De magnificentia Imperatoris Indiæ et preciositate Palatij.
[Sidenote: Seu Pentoxoria Ciuitas Nyse] Cum in præcedentibus Imperator
Indiæ dictus sit magnus, restat de illius magnificentia aliquid poni hoc
loco: cuius vtique gloria, nobilitas, et potestas, dici non habetur minor,
est tamen in aliquibus satis maior, quia omne æquale non est idem cum illo
cui æquatur: itáque à finibus regni Bachariæ supradicti vbi contiguatur
Imperio Indiæ, eundo per multas diætas intratur in Pentoxyriæ quod est
magnæ latitudinis, et abundantiæ in multis bonis: huius nominatior ciuitas,
dicitur Nyse, et in ea habet Imperator palatium Imperiale, in quo residet
dum sibi placet. Imperator iste semper vocitatus est Præsbyter Ioannes,
cuius nominis causam audieram quandoque non veram: sed in illis partibus
accepi rationem indubitatam, quam breuiter hîc enarro. [Sidenote: Narratio
de rebus gestis Ogeri Ducis Daniæ.] Circa annum ab incarnatione Domini
octingentessimum, dux Ogerus de Danemarchia, cum quindecim cognationis suæ
baronibus, et armatis viginti milibus transiuit mare Greciæ, et fauente
sibi Deo conquisiuit Christianitati per multa prælia pené omnes terras,
regiones, et insulas, quas esse de potestate Grand Can prædixi, nec non et
omnes, quæ sunt de potestate Imperij huius Imperatoris Indiæ. Eratque inter
Barones vnus denominatus Ioannes filius Goudebucf, regis Frisonum: qui
dictus Ioannes Deo deuotus fuit, et dum licuit Ecclesiarum limina iniuit,
vnde et barones ei dabant quasi per iocum Præsbyter Ioannes vocabulum.
[Sidenote: Vndè Presbyter Ioannis sit dictus. 4000. Insulæ.] Dum ergo
Ogerus dictas regiones expugnatas diuideret in hijs quindecim suis
cognatis, et quemlibet eorum in suo loco constitueret regem, quatenus
Christiana religio in illa orbis superficie semper stabilis permaneret,
tradidit isti Præsbytero Ioanni superiorem Indiam, cum 4000. insulis,
regionibus, et ipsum præfecit Imperatorem super reliquos cognatos, vt ei
certa tributa impenderent, et in omnibus obedirent, átque ex tunc omnes
successores Indiæ sunt vocati Præsbyter Ioannes et vsque in hodiernum
tempus boni manserunt Christiani, et religionis æmulatores. Interim cum
causa matrimoniorum aut procurationis filiorum dispersa est primi Imperij
integritas, et multæ de insulis conuersæ vel potius peruersæ retrocesserunt
ad vetustum squalorem paganismi primi. Nota. Recedens à Cambalu versus
orientem post 50. dietas ad terram Præsbyteri Ioannes, principalis ciuitas
terræ vocatur Cosan, satis parua sicut Vincentia: habet etiam sub se multas
alias ciuitates. Ex pacto semper habet in vxorem vnam de filiabus Grand
Can.
Per multas peruenitur ad prouinciam Casan, quæ est secunda melior de mundo,
vbi subtilior est, habet dietas 50. longior, 60. et est vna de duodecim
partibus Imperij Grand Can. Odericus. Vide infra capitulo 49. de Cassan, et
de Epulone. Deinde venitur in Thebeth prouinciam, quæ India est confinis.
Itaque Rex et Imperator iste tenet spatiosissimum Imperium plenum valdè
multis Regionibus et Insulis amplis, diuisum inter quatuor flumina magna de
Paradiso terrestri descendentia, Pyson, Gyon, Tygrim, et Euphratem. Nam
vltra fines orientales eius Imperij, et terrestram Paradisum, nullus
hominum habitat vel domitatur.
