et si respondit non, addit et dicere medicinam qua curabitur: si autem
responderit moriturum, statim conuocatis amicis occiditur, et cum
symphonia, et solemnitate comedunt eius carnes, ossa tantummodò
sepelientes. In Insulis verò circumiacentibus, habentur incredibilitèr
diuersæ gentes. Nam vna habet homines enormis magnitudinis, cum solo in
medio frontis oculo, qui absque vllo condimento manducant carnes et pisces.
Alia Insula habet homines aspectu deformes, nihil autem colli aut capitis
ostendentes, vnde et Acephali nuncupantur: oculos autem habent ante ad
scapulas, et in loco pectoris os apertum ad formam ferri, quo nostri
caballi frænantur.
In alia Insula sunt gentes planis faciebus absque eleuatione nasorum, et
palpebratum cum paruis foraminibus oculorum, et scissura modica oris. Et in
alia gentes cum superiore oris labio ita lato et amplo, vt, dum velint,
totam faciem de illo tegant.
Alia generat homines paruæ saturæ cum oris foramine sic paruo, vt per
fistulas alimentum, et potum sumant, et quoniam carent lingua et dentibus,
monstrant per naturalia signa conceptus. Et aliqui sunt homines debitæ
quidem staturæ, et formæ, nisi quòd habent pedes equínos, quibus ita sunt
præpetes, vt syluestres bestias capiant, quas comedunt, et manducant.
In alia homines sunt toti pilosi et hispidi, vsu simiarum manibus et
pedibus ambulantes, et ad arbores reptantes, qui quamuis non loquuntur,
apparent rationabiles, qui regem habent, et rectores.
Et in alia omnes sunt claudi, qui quamuis pedes habeant, tamen ambulant
super genua multum ridiculosè, imò miserabiliter, vt de passu in passum
videantur casuri in terrem. Et in quadam, sexum tam masculinum, quàm
foeminieum habentes, qui dum masculino vtuntur generant, dum foeminino,
impregnantur et pariunt. Atque, in compendio multa concludam, in singulis
54. insularum inueniuntur homines, forma, statura, actibus et moribus
singulis ab inuicem differentes, de quibus potest fieri descriptio, quam
pertranseo gratia breuitatis, et causa incredulitatis fortè quorundum
audientium.
In istis autem meridionalibus partibus apparebat mihi eleuatio poli
Antarctici 33. graduum, cum 16. minutis. Et sciendum quod in Bohemia,
similitèr in Anglia eleuatur polus Arcticus 52. gradibus vel citra: Et in
partibus magis septentrionalibus, vbi sunt Scoti 62. gradibus cum quatuor
minutis. Ex quo patet respiciendo ad latitudinem coeli, quæ est de polo ad
polum, quod itineratio mea fuit per quartum Horizontis spheræ terræ et
vltra, per quinque gradus, cum 20. minutis. Cum ergò secundum Astrologos,
totus terræ circuitus sit 31500. milliarium, octo stadijs pro milliario
computatis, et septinginta stadia respondeant ad vnum gradum, quod patet ad
latitudinem terræ, perambulaui 66733. stadia cum vno tertio, quæ faciunt
4170. leucas Geometricas cum dimidia vel propè.
CAPVT. 32.
De bona Regione Man chus. [Footnote: Mangi.]
Cum igitur tot et talsa in istis Insulis vidimus monstra (quæ si explicarem
scribendo vix à legentibus omnia crederentur) non curauimus vlterius
procedere sub polo australi, ne in maiora pericula incideremus: sed proptèr
auditam et inuisam nobis famositatem potentiæ, nobilitatis, et gloriæ
Imperatoris Tartarorum, vertebam faciem cum socijs nauigare magis versus
Orientem. Cumque per multas diætas sustinuissemus multa pericula maris,
peruenimus in Regnum Manchus, [Marginal Note: Vel Mangi.] quod est in
confinibus superioris Indiæ, et iungitur ab vna parte Tartariæ. Hæc Regio
Manchus, pro sui quantitate reputatur melior, delectabilior, et omnium
bonorum abundantior de cunctis ibi propè Regionibus. Nam et homines bestiæ,
et volucres maiores et corpulentiores sunt alijs, et præ vbertate vix
inuenirentur in vna ciuitate decem mendici. Formosi sunt viri, sed feminæ
formosiores. Sed viri loco barbæ, habent perpaucos pilos, rigidos, et
longos ab vtraque oris parte, quemadmodum nostros videmus cattos habere.
