_Mandeville's Travels_ were originally written in French, perhaps in
1356 or 1357. Their popularity was immediate, and Latin and English
translations soon appeared. The English texts published show three
forms. The first, imperfect, is the text of the early prints. The
second, from Cotton MS. Titus C xvi (about 1400-25), was first printed
in 1725, and is followed in the editions by Halliwell, 1839 and 1866,
and by Hamelius, 1919. The third, from Egerton MS. 1982 (about 1400-25),
has been edited for the Roxburghe Club by G. F. Warner, with the French
text, and an excellent apparatus. Our selections follow the Cotton MS.
The _Travels_ fall into two parts: (i) a description of the routes to
the Holy Land, and an account of the Holy Places; (ii) a narrative of
travel in the more distant parts of Asia. Throughout the author poses as
an eyewitness. But in fact the book is a compilation, made without much
regard to time or place. For the first part William de Boldensele, who
wrote in 1336 an account of a visit to the Holy Land, is the main
source. The second part follows the description of an Eastern voyage
written by Friar Odoric of Pordenone in 1330. Other materials from the
mediaeval encyclopaedists are woven in, and there is so little trace of
original observation that it is doubtful whether the author travelled
far beyond his library.
In the preface he claims to be Sir John Mandeville, an Englishman born
at St. Albans. The people of St. Albans were driven to desperate shifts
to explain the absence of his tomb from their abbey; but until 1798 it
was actually to be seen at the church of the Guillemins, Liège, with
this inscription:
'Hic iacet vir nobilis Dom Ioannes de Mandeville, alias dictus ad
Barbam, Miles, Dominus de Campdi, natus de Anglia, medicinae professor,
devotissimus orator, et bonorum suorum largissimus pauperibus erogator,
qui, toto quasi orbe lustrato, Leodii diem vitae suae clausit extremum
A.D. MCCCLXXII, mensis Nov. die xvii.'
A Liège chronicler, Jean d'Outremeuse (d. 1399), who claims the
invidious position of his confidant and literary executor, gives further
details: Mandeville was 'chevalier de Montfort en Angleterre'; he was
obliged to leave England because he had slain a nobleman; he came to
Liège in 1343; and was content to be known as 'Jean de Bourgogne dit à
la Barbe'.
Now Jean de Bourgogne, with whom Sir John Mandeville is identified by
d'Outremeuse, is known as the writer of a tract on the Plague, written
at Liège in 1365. Further, the Latin text of the _Travels_ mentions that
the author met at Liège a certain 'Johannes ad Barbam', recognized him
as a former physician at the court of the Sultan of Egypt, and took his
advice and help in the writing of the _Travels_.
Again, in 1322, the year in which Sir John Mandeville claims to have
left England, a Johan de Burgoyne was given good reason to flee the
country, because a pardon, granted to him the previous year for his
actions against the Despensers, was then withdrawn. Curiously enough, a
John Mandeville was also of the party opposed to the Despensers.
Nothing has come of the attempts to attach the clues—St. Albans,
Montfort, Campdi, the arms on the tomb at Liège—to the English family
of Mandeville. It seems likely that 'Sir John Mandeville' was an alias
adopted by Jean de Bourgogne, unless both names cover Jean d'Outremeuse.
The Epilogue to the Cotton version shows how early the plausible
fictions of the text had infected the history of its composition.
It is clear that the English versions do not come from the hand of the
writer of the _Travels_, who could not have been guilty of such
absurdities as the translation of _montaignes_ by 'þe hille of Aygnes'
in the Cotton MS. But whoever the author was, he shows a courtesy and
modesty worthy of a knight, begging those with more recent experience to
correct the lapses of his memory, and remembering always the interests
of later travellers, who might wish to glean some marvels still untold.
He might well have pleaded in the fourteenth century that the time had
not come when prose fiction could afford to throw off the disguise of
truth.
[THE VOIAGE AND TRAVAILE OF SIR
IOHN MAUNDEVILE, KT.]
British Museum MS. Cotton Titus C xvi (about 1400-25).
From chap. xiv (xviii), f. 65 b.
