come not at Rodes. Cypre is righte a gode ile and a fayr and a gret, and it
hathe 4 princypalle cytees within him. And there is an erchebysshoppe at
Nichosie, and 4 othere byschoppes in that lond. And at Famagost is on of
the princypalle havenes of the see, that is in the world: and there arryven
Cristene men and Sarazynes and men of alle naciouns. In Cipre is the hille
of the Holy Cros; and there is an abbeye of monkis blake; and there is the
cros of Dismas the gode theef, as I have seyd before. And summe men trowen,
that there is half the crosse of oure Lord: but it is not so: and thei don
evylle, that make men to beleeve so. In Cipre lythe Seynt Zenomyne: of whom
men of that contree maken gret solempnytee. And in the Castelle of Amours
lythe the body of Seynt Hyllarie: and men kepen it right worschipfully. And
besyde Famagost was Seynt Barnabee the apostle born. In Cipre men hunten
with papyonns, that ben lyche lepardes: and thei taken wylde bestes righte
welle, and thei ben somdelle [Footnote: Somewhat.] more than lyouns; and
thei taken more scharpely the bestes and more delyverly [Footnote:
Deliberately.] than don houndes. In Cipre is the manere of lordis and alle
othere men, alle to eten on the erthe. For thei make dyches in the erthe
alle aboute in the halle, depe to the knee, and thei do pave hem: and whan
thei wil ete, thei gon there in and sytten there. And the skylle is, for
thei may ben the more fressche: for that lond is meche more hottere than it
is here. And at grete festes and for straungeres, thei setten formes and
tables, as men don in this contree: but thei had lever sytten in the erthe.
From Cypre, men gon to the lond of Jerusalem be the see: and in a day and
in a nyghte, he that hathe gode wynd may come to the haven of Thire
[Footnote: Tyre.], that now is clept Surrye. There was somtyme a gret cytee
and a gode, of Crystene men: but Sarazins han destroyed it a gret partye;
and thei kepe that havene right welle, for drede of Cristene men. Men
myghte go more right to that havene, and come not in Cypre: but thei gon
gladly to Cypre, to reste hem on the lond, or elles to bye thingis, that
thei have nede to here lyvynge. On the see syde, men may fynde many rubyes.
And there is the welle, of the whiche Holy Writt spekethe offe, and seythe,
_Fons ortorum, et puteus aquarum viventium_: that is to seye, _The welle of
gardyns, and the dyche of lyvynge watres._ In this cytee of Thire, seyde
the woman to oure Lord, _Beatus venter qui te portavit, et ubera quæ
succisti_: that is to seye, _Blessed be the body that she baar, and the
pappes that thou sowkedest._ And there oure Lord forzaf the woman of
Chananee hire synnes. And before Tyre was wont to be the ston, on the
whiche oure Lord sat and prechede: and on that ston was founded the Chirche
of Seynt Savyour.
And 8 myle from Tyre, toward the est, upon the see, is the cytee of
Sarphen, in Sarept [Footnote: Zarephath.] of Sydonyeus. And there was wont
for to dwelle Helye the prophete; and there reysed he Jonas the wydwes sone
from dethe to lyf. And 5 myle fro Sarphen is the cytee of Sydon: of the
whiche cytee, Dydo was lady, that was Eneas wyf aftre the destruccioun of
Troye; and that founded the cytee of Cartage in Affrick, and now is cleped
Dydon Sayete. And in the cytee of Tyre regned Agenore the fadre of Dydo.
And 16 myles from Sydon is Beruthe. [Footnote: Beyrout.] And from Beruthe
to Sardenare is 3 journeys. And from Sardenar is 5 myle to Damask.
And whoso wil go longe tyme on the see, and come nerrer to Jerusalem, he
schal go fro Cipre, be see, to the port Jaff. [Footnote: Jaffa.] For that
is the nexte havene to Jerusalem. For fro that havene is not but o day
journeye and an half to Jerusalem. And the town is called Jaff; for on of
the sones of Noe, that highte Japhet, founded it; and now it is clept
Joppe. And zee schulle undrestonde, that it is on of the oldest townes of
the world: for it was founded, before Noes flode. And zitt there schewethe
in the roche ther, as the irene cheynes were festned, that Andromade, a
gret geaunt was bounden with, and put in presoun before Noes flode: of the
whiche geaunt is a rib of his syde, that is 40 fote longe. [Footnote: Our
author here takes Andromeda for the monster that would have devoured her.]
