cleped Ynde, for a flom, that rennethe thorghe out the contree, that is
clept Ynde. In that flomme men fynden eles of 30 fote long and more. And
the folk that duellen nyghe that watre, ben of evylle colour, grene and
zalow. In Ynde and abouten Ynde, ben mo than 5000 iles, gode and grete,
that men duellen in, with outen tho that ben inhabitable, and with outen
othere smale iles. In every ile, is gret plentee of cytees and of townes
and of folk, with outen nombre. For men of Ynde han this condicioun of
kynde, that thei nevere gon out of here owne contree: and therfore is ther
gret multitude of peple: but thei ben not sterynge ne mevable, be cause
that thei ben in the firste clymat, that is of Saturne. And Saturne is
sloughe and litille mevynge: for he taryethe to make his turn be the 12
signes, 30 zeer; and the mone passethe thorghe the 12 signes in o monethe.
And for because that Saturne is of so late sterynge, therfore the folk of
that contree, that ben undre his clymat, han of kynde no wille for to meve
ne stere to seche strange places. And in oure contree is alle the
contrarie. For wee ben in the sevenethe climat, that is of the mone. And
the mone is of lyghtly mevynge; and the mone is planete of weye: and for
that skylle, it zevethe us wille of kynde, for to meve lyghtly, and for to
go dyverse weyes, and to sechen strange thinges and other dyversitees of
the world. For the mone envyrounethe the erthe more hastyly than ony othere
planete.
Also men gon thorghe Ynde be many dyverse contrees, to the grete see
occean. And aftre men fynden there an ile, that is clept Crues: and thidre
comen marchantes of Venyse and Gene and of other marches, for to byen
marchandyses. But there is so grete hete in tho marches, and namely in that
ile, that for the grete distresse of the hete, mennes ballokkes hangen doun
to here knees, for the gret dissolucioun of the body. And men of that
contree, that knowen the manere, lat bynde hem up, or elle myghte thei not
lyve; and anoynt hem with oynementes made therfore, to holde hem up. In
that contree and in Ethiope and in many other contrees, the folk lyggen
alle naked in ryveres and watres, men and wommen to gedre, fro undurne of
the day, tille it be passed the noon. And thei lyen alle in the watre, saf
the visage, for the gret hete that there is. And the wommen haven no schame
of the men; but lyen alle to gidre, syde to syde, tille the hete be past.
There may men see many foule figure assembled, and namely nyghe the gode
townes. In that ile ben schippes with outen nayles of iren or bonds, for
the roches of the Ademandes: for thei ben alle fulle there aboute in that
see, that it is merveyle to speken of. And zif a schipp passed be tho
marches, that hadde outher iren bondes or iren nayles, anon he scholde ben
perisscht. For the Ademand, of his kynde, drawethe the iren to him: and so
wolde it drawe to him the schipp, because of the iren: that he scholde
never departen fro it, ne never go thens.
Fro that ile, men gon be see to another ile, that is clept Chana, where is
gret plentee of corn and wyn: and it was wont to ben a gret ile, and a gret
havene and a good; but the see hathe gretly wasted it and overcomen it The
kyng of that contree was wont to ben so strong and so myghty, that he helde
werre azenst King Alisandre. The folk of that contree han a dyvers lawe:
for summe of hem, worschipe the sonne, summe the mone, summe the fuyr,
summe trees, summe serpentes, or the first thing that thei meeten at
morwen: and summe worschipen symulacres, and summe Ydoles. But betwene
symulacres and ydoles, is a gret difference. For symulacres ben ymages made
aftre lyknesse of men or of wommen, or of the sonne or of the mone, or of
ony best, or of ony kyndely thing: and ydoles, is an ymage made of lewed
wille of a man, that man may not fynden among kyndely thinges; as an ymage,
that hathe 4 hedes, on of a man, another of an hors, or of an ox, or of sum
other best, that no man hathe seyn aftre kyndely disposicioun. And thei
that worschipen symulacres, thei worschipen hem for sum worthi man, that
