spoken of before, gon men to the playnes of Galilee. And men leven the
hilles, on that o partye. And Galilee is on of the provynces of the Holy
Land: and in that provynce is the cytee of Naym and Capharnaum and
Chorosaym and Bethsayde. In this Bethseyde was Seynt Petre and Seynt Andrew
borne. And thens, a 4 myle, is Chorosaym: and 5 myle fro Chorosaym, is the
cytee of Cedar, of the psautre spekethe: _Et habitavi cum habitantibus
Cedar_; that is for to seye, _And I have dwelled with the dwellynge men in
Cedar_. In Chorosaym schalle Antecrist be born, as sum men seyn; and other
men seyn, he schalle be born in Babyloyne: for the prophete seyth; _De
Babilonia Coluber exiet, qui totum mundum devorabit_; that is to seyne,
_Out of Babiloyne schal come a worm, that schal devouren alle the world_.
This Antecrist schal be norysscht in Bethsayda, and he schal regne in
Capharnaum: and therfore seythe Holy Writt: _Ve tibi, Chorosaym: ve tibi,
Bethsayda: ve tibi, Capharnaum_; that is to seye, _Wo be to the, Chorosaym;
wo to the, Bethsayda: wo to the, Capharnaum_. And alle theise townes ben in
the lond of Galilee. And also, the cane of Galilee is 4 myle fro Nazarethe:
of that cytee was Simon Chananeus, and his wif Canee; of the whiche the
holy evaungelist spekethe off: there dide oure Lord the first myracle at
the wedyng, whan he turned water in to wyn. And in the ende of Galilee, at
the hilles, was the arke of God taken; and on that other syde is the Mownt
Hender or Hermon. And there aboute gothe the Broke of Cison: and there
besyde, Barache, that was Abymeleche sone, with Delbore the prophetisse,
overcam the Oost of Ydumea, whan Cysera the kyng was slayn of Gebelle, the
wif of Aber; and chaced beyonde the Flom Jordan, be strengthe of sword, Zeb
and Zebec and Salmana; and there he slowghe him. Also a 5 myle fro Naym, is
the cytee of Jezreel, that sometyme was clept Zarym; of the which cytee
Jezabel the cursed queen was lady and queen, that toke awey the vyne of
Nabaothe, be hire strengthe. Faste by that cytee, is the Feld Magede, in
the whiche the Kyng Joras was slayn of the Kyng of Samarie, and aftre was
translated and buryed in the Mount Syon. And a myle fro Jezrael ben the
Hilles of Gelboe, where Saul and Jonathas that weren so faire, dyeden:
wherfore David cursed hem, as holy writt seythe; _Montes Gelboe, nec Ros
nec Pluvia, &c._; that is to seye, _Zee hilles of Gelboe, nouther Dew ne
Reyne com upon you_. And a myle fro the hilles of Gelboe, toward the est,
is the cytee of Cyrople, that was clept before Bethsayn. And upon the
walles of that cytee was the hed of Saul honged.
After gon men be the hille, besyde the pleynes of Galylee, unto Nazarethe,
where was wont to ben a gret cytee and fair: but now there is not, but a
lytille village, and houses a brood here and there. And it is not walled;
and it sytt in a litille valeye, and there ben hilles alle aboute. There
was our lady born: but sche was goten at Jerusalem. And be cause that oure
lady was born at Nazarethe, therefore bare our Lord his surname of that
town. There toke Josephe our lady to wyf, when sche was 14 zeere of age:
and there Gabrielle grette our lady, seyenge, _Ave Gratia plena, Dominus
tecum_; that is to seyne, _Heyl fulle of Grace, oure Lord is with the_. And
this Salutacioun was don in a place of a gret awteer of a faire chirche,
that was wont to be somtyme: but it is now alle downe; and men han made a
litylle resceyt, besyde a pylere of that chirche, for to resceyve the
offrynges of Pilgrymes. And the Sarrazines kepen that place fulle derely,
for the profyte that thei han there offe: and thei ben fulle wykked
Sarrazines and cruelle, and more dispytous than in ony other place, and han
destroyed alle the chirches. There nyghe is Gabrielles Welle, where oure
Lord was wont to bathe Him, whan He was yong: and fro that welle bare he
watre often tyme to his modre: and in that well sche wossche often tyme the
clowtes of hire sone Jesu Crist. And fro Jerusalem unto thidre, is 3
journeyes. At Nazarathe was our Lord norisscht. Nazarethe is als meche to
seye, as flour of the gardyn: and be gode skylle may it ben clept flour;
for there was norisscht the flour of lyf, that was Crist Jesu. And 2 myle
fro Nazarethe, it the cytee of Sephor, be the weye, that gothe from
Nazerethe to Acon. And an half myle fro Nazarethe, is the lepe of oure
Lorde: for the Jewes ladden him upon an highe roche, for to make him lepe
doun, and have slayn him: but Jesu passed amonges hem, and lepte upon
another roche; and zit ben the steppes of his feet sene in the roche, where
he allyghte. And therfore seyn sum men, whan thei dreden hem of thefes, on
ony weye, or of enemyes; _Jesus autem transiens per medium illorum ibet_;
that is to seyne, _Jesus forsothe passynge be the myddes of hem, he wente_:
in tokene and mynde, that oure Lord passed thorghe out the Jewes crueltee,
and scaped safly fro hem: so surely mowe men passen the perile of thefes.