And whoso wil arryve at the firste port of Thire or Surre, that I have
spoken of before, may go be londe, zif he wil, to Jerusalem. And men gothe
fro Surre unto the citee of Dacoun [Footnote: St. Jean d'Acre.] in a day.
And it was clept somtyme Tholomayde. And it was somtyme a cytee of
Cristenemen, fulle fair; but it is now destroyed: and it stont upon the
see. And fro Venyse to Akoun, be see, is 2080 myles of Lombardye. And fro
Calabre or fro Cecyle to Akoun, be see, is 1300 myles of Lombardye. And the
ile of Crete is right in the myd weye. And besyde the cytee of Akoun,
toward the see, 120 furlonges on the right syde, toward the southe, is the
hylle of Carmelyn, where Helyas the prophete dwellede: and there was first
the ordre of Freres Carmes founded. This hille is not right gret, ne fulle
highe. And at the fote of this hille was somtyme a gode cytee of Cristene
men, that men cleped Cayphas: For Cayphas first founded it: but it is now
alle wasted. And on the lift syde of the hille Carmelyn is a town, that men
clepen Saffre: and that is sett on another hille. There Seynt James and
Seynt Johne were born: and in the worschipe of hem, there is a fair
chirche. And fro Tholomayde, that men clepen now Akoun, unto a gret hille,
that is clept Scalle of Thires, is 100 furlonges. And besyde the cytee of
Akoun renneth a lytille ryvere, that is clept Belon. And there nyghe is the
fosse of Mennon, that is alle round: and it is 100 cubytes of largenesse,
and it is alle fulle of gravelle, schynynge brighte, of the whiche men
maken fair verres [Footnote: Glass.] and clere. And men comen fro fer, by
watre in schippes, and be londe with cartes, for to fetten of that
gravelle. And thoughe there be nevere so moche taken awey there of, on the
day, at Morwe it is as fulle azen as evere it was. And that is a gret
mervaille. And there is evermore gret wynd in that fosse, that sterethe
everemore the gravelle, and makethe it trouble. And zif ony man do
thereinne ony maner metalle, it turnethe anon to glasse. And the glasse,
that is made of that grevelle, zif it be don azen in to the gravelle, it
turnethe anon in to gravelle as it was first. And therefore somme men seyn,
that it was a sweloghe [Footnote: Whirlpool.] of the gravely see.
Also for Akoun aboveseyd gon men forthe 4 journees to the citee of
Palestyn, that was of the Philistyenes, that now is clept Gaza, that is a
gay cytee and a riche; and it is righte fayr, and fulle of folke, and it is
a lytillle fro the see. And from this cytee broughte Sampson the stronge
the zates upon an highe lond, whan he was taken in that cytee: and there he
slowghe in a paleys the king and hymself, and gret nombre of the beste of
the Philistienes, the whiche had put out his eyen, and schaven his hed, and
enprisound him, be tresoun of Dalida his paramour. And therefore he made
falle upon hem a gret halle, whan thei were at mete. And from thens gon men
to the cytee of Cesaire, and so to the Castelle of pylgrymes, and so to
Ascolonge, and than to Jaffe, and so to Jerusalem.
Of manye Names of Soudans, and of the Tour of Babiloyn.
[Sidenote: Cap. V.] And whoso wille go be londe thorghe the lond of
Babyloyne, where the Sowdan dwellethe comonly, he moste gete grace of him
and leve, to go more sikerly [Footnote: Surely.] thorghe tho londes and
contrees. And for to go to the mount of Synay, before that men gon
Jerusalem, thei schalle go fro Gaza to the castelle of Daire. And after
that, men comen out of Surrye, and entren in to wyldernesse, and there the
weye is sondy. And that wyldernesse and desert lastethe 8 journeyes. But
alleweyes men fynden gode innes, and alle that hem nedethe of vytaylle; And
men clepen that wyldernesse Achelleke. And whan a man comethe out of that
desert, he entrethe in to Egypt, that men clepen Egypt Canopac: and aftre
other langage, men clepen it Morsyn. And there first men fynden a gode
toun, that is clept Belethe; and it is at the ende of the kyngdom of
Halappee. And from thens men gon to Babyloyne and to Cayre.
At Babyloyne there is a faire chirche of oure lady, where sche dwelled 7
zeer, whan sche fleyghe out of the lond of Judee, for drede of Kyng
Heroude. And there lythe the body of Seynt Barbre the Virgine and Martyr.
