cros, that we callen
cypresse, was of that tree, that Adam ete the appulle of: and that fynde
thei writen. And thei seyn also, that here Scripture seythe, that Adam was
seek, [Footnote: Sick] and seyed to his sone Sethe, that he scholde go to
the Aungelle, that kepte paradys, that he wolde senden hym oyle of mercy,
for to anoynte with his membres, that be myghte have hele. And Sethe wente.
But the aungelle wolde not late him come in; but seyd to him, that he
myghte not have of the oyle of mercy. But he toke him three greynes of the
same tree, that his fadre eet the appelle offe; and bad him, als sone as
his fadre was ded, that he scholde putte theise three greynes undre his
tonge, and grave him so: and he dide. And of theise three greynes sprang a
tree, as the aungelle seyde, that it scholde, and bere a fruyt, thorghe the
whiche fruyt Adam scholde be saved. And whan Sethe cam azen, he fonde his
fadre nere ded. And whan he was ded he did with the greynes, as the
aungelle bad him; of the whiche sprongen three trees, of the whiche the
cros was made, that bare gode froyt and blessed, oure Lord Jesu Crist;
thorghe whom, Adam and alle that comen of him, scholde be saved and
delyvered from drede of dethe withouten ende, but it be here own defaute.
This holy cros had the Jewes hydde in the erthe, undre a roche of the Mownt
of Calvarie; and it lay there 200 zeer and more, into the tyme that Seynt
Elyne, that was modre to Constantyn the Emperour of Rome. And sche was
doughtre of Kyng Cool born in Colchestre, that was Kyng of Engelond, that
was clept thanne, Brytayne the more; the whiche the Emperour Constance
wedded to his wyf, for here bewtee, and gat upon hire Constantyn, that was
aftre Emperour of Rome.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that the cros of oure Lord was eyght cubytes
long, and the overthwart piece was of lengthe thre cubytes and an half. And
a partie of the crowne of oure Lord, wherwith he was crowned, and on of the
nayles, and the spere heed, and many other relikes ben in France, in the
kinges chapelle. And the crowne lythe in a vesselle of cristalle richely
dyghte. For a kyng of Fraunce boughte theise relikes somtyme of the Jewes;
to whom the Emperour had leyde hem to wedde, for a gret summe of sylvre.
And zif alle it be so, that men seyn, that this croune is of thornes, zee
schulle undirstonde, that it was of jonkes of the see, that is to sey,
rushes of the see, that prykken als scharpely as thornes. For I have seen
and beholden many tymes that of Parys and that of Costantynoble: for thei
were bothe on, made of russches of the see. But men han departed hem in two
parties: of the whiche, o part is at Parys, and the other part is at
Costantynoble. And I have on of tho precyouse thornes, that semethe licke a
white thorn; and that was zoven to me for gret specyaltee. For there are
many of hem broken and fallen into the vesselle, that the croune lythe in:
for thei breken for dryenesse, whan men meven hem, to schewen hem to grete
lords, that comen thidre.
And zee schalle undirstonde, that oure Lord Jesu, in that nyghte that he
was taken, he was y lad in to a gardyn; and there he was first examyned
righte scharply; and there the Jewes scorned him, and maden him a crowne of
the braunches of albespyne, that is white thorn, that grew in that same
gardyn, and setten it on his heved, so faste and so sore, that the blood
ran down be many places of his visage, and of his necke, and of his
schuldres. And therfore hathe white thorn many vertues: for he that berethe
a braunche on him thereoffe, no thondre ne no maner of tempest may dere
him; ne in the hows, that it is inne, may non evylle gost entre ne come
unto the place that it is inne. And in that same gardyn, Seynt Petre denyed
our Lord thryes. Aftreward was oure Lord lad forthe before the bisschoppes
and the maystres of the lawe, in to another gardyn of Anne; and there also
he was examyned, repreved, and scorned, and crouned eft with a whyte thorn,
that men clepethe barbarynes, that grew in that gardyn, and that hathe also
manye vertues. And aftreward he was lad in to a gardyn of Cayphas, and
there he was crouned with eglentier. And aftre he was lad in to the chambre
of Pylate, and there he was examynd and crouned. And the Jewes setten him
in a chayere and cladde him in a mantelle; and there made thei the croune
of jonkes of the see; and there thei kneled to him, and skornede him,
seyenge, _Ave, Rex Judeorum_, that is to seye, _Heyl, Kyng of Jewes_. And
of this croune, half is at Parys, and the other half at Costantynoble. And
this croune had Crist on his heved, whan he was don upon the cros: and
therfore oughte men to worschipe it and holde it more worthi than ony of
the othere.
And the spere schaft hathe the Emperour of Almayne: but the heved is at
Parys. And natheles the Emperour of Costantynoble seythe that he hathe the
spere heed: and I have often tyme seen it; but it is grettere than that at
Parys.