Prima quam ingrediebaumer ciuitàs est Lachori, [Marginal Note: Siue
Lateryn.] distans vna dieta à mari, et mirabamur, et gauisi sumus nos
inuenisse integram ciuitatem Christianæ fidei. Nam et maior pars Regni
credit in Christum.
Ibi habetur in leui precio copia rerum omnium, et præcipuè victualium: vnum
genus est ibi serpentum in abundantia quod manducant ad omne conuiuium, et
nisi pro finali ferculo ministraretur de illis serpentibus, conuiuium quàm
modicum diceretur.
Suntque per hoc regnum pleræque ciuitates et Ecclesiæ, et relligiones, quas
instituit dux Ogerus, quia hoc est vnum de quindecim regnis quæ quæsiuit,
sicut infra dicetur.
Illic sunt elegantes albæ gallinæ, quæ non vestiuntur plumis vt nostraæ,
sed optima lana. Canes aquatici, quos nos lutras nominamus, sunt ibi multi
edomiti, quòd quoties mittuntur in flumen, exportant domino piscem.
Ab hoc loco per aliquas diætas, venitur ad huius regionis maximam vrbem
Cansay, hoc est dicere ciuitatem coeli, imo de vniuerso orbe terrarum
putatur hæc maxima Ciuitatum; nam eius circuitus 50. leucis est mensus, nec
est facile dicere, quàm, compressè a quamplurimis populis inhabitatur. Hæc
sedet in lacu maris, quemadmodum, et Venetiæ: et habentur in ea plures quàm
mille ducenti pontes, et in quolibet turres miræ magnitudinis, ac
fortitudinis, munitæ peruigíli custodia, et pro vrbe tuenda contra
Imperatorem Grand Can.
Multi sunt ibi Christiani, et multæ Religiones Christianorum, sed et de
ordinibus Minorum, et prædicatorum, qui tamen ibi non mendicant; est magna
pluralitas ex diuersis nationibus Mercatorum. Per Regionem nascitur vinum
valdè bonum, quod appellatur Bigon. Et ad leucam extra ciuitatem, Abbatia
magna est, non de religione Christiana sed Pagana: et in ea forrestum, siue
hortus magnus vndíque circumclusus, consitus arboribus, et arbustis, in
cuius etiam medio mons, altus simul et latus, habens hortum vbi solum
inhabitant bestiolæ mirabiles, sicut Simiæ, marmotæ, Lanbon, papiones,
foreti et huiusmodi ad varia et multa genera, et ad numerum infinitum.
Omni autem die post refectionem conuentus Abbatiæ, qui est valdè
monachosus, deferuntur reliquiæ ciborum cum magno additamento, in vasis
auro lucentibus ad hunc hortum: et ad sonitum campanæ argenteæ, quam
Eleemosynarius manu gestat descendentes, et occurrentes de bestiolis duo
millia aut plures sese componunt residere ad circulum more pauperum
mendicorum, et traditur singulis per seruos aliquid de his cibarijs, ac
denuò audita campana segregando recurrunt: Cumque nos tanquam redarguentes,
diceremus, cur hæc non darentur egenis, responderunt, illic pauperes non
habentur, quod si inuenirentur, potius tamen dari deberent bestiolis. Habet
enim eorum perfidia, et Paganissimus, animas nobilium hominum post mortem
ingredi corpora nobilium bestiarum, et animas ignobilium corpora bestiarum
ignobilium et vilium, ad luenda videlicet crimina, donec peracta
poenitentia transeant in Paradisum: ideoque nutriunt, prout dicunt, has
nobiliores bestias, siue bestiolas, quòd a quibusdam nobilibus fundabatur
in principio hæc Abbatia. Multa sunt alia mira in hac ciuitate, de quibus
sciatis, quod non omnia vobis recitabo.
CAPVT. 33.
De Pygmæis, et de itinere vsque in prouinciam Cathay.
Eundo per Regionem eandem à dicta ciuitate Cansay, ad sex dietas venitur ad
nobilem vrbem Tylenso, [Marginal Note: Vel Chezolo.] cuius muri per
circuitum tendunt ad spacium 20. leucarum: [Marginal Note: Vel Miliarium.]
et sunt 60. petrini pontes, quibus nullos memini pulchriores.