And there duelled Josephe whan he was sold of his bretheren. And there made
Nabugodonozor the kyng putte three children in to the forneys of fuyr; for
thei weren in the righte trouthe of beleeve: the whiche children men
cleped, Ananya, Azaria, Mizælle; as the Psalm of Benedicite seythe. But
Nabugodbnozor cleped hem other wise, Sydrak, Misak, and Abdenago: that is
to seye, God glorious, God victorious, and God over alle thinges and remes.
[Footnote: Realms.] And that was for the myracle, that he soughe Goddes
sone go with the children thorghe the fuyr, as he seyde. There duellethe
the Soudan in his Calahelyke, (for there is comounly his see) in a fayr
castelle strong and gret and wel sett upon a roche. In that castelle
duellen alle wey, to kepe it and to serve the Sowdan, mo than 6000
persones, that taken alle here necessaries of the Sowdanes court. I oughte
right wel to knowen it; for I duelled with him as Soudyour in his werres a
gret while, azen the Bedoynes. And he wolde have maryed me fulle highely,
to a gret princes daughtre, zif I wolde han forsaken my lawe and my beleve.
But I thanke God, I had no wille to don it, for no thing, that he behighten
[Footnote: Promised.] me. And zee schulle undrestonde, that the Soudan is
lord of 5 kyngdomes, that he hathe conquered and apropred to him be
strengthe: and theise ben the names, the kyngdom of Canapak, that is Egypt;
and the kyngdom of Jerusalem, where that David and Salomon were kynges; and
the kyngdom of Surrye, of the whiche the cytee of Damasc was chief; and the
kyngdom of Alappe, [Footnote: Aleppo.] in the lond of Mathe, and the
kyngdom of Arabye, that was to on of the 3 kynges, that made offrying to
oure Lord, whan he was born. And many othere londes he holdethe in his
hond. And there with alle he holdethe calyffes, that is a fulle gret thing
in here langage: and it is als meche to seye as kyng. And there were wont
to ben 5 Soudans: but now there is no mo but he of Egypt. And the firste
Soudan was Zarocon, that was of Mede, (as was fadre to Sahaladyn) that toke
the Califfe of Egypt and sloughe him, and was made Soudan be strengthe.
Aftre that was Soudan Sahaladyn, in whoos tyme the Kyng of Englonde,
Richarde the firste, with manye othere, kepten the passage, that Sahaladyn
ne myghte not passen. Aftre Sahaladyn, regned his sone Boradyn; aftre him
his nephewe. Aftre that the Comaynz, that weren in servage in Egypt, felten
hem self, that thei weren of gret power, thei chesen hem a Soudain amonges
hem: the whiche made him to ben cleped Melethesalan. And in his tyme entred
in to the contree, of the kynges of France, Seynt Lowyz, and foughte with
him: and the Soudan toke him and enprisound him. And this was slayn of his
owne servauntes. And aftre thei chosen an other to be Soudan, that thei
cleped Tympieman. And he let delyveren Seynt Lowys out of presoun, for
certeyn ransoum. And aftre on theise Comaynz regned, that highte Cachas,
and sloughe Tympieman, for to be Soudan: and made him ben cleped
Melechemes. And aftre, another that hadde to name Bendochdare, that sloughe
Melechemes, for to be Soudan; and cleped himself Melechdare. In his tyme
entred the gode Kyng Edward of Englond in Syrye, and dide gret harm to the
Sarrazines. And aftre was this Soudan empoysound at Damasce; and his sone
thoghte to regne aftre him be heritage, and made him to ben clept
Meleschsache. But another, that had to name Elphy, chaced him out of the
contree, and made him Soudan. This man toke the cytee of Tripolee and
destroyede manye of the Cristene men, the zeer of grace 1289; but he was
anon slayn. Aftre that was the sone of Elphy chosen to ben Soldan, and
cleped him Mellethasseraff: and he toke the citee of Akoun, and chaced out
the Christene men: and this was also empoysond. And than was his brother y
made Soudan, and was cleped Melechnasser. And aftre, on that was clept
Guytoga, toke him and put him in prisoun, in the Castelle of Mountryvalle;
and made him Soudan be strengthe, and cleped him Melechcadelle: and he was
of Tartaryne. But the Comaynz chaced him out of the contree, and diden hym
meche sorwe; and maden on of hem self Soudan, that hadde to name Lachyn.