Ethiope is departed in two princypall parties; and þat is in the Est
partie, and in the Meridionall partie, the whiche partie meridionall
is clept Moretane. And the folk of þat contree ben blake ynow, and
more blake þan in the toþer partie; and þei ben clept Mowres. In þat
partie is a well, {5} þat in the day it is so cold þat no man may drynke
þereoffe; and in the nyght it is so hoot þat no man may suffre hys hond
þerein. And beȝonde þat partie, toward the South, to passe by the See
Occean, is a gret lond and a gret contrey. But men may not duell þere,
for the feruent brennynge of the {10} sonne, so is it passynge hoot in
þat contrey.
In Ethiope all the ryueres and all the watres ben trouble, and þei
ben somdell salte, for the gret hete þat is þere. And the folk of þat
contree ben lyghtly dronken, and han but litill appetyt to mete.... {15}
In Ethiope ben many dyuerse folk, and Ethiope is clept 'Cusis.' In
þat contree ben folk þat han but o foot; and þei gon so blyue þat it
is meruaylle; and the foot is so large þat it schadeweth all the body
aȝen the sonne, whanne þei wole lye and reste hem. {20}
In Ethiope, whan the children ben ȝonge and lytill, þei ben all
ȝalowe; and whan þat þei wexen of age, þat ȝalownesse turneth
to ben all blak. In Ethiope is the cytee of Saba, and the lond of the
whiche on of the þre Kynges, þat presented oure Lord in Bethleem, was
kyng offe. {25}
Fro Ethiope men gon into Ynde be manye dyuerse contreyes. And men clepen
the high Ynde 'Emlak'. And Ynde is devyded in þre princypall parties;
þat is: the more, þat is a full hoot contree; and Ynde the lesse, þat
is a full atempree contrey, þat streccheth to the lond of Medé; and the
þridde {30} part, toward the Septentrion, is full cold, so þat for pure
cold and contynuell frost the water becometh cristall.
And vpon tho roches of cristall growen the gode dyamandes, þat ben of
trouble colour. Ȝalow cristall draweth <to> colour lyke oylle. And
þei ben so harde þat no man may pollysch {35} hem; and men clepen hem
'dyamandes' in þat contree, and 'hamese' in anoþer contree. Othere
dyamandes men fynden in Arabye, þat ben not so gode; and þei ben more
broun and more tendre. And oþer dyamandes also men fynden in the Ile of
Cipre, þat ben ȝit more tendre; and hem men may wel {40} pollische.
And in the lond of Macedoyne men fynden dyamaundes also. But the beste
and the moste precyiouse ben in Ynde.
And men fynden many tyme harde dyamandes in a masse, þat cometh out of
gold, whan men puren it and fynen it out {45} of the myne, whan men
breken þat masse in smale peces. And sum tyme it happeneth þat men
fynden summe as grete as a pese, and summe lasse; and þei ben als harde
as þo of Ynde.
And all be it þat men fynden gode dyamandes in Ynde, {50} ȝit
natheles men fynden hem more comounly vpon the roches in the see, and
vpon hilles where the myne of gold is. And þei growen many togedre, on
lytill, another gret. And þer ben summe of the gretnesse of a bene, and
summe als grete as an hasell-note. And þei ben square and poynted of
here owne {55} kynde, boþe abouen and benethen, withouten worchinge of
mannes hond.
And þei growen togedre, male and femele. And þei ben norysscht with
the dew of heuene. And þei engendren comounly, and bryngen forth smale
children, þat multiplyen {60} and growen all the ȝeer. I haue often
tymes assayed þat ȝif a man kepe hem with a lityll of the roche, and
wete hem with May dew oftesithes, þei schull growe eueryche ȝeer;
and the smale wole wexen grete. For right as the fyn perl congeleth and
wexeth gret of the dew of heuene, right so doth the verray {65} dyamand;
and right as the perl, of his owne kynde, taketh roundnesse, right so
the dyamand, be vertu of God, taketh squarenesse.
And men schall bere the dyamaund on his left syde; for it is of grettere
vertue þanne, þan on the right syde. For the {70} strengthe of here
growynge is toward the North, þat is the left syde of the world, and the
left partie of man is, whan he turneth his face toward the Est.
And ȝif ȝou lyke to knowe the vertues of þe dyamand, as men may
fynden in þe Lapidarye, þat many men knowen {75} noght, I schall telle
ȝou, as þei beȝonde the see seyn and affermen, of whom all science
and all philosophie cometh from.