And than sey men 2 vers of the psautre, 3 sithes: _Irruat super eos formido
et pavor in magnitudine Brachii tui, Domine, Fiant inmobiles, quasi Lapis,
donec pertranseat populus tuus, Domine; donec pertranseat populus tuus
iste, quem possedisti_. And thanne may men passe with outen perile. And zee
schulle undirstonde, that oure lady hadde child, whan sche was 15 zeere
old: and sche was conversant with hire sone 33 zeer and 3 monethes; And
aftre the passioun of oure Lord, sche lyvede 24 zeer.
Also fro Nazarethe, men gon to the Mount Thabor; and that is a 4 myle: and
it is a fulle faire hille, and well highe, where was wont to ben a toun and
many chirches; but thei ben alle destroyed; but zit there is a place, that
men clepen the scole of God, where he was wont to teche his disciples, and
tolde hem the prevytees of hevene. And at the foot of that hille,
Melchisedeche, that was Kyng of Salem, in the turnynge of that hille, mette
Abraham in comynge azen from the bataylle, whan he had slayn Abymeleche:
and this Melchisedeche was bothe kyng and prest of Salem, that now is
cleped Jerusalem. In that hille Thabor, oure Lord transfigured him before
seynt Petre, seynt John and seynt Jame; and there they sawghe gostly Moyses
and Elye the prophetes besyde hem: and therefore seyde seynt Petre,
_Domine, bonum est nos hic esse; faciamus tria Tabernacula_; that is to
seye, _Lorde, it is gode for us to ben here; make we here 3 dwellying
places_. And there herd thei a voys of the fadir, that seye, _Hic est
filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacui_. And oure Lord defended
hem, that thei scholde not telle that avisioun, til that he were rysen from
dethe to lyf. In that hille and in that same place, at the day of doom, 4
aungeles, with 4 trompes, schulle blowen and reysen alle men, that hadden
suffred dethe, sithe that the world was formed, from dethe to lyve; and
schnlle comen in body and soule in juggement; before the face of oure Lord,
in the Vale of Josaphate. And the doom schalle ben on Estre Day, suche tyme
as oure Lord aroos: and the dom schalle begynne, suche houre as oure Lord
descended, to helle and dispoyled it; for at such houre schal he dispoyle
the world, and lede his chosene to blisse; and the othere schalle be
condempne to perpetuelle peynes: and thanne schalle every man have aftir
his dissert, outher gode or evylle; but zif the mercy of God passe his
rightewisnesse.
Also a myle from Mount Thabor, is the Mount Heremaon; and there was the
cytee of Naym. Before the zate of that cytee, reysed oure Lord the wydewes
sone, that had no mo children. Also 3 myle fro Nazarethe, is the Castelle
Saffra; of the whiche, the sones of Zebedee and the sones of Alphee weren.
Also a 7 myle fro Nazarethe is the Mount Kayn; andl andre that is a welle,
and besyde that welle, Lameche Noees fadre sloughe Kaym with an arwe. For
this Kaym wente thorghe breres and bosshes, as a wylde best; and he had
lyved fro the tyme of Adam his fadir, unto the tynme of Noe; and so he
lyvode nyghe to 2000 zeer. And this Lameche was alle blynd for elde.