In ista fuit prima sedes regni Mangi, nec immeritò, cum sit munita,
delectabilis, et abundans omnibus bonis, ac deinde in predicta Cansay, nunc
autem tenetur in quadam alia ciuitate.
Nota, quilibet ignis soluit quolibet anno vnum balis pro tributo, quod
valet vnum florenum cum dimidio, sed omnes famuli de domo vna pro vno igne
computantur: summa ignium tributalium, octies centum millia. Reliqui verò
Christiani mercatores, in isto vico non computantur. Copia est ibi
victualium.
Quatuor fratres minores vnum potentem conuertebant apud quem hospitabar, et
qui duxit me ad Abbatiam istam, ibi vidi scilicet quod hic narratur.
Ad fines itaque regni Mangi transitur grandis fluuius de Dylay, [Marginal
note: Vel de Delay.] maius flumen mundi, vbi strictius est continet septem
miliaria Odericus: cuius alueus in loco districtiori continet quatuor
leucas. Et ex hoc in breui temporis spacio intratur Imperium Tartarorum,
sequendo fluuium vsque in terram Pygmeorum, per cuius medium transit.
Hij Pygmei sunt homines statura breues ad longitudinem nostri brachij, seu
trium manuum expansarum. Tam mares quam feminæ formosæ et gratiosæ, et
viuunt communiter ad annos sex vel septem: si qui pertingunt ad octo, mire
putantur senectutis. Ad dimidiam anni ætatem nubere possunt, in secundo
anno parturiunt: rationalis sunt, et sensati iuxta ætatem pusillam, ac
satis ingeniosi ad opera de serico, et de lana arboris. Frequentèr
præliantur contra aues grandes patriæ, exercitibus congregatis hinc inde,
et fit strages vtrimque. Hæc gens tam parua optimè operatur sericum et
bombycem. Isti Pygmei venerunt mihi obuiam chorizando. Non laborant terram,
prædia, seu vineas, sed morantur inter eos nostræ quantitatis homines, qui
eos incolunt, sicut serui, quos et Pygmæi sæpè derident, quia sunt ipsis
maiores: et quod ipse non cesso mirari dum dicti homines in illa terra
generant vel pariunt, non crescit proles supra Pygmæi staturam: Insula non
est protensa, sed fortè 12. ciuitatum. Quarum vna est grandis, et bene
munita, et quam Grand Can facit cum fortibus armaturis curiosè seruari,
contra regem Mangi.
Hinc proceditur per Imperium Grand Can, ad multas ciuitates, et villas
morum mirabiliter diuersorum, vsque in regnum Iamchan, quod est vnum de 12.
prouincijs maximis, quibus distinguitur totum Imperium Tartarorum.
Nobilior ciuitas huius Regni seu Prouinciæ dicitur Iamchan, abundans
mercimonijs, et diuitijs infinitis, et multa præstans proprio Regi tributa,
quoniam sicut illi de ciuitate fatentur, valet annuè regi quinquaginta
milia cuman florenorum auri.
Nota. In Iamchan ciuitate est conuentus fratrum minorum: in hac sunt tres
Ecclesiæ Monasteriorum: reditus simul ascendit ad 12. cuman. Odericus
dixit, Vnus cuman est decem millium. Summa tributi annui, quinquaginta
milia millium Florenorum. In illis namque partibus magnus numerorum summas
estimant per cuman, numerum 10. millium qui et in Flamingo dicitur laste.
Ad quinque leucas ab hac ciuitate est alia dicta Meke, in qua fiunt de
quodam albissimi genere ligni naues maxtimæ cum aulis et thalamis, ac
multis ædificijs, tanquam Palatium tellure fundatum.
Inde per idem regnum ad viam octo dietarum per aquam dulcem, multas per
ciuitates, et bonas villas, venimus Laucherim, [Marginal note: Siue
Lanterin.] (Odericus appellat Leuyim,) vrbem formosam opumque magnarum,
sitam super flumen magnum Cacameran. [Marginal note: Vel Caremoron.] Hoc
flumen transit per medium Cathay, cui aqua infert damnum, quando nimis
inundat, sicut palus in Ferraria, Mogus in Herbipoli: et illud sequentes
intrauimus principalem prouinciam Imperij Tartariæ, dictam Cathay Calay: et
ista prouincia est multum distenta, ac plena ciuitatibus, et oppidis bonis,
et magnis omnibusque referta mercimonijs, maximè sericosis operibus, et
aromaticis speciebus.