was sum tyme, as Hercules and many othere, that diden many marvayles in
here tyme. For thei seyn wel, that thei be not goddes: for thei knowen wel,
that there is a God of kynde, that made alle thinges; the which is in
hevene. But thei knowen wel, that this may not do the marvayles that he
made, but zif it had ben be the specyalle zifte of God: and therfore thei
seyn, that he was wel with God. And for be cause that he was so wel with
God, therfore the worschipe him. And so seyn thei of the sonne; be cause
that he chaungethe the tyme and zevethe hete and norisschethe alle thinges
upon erthe; and for it is of so gret profite, thei knowe wel, that that
myghte not be, but that God lovethe it more than ony other thing. And for
that skylle, God hath zoven it more gret vertue in the world: therfore it
is gode resoun, as thei seyn, to don it worschipe and reverence. And so
seyn thei, that maken here resounes, of othere planetes; and of the fuyr
also, because it is so profitable. And of Ydoles, thei seyn also, that the
ox is the moste holy best, that is in erthe, and most pacyent and more
profitable than ony other. For he dothe good y now, and he dothe non
evylle. And thei knowen wel, that it may not be with outen specyalle grace
of God; and therfore maken thei here God, of an ox the on part, and the
other halfondelle of a man: because that man is the most noble creature in
erthe; and also for he hathe lordschipe aboven alle bestes: therfore make
thei the halfendel of ydole of a man upwardes, and the tother half of an ox
dounwardes: and of serpentes and of other bestes, and dyverse thinges, that
thei worschipen, that thei meten first at morwe. And thei worschipen also
specyally alle tho that thei han gode meetynge of; and whan thei speden wel
in here iorneye, aftre here meetynge; and namely suche as thei han preved
and assayed be experience of longe tyme. For thei seyn, that thilke gode
meetynge ne may not come, but of the grace of God. And therefore thei maken
ymages lyche to tho thinges, that thei han beleeve inne, for to beholden
hem and worschipen hem first at morwe, or thei meeten ony contrarious
thinges. And there ben also sum Cristene men, that seyn, that summe bestes
han gode meetynge, that is to seye, for to meete with hem first at morwe;
and summe bestes wykked metynge: and that thei han preved ofte tyme, that
the hare hathe fulle evylle meetynge, and swy, and many othere bestes. And
the sparhauk and other foules of raveyne, whan thei fleen aftre here praye,
and take it before men of armes, it is a gode signe: and zif he fayle of
takynge his praye, it is an evylle sygne. And also to suche folk, it is an
evylle meetynge of ravenes. In theise thinges and in suche othere, ther ben
many folk, that beleeven; because it happenethe so often tyme to falle,
aftre here fantasyes. And also ther ben men y nowe, that han no beleve in
hem. And sithe that Cristene men han suche beleeve, that ben enformed and
taughte alle day, be holy doctryne, where inne thei schold beleeve, it is
no marvaylle thanne, that the Paynemes, that han no gode doctryne, but only
of here nature, beleeven more largely, for here symplenesse. And treuly I
have seen of Paynemes and Sarazines, that men clepen Augurynes, that whan
wee ryden in armes in dyverse contrees, upon oure enemyes, be the flyenge
of foules, thei wolde telle us the prenosticaciouns of thinges that felle
aftre: and so thei diden fulle often tymes, and profreden here hedes to
wedde, but zif it wolde falle as thei seyden. But natheles ther fore
scholde noght a man putten his beleeve in suche thinges: but always han
fulle trust and beleeve in God oure Sovereyn Lord. This ile of Chana, the
Sarazines han wonnen and holden. In that ile ben many lyouns, and many
othere wylde bestes. And there ben rattes in that ile, als gret as houndes
here: and men taken hem with grete mastyfes: for cattes may not take hem.
In this ile and many othere, men berye not no dede men: for the hete is
there so gret, that in a lityle tyme the flesche wil consume fro the bones.