Fro Saffra, men gothe to the see of Galylee and to the cytee of Tyberye,
that sytt upon the same see. And alle be it, that men clepen it a see, zit
is it nouther see ne arm of the see: for it is but a stank of fresche
watir, that is in lengthe 100 furlonges; and of brede 40 furlonges; and
hathe with in him gret plentee of fissche, and rennethe in to Flom Jordan.
The cytee it not fulle gret, but it hathe gode bathes with in him. And
there; as the Flom Jordan partethe fro the see of Galilee, is a gret
brigge, where men passen from the lond of promyssioun, to the lond of
Baazan and the lond of Gerrasentz, that ben about the Flom Jordan, and the
begynnynge of the see of Tyberie. And fro thens may men go to Damask, in 3
dayes, be the kyngdom of Traconye; the whiche kyngdom lastethe fro mount
Heremon to the see of Galilee, or to the see of Tyberie, or to the see of
Jenazarethe; and alle is o see, and this the stank that I have told zou;
but it chaungethe thus the name, for the names of the cytees that sytten
besyde hem. Upon that see, went oure Lord drye feet; and there he toke up
seynt Peter, when he began to drenche with in the see, and seyde to him,
_Modice Fidei, quare dubitasti_? And aftre his resurrexioun, oure Lord
appered on that see, to his disciples, and bad hem fyssche, and filled alle
the nett fulle of gret fisshes. In that see rowed oure Lord often tyme; and
there he called to him, seynt Peter, seynt Andrew, seynt James and seynt
John, the sones of Zebedee. In that cytee of Tyberie, is the table, upon
the whiche oure Lord eete upon, with his disciples, aftre his resurrexioun;
and thei knewen him in brekynge of bred, as the gospelle seythe; _Et
cognoverunt cum in fractione Panis_. And nyghe that cytee of Tyberie, is
the hille, where oure Lord fedde 5 thousand persones, with 5 barly loves
and 2 fisshes. In that cytee, a man cast an brennynge dart in wratthe aftir
oure Lord, and the hed smot in to the eerthe, and wax grene, and it growed
to a gret tree; and zit it growethe, and the bark there of is alle lyk
coles. Also in the hed of that See of Galilee, toward the Septemtryon, is a
strong castelle and an highe, that highte Saphor: and fast besyde it, is
Capharnaum: with in the lond of Promyssioun, is not so strong a castelle:
and there is a gode toun benethe, that is clept also Saphor. In that
castel, seynt Anne our ladyes modre was born. And there benethe was
Centurioes hous. That contree is clept the Galilee of Folk, that weren
taken to tribute of Sabulon, and of Neptalym. And in azen comynge fro that
castelle, a 30 myle, is the cytee of Dan, that somtyme was clept Belynas,
or Cesaire Philippon, that sytt at the foot of the Mount of Lyban, where
the Flom Jordan begynnethe. There begynnethe the lond of Promyssioun, and
durethe unto Bersabee, in lengthe, in goynge toward the northe in to the
southe; and it conteynethe well a 180 myles: and of brede, that is to seye,
fro Jericho unto Jaffe, and that conteynethe a 40 myle of Lombardye, or of
our contree, that ben also lytylle myles. Theise ben not myles of Gascoyne,
ne of the provynce of Almayne, where ben gret myles. And wite zee welle,
that the lond of Promyssioun is in Sirye. For the reme of Sirye durethe fro
the desertes of Arabye, unto Cecyle, and that is Ermonye the grete, that is
to seyne, fro the southe to the northe: and fro the est to the west, it
durethe fro the grete desertes of Arabye onto the West See. But in the reme
of Syrie, is the kyngdom of Judee, and many other provynces, as Palestyne,
Galilee, litylle Cilicye, and many othere. In that contree and other
contrees bezonde, thei han a custom, whan thei schulle usen werre, and whan
men holden sege abbouten cytee or castelle, and thei with innen dur not
senden out messagers with lettres, from lord to lord, for to aske sokour,
thei maken here letters and bynden hem to the nekke of a colver, and leten
the colver flee; and the colveren ben so taughte, that threi fleen with tho
lettres to the verry place, that men wolde sende hem to. For the colveres
ben norysscht in tho places, where thei ben sent to; and thei senden hem
thus, for to beren here lettres. And the colveres retournen azen, where as
thei ben norisscht; and so thei doe comounly.