And he made him to ben clept Melechmanser: the whiche on a day pleyed at
the chesse, and his swerd lay besyde him; and so befelle, that on wratthed
[Footnote: Provoked.] him, and with his owne propre swerd he was slayn. And
aftre that, thei weren at gret discord, for to make a Soudan. And finally
thei accordeden to Melechnasser, that Guytoga had put in prisoun at
Mountrivalle. And this regnede longe and governed wisely; so that his
eldest sone was chosen aftre him, Melechemader; the whiche his brother leet
sle prevyly, for to have the lordschipe, and made him to ben clept
Melechmadabron. And he was Soudan, whan I departed fro the contrees. And
wyte zee wel, that the Soudan may lede out of Egipt mo than 20000 men of
armes. And out of Surrye, and out of Turkye, and out of other contrees,
that he holt, he may arrere [Footnote: Raise.--Anglo-Saxon, _Aræran_.] mo
than 50000. And alle tho ben at his wages: and thei ben alle weys at him,
withouten the folke of his contree, that is withouten nombre. And everyche
of hem hath be zere the mountance of 6 score floreynes. But it behovethe,
that every of hem holde 3 hors and a cameylle. And be the cytees and be the
townes ben amyralles, that han the governance of the peple. On hath to
governe 4, and another hath to governe 5, another mo, and another wel mo.
And als moche takethe the amyralle be him allone, as alle the other
souldyours han undre hym. And therfore whan the Soudan wille avance ony
worthi knyghte, he makethe him a amyralle. And whan it is ony derthe, the
knyghtes ben right pore, and thanne thei sellen both here hors and here
harneys. And the Soudan hath 4 wyfes, on Cristene and 3 Sarazines: of the
whiche, on dwellethe at Jerusalem, and another at Damasce, and another at
Ascalon. And whan hem lyst, thei remewen to other cytees. And whan the
Soudan wille, he may go visite hem. And he hathe as many paramours, as hym
lykethe. For he makethe to come before him, the fairest and the nobleste of
birthe and the gentylleste damyseles of his contree, and he maketh hem to
ben kept and served fulle honourabely, and whan he wole have on to lye
withe him, he makethe hem alle to come before him; and he beholdethe in
alle, whiche of hem is most to his plesance, and to hire anon he sendethe
or castethe a ryng fro his fyngre: And thanne anon sche schalle ben bathed
and richely atyred, and anoynted with delicat thinges of swete smelle, and
than lad to the Soudanes chambre. And thus he dothe, als often as him list,
when he wil have ony of hem. And before the Soudan comethe no strangier,
but zif he be clothed in clothe of gold or of Tartarye or of Camaka, in the
Sarazines guyse, and as the Sarazines usen. And it behovethe, that anon at
the firste sight, that men see the Soudan, be it in wyndowe, or in what
place elles, that men knele to him and kysse the erthe: for that is the
manere to do reverence to the Soudanne, of hem that speken with him. And
whan that messangeres of straunge contrees comen before him, the Meynee of
the Soudan, whan the straungeres speken to hym, thei ben aboute the Souldan
with swerdes drawen and gysarmez and axes, here armes lift up in highe with
the wepenes, for to smyte upon hem, zif thei seye ony woord, that is
displeasance to the Soudan. And also, no straungere comethe before him, but
that he makethe him sum promys and graunt, of that the straungere asketh
resonabely, beso it be not azenst his Lawe. And so don othere prynces
bezonden. For thei seyn, that no man schalle come before no prynce, but
that he be bettre, and schalle be more gladdere in departynge from his
presence, thannie he was at the comynge before hym.