Nauigando per dictum flumen versus Orientem, et itinerando per hanc Cathay
prouinciam ad multas dietas per plurimas vrbes et villas, venitur in
ciuitatem Sugarmago, [Marginal note: Engarmago.] abundantiorem omnibus in
mercemoniis antedictis, quando sericum est hic vilissimum: quadragintæ
libræ habentur ibi pro decem florenis.
Ab hac ciuitate, multis ciuitatibtus peregratis versus Orientem, veni ad
ciuitatem Cambalu, quæ est antiqua in prouincia Cathay: Hanc postquam
Tartari ceperunt, ad dimidium miliare fecerunt vnam ciuitatem nomine Caydo,
et habet duodecim portas, et à porta in portam duo sunt grossa miliaria
Lombardica, spacium inter medium istarum ciuitatum habitatoribus plenum
est, et circuitus cuiuslibet istarum ambit 60. miliaria Lombardica, quæ
faciunt octo Teutonica.
In hac ciuitate Cambalu residet Imperator Magnus Can, Rex Regum
terrestrium, et Dominus Dominorum terrestrium. Atque indè vlterius in
Orientem intratur vetus vrbs Caydo, vbi communiter tenet suam sedem
Imperialem Grand Can in suo palatio. Ambitus autem vrbis Caydo, est viginti
ferè leucarum, duodecim habens portas à se distantes ampliùs quàm stadia
24.
The English Version.
From that contree, men gon be the see occean, be an yle that is clept
Caffolos. Men of that contree, whan here frendes ben seke, thei hangen hem
upon trees; and seyn, that it is bettre, that briddes, that ben angeles of
God, eten hem, than the foule wormes of the erthe.
From that yle men gon to another yle, where the folk ben of fulle cursed
kynde: for thei norysschen grete dogges, and techen hem to strangle here
frendes, whan thei ben syke: for thei wil noughte, that thei dyen of
kyndely dethe: for thei seyn, that thei scholde suffren to gret peyne, zif
thei abyden to dyen be hem self, as nature wolde: and whan thei ben thus
enstrangled, thei eten here flesche, in stede of venysoun.
Aftreward men gon be many yles be see, unto an yle, that men clepen Milke:
and there is a fulle cursed peple: for thei delyten in ne thing more, than
for to fighten and to sle men. And thei drynken gladlyest mannes blood, the
whiche thei clepen dieu. And the mo men that a man may slee, the more
worschipe he hathe amonges hem. And zif 2 persones ben at debate, and
peraventure ben accorded be here frendes or be sumn of here alliance, it
behovethe that every of hem, that schulle ben accorded, drynke of otheres
blood: and elle the accord ne the alliance is noghte worthe, ne it schalle
not be ne repref to him to breke the alliance and the accord, but zif every
of hem drynke of otheres blood.
And from that yle, men gon be see, from yle to yle, unto an yle, that is
clept Tracoda; where the folk of that contree ben as bestes and
unresonable, and duellen in caves, that thei maken in the erthe; for thei
have no wytt to maken hem houses. And whan thei seen ony man passynge
thorghe here contrees, thei hyden hem in here caves. And thei eten flesche
of serpentes; and thei eten but litille, and thei speken nought; but thei
hissen, as serpentes don. And thei sette no prys be no richesse, but only
of a precyous ston, that is amonges hem, that is of 60 coloures. And for
the name of the yle, thei clepen it Tracodon. And thei loven more that
ston, than ony thing elle: and zit thei knowe not the vertue thereof: but
thei coveyten it and loven it only for the beautee.