MANDEVILLE'S VOYAGES
PART II.
Secunda pars.
CAPVT. 24.
Persuasio ad non credentes terrarum diuersitates per orben terræ.
Mirabilis Deus mirabilia propter semetipsum creauit, vt scilicet ab
intellectualibus creaturis suis intelligeretur, et per hoc diligeretur,
atque in hoc ipse creator, et creatura se mutuo fruerentur. Mirabilis est
ergo Deus maximè in illo, quòd ipse solus sufficit sibi: et mirabilis in
altis Dominus, hoc est, in coelo et in coelestibus: sed et mirabilis in
terris, et in terrestribus: tamen si verum indicauerimus, nihil est
mirabile, quod mirum videri non debet, si ille qui omnipotens est, fecit
quæcunque voluit in coelo et in terra. Sed ecce dum nobis contingit videre
rem quam priùs non vidimus, miràtur noster animus, non quòd simpliciter
mirum est, sed quod nobis id mirum et nouum. Deus vnus, simplex quidem est,
vt creaturæ coelestes quò Deo magis de propinquo sunt eò simpliciores
existunt. Terrestres autem quòd in situ remotiori sint, idcircò magis
diuersæ, magis contrariæ inter se sunt.
[Sidenote: Reprehensio incredulorum qui nihil credunt, nisi quod domi
viderint.] Ergo quicunque sapiens est non stupet animo, dum in terrenis
respicit res varias, et diuersas, vel dum diuersa contingunt, seu
inueníuntur in partibus terræ diuersis: sed qui intellectum super sensum
non eleuant, et magis credunt oculo suo corporeo, quàm spirituali, et qui
nunquam à natiuitatis suæ loco recesserunt, isti vix volunt credere, seu
possunt alijs vera narrantibus de mundi diuersitatibus.
Attamen tales, si vellent, de facili videre possint suum errorem. Quia
quicunque natus in vna ciuitate, vel patria, si tantummodo moueat se ad
proximam ciuitatem, inueniet ibi procul dubio aliquam differentiam, vel
diuersitatem in idiomate linguæ, vel in modo loquendi, in moribus hominum,
in occupationibus, in legibus, in consuetudinibus, vel etiam in agrorom
fructibus, in arborum frugibus, seu in his quæ gignuntur in terra, in aere,
et in aquis.
Si ergo aliqualiter inueniri possit differentia in proximo, quanto maior
sit distantia, tanto maior differentia æstimandi est in remoto, vel in
remotiori, seu remotissimo loco. Vnde ego, quia in præcedente parte
tractatus narrare coepi aliqua, quæ in his, et in peregrinatione mea vsque
in terram promissionis sanctam vidi, de quibus etiam potest, et poterit
constare multis, qui in partibus nostris eadem peregrinatione me
præcesserunt, et secuti sunt, procedam in describendo aliqua illorum, quæ
vidi et percepi in deambulatione mea, qua peragraui multas alias terras, et
perlegi multas vndas, vsque in multorum hoc tempus annorum, et propter
insipientes, et discredentes non tacebo. Sed nec propter credentes nec
sapientes satis mouebor; tamen vt diuersa Dei opera qui respicere non
possunt oculo, saltem legant, vel audiant ex hoc scripto. Pauca vtique vidí
horum quæ sunt, sed pauca horum quæ vidi, narrabo.
CAPVT. 25.
De Armenia, Persia, et Amazonia.
