pilgrymage is to the Chirche of the Holy Sepulcre, where oure Lord was
buryed, that is with oute the cytee, on the northe syde: but it is now
enclosed in, with the toun walle. And there is a fulle fayr chirche, alle
rownd, and open above, and covered with leed. And on the west syde is a
fair tour and an highe, for belles, strongly made. And in the myddes of the
chirche is a tabernacle, as it were a lytylle hows, made with a low lytylle
dore: and that tabernacle is made in manere of half a compass, righte
curiousely and richely made, of gold and azure and othere riche coloures,
fulle nobelyche made. And in the righte syde of that tabernacle is the
sepulcre of oure Lord. And the tabernacle is 8 fote longe, and 5 fote wyde,
and 11 fote in heighte. And it is not longe sithen the sepulcre was alle
open, that men myghte kisse it and touche it. But for pilgrymes that comen
thidre, peyned hem to breke the ston in peces or in poudre, therfore the
Soudan hathe do make a walle aboute the sepulcre, that no man may towche
it. But in the left syde of the walle of the tabernacle is well the heighte
of a man, a gret ston to the quantytee of a mannes hed, that was of the
holy sepulcre: and that ston kissen the pilgrymes, that comen thidre. In
that tabernacle ben no wyndowes: but it is alle made lighte with lampes,
that hangen before the sepulcre. And there is a lampe, that hongethe before
the sepulcre, that brennethe lighte: and on the Gode Fryday it gothe out be
him self; and lyghtith azen be him self at that oure, that oure Lorde roos
fro dethe to lyve. Also within the chirche, at the righte syde, besyde the
queer of the chirche, is the Mount of Calvarye, where oure Lord was don on
the Cros: and it is a roche of white colour, and a lytille medled with red:
and the Cros was set in a morteys, in the same roche: and on that roche
dropped the woundes of our Lord, whan he was payned on the Crosse; and that
is cleped Golgatha. And men gon up to that Golgotha be degrees: and in the
place of that morteys was Adames hed founden, aftre Noes flode; in tokene
that the synnes of Adam scholde ben boughte in that same place. And upon
that roche made Abraham sacrifice to oure Lord. And there is an awtere: and
before that awtere lyzn Godefray de Boleyne and Bawdewyn, and othere
Cristene kynges of Jerusalem; And there nyghe, where our Lord was
crucyfied, is this written in Greek, [Greek: Ho Theos Basileus hæmon pro
aionon eirgasato aotærian en meso tæs gæs.] that is to seyne, in Latyn,
_Deus Rex noster ante secula operatus est salutem, in medio terræ_; that is
to seye, _Gode oure Kyng, before the worldes, hathe wroughte hele in myddis
of the erthe_. And also on that roche, where the Cros was sett, is writen
with in the roche theise, wordes; [Greek: Ho eideis esti basis tæs pisteos
holæs tou kosmou touton.] that is to seyne in Latyn, _Quod vides, est
fundamentum totius Fidei hujus Mundi_; that is to seyne, _That thou seest,
is ground of alle the feythe of this world_. And zee schulle undirstonde,
that whan oure Lord was don upon the Cros, he was 33 zere and 3 moneths of
elde. And the prophecye of David seythe thus: _Quadraginta annis proximus
fui generationi huic_; that is to seye, _fourty zeer was I neighebore to
this kynrede_. And thus scholde it seme, that the prophecyes ne were not
trewe: but thei ben bothe trewe: for in old tyme men maden a zeer of 10
moneths; of the whiche Marche was the firste, and Decembre was the laste.
But Gayus, that was Emperour of Rome, putten theise 2 monethes there to,
Janyver and Feverer; and ordeyned the zeer of 12 monethes; that is to seye,
365 dayes, with oute lepe zeer, aftre the propre cours of the sonne. And
therfore, aftre cowntynge of 10 monethes of the zeer, de dyede in the 40
zeer; as the prophete seyde; and aftre the zeer of 12 monethes, he was of
age 33 zeer and 3 monethes. Also with in the Mount Calvarie, on the right
side, is an awtere, where the piler lyzthe, that oure Lord Jesu was bounden
to, whan he was scourged. And there besyde ben 4 pileres of ston, that alle
weys droppen watre: and sum men seyn, that thei wepen for our Lordes dethe.