Of the Cytee of Costantynoble, and of the Feithe of Grekis.
[Sidenote: Cap. III.] At Costantynoble lyethe Seynte Anne oure Ladyes
modre, whom Seynte Elyne dede brynge fro Jerusalem. And there lyethe also
the body of Iohn Crisostome, that was Erchebisschopp of Costantynoble. And
there lythe also Seynt Luke the Evaungelist: for his bones werein broughte
from Bethanye, where he was beryed. And many other relikes ben there. And
there is the vesselle of ston, as it were of marbelle, that men clepen
enydros, that evermore droppeth watre, and fillethe himself everiche zeer,
til that it go over above, withouten that that men take fro withinne.
Costantynoble is a fulle fayr cytee, and a gode and a wel walled, and it is
three cornered. And there is an arm of the see Hellespont: and sum men
callen it the mouthe of Costantynoble; and sum men callen it the brace of
Seynt George: and that arm closethe the two partes of the cytee. And upward
to the see, upon the watre, was wont to be the grete cytee of Troye, in a
fulle fayr playn: but that cytee was destroyed by hem of Grece, and lytylle
apperethe there of, be cause it so longe sithe it was destroyed.
Abouten Grece there ben many iles, as Calistre,[Footnote: Calliste, one of
the Cyclades.] Calcas, [Footnote: Colchos.] Critige, [Footnote: Cerigo.]
Tesbria, [Footnote: Resorio.] Mynea, [Footnote: Mynia is a town in the
Island of Amorgos.] Flaxon, [Footnote: Flexos.] Melo, [Footnote: Milo.]
Carpate, [Footnote: Carpathos, probably.] and Lempne. [Footnote: Lemnos.]
And in this ile is the Mount Athos, [Footnote: Athos is on the main land,
on a promontory S.E. of Solonica.] that passeth the cloudes. And there ben
many dyvers langages and many contreys, that ben obedyent to the Emperour;
that is to seyn Turcople, Pyneynard, Cornange, and manye othere, at
Trachye, [Footnote: Thrace.] and Macedoigne, of the whiche Alisandre was
kyng. In this contree was Aristotle born, in a cytee that men clepen
Stragera, a lytil fro the cytee of Trachaye. And at Stragera lythe
Aristotle; and there is an awtier upon his toumbe: and there maken men
grete festes of hym every zeer, as thoughe he were a seynt. And at his
awtier, thei holden here grete conseilles and here assembleez: and thei
hopen, that thorghe inspiracioun of God and of him, thei schulle have the
better conseille. In this contree ben righte hyghe hilles, toward the ende
of Macedonye. And there is a gret hille, that men clepen Olympus,
[Footnote: The altitude is 9753 feet.] that departeth Macedonye and
Trachye: and it is so highe, that it passeth the cloudes. And there is
another hille, that is clept Athos, [Footnote: It is only 6678 feet. This
is the old Greek verse: [Greek: Athoos kaluptei pleura lemnias boos.]] that
is so highe, that the schadewe of hym rechethe to Lempne, that is an ile;
and it is 76 myle betwene. And aboven at the cop of the hille is the eir so
cleer, that men may fynde no wynd there. And therefore may no best lyve
there; and so is the eyr drye. And men seye in theise contrees, that
philosophres som tyme wenten upon theise hilles, and helden to here nose a
spounge moysted with watre, for to have eyr; for the eyr above was so drye.
And aboven, in the dust and in the powder of the hilles, thei wroot lettres
and figures with hire fingres: and at the zeres end thei comen azen, and
founden the same lettres and figures, the whiche thei hadde writen the zeer
before, withouten ony defaute. And therfore it semethe wel, that theise
hilles passen the clowdes and joynen to the pure eyr.
At Constantynoble is the palays of the Emperour, righte fair and wel
dyghte: and therein is a fair place for justynges, or for other pleyes and
desportes. And it is made with stages and hath degrees aboute, that every
man may wel se, and non greve other. And undre theise stages ben stables
wel y vowted [Footnote: Vaulted.] for the Emperours hors; and alle the
pileres ben of Marbelle. And with in the chirche of Seynt Sophie, an
emperour somtyme wolde have biryed the body of his fadre, whan he was ded;
and as thei maden the grave, thei founden a body in the erthe, and upon the
body lay a fyn plate of gold; and there on was writen, in Ebreu, Grece and
Latyn, lettres that seyden thus, _Jesu Cristus nascetur de Virgine Maria,
et ego credo in eum_: That is to seyne, _Jesu Crist schalle be born of the
Virgyne Marie, and I trowe in hym_. And the date whan it was leyd in the
erthe, was 2000 zeer before oure Lord was born. And zet is the plate of
gold in the thresorye of the chirche. And men seyn, that it was Hermogene
the wise man.