And undirstonde zee, that that Babyloyne that I have spoken offe, where
that the Soudan duellethe, is not that gret Babyloyne, where the dyversitee
of langages was first made for vengeance, by the myracle of God, when the
grete tour of Babel was begonnen to ben made; of the whiche the walles
weren 64 furlonges of heighte; that is in the grete desertes of Arabye,
upon the weye as men gon toward the kyngdom of Caldee. But it is fulle
long, sithe that ony man durste neyhe to the tour; for it is alle deserte
and fulle of dragouns and grete serpentes, and fulle of dyverse venymouse
bestes alle abouten. That tour, with the cytee, was of 25 myle in cyrcuyt
of the walles; as thei of the contree seyn, and as men may demen [Footnote:
Judge.] by estymation, aftre that men tellen of the contree. And though it
be clept the tour of Babiloyne, zit natheles there were ordeyned with inne
many mansiouns and many gret duellynge places, in lengthe and brede: and
that tour conteyned gret contree in circuyt: for the tour allone conteyned
10 myle sqware. That tour founded Kyng Nembrothe, that was kyng of that
contree: and he was firste kyng of the world. And he leet make an ymage in
the lyknesse of his fadre, and constreyned alle his subgettes for to
worschipe it. And anon begonnen othere lordes to do the same. And so
begonnen the ydoles and symulacres first. The town and the cytee weren
fulle wel sett in a fair contree and a playn; that men clepen the contree
of Samar: of the whiche the walles of the cytee werein 200 cubytes in
heighte, and 50 cubytes in breadthe. And the ryvere of Euphrate ran thorghe
out the cytee and aboute the tour also. But Cirus the Kyng of Perse toke
from hem the ryvere, and destroyede all the cytee and the tour also. For he
departed that ryvere in 360 smale ryveres: because that he had sworn, that
he scholde putte the ryvere in suche poynt, that a woman myghte wel passe
there, withouten castynge of of hire clothes; for als moche as he hadde
lost many worthi men, that trowden to passen that ryvere by swymmynge.
And from Babyloyne, where the Soudan dwellethe, to go right betwene the
oryent and the Septemtryon, toward the grete Babyloyne, is 40 journeys to
passen be desart. But it is not the grete Babiloyne, in the lond and in the
powere of the seyd Soudan; but it is in the power and the lordschipe of
Persye. But he holdethe it of the grete Cham, that is the gretteste
Emperour and the most sovereyn lord of alle the partes bezonde: and he is
lord of the iles of Cathay and of many othere iles, and of a gret partie of
Inde. And his lond marchethe unto Prestre Johnes lond; and he holt so moche
lond, that he knowethe not the ende. And he is more myghty and grettre lord
withoute comparisoun, than is the Soudan. Of his ryalle estate and of his
myghte, I schalle speke more plenerly when I schalle speke of the lond and
of the contree of Ynde.
Also the cytee of Methone [Footnote: Mecca.] where Machomet lythe, is of
the grete desertes of Arabye. And there lithe the body of hym fulle
honourabely in here temple, that the Sarazines clepen Muskethe. And it is
fro Babyloyne the lesse, where the Soudan duellethe, onto Methon aboveseyd,
in to a 32 journeyes. And wytethe wel, that the rewme of Arabye is a fulle
gret contree: but there in is over moche dysert. And no man may dwelle
there in that desert, for defaute of watre. For that lond is alle gravelly
and fulle of sond. And it is drye and nothing fructuous; because that it
hathe no moysture: and therefore is there so meche desart. And ziff it
hadde ryveres and welles, and the lond also were, as it is in other
parties, it scholde ben als fulle of peple and als fulle enhabyted with
folk, as in other places. For there is fulle gret multitude of peple, where
as the lond is enhabyted. Arabye durethe fro the endes of the reme of
Caldee, unto the laste ende of Affryk, and marchethe to the lond of Ydumee,
toward the ende of Botron. And in Caldee, the chief cytee is Baldak.
[Footnote: Bagdad.] And of Affryk, the chief cytee is Cartage, that Dydo,
that was Eneas wyf, founded. The whiche Eneas was of the cytee of Troye,
and aftre was Kyng of Itaylle. Mesopotamye strecchethe also unto the
Desertes of Arabye; and it is a gret contree. In this contree is the cytee
of Araym, where Abrahames fadree duelled, and from whens Abraham departed,
be commandement of the aungelle. And of that cytee was Effraym, that was a
gret clerk and a gret doctour. And Theophylus was of that cytee also, that
oure ladye savede from oure enemye. And Mesopotame durethe fro the ryvere
of Eufrates, unto the ryvere of Tygris. For it is betwene tho 2 ryveres.
And bezonde the ryvere of Tygre, is Caldee, that is a fulle gret kyngdom.
In that Rewyme, at Baldac aboveseyd, was wont to duelle the Calyffeez, that
was wont to ben bothe as Emperour and Pope of the Arabyenez; so that he was
lord spirituelle and temporelle. And he was successour to Machomete, and of
his generatioun; That cytee of Baldak was wont to ben cleped Sutis:
[Footnote: Susa.] and Nabugodonozor founded it. And there duelled the holy
prophete Daniel; and there he saughe vissiones of Hevene; and there he made
the expositioun of dremes. And in old tyme, there were ['wene' in source
text--KTH] wont to be 3 Calyffez; and thei dwelleden in the cytee of Baldak
aboveseyd.