Fro thens, men gon be see toward Ynde the more, to a cytee that men clepen
Sarche, that is a fair cytee and a gode; and there duellen many Cristene
men of gode feythe: and ther ben manye religious men, and namely of
Mendynantes. Aftre gon men be see, to the lond of Lomb. In that lond
growethe the peper, in the forest that men clepen Combar; and it growethe
nowhere elle in alle the world, but in that forest: and that dureth wel an
18 iourneyes in lengthe. In the forest ben 2 gode cytees; that on highte
Fladrine, and that other Zinglantz. And in every of hem, duellen Cristene
men, and Jewes, gret plentee. For it is a gode contree and a plenteyous:
but there is over meche passynge hete. And zee schulle undirstonde, that
the peper growethe, in maner as dothe a wylde vyne, that is planted faste
by the trees of that wode, for to susteynen it by, as dothe the vyne. And
the fruyt thereof hangethe in manere as reysynges. And the tree is so
thikke charged, that it semethe that it wolde breke: and whan it is ripe,
it is all grene as it were ivy beryes; and than men kytten hem, as men don
the vynes, and than thei putten it upon an owven, and there it waxethe blak
and crisp. And there is 3 maner of peper, all upon o tree; long peper, blak
peper, and white peper. The long peper men clepen sorbotyn; and the blak
peper is clept fulfulle, and the white peper is clept bano. The long peper
comethe first, whanthe lef begynhethe to come; and it is lyche the chattes
of Haselle, that comethe before the lef, and it hangethe lowe. And aftre
comethe the blake with the lef, in manere of clustres of reysinges, alle
grene: and whan men han gadred it, than comethe the white, that is somdelle
lasse than the blake; and of that men bryngen but litille into this
contree; for thei bezonden with holden it for hem self, be cause it is
betere and more attempree in kynde, than the blake: and therfore is ther
not so gret plentee as of the blake. In that contree ben manye manere of
serpentes and of other vermyn, for the gret hete of the contree and of the
peper. And summe men seyn, that whan thei will gadre the peper, thei maken
fuyr, and brennen aboute, to make the serpentes and cokedrilles to flee.
But save here grace of alle that seyn so. For zif thei brenten abouten the
trees, that beren, the peper scholden ben brent, and it wolde dryen up alle
the vertue, as of ony other thing: and han thei diden hemself moche harm;
and thei scholde nevere quenchen the fuyr. But thus thei don; thei anoynten
here hondes and here feet with a juyce made of snayles and of othere
thinges, made therfore; of the whiche the serpentes and the venymous bestes
haten and dreden the savour: and that makethe hem flee before hem, because
of the smelle; and than thei gadren it seurly ynow.
Also toward the heed of that forest, is the cytee of Polombe. And above the
cytee is a grete mountayne, that also is clept Polombe: and of that mount,
the cytee hathe his name. And at the foot of that mount, is a fayr welle
and a gret, that hathe odour and savour of alle spices; and at every hour
of the day, he chaungethe his odour and his savour diversely. And whoso
drynkethe 3 tymes fasting of that watre of that welle, he is hool of of
alle maner sykenesse, that he hathe. And thei that duellen there and
drynken often of that welle, thei nevere han sekenesse, and thei semen alle
weys zonge. I have dronken there of 3 or 4 sithes; and zit, me thinkethe, I
fare the better. Sum men clepen it the Welle of Zouthe: for thei that often
drynken there of, semen alle weys zongly, and lyven with outen sykenesse.
And men seyn, that that welle comethe out of paradys; and therfore it is so
vertuous. Be alle that contree growethe gode gyngevere: and therfore thidre
gon the marchauntes for spicerye. In that lond men worschipen the ox, for
his symplenesse and for his mekenesse, and for the profite that comethe of
him. And thei seyn, that he is the holyest best in erthe. For hem semethe,
that whoso evere be meke and paycyent, he is holy and profitable: for
thanne thei seyn, he hathe alle vertues in him. Thei maken the ox to
laboure 6 zeer or 7, and than thei ete him. And the kyng of the contree
hathe alle wey an ox with him: and he that kepethe him, hathe every day
grete fees, and kepethe every day his dong and his uryne in 2 vesselles of
gold, and bryngen it before here prelate, that thei clepen
archiprotopapaton; and he berethe it before the kyng, and makethe there
over a gret blessynge; and than the kyng wetethe his hondes there, in that
thei clepen gaul, and anyntethe his front and his brest: and aftre he
frotethe him with the dong and with the uryne with gret reverence, for to
ben fulfilt of vertues of the ox, and made holy be the vertue of that holy
thing, that nought is worthe. And whan the kyng hathe don, thanne don the
lordes; and aftre hem here mynystres and other men, zif thei may have ony
remenant. In that contree thei maken ydoles, half man, half ox; and in tho
ydoles, eville spirites speken and zeven answere to men, of what is asked
hem. Before theise ydoles, men sleen here children many tymes, and spryngen
the blood upon the ydoles; and so thei maken here sacrifise. And whan ony
man dyethe in the contree, thei brennen his body in name of penance, to
that entent, that he suffre no peyne in erthe, to ben eten of wormes. And
zif his wif have no child, thei brenne hire with him; and seyn, that it is
resoun, that sche make him companye in that other world, as sche did in
this. But and sche have children with him, thei leten hire lyve with hem,
to brynge hem up, zif sche wole. And zif that sche love more to lyve with
here children, than for to dye with hire husbonde, men holden hire for fals
and cursed; ne schee schalle never ben loved ne trusted of the peple. And
zif the womman dye before the husbonde, men brennen him with hire, zif that
he wole; and zif he wil not, no man constreynethe him thereto; but he may
wedde another tyme with outen blame and repreef. In that contree growen
manye stronge vynes: and the wommen drynken wyn, and men not: and the
wommen schaven hire berdes, and the men not.