And nyghe that awtier is a place undre erthe, 42 degrees of depnesse, where
the holy croys was founden, be the wytt of Seynte Elyne, undir a roche,
where the Jewes had hidde it. And that was the verray croys assayed: for
thei founden 3 crosses; on of oure Lord, and 2 of the 2 theves: and Seynte
Elyne preved hem on a ded body, that aros from dethe to lyve, whan it was
leyed on it that oure Lord dyed on. And there by in the walle is the place
where the 4 nayles of oure Lord weren hidd: for he had 2 in his hondes, and
2 in his feet: and of on of theise, the Emperour of Costantynoble made a
brydille to his hors, to bere him in bataylle: and thorghe vertue there of,
he overcam his enemyes, and wan alle the lond of Asye the lesse; that is to
seye, Turkye, Ermonye the lasse and the more; and from Surrye to Jerusalem,
from Arabye to Persie, from Mesopotayme to the kyngdom of Halappee, from
Egypt the highe and the lowe, and all the othere kyngdomes, unto the Depe
of Ethiope, and into Ynde the lesse, that then was Cristene. And there were
in that tyme many gode holy men and holy heremytes; of whom the book of
fadres lyfes spekethe: and thei ben now in Paynemes and Sarazines honds.
But whan God alle myghty wole, righte als the londes weren lost thorghe
synne of Cristene men, so schulle thei ben wonnen azen be Cristen men
thorghe help of God. And in myddes of that chirche is a compas, in the
whiche Joseph of Aramathie leyde the body of oure Lord, whan he had taken
him down of the cross: and there he wassched the woundes of oure Lord: and
that compas, seye men, is the myddes of the world. And in the Chirche of
the Sepulchre, on the north syde, is the place where oure Lord was put in
presoun; (for he was in presoun in many places) and there is a partye of
the Cheyne that he was bounden with: and there he appered first to Marie
Magdaleyne, whan he was rysen; and sche wende, that he had ben a gardener.
In the chirche of Seynt Sepulchre was wont to ben chanouns of the ordre of
Seynt Augustyn, and hadden a priour; but the patriark was here sovereygne.
And withe oute the dores of the chirche, on the right syde, as men gon
upward 18 Greces, seyde oure Lord to his moder, _Mulier, ecce filius tuus_;
that is to seye, _Woman, lo thi Sone_. And aftre that, he seyde to John his
disciple, _Ecce mater tua_; that is to seyne, _Lo, behold thi modir_: And
these wordes he seyde on the cros. And on theise Greces wente oure Lord,
whan he bare the crosse on his schuldir. And undir this grees is a
chapelle; and in that chapelle syngen prestes, yndyenes; that is to seye,
prestes of ynde; noght aftir oure lawe, but aftir here: and alle wey thei
maken here sacrement of the awtier, seyenge, _Pater noster_, and othere
preyeres there with: with the which preyeres, thei seye the wordes, that
the sacrement is made of. For thei ne knowe not the addiciouns, that many
Popes han made; but thei synge with gode devocioun. And there nere, is the
place where that oure Lord rested him, whan he was wery, for berynge of the
Cros. And zee schulle undirstonde, that before the Chirche of the Sepulcre,
is the cytee more feble than in ony othere partie, for the grete playn that
is betwene the chirche and the cytee. And toward the est syde, with oute
the walles of the cytee, is the Vale of Josaphathe, that touchethe to the
walles, as thoughe it were a large dyche. And anen that Vale of Josaphathe,
out of the cytee, is the Chirche of Seynt Stevene, where he was stoned to
dethe. And there beside, is the gildene zate, that may not ben opened; be
the whiche zate, oure Lord entrede on Palmesonday, upon an asse; and the
zate opened azenst him, whan he wolde go unto the temple: and zit apperen
the steppes of the asses feet, in 3 places of the degrees, that ben of
fulle harde ston. And before the chirche of Seynt Sepulcre, toward the
southe, a 200 paas, is the gret hospitalle of Seynt John; of the whiche the
hospitleres hadde here foundacioun. And with inne the palays of the seke
men of that hospitalle ben 124 pileres of ston: and in the walles of the
hows, with oute the nombre aboveseyd, there ben 54 pileres, that beren up
the hows. And fro that hospitalle, to go toward the est, is a fulle fayr
chirche, that is clept _Nostre Dame la Graund_. And than is there another
chirche right nyghe, that is clept _Nostre Dame la Latytne_. And there
weren Marie Cleophee and Marie Magdaleyne, and teren here heer, whan oure
Lord was peyned in the cros.
Of the Temple of oure Lord. Of the Crueltee of Kyng Heroud. Of the Mount
Syon. Of Probatica Piscina. And of Natatorium Siloe.