Præterea imperat multis alijs regionibus et insulis quæ distinguntur per
brachia maris Oceani, et in quibus singulis continetur grandis numerositas
ciuitatum ac villarum, et multitudo innumera populorum præ abundantia, et
præciositate omnium terrenorum bonorum.
Imperium Indiæ habetur famosum per vniuersum orbem. Sed et famosius
haberetur si mercatores mundi communitèr possint et auderent adire sicut
Cathay, Nostratibus enim perrarus est illic accessus, tam præ
longinquitate, quàm præ marinis periculis. Nam exceptis alijs sunt ibi
quamplures Adamantini colles, ad oram maris, et intra mare, qui sua virtute
attrahunt sibi naues ferrum continentes. Quoniam et mihi nauiganti
monstrabatur per nautas à remotis quasi paruula Insula in mari, quam
asserebant totalitèr ab antiquis temporibus paulatim ibi cumulatam de
nauibus per Adamantes retentis.
[Sidenote: Latitudo Imperij Præsbyteri Ioannis est 4. mensium iter.]
Estimatur autem latitudo huius Imperij per dietas quatuor mensium, sed
longitudini non datur estimatio, eo quòd tenditur vsque Paradisum vbi
nullus accedit.
Distinctum est Imperium per duodecim prouincias, quibus totidem præsunt
reges principales seu prouinciales, et quorum singuli habent sub se Reges,
Duces, Marchiones, et Barones, praestantes atque reddentes Praesbytero
Ioanni promptam obedientiam, et certa tributa. Saepius et communitèr tenet
Sedem Imperator in palatio vrbis Imperialis Suse. Hoc autem Palatium tale
et tantum est, vt per me non credatur debite estimandum. Istud tamen dico
audentèr in summa, quòd grandius, nobilius, preciosius, et placidius est,
in auro, gemmis, structuris, et schemate supra descripto palatio Grand Can
in Caydo.
Et ex speciali sciatis, istius palatij principales portas esse de
Sardonico, vndìque in ebore circumcluso: sed et transuersæ lineæ sunt omnes
Eburneæ, aularum et cubiculorum fenestræ christallinæ. Mensarum quaedam
Smaragdinæ, aliquæ Haematistinæ, caeterorumque lapidum preciosorum per
aurum sibimet coniunctorum. Et nonnullæ in toto aureæ vel gemmunculis
disseminatæ, et vnaquaeque de mensis cum stabilimento proprij generis. De
throni quoque preciositate, quia meæ demonstrationis excellit modum,
solummodo dico, singulos ascensionis gradus esse singulorum lapidum
preciosorum: Primum onychis, secundum christallai, tertium iaspidis,
quartum haematisti, quintum sardij, sextum cornelij. Et septimus qui est
sub sedentis Imperatoris pedibus, ipse est, chrysolitus, omnes circumfusi,
et inclusoria arte formati, auro splendida relucentes. Sed et ambo throni
reclinatoria ex smaragdis auro combinatis, eoque distincto nobilissimis
granis, et gemmis: cuncti pilarij in camera Regis dormitoria consistunt de
auro fuluo, disseminati baccis, et quampluribus carbunculorum rubetis,
totum de nocte habitaculum illustrantibus.
Et nihilominus in ea christallina lampas plena balsamo pistico sed ardens
et lucens, tam pro augendo lumine, quàm pro corrigendo aere, tamen etiam
pro ministrando optimo odore.
Forma lecti Imperatoris compacta est de puris et nobilissimis Saphyris,
conclusi vtique aureis vel eburneis ligaturis, vt virtute lapidum capiat
suauem somnum, motusque carnis inhonesti stimuli, in eo refrenentur.
Nunquam enim iungitur mulieri nisi soli coniugi propriæ, sed nec illi nisi
quatuor quindenis anni videlicet in capite hyemis, veris, æstatis, et
autumni causa sobolis generandæ.