Of the Domes made be seynt Thomas. Of Devocyoun and Sacrifice made to
Ydoles there, in the Cytee of Calamye; and of the processioun in goynge
aboute the Cytee.
[Sidenote: Cap. XVI.] From that contree men passen be many marches, toward
a contree, a 10 iourneyes thens, that is clept Mabaron: and it is a gret
kyngdom, and it hathe many faire cytees and townes. In that kyngdom lithe
the body of Seynt Thomas the apostle, in flesche and bon, in a faire tombe,
in the cytee of Calamyee: for there he was martyred and buryed. But men of
Assirie beeren his bodye in to mesopatayme, in to the cytee of Edisse: and
aftre, he was broughte thidre azen. And the arm and the hoond, (that he
putte in oure Lordes syde, whan he appered to him, aftre his resurrexioun,
and seyde to him, _Noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis_) is zit lyggynge in a
vesselle with outen the tombe. And be that hond thei maken alle here
juggementes, in the contree, whoso hathe righte or wrong. For whan ther is
ony dissentioun betwene 2 partyes, and every of hem meyntenethe his cause,
and seyth, that his cause is rightfulle, and that other seythe the
contrarye, thanne bothe partyes writen here causes in 2 billes, and putten
hem in the hond of seynt Thomas; and anon he castethe awey the bille of the
wrong cause, and holdethe stille the bille with the righte cause. And
therfore men comen from fer contrees to have juggement of doutable causes:
and other juggement usen thei non there. Also the chirche, where seynt
Thomas lythe, is bothe gret and fair, and alle fulle of grete simulacres:
and tho ben grete ymages, that thei clepen here goddes; of the whiche, the
leste is als gret as 2 men. And among theise othere, there is a gret ymage,
more than ony of the othere, that is alle covered with fyn gold and
precyous stones and riche perles: and that ydole is the god of false
Cristene, that han reneyed hire feythe. And it syttethe in a chayere of
gold, fulle nobely arrayed; and he hathe aboute his necke large gyrdles,
wroughte of gold and precyous stones and perles. And this chirche is fulle
richely wroughte, and alle over gylt with inne. And to that ydole gon men
on pylgrimage, als comounly and with als gret devocioun, as Cristene men
gon to seynt James, or other holy pilgrimages. And many folk that comen fro
fer londes, to seche that ydole, for the gret devocyoun that thei han, thei
loken nevere upward, but evere more down to the erthe, for drede to see ony
thing aboute hem, that scholde lette hem of here devocyoun. And summe ther
ben, that gon on pilgrimage to this ydole, that beren knyfes in hire
hondes, that ben made fulle kene and scharpe; and alle weyes, as thei gon,
thei smyten hem self in here armes and in here legges and in here thyes,
with many hydouse woundes; and so thei scheden here blood, for love of that
ydole. And thei seyn that he is blessed and holy, that dyethe so for love
of his God. And othere there ben, that leden hire children, for to sle, to
make sacrifise to that ydole; and aftre thei han slayn hem, thei spryngen
the blood upon the ydole. And summe ther ben, that comme fro ferr, and in
goynge toward this ydole, at every thrydde pas, that thei gon fro here
hows, thei knelen; and so contynuen tille thei come thidre: and whan thei
comen there, thei taken ensense and other aromatyk thinges of noble smelle,
and sensen the ydole, as we wolde don here Goddes precyouse body. And so
comen folk to worschipe this ydole, sum fro an hundred myle, and summe fro
many mo. And before the mynstre of this ydole, is a vyvere, in rmaner of a
gret lake, fulle of watre: and there in pilgrymes casten gold and sylver,
perles and precyous stones, with outen nombre, in stede of offrynges. And
whan the mynystres of that chirche neden to maken ony reparacyoun of the
chirche or of ony of the ydoles, thei taken gold and silver, perles and
precyous stones out of the vyvere, to quyten the costages of suche thing as
thei maken or reparen; so that no thing is fawty, but anon it schalle ben
amended. And zee schulle undirstonde, that whan grete festes and
solempnytees of that ydole, as the dedicacioun of the chirche, and the
thronynge of the ydole bethe, alle the contree aboute meten there to
gidere; and thei setten this ydole upon a chare with gret reverence, wel
arrayed with clothes of gold, of riche clothes of Tartarye, of Camacca, and
other precyous clothes; and thei leden him aboute the cytee with gret
solempnytee. And before the chare, gon first in processioun alle the
maydenes of the contree, 2 and 2 to gidere, fulle ordynatly. And aftre tho
maydenes, gon the pilgrymes. And summe of hem falle doun undre the wheles
of the chare, and lat the chare gon over hem; so that thei ben dede anon.