And at Cayre besides Babyloyne duelled the Calyffee of Egypt. And at
Marrok, upon the west see, duelte the Calyffee of Barbaryenes and of
Affrycanes. And now is there non of the Calyffeez, ne noughte han ben,
sithe the tyme of Sowdan Sahaladyn. For from that tyme hidre, the Sowdan
clepethe him self Calyffee. And so han the Calyffeez y lost here name. Also
wytethe wel, that Babylone the lesse, where the Soudan duellethe, and at
the cytee of Cayr, that is nyghe besyde it, ben grete huge cytees manye and
fayr; and that on sytt nyghe that other. Babyloyne sytt upon the ryvere of
Gyson, somtyme clept Nyle, that comethe out of Paradys terrestre. That
ryvere of Nyle, alle the zeer, whan the sonne entrethe in to the signe of
Cancer, it begynnethe to wexe; and it wexethe alle weys, als longe as the
sonne is in Cancro, and in the signe of Lyoune. And it wexethe in suche
manere, that it is somtyme so gret, that it is 20 cubytes or more of
depnesse; and thanne it doth gret harm to the godes, that ben upon the
lond. For thanne may no man travaylle to ere [Footnote: Plough.] the
londes, for the grete moystness: and therefore is there dere tyme in that
contree. And also whan it waxethe lytylle, it is dere tyme in that contree:
for defaute of moysture. And whan the sonne is in the signe of Virgo,
thanne begynnethe the ryvere for to wane and to decrece lytyl and lytylle;
so that whan the sonne is entred into the signe of Libra, thanne thei
entren betwene theise ryveres. This ryvere comethe rennynge from Paradys
terrestre, betwene the desertes of Ynde; and aftre it smytt unto londe, and
rennethe longe tyme many grete contrees undre erthe: and aftre it gothe out
undre an highe hille, that men clepen Alothe, that is betwene Ynde and
Ethiope, the distance of five moneths journeyes fro the entree of Ethiope.
And aftre it envyronnethe alle Ethiope and Morekane, and gothe alle along
fro the Lond of Egipte; unto the cytee of Alisandre, to the ende of Egipte;
and there it fallethe into the See. Aboute this ryvere, ben manye briddes
and foules, as sikonyes, that thei clepen ibes.
Egypt is a long contree; but it is streyt, that is to seye narow; for thei
may not enlargen it toward the desert, for defaute of watre. And the
contree is sett along upon the ryvere of Nyle; be als moche as that ryvere
may serve be flodes or otherwise, that whanne it flowethe, it may spreden
abrood thorghe the contree: so is the contree large of lengthe. For there
it reyneth not but litylle in that contree: and for that cause, they have
no watre, but zif it be of that flood of that ryvere. And for als moche as
it ne reynethe not in that contree, but the eyr is alwey pure and cleer,
therfore in that contree ben the gode astronomyeres; for thei fynde there
no cloudes, to letten hem. Also the cytee of Cayre is righte gret, and more
huge than that of Babyloyne the lesse: and it sytt aboven toward the desert
of Syrye, a lytille above the ryvere aboveseyd. In Egipt there ben 2
parties; the Heghte, that is toward Ethiope; and the Lowenesse, that is
towardes Arabye. In Egypt is the lond of Ramasses and the lond of Gessen.
Egipt is a strong contree: for it hathe manye schrewede havenes, because of
the grete Roches, that ben stronge and daungerouse to passe by. And at
Egipt, toward the est, is the rede see, that durethe unto the cytee of
Coston: and toward the west, is the contree of Lybye, that is a fulle drye
lond, and litylle of fruyt: for it is over moche plentee of hete. And that
lond is clept Fusthe. And toward the partie Meridionalle is Ethiope. And
toward the Northe is the desart, that durethe unto Syrye: and so is the
contree strong on alle sydes. And it is wel a 15 journeyes of lengthe, and
more than two so moche of desert: and it is but two journeyes in
largenesse. And between Egipt and Nubye, it hathe wel a 12 journees of
desert. And men of Nubye ben Cristene: but thei ben blake as the Mowres,
for grete hete of the sonne.