De regionibus quæ Iudeæ contiguantur, scilicet Arabia, Aegypto et Syria,
statui modicum vltra narrare, relinquens hunc locum narrandi alijs
peregrinis. Et festinans ad terras remotiores, Armeniam minorem, non per
singulas ciuitates, sed celeriter transiens, vidi à remotis amplum cástrum
vocatum Dei espoyer de quo mihi sustinui dici, quod sit vastum, et à
nemine, habitatum, nisi à fantastica quadam Domina, seruante in medio
maioris aulæ super perticam, volucrem rapacem, quæ dicitur Latinè
accipiter, vel huiusmodi: quam auem, si aliquis hominum ingrediens se
custodire peruigil absque vlla somnolentia per septem continuos dies et
noctes posset, ipsa Domina in fine facti apparens concederet illi
quantamcunque faceret petitionem terræ, commodi, vel honoris, sed si
obdormiret, periret. Huic tamen dicto parùm curaui accommodare aurem, nisi
quod communiter dicebatur, in bene transacto tempore prædicta fuisse
tentata per duas personas, vnum Regem, et alterum Pastorem. Et Regi quidem
quod indebitam fecit petitionem, vile successit negotium, pastori peroptimè
successit negotium.
In Armenia maiori, est magna et bona ciuitas Artyron ad dietam prope
fluuium Euphratem. Et sunt ibi duo montes euecti valdè, vnus Sabissatele,
alter Ararath, quorum vltimus habet per anfractius, et periodos per
ascensum viæ, ferè 7. leucas, et quasi omni tempore est plenus niue.
In illo loco fertur quicuisse Arca diluuii, cuius vnicus asser monstratur,
in Ecclesia Monachorum ad montis pedem habitantium; attamem nullus hominum
pro frigore nimio attentare præsumit ascensum.
Est autem et ibi ciuitas Landania, de qua nonnulli dicunt quòd Noe illam
fundauerat, et ciuitas magna Hany, in qua tempore Christianorum mille
habebantur Ecclesiæ.
In illa Armenia sub Imperio Persiæ est famosa ciuitas Tauris, vbi de
mercimonijs ponderalibus fit inestimabilis mercatura. Hinc ad decem diates
ad Orientem habeatur ciuitas Zadona, in ea Imperator Persarum moratur, et
est in eodem imperio ciuitas valdè magna Cassach, quæ recto itinere dicitur
store ab Hierosolymis 55. dietis. Geth ciuitas imperialis, et melior totius
Persiæ in hac terra noscitur esse, cum tamen Carnaa sit satis maior.
Circa fines Persiæ in terra Sennaar, est illa quæ olim dicebatur Babylonia,
nec apparet ibi aliquid, quàm ruinæ grandis et vetustæ cuitatis, quæ ab
hominibus est deserta, sed à Draconibus inhabitata, et alijs animalibus, et
volucribus venenosis. Hanc terram tenet Imperator Persarum, vt suprà dixi.
Etiam intra fines Persiæ, est terra, vbi sanctus Iob patiens morabatur, quæ
modo dicitur terra Sues, in cuius montanis inuenitur Manna, quod venditur
in Apothecis. Hunc terræ Sues contiguatur Chaldæa, quæ non est magna,
quamuis nobilis regio habeatur. Et ab ista intratur Amazonia.
Amazonia est modica insula, quam absquæ viris sofæ regunt et inhabitant
mulieres: cuius rei prima causa hæc fuit.
Olim cum insula communiter a viris, et mulieribus habitabatur, Rex eius
dictus Colopius cum omnibus nobilibus suis in bello contra Regnum Scithiæ
occisus fuit. Audientes igitur nobilium vxores ipsius insulæ se viduatas,
super his, in doloroso furore animi ad plures congressiones occiderunt et
fugauerunt omnes aliarum mulierum maritos, ne scilicet sua ingennitas
subiaceret voluntati, et potestati plebis. Et tandem post reformatam inter
se pacem mulieres inito consilio statuerum se solas absque viris dominari
in terra, atque ex tunc sumi sibi regimen per certam electionis formam quæ
robusta, agilis, sapiens, iuuenis, ac valens apparet in armis.
Sciendum tamen est, extra hanc insulam flumen esse, et alias modicas
insulas, quarum vna dicitur Carmagite, de quibus licitum est ijs accessire
viros, et amasios bis in anno, ita vt nulla moram trahat septem dierum
naturalium sub poena indubitata occisionis. Infantem masculum nutrire licet
quoadusque per se comedat et gradiatur, tunc transmittendus est in domum
paternam. Generosæ natæ puellæ aufertur ignito cultro vber sinistrum pro
scuto gerendo, degeneri dextrum, ad sagittandum de arcu Turco.