[Sidenote: Cap. VIII.] And fro the chirche of the sepulcre, toward the est,
at 160 paas, is _Templum Domini_. It is right a feir hows, and it is alle
round, and highe, and covered with leed, and it is well paved with white
marble: but the Sarazine wole not suffre no Cristene manne Jewes to come
there in; for thei seyn, that none so foule synfulle men scholde not come
in so holy place: but I cam in there, and in othere places, where I wolde;
for I hadde lettres of the Soudan, with his grete seel; and comounly other
men han but his signett. In the whiche lettres he comanded of his,
specyalle grace, to all his subgettes, to lete me seen alle the places, and
to enforme me pleynly alle the mysteries of every place, and to condyte me
fro cytee to cytee, zif it were nede, and buxomly to resceyve me and my
companye, and for to obeye to alle my requestes resonable, zif thei weren
not gretly azen the royalle power, and dignytee of the Soudan or of his
lawe. And to othere, that asken him grace, suche as han served him, he ne
zevethe not but his signet; the whiche thei make to be born before hem,
hangynge on a spere; and the folk of the contree don gret worschipe and
reverence to his signett or his seel, and knelen there to, as lowly as wee
don to _Corpus Domini_. And zit men don fulle grettere reverence to his
lettres. For the admyralle and alle othere lordes, that thei ben schewed
to, before or thei resceyve hem, thei knelen doun, and than thei take hem,
and putten hem on here hedes, and aftre thei kissen hem, and than thei
reden hem, knelynge with gret reverence, and than thei offren hem to do
alle, that the berere askethe. And in this _Templum Domini_ weren somtyme
chanouns reguleres: and thei hadden an abbot, to whom thei weren obedient.
And in this temple was Charlemayn, when that the aungelle broughte him the
prepuce of oure Lord Jesu Crist, of his circumcisioun: and aftre Kyng
Charles leet bryngen it to Parys, in to his chapelle: and aftre that to
Chartres. And zee schulle undirstonde, that this is not the temple that
Salomon made: for that temple dured not, bat 1102 zeer. For Tytus,
Vespasianes sone, Emperour of Rome, had leyd sege aboute Jerusalem, for to
discomfyte the Jewes: for thei putten oure Lord to dethe, with outen leve
of the Emperour. And whan he hadde wonnen the cytee, he brente the temple
and beet it down, and alle the cytee, and toke the Jewes, and dide hem to
Dethe, 1100000: and the othere he putte in presoun, and solde hem to
servage, 30 for o peny: for thei seyde, thei boughte Jesu for 30 penyes:
and he made of hem bettre cheep, whan he zaf 30 for o peny. And aftre that
tyme, Julianas Apostate, that was Emperour, zaf leve to the Jewes to make
the Temple of Jerusalem: for he hated Cristene men; and zit he was
cristned, but he forsoke his law, and becam a renegate. And whan the Jewes
hadden made the temple, com an erthe quakeng, and cast it doun (as God
wolde) and destroyed alle that thei had made. And aftre that, Adryan, that
was Emperour of Rome, and of the lynage of Troye, made Jerusalem azen, and
the temple, in the same manere, as Salomon made it. And he wolde not suffre
no Jewes to dwelle there, but only Cristene men. For alle thoughe is were
so, that hee was not cristned, zet he lovede Cristene men, more than ony
other nacioun, saf his owne. This Emperour leet enclose the Chirche of
Seynt Sepulcre, and walle it, within the cytee, that before was with oute
the cytee, long tyme beforn. And he wolde have chaunged the name of
Jerusalem, and have cleped it Elya: but that name lasted not longe. Also
zee schulle undirstonde, that the Sarazines don moche reverence to that
temple; and thei seyn, that that place is right holy. And whan thei gon in,
thei gon barefote, and knelen many tymes. And whanne my felowes and I
seyghe that, whan we comen in, wee diden of oure shoon, and camen in
barefote, and thoughten that we scholden don as moche worschipe and
reverence there to, as ony of the mysbeleevynge men sholde, and as gret
compunction in herte to have. This temple is 64 cubytes of wydenesse, and
als manye in lengthe; and of heighte it is 120 cubites: and it is with
inne, alle aboute, made with pyleres of marble: and in the myddel place of
the temple ben manye highe stages, of 14 degrees of heighte, made with gode
pyleres alle aboute: and this place the Jewes callen _Sancta Sanctorum_;
that is to seye, _holy of halewes_. And in that place comethe no man, saf
only here prelate, that makethe here sacrifice. And the folk stonden alle
aboute, in diverse stages, aftre thei ben of dignytee or of worschipe; so
that thei alle may see the sacrifice. And in that temple ben 4 entrees; and
the zates ben of cypresse, wel made and curiousely dight. And with in the
est zate, oure Lorde seyde, _Here is Jerusalem._ And in the northsyde of
that temple with in the zate, there is a welle; but it rennethe noght; of
the whiche Holy Writt spekethe, and seythe, _Vidi aquam egredientem de