Vtque breuitèr transeam de multa huius palatij nobilitate, mirabile hoc
solummodò praemissis super addo. Quia circa medium illius in summo apice
turris maioris, duo sunt nodi seu pomella de decoctissimi auri metallo miræ
magnitudinis, et serenæ resplendentiæ, et in ipsis formati duo carbunculi
grandes, et lati, sua virtute tenebras effugantes, et velut splendorem
plenilunij nocturno tempore mentientes.
The English Version.
Of the Ryalle estate of Prestre John; and of a riche man, that made a
marveyllous Castelle, and cleped it Paradys; and of his Sotyltee.
[Sidenote: Chap. XXVII.] This Emperour Prestre John holt fulle gret lond,
and hathe many fulle noble cytees and gode townes in his royalme, and many
grete dyvene yles ond large. For alle the contree of Ynde is devysed in
yles, for the grete flodes, that comen from Paradys, that departen alle the
lond in many parties. And also in the see, he hathe fulle manye yles. And
the beste cytee in the yle of Pentexoire is Nyse, that is a fulle ryalle
cytee and a noble, and fulle riche. This Prestre John hathe undre him many
kynges and many yles and many dyverse folk of dyverse condiciouns. And this
lond is fulle gode and ryche; but not so riche as is the lond of the grete
Chane. For the marchauntes come not thidre so comounly, for to bye
marchandises, as thei don in the lond of the gret Chane: for it is to fer
to travaylle to. And on that other partie, in the yle of Cathay, men fynden
alle maner thing, that is nede to man; clothes of gold, of silk, and
spycerie. And therfore, alle be it that men han grettre chep in the yle of
Prestre John, natheles men dreden the longe wey and the grete periles in
the see, in tho parties. For in many places of the see ben grete roches of
stones of the adamant, that of his propre nature drawethe iren to him. And
therfore there passen no schippes, that han outher bondes or nayles of iren
with in hem: and zif there do, anon the roches of the adamantes drawen hem
to hem, that never thei may go thens. I my self have seen o ferrom in that
see, as thoughe it hadde ben a gret yle fulle of trees and buscaylle, fulle
of thornes and breres, gret plentee. And the schipmen tolde us, that alle
that was of schippes, that weren drawen thidre be the adamauntes, for the
iren that was in hem. And of the rotenesse and other thing that was with in
the schippes, grewen suche buscaylle and thornes and breres and grene
grasse and suche maner of thing; and of the mastes and the seylle zerdes;
it semed a gret wode or a grove. And suche roches ben in many places there
abouten. And therfore dur not the marchauntes passen there, but zif thei
knowen wel the passages, or elle that thei han gode lodes men. And also
thei dreden the longe weye: and therfore thei gon to Cathay; for it is more
nyghe: and zit is not so nyghe, but that men moste ben travayllynge be see
and lond, 11 monethes or 12, from Gene or from Venyse, or he come to
Cathay. And zit is the lond of Prestre John more ferr, be many dredfulle
iourneyes. And the marchauntes passen be the kyngdom of Persie, and gon to
a cytee that is clept Hermes: for Hermes the philosophre founded it. And
aftre that, thei passen an arm of the see, and thanne thei gon to another
cytee that is clept Golbache: and there thei fynden marchandises, and of
popengayes, as gret plentee as men fynden here of gees. And zif thei will
passen ferthere, thei may gon sykerly i now. In that contree is but lytylle
whete or berley: and therfore thei eten ryzs and hony and mylk and chese
and frute.
This Emperour Prestre John takethe alle weys to his wif, the doughtre of
the grete Chane: and the gret Chane also in the same wise, the doughtre of
Prestre John. For theise 2 ben the grettest lordes undir the firmament.
In the lond of Prestre John, ben manye dyverse thinges and many precious
stones, so gret and so large, that men maken of hem vesselle: as plateres,
dissches and cuppes. And many other marveylles ben there; that it were to
cumbrous and to long to putten it in scripture of bokes.