Aftre that yle, men gon be the see occean, be many yles, unto an yle, that
is clept Nacumera; that is a gret yle and good and fayr: and it is in
kompas aboute, more than a 1000 myle. And alle the men and wommen of that
yle han houndes hedes: and thei ben clept Cynocephali: and thei ben fulle
resonable and of gode undirstondynge, saf that thei worschipen an ox for
here god. And also everyche of hem berethe an ox of gold or of sylver in
his forhed, in tokene that thei loven wel here god. And thei gon alle
naked, saf a litylle clout, that thei coveren with here knees and hire
membres. Thei ben grete folk and wel fyghtynge; and thei han a gret targe,
that coverethe alle the body, and a spere in here hond to fighte with. And
zif thei taken ony man in bataylle, anon thei eten him. The kyng of that
yle is fulle riche and fulle myghty, and righte devout aftre his lawe: and
he hathe abouten his nekke 360 perles oryent, gode and grete, and knotted,
as Pater Nostres here of amber. And in maner as wee seyn oure Pater Noster
and oure Ave Maria, cowntyng the Pater Nosters, right so this kyng seythe
every day devoutly 300 preyeres to his god, or that he ete: and he berethe
also aboute his nekke a rubye oryent, noble and fyn, that is a fote of
lengthe, and fyve fyngres large. And whan thei chesen here kyng, thei taken
him that rubye, to beren in his hond, and so thei leden him rydynge alle
abouten the cytee. And fro thens fromward, thei ben alle obeyssant to him.
And that rubye he schalle bere alle wey aboute his nekke: for zif he hadde
not that rubye upon him, men wolde not holden him for kyng. The grete Cane
of Cathay hathe gretly coveted that rubye; but he myghte never han it, for
werre ne for no maner of godes. This kyng is so rightfulle and of equytee
in his doomes, that men may go sykerlyche thorghe out alle his contree, and
bere with him what him list, that no man schalle ben hardy to robben hem:
and zif he were, the kyng wolde iustifyed anon.
Fro this lond men gon to another yle, that is clept Silha: and it is welle
a 800 myles aboute. In that lond is fulle mochelle waste; for it is fulle
of serpentes, of dragouns and of cokadrilles; that no man dar duelle there.
Theise cocodrilles ben serpentes, zalowe and rayed aboven, and han 4 feet
and schorte thyes and grete nayles, as clees or talouns; and there ben
somme that han 5 fadme in lengthe, and summe of 6 and of 8, and of 10: and
whan thei gon be places, that ben gravelly, it semethe as thoughe men hadde
drawen a gret tree thorghe the gravelly place. And there ben also many
wylde bestes, and namelyche of olyfauntes. In that yle is a gret mountayne;
and in mydd place of the mount, is a gret lake in a fulle faire pleyne, and
there is a gret plentee of watre. And thei of the contree seyn, that Adam
and Eve wepten upon that mount an 100 zeer, whan thei weren dryven out of
Paradys. And that watre, thei seyn, is of here teres: for so moche watre
thei wepten, that made the forseyde lake. And in the botme of that lake,
men fynden many precious stones and grete perles. In that lake growen many
reedes and grete cannes; and there with inne ben many cocodrilles and
serpentes and grete watre leches. And the kyng of that contree, ones every
zeer, zevethe leve to pore men to gon in to the lake, to gadre hem precyous
stones and perles, be weye of alemesse, for the love of God, that made
Adam. And alle the zeer, men fynde y nowe. And for the vermyn, that is with
inne, thei anoynte here armes and here thyes and legges with an oynement,
made of a thing that is clept lymons, that is a manere of fruyt, lyche
smale pesen: and thanne have thei no drede of no cocodrilles, ne of non
other venymous vermyn. This watre rennethe, flowynge and ebbynge, be a syde
of the mountayne: and in that ryver men fynden precious stones and perles,
gret plentee. And men of that yle seyn comounly, that the serpentes and the
wilde bestes of that contree ne will not don non harm, ne touchen with
evylle, no strange man, that entrethe into that contree, but only to men
that ben born of the same contree. In that contree and othere there
abouten, there ben wylde gees, that han 2 hedes: and there ben lyouns alle
white, and als grete as oxen, and many other dyverse bestes, and foules
also, that be not seyn amonges us. And witethe wel, that in that contree
and in othere yles there abouten, the see is to highe, that it semethe as
though it henge at the clowdes, and that it wolde covere alle the world:
and that is gret mervaylle, that it myghte be so, saf only the wille of
God, that the eyr susteynethe it. And therfore seyth David in the Psautere,
_Mirabiles elationes Maris_.
How men knowen be the Ydole, zif the sike schalle dye or non. Of folk of
dyverse schap and merveylously disfigured: And of the Monkes, that zeven
hire releef to Babewynes, Apes and Marmesettes and to other Bestes.