Templo_; that is to seyne, _I saughe watre come out of the Temple_. And on
that other syde of the Temple there is a roche, that men clepen Moriache:
but aftre it was clept Bethel; where the arke of God, with relykes of
Jewes, weren wont to ben put. That arke or hucche, with the relikes, Tytus
ledde with hym to Rome, whan he had scomfyted alle the Jewes. In that arke
weren the 10 commandementes, and of Arones zerde, and of Moyses zerde, with
the whiche he made the Rede See departen, as it had ben a walle, on the
righte syde and on the left syde, whils that the peple of Israel passeden
the see drye foot: and with that zerde he smoot the roche; and the watre
cam out of it: and with that zerde he dide manye wondres. And there in was
a vessel of gold, fulle of manna, and clothinges and ournements and the
tabernacle of Aaron, and a tabernacle square of gold, with 12 precyous
stones, and a boyst of jasper grene, with 4 figures, and 8 names of oure
Lord, and 7 candelstykes of gold, and 12 pottes of gold, and 4 censeres of
gold, and an awtier of gold, and 4 lyouns of gold, upon the whiche thei
bare cherubyn of gold, l2 spannes long, and the cercle of swannes of
Hevene, with a tabernacle of gold, and a table of sylver, and 2 trompes of
silver, and 7 barly loves, and alle the othere relikes, that weren before
the birthe of oure Lord Jesu Crist. And upon that roche, was Jacob
slepynge, when he saughe the aungeles gon up and doun, by a laddre, and he
seyd, _Vere locus isse sanctus est, et ego ignorabam_; that is to seyne,
_Forsothe this place is holy, and I wiste it nought_. And there an aungel
helde Jacob stille, and turned his name, and cleped him Israel. And in that
same place, David saughe the aungelle, that smot the folk with a swerd, and
put it up blody in the schethe. And in that same roche, was Seynt Symeon,
whan he resceyved oure Lord into the Temple. And in this roche he sette
him, whan the Jewes wolde a stoned him; and a sterre cam doun, and zaf him
light. And upon that roche, prechede our Lord often tyme to the peple; and
out of that seyd temple, oure Lord drof the byggeres and the selleres. And
upon that roche, oure Lord sette him, whan the Jewes wolde have stoned him;
and the roche cleef in two, and in that clevynge was oure Lord hidd; and
there cam doun a sterre, and zaf lighte and served him with claretee; and
upon that roche, satt oure lady, and lerned hire sawtere; and there our
Lord forzaf the womman hire sinnes, that was founden in Avowtrie: and there
was oure Lord circumcyded: and there the aungelle schewede tydynges to
Zacharie of the birthe of Seynt Baptyst his sone; and there offred first
Melchisedeche bred and wyn to oure Lord, in tokene of the sacrement that
was to comene; and there felle David preyeng to oure Lord, and to the
aungelle, that smot the peple, that he wolde have mercy on him and on the
peple; and oure Lorde herde his preyere; and therefore wolde he make the
temple in that place: but oure Lord forbade him, be an aungelle, for he had
don tresoun, whan he leet sle Urie the worthi knyght, for to have Bersabee
his wyf; and therfore all the purveyance, that he hadde ordeyned to make
the temple with, he toke it Salomon his sone; and he made it. And he preyed
oure Lord, that alle tho that preyeden to him, in that place, with gode
herte, that he wolde heren here preyere and graunten it hem, zif thei asked
it rightefullyche: and oure Lord graunted it him: and therfore Salomon
cleped that temple, the Temple of Conseille and of Help of God. And with
oute the zate of that temple is an awtiere, where Jewes werein wont to
offren dowves and turtles. And betwene the temple and that awtiere was
Zacharie slayn. And upon the pynacle of that temple was oure Lord brought,
for to ben tempted of the enemye, the feend. And on the heighte of that
pynacle, the Jewes setten Seynt Jame, and casted him down to the erthe,
that first was Bisschopp of Jerusalem. And at the entree of that temple,
toward the west, is the zate that is clept _Porta speciosa_. And nyghe
besyde that temple, upon the right syde, is a chirche covered with leed,
that is clept Salomones Scole. And fro that temple, towardes the southe,
right nyghe, is the Temple of Salomon, that is righte fair and wel
pollisscht. And in that temple duellen the knyghtes of the temple, that
weren wont to be clept templeres: and that was the foundacionn of here
ordre; so that there duelleden knyghtes; and in _Templo Domini_, chanouns
reguleres. Fro that temple toward the est, a 120 paas, in the cornere of
the cytee, is the bathe of oure Lord: and in that bathe was wont to come
watre fro paradys, and zit it droppethe. And there besyde, is oure ladyes
bed. And faste by, is the temple of Seynt Symeon: and with oute the
cloyster of the temple, toward the northe, is a fulle faire chirche of
Seynte Anne, oure ladyes modre: and there was oure lady conceyved. And
before that chirche, is a gret tree, that began to growe the same nyght.