Regina cum consíliaribus et officialibus suis regit sapienter et benè
terràm, et seruat omnes sibi sub districta obedientia, per leges, et
poenas, et amendas conscriptas. Et cum circumiacentium insularum Reges
contra se ad inuicem proeliari solent, tunc Regina Amazoniæ cum suis
Nobilibus ab vna parte pro magno stipendio vocari solet in adiutorium, vbi
et inuentæ sunt sapientes in consilijs, probæ in armis, acres in
conflictibus, et in omnibus Curiæ actibus bene valentes.
CAPVT. 26.
De Aethiopia, et Diamantibus, et de infima India.
Aethiopia consistit à terra Chaldeorum in Austrum, quæ distinguitur in
Orientalem Aethiopiam, et ['and' in source text--KTH] Meridionalem, quarum
prima in illis partibus vocatur Cush, propter hominum nigredinem, altera
Mauritania. [Sidenote: Mauritania. Regnum Saba.] Et est ibi Regnum Saba, de
quo legitur, quod Regi Salomoni Regis Arabum, et Saba, dona et tributa
adduxerunt. Eòque Regina Saba venit à finibus, hoc est, à longinquis terræ
partibus audire sapientiam Salomonis. Omnes in Aethiopia aquæ in fluuijs et
riparijs, et fontibus sapiunt Sal, propter nimium calorem. [Sidenote:
Plinius.] Est ibi vnus aquæ fons ita de nocte calidus, vt nemo in eo
sustineat manum, et ita de die frigidus, vt bibi vix possit.
Generaliter isti de Mauritania Aethiopes comedunt parum, de facili
inebriantur, fluxum ventris patiuntur nec diu viuunt.
[Sidenote: India triplex.] De Aethiopia intratur in Indiam, mediam, nam
triplex est videlicet infima, quæ in quibusdam suis partibus est nimis
frigida ad inhabitandum: Media quæ satis temperata est, et superior, quæ
nimis calida. In India infima propter continuum et graue frigus generatur
christallum de aqua per gelu, sicut quidam asserunt. Sed certum est ibi
haberi rupes christalli, et in illis gigni optimos Diamantes, quos lingua
illius vocant Hamefht. [Sic. 'Hamese' in English version below--KTH.]
Est autem diamas paruus præciosus lapis, magnæ virtutis, sicut pleniùs
describitur in lapidariis. Quidam inueniuntur in magnitudine pisi, vel
etiam piso minores: alii ad quantitatem fabæ, sed nullus maior auellana,
vel nuce. Et dicitur de eo in partibus illis quod si hic qui portat sit
continens, et sobrius reddit illum magnanimum et audacem, et iuuat in
causis iustis certantem, conseruat substantias corporales, aufert praua
somnia, depellit prauorum spirituum illusiones, sortilegia, et
incantationes, ac valet contra lunaticam passionem, vt dæmonis obsessionem,
et venenosum quod illi appropinquauerit exsudat, et exhumescit.
Optimi Diamantes de India assimulantur in colore multum christallo, sed
sunt aliquantulum magis citrini, et pro sui duritie poliri non possunt.
Inueniuntur autem ibi nonnulli subnigri ad colorem violæ: Alii nascuntur in
Arabia nigri, et tenuiores prædictis, alii in Macedonia, et quidam in
Cypro, sed in mineriis auri, dum prima massa in minutias confringitur,
interdum reperíuntur. Sciendum enim est, sæpè plures simul crescere, nec
non generant, et concipiunt inuicem de rore coeli, quemadmodum et
Margaritæ: quod ego pluries tentans, accepi de rupe cespitem cum diamante
masculo, et femella, plantans in pratello, et frequentans, focillans
madefeci de rore Maii. Et ecce in breui, paruulus ex iis gignebatur,
nascebatur, et adolescebat ad debitam quantitatem: fiunt verò omnes per
naturam cum pluribus angulis vt trium vel quatuor, aut quinque laterum, et
nonnulli cum lateribus senis. E contra omnes margaritæ nascuntur in forma
sphærica, seu rotunda.