[Sidenote: Cap. XIX.] From that yle, in goynge be see, toward the southe,
is another gret yle, that is clept Dondun. In that yle ben folk of dyverse
kyndes; so that the fadre etethe the sone, the sone the fadre, the husbonde
the wif, and the wif the husbonde. And zif it so befall, that the fadre or
modre or ony of here frendes ben seke, anon the son gothe to the prest of
here law, and preyethe him to aske the ydole, zif his fadre or modre or
frend schalle dye on that evylle or non. And than the prest and the sone
gone to gydere before the ydole, and knelen fulle devoutly, and asken of
the ydole here demande. And zif the devylle, that is with inne, answere,
that he schalle lyve, thei kepen him wel: and zif he seye, that he schalle
dye, then the prest gothe with the sonne, with the wif of him that is
seeke, and thei putten here hondes upon his mouthe, and stoppon his brethe,
and so thei sleen him. And aftre that, thei choppen alle the body in smale
peces, and preyen alle his frendes to comen and eten of him, that is ded:
and thei senden for alle the mynstralle of the contree, and maken a
solempne feste. And whan thei han eten the flessche, thei taken the bones,
and buryen hem, and syngen and maken gret melodye. And alle tho that ben of
his kyn, or pretenden hem to ben his frendes, and thei come not to that
feste, thei ben repreved for evere and schamed, and maken gret doel; for
nevere aftre schulle thei ben holden as frendes. And thei seyn also, that
men eten here flesche, for to delyveren hem out of peyne. For zif the
wormes of the erthe eten hem, the soule scholde suffre gret peyne, as thei
seyn; and namely, whan the flesche is tendre and megre, thanne seyn here
frendes, that thei don gret synne, to leten hem have so long langure, to
suffre so moche peyne, with oute resoun. And whan thei fynde the flessche
fatte, than thei seyn, that it is wel don, to senden him sone to paradys;
and that thei have not suffred him to longe, to endure in peyne. The kyng
of this yle is a ful gret lord and a myghty; and hathe undre him 54 grete
yles, that zeven tribute to him: and in everyche of theise yles, is a kyng
crowned, and alle ben obeyssant to that kyng. And he hathe in tho yles many
diverse folk. In one of theise yles ben folk of gret stature, as Geauntes;
and thei ben hidouse for to loke upon; and thei han but on eye, and that is
in the myddylle of the front; and thei eten no thing but raw flessche and
raw fyssche.
And in another yle, toward the southe, duellen folk of foule suture and of
cursed kynde, that han no hedes: and here eyen ben in here scholdres.
And in another yle ben folk, that han the face all platt, alle pleyn, with
outen nese and with outen mouthe: but thei han 2 smale holes alle round, in
stede of hire eyen: and hire mouthe is plait also, with outen lippes.
And in another yle ben folk of foul fasceon and schapp, that han the lippe
above the mouthe so gret, that whan thei slepen in the sonne, thei keveren
alle the face with that lippe.
And in another yle, ther ben litylle folk, as dwerghes; and thei ben to so
meche as the pygmeyes, and thei han no mouthe, but in stede of hire mouthe,
thei han a lytylle round hole: and whan thei schulle eten or drynken, thei
taken thorghe a pipe or a penne or suche a thing, and sowken it in: for
thei han no tonge; and therfore thei speke not, but thei maken a maner of
hissynge, as a neddre doth, and thei maken signes on to another, as monkes
don; be the whiche, every of hem undirstondethe other.
And in another yle ben folk, that han gret eres and longe, that hangen doun
to here knees.
And in another yle ben folk, that han hors feet; and thei ben stronge and
myghty and swift renneres; for thei taken wyld bestes with rennyng, and
eten hem.
And in another yle ben folk, that gon upon hire hondes and hire feet, as
bestes: and thei ben alle skynned and fedred, and thei wolde lepen als
lightly in to trees, and fro tree to tree, as it were squyrelles or apes.
And in another yle ben folk that ben bothe man and womman: and thei han
kynde of that on and of that other; and thei han but o pappe on the o syde,
and on that other non: and thei han membres of generacioun of man and
womman; and thei usen bothe, whan hem list, ones that on, and another tyme
that other: and thei geten children, whan thei usen the membre of man; and
thei bere children, whan thei usen the membre of womman.
And in another yle ben folk, that gon alle weyes upon here knees, ful
merveylously; and at every pas that thei gon, it semethe that thei wolde
falle: and thei han in every foot, 8 toes.
Many other dyverse folk of dyverse nature ben there in other yles abouten,
of the whiche it were to longe to telle: and therfore I passe over
schortly.