And undre that chirche, in goenge doun be 22 degrees, lythe Joachym, oure
ladyes fader, in a faire tombe of ston: and there besyde, lay somtyme Seynt
Anne his wyf; but Seynt Helyne leet translate hire to Costantynople. And in
that chirche is a welle, in manere of a cisterne, that is clept _Probatica
Piscina_, that hathe 5 entrees. Into that welle, aungeles weren wont to
come from Hevene, and bathen hem with inne: and, what man that first bathed
him, aftre the mevynge of the watre, was made hool, of what maner sykenes
that he hadde: and there oure Lord heled a man of the palasye, that laye 38
zeer: and oure Lord seyde to him, _Tolle Grabatum tuum & ambula_: that is
to seye, _Take thi bed, and go_. And there besyde, was Pylates hows. And
faste by, is Kyng Heroudes hows, that leet sle the innocentes. This Heroude
was over moche cursed and cruelle: for first he leet sle his wif, that he
lovede righte welle; and for the passynge love, that he hadde to hire, whan
he saughe hire ded, he felle in a rage, and oute of his wytt, a gret while;
and sithen he cam azen to his wytt: and aftre he leet sle his two sones,
that he hadde of that wyf: and aftre that, he leet sle another of his
wyfes, and a sone, that he hadde with hire: and aftre that, he leet sle his
owne modre: and he wolde have slayn his brother also, but he dyede
sodeynly. And aftre he fell into seknesse, and whan he felte, that he
scholde dye, he sente aftre his sustre, and aftre alle the lordes of his
lond; and whan thei were comen; he leet commande hem to prisoun, and than
he seyde to his sustre, he wiste wel, that men of the contree wolde make no
sorwe for his dethe; and therefore be made his sustre swere, that sche
scholde lete smyte of alle the heds of the lordes, whan he were ded; and
than scholde alle the lond make sorwe for his dethe, and else nought: and
thus he made his testement. But his sustre fulfilled not his wille: for als
sone as he was ded, sche delyvered alle the lordes out of presoun, and lete
hem gon, eche lord to his owne; and tolde hem alle the purpos of hire
brothers ordynance: and so was this cursed kyng never made sorwe for, as he
supposed for to have ben. And zee schulle undirstonde, that in that tyme
there weren 3 Heroudes, of gret name and loos for here crueltee. This
Heroude, of whiche I have spoken offe, was Heroude Ascalonite: and he that
leet beheden seynt John the Baptist, was Heroude Antypa: and he that leet
smyte of Seynt James hed, was Heroude Agrippa; and he putte Seynt Peter in
presoun.