And summe han here armes or here lymes alle to broken, and summe the sydes:
and alle this don thei for love of hire god, in gret devocioun. And he
thinkethe, that the more peyne and the more tribulacioun, that thei suffren
for love of here god, the more ioye thei schulle have in another world. And
schortly to seye zou; thei suffren so grete peynes and so harde
martyrdomes, for love of here ydole, that a Cristene man, I trowe, durst
not taken upon him the tenthe part of the peyne, for love of oure Lord
Jhesu Crist. And aftre, I seye zou, before the chare, gon alle the
mynstrelles of the contrey, with outen nombre, with dyverse instrumentes;
and thei maken alle the melodye, that thei cone. And whan thei han gon alle
aboute the cytee, thanne thei retournen azen to the mynstre, and putten the
ydole azen in to his place. And thanne, for the love and in worschipe of
that ydole, and for the reverence of the feste, thei slen himself, a 200 or
300 persones, with scharpe knyfes, of the whiche thei bryngen the bodyes
before the ydole; and than thei seyn, that tho ben seyntes, because that
thei slowen hemself of here owne gode wille, for love of here ydole. And as
men here, that hadde an holy seynt of his kyn, wolde thinke, that it were
to hem an highe worschipe, right so hem thinkethe there. And as men here
devoutly wolde writen holy seyntes lyfes and here myracles, and sewen for
here canonizaciouns, righte so don thei there, for hem that sleen hem self
wilfully, for love of here ydole; and seyn, that thei ben gloriouse
martyres and seyntes, and putten hem in here wrytynges and letanyes, and
avaunten hem gretly on to another of here holy kynnesmen; that so becomen
seyntes; and seyn, I have mo holy seyntes in my kynrede, than thou in thin.
And the custome also there is this, that whan thei that han such devocioun
and entent, for to sle him self, for love of his god, thei senden for alle
here frendes, and han gret plentee of mynstrelle, and thei gon before the
ydole ledynge him, that wil sle himself for such devocioun, betwene hem
with gret reverence. And he alle naked hath a ful scharp knyf in his hond,
and he cuttethe a gret pece of his flesche and castethe it in the face of
his ydole, seyenge his orysounes, recommendynge him to his god: and than he
smytethe himself, and makethe grete woundes and depe here and there, tille
he falle doun ded. And than his frendes presenten his body to the ydole:
and than thei seyn, syngynge, Holy God, behold what thi trewe servant hath
don for the; he hathe forsaken his wif and his children and his ricchesse
and alle the godes of the worlde and his owne lyf, for the love of the, and
to make the sacrifise of his flesche and of his blode. Wherfore, Holy God,
putte him among thi beste belovede seyntes in thi blisse of paradys: for he
hathe well disserved it. And than thei maken a gret fuyr, and brennen the
body: and thanne everyche of his frendes taken a quantyte of the assches,
and kepen hem in stede of relykes, and seyn, that it is a holy thing. And
thei have no drede of no perile, whils thei han tho holy assches upon hem.
And thei putten his name in here letanyes, as a seynt.
Of the evylle Customs used in the Yle of Lamary: and how the Erthe and the
See ben of round Forme and schapp, be pref of the Sterre, that is clept
Antartyk, that is fix in the Southe.