Et notandum quòd mercatores, pro diamantibus frequenter aliud vendunt: Nam
solet commixtio fieri de christallo Crochee, de Saphiro, de Lonpes Citrino,
de lapide Yri, et de paruis petris ex murium nidis. Probatio veri diamantis
haberi potest his modis.
Primò si ita inuenitur tener, vt se poliri dimittat non est verus.
Item si de eo non potest scindi vitrum cristallum, non est verus.
Item accipe paruum quantitatis lapidem Adamantem, qui solet sibi attrahere
acum et ferrum, et pone verum diamantem, super adamantem, túncque si
ministraueris adamanti acum, videbis adamantem operari nihil, vero diamante
præsente, dum tamen adamas non sit diamante maior.
Item si cultellum laminæ tenuis, habentem in manubrio inclusum vel
alligatum verum diamantem in mensa vel assere erexeris, protinus vt ipsi
venenum appropinquabit, stabit tremulans atque sudans. Et notandum, quòd
per luxuriosum, seu gulosum qui ferret diamantem amitteret virtutem ad
tempus.
Terra Indiæ appellatur ab Indo ibi currente fluuio, cuius anguillæ
inueniuntur quandoque vltra 20. pedes in longitudine. In media India
transitur per multas insulas vsque ad mare Oceanum, in insulam Ormuz, vbi
Mercatores Venetiæ sæpè tendunt, sed viri, qui assueti non sunt tantum
sustinere calorem, ne exeant perpendicula de corporibus propè ad genua, ibi
se contra hoc debitè inuoluunt, et ligant, nec audent ibi transire nauibus
ferrum continentibus, ne teneantur de rupibus adamantum.
Hic in aliquibus Aethiopiæ partibus habitant publicè, inhonestorum
vtriusque sexus hominum consuetudinem inhonestam gerentes, et in æstu
meridiano refrigerandi causa exeunt circa ciuitatem ad riparias iacere, et
discurrere nudis prorsus corporibus omni pudore reiecto, ex quo procul
dubio inhonesta vitia sequuntur.
Est et non longè ab ista insula regio seu insula Caua vel Chaua, quæ à
primo statu multùm est minorata per mare. Hi sunt infidelissimi Paganorum.
Nam quidam adorant Solem, alij Lunam, ignem, aquam, et terram, arborem, vel
serpentem, vel cui de mane primò obuiant. Ibi magni mures, quos nos dicimus
rattas, sunt in quantitate paruorum canum. Et quoniam per cattos capi non
possunt, capiuntur per canes maiores.
Corpora mortuoram non sepeliuntur ibi, nec cadauera quælibet bestiarum
operiuntur, quòd ad aeris æstum carnes in breui tempore consumuntur, nam et
tota insula consistit sub zona torrida. Inde transiri potest per mare in
Indiam superiorem, sine maiorem, videlicet Imperium Presbyteri Ioannis ad
portum ciuitatis Zarke, quæ est elegans et bona satis. In ea habitant
plurimi Catholicæ fidei Christiani: et habentur plurimæ Abbatiæ
religiosorum, quas olim Dux Danorum Ogerus constituit, vnde et vsque nunc
dicuntur Ecclesiæ Dani, atque ex hoc nauigari potest in terram Lombe.
CAPVT. 27.
De foresto Piperis, et fonte iuuentutis.
Regio seu insula dicta Lombe, spatiosa quidem est, continens forestum
dictum aliàs Tombar, longum per dietas 18. In orbe vniuerso non noscimus
crescere piper, præterquàm in hoc foresto. In quo et habetur duæ,
ciuitates, vna Flandrina, (et illa ciuitas inhabitata est à Iudæis, et
Christianis, inter quos sæpè magna seditio oritur) altera Singlant: quas
quondam Danus fertur fundasse Ogerus, vocans vnam Flandrinam, nomine auiæ
suæ ex parte patris sui, alteram Florentam nomine auiæ ex parte matris suæ,
quæ mutato nomine nunc vocatur Singlant.
Sciendum est autem, piper ibi crescere in hunc modum: sicut nos plantamus
vites aut quercus arbores robustas, vt vitis cum fructibus se spargat, vt
supportetur per ramos, sic coluntur arbusta piperis ad arbores foresti, et
sparguntur per ramos, et dependent fructus vt botri. Et venit in eodem
arbusto triplex piper in anno.