Also furthermore, in the cytee, is the Chirche of Seynt Savyour; and there
is the left arm of John Crisostom, and the more partye of the hed of Seynt
Stevene. And on that other syde of the strete, toward the southe, as men
gon to Mount Syon, is a chirche of Seynt James, where he was beheded. And
fro that chirche, a 120 paas, is the Mount Syon: and there is a faire
chirche of oure Lady, where sche dwelled; and there sche dyed. And there
was wont to ben an abbot of Chanouns Reguleres. And fro thens, was sche
born of the apostles, onto the Vale of Josaphathe. And there is the ston,
that the aungelle broughte to oure Lady, fro the Mount of Synay; and it is
of that colour, that the roche is of Seynt Kateryne. And there besyde, is
the zate, where thorghe oure Ladye wente, whan sche was with childe, whan
sche wente to Betheleem. Also at the entree of the Mount Syon, is a
chapelle; and in that chapelle is the ston gret and large, with the whiche
the sepulcre was covered with, whan Josephe of Aramathie had put oure Lord
thereinne: the whiche ston the 3 Maries sawen turnen upward, whan thei
comen to the sepulcre, the day of his resurrexioun; and there founden an
aungelle, that tolde hem of oure Lordes uprysynge from dethe to lyve. And
there also is a ston, in a walle, besyde the zate, of the pyleer, that oure
Lord was scourged ate: and there was Annes hows, that was Bishop of the
Jewes, in that ryme. And there was oure Lord examyned in the nyght, and
scourged and smytten and vylently entreted. And in that same place, Seynt
Peter forsoke oure Lord thries, or the cok creew. And there is a party of
the table, that he made his souper onne, whan be made his maundee, with his
discyples; whan he zaf hem his flesche and his blode, in forme of bred and
wyn. And undre that chapelle, 32 degrees, is the place, where oure Lord
wossche his disciples feet and zit is the vesselle, where the watre was.
And there besyde that same vesselle, was Seynt Stevene buryed. And there is
the awtier, where oure Lady herde the aungelles synge messe. And there
appered first oure Lord to his disciples, after his resurrexioun, the zates
enclosed, and seyde to hem, _Pax vobis_: that is to seye, _Pees to zou_.
And on that mount, appered Crist to Seynt Thomas the apostle, and bade him
assaye his woundes; and there beleeved he first, and seyde, _Dominus meus
et Deus meus_; that is to seye, _my Lord and my God_. In the same chirche,
besyde the awteer, weren alle the aposteles on Whytsonday, whan the Holy
Gost descended on hem, in lyknesse of fuyr. And there made oure Lord his
pask, [Footnote: Pascal feast] with his disciples. And there slept Seynt
John the Evaungeliste, upon the breeste of oure Lord Jesu Crist, and saughe
slepynge many hevenly prevytees.
Mount Syon is with inne the cytee; and it is a lytille hiere than the other
syde of the cytee: and the cytee is strongere on that syde, than on that
other syde. For at the foot of the Mount Syon, is a faire castelle and a
strong, that the Soudan leet make. In the Mount Syon weren buryed Kyng
David and Kyng Salomon, and many othere kynges, Jewes of Jerusalem. And
there is the place, where the Jewes wolden han cast up the body of oure
Lady, whan the apostles beren the body to ben buryed, in the Vale of
Josaphathe. And there is the place, where Seynt Petir wepte fulle tenderly,
aftre that he hadde forsaken oure Lord. And a stones cast fro that
chapelle, is another chapelle, where oure Lord was jugged: for that tyme,
was there Cayphases hows. From that chapelle, to go toward the est, at 140
paas, is a deep cave undre the roche, that is clept the Galylee of oure
Lord; where Seynt Petre hidde him, whanne he had forsaken oure Lord. Item,
betwene the Mount Syon and the Temple of Salomon, is the place, where oure
Lord reysed the mayden, in hire fadres hows. Undre the Mount Syon, toward
the Vale of Josaphathe, is a welle, that is clept _Natatorium Siloe_; and
there was oure Lord wasshen, aftre his bapteme: and there made oure Lord
the blynd man to see. And there was y buryed Ysaye the prophete. Also
streghte from Natatorie Siloe, is an ymage of ston, and of olde auncyen
werk, that Absalon leet make: and because there of, men clepen it the head
of Absalon. And faste by, is zit the tree of eldre, that Judas henge him
self upon, for despeyr that he hadde, whan he solde and betrayed oure Lord.
And there besyde, was the synagoge, where the bysshoppes of Jewes and the
pharyses camen to gidere, and helden here conseille. And there caste Judas
the 30 pens before hem, and seyde, that he hadde synned, betrayenge oure
Lord. And there nyghe was the hows of the apostles Philippe and Jacob
Alphei. And on that other syde of Mount Syon, toward the southe, bezonde
the Vale, a stones cast, is Acheldamache; that is to seye, the Feld of
Blood; that was bought for the 30 pens, that oure Lord was sold fore. And
in that feld ben many tombes of Cristene men: for there ben manye pilgrymes
graven. And there ben many oratories, chapelles and heremytages, where
heremytes weren wont to duelle. And toward the est, an 100 pas, is the
charnelle of the hospitalle of seynt John, where men weren wont to putte
the bones of dede men.