He þat bereth the dyamand vpon him, it ȝeueth him hardynesse and
manhode, and it kepeth the lemes of his body hole. {80} It ȝeueth
him victorye of his enemyes, in plee and in werre, ȝif his cause be
rightfull; and it kepeth him þat bereth it in gode wytt; and it kepeth
him fro strif and ryot, fro euyll sweuenes, from sorwes, and from
enchauntementes, and from fantasyes and illusiouns of wykked spirites.
And ȝif ony cursed wycche {85} or enchauntour wolde bewycche him
þat bereth the dyamand, all þat sorwe and myschance schall turne to
himself, þorgh vertue of þat ston. And also no wylde best dar assaylle
the man þat bereth it on him. Also the dyamand scholde ben ȝouen
frely, withouten coueytynge, and withouten byggynge; {90} and þan it
is of grettere vertue. And it maketh a man more strong and more sad
aȝenst his enemyes. And it heleth him þat is lunatyk, and hem þat
the fend pursueth or trauayleth. And ȝif venym or poysoun be brought
in presence of the dyamand, anon it begynneth to wexe moyst, and for to
{95} swete.
Þere ben also dyamandes in Ynde þat ben clept 'violastres',—for here
colour is liche vyolet, or more browne þan the violettes,—þat ben full
harde and full precyous. But ȝit sum men loue not hem so wel as the
oþere. But in soth to {100} me, I wolde louen hem als moche as þe oþere;
for I haue seen hem assayed. Also þere is anoþer maner of dyamandes þat
ben als white as cristall, but þei ben a lityll more trouble; and þei
ben gode and of gret vertue, and all þei ben square and poynted of here
owne kynde. And summe {105} ben six squared, summe four squared, and
summe þre, as nature schapeth hem.
And þerfore whan grete lordes and knyghtes gon to seche worschipe in
armes, þei beren gladly the dyamaund vpon hem. I schal speke a litill
more of the dyamandes, allþough {110} I tarye my matere for a tyme, to
þat ende þat þei þat knowen hem not be not disceyued be gabberes þat
gon be the contree, þat sellen hem. For whoso wil bye the dyamand, it
is nedefull to him þat he knowe hem, because þat men counterfeten hem
often of cristall þat is ȝalow; and of saphires of cytryne {115}
colour, þat is ȝalow also; and of the saphire loupe; and of many
oþer stones. But, I tell ȝou, theise contrefetes ben not so harde;
and also the poyntes wil breken lightly; and men may esily pollissche
hem. But summe werkmen, for malice, wil not pollische hem, to þat entent
to maken men beleue þat þei may {120} not ben pollisscht. But men may
assaye hem in this manere: First schere with hem, or write with hem, in
saphires, in cristall, or in oþer precious stones. After þat men taken
the ademand, þat is the schipmannes ston, þat draweth the nedle to him,
and men leyn the dyamand vpon the ademand, and leyn the nedle {125}
before the ademand; and ȝif the dyamand be gode and vertuous, the
ademand draweth not the nedle to him, whils the dyamand is þere present.
And this is the preef þat þei beȝonde the see maken. Natheles it
befalleth often tyme þat the gode dyamand leseth his vertue, be synne
and for incontynence of him þat {130} bereth it. And þanne is it nedfull
to make it to recoueren his vertue aȝen, or ell it is of litill value.
Chap. xxvi (xxx), f. 112 a.
Now schall I seye ȝou sewyngly of contrees and yles þat ben
beȝonde the contrees þat I haue spoken of. Wherfore {135} I seye
ȝou, in passynge be the lond of Cathaye toward the high Ynde, and
toward Bacharye, men passen be a kyngdom þat men clepen 'Caldilhe', þat
is a full fair contré. And þere groweth a maner of fruyt, as þough it
weren gowrdes; and whan þei ben rype, men kutten hem ato, and men fynden
{140} withinne a lytyll best, in flesch, in bon, and blode as þough it
were a lytill lomb, withouten wolle. And men eten bothe the frut and the
best: and þat is a gret merueylle. Of þat frute I haue eten, allþough
it were wondirfull: but þat I knowe wel, þat God is merueyllous in his
werkes. And natheles I tolde {145} hem of als gret a merueyle to hem,
þat is amonges vs: and þat was of the Bernakes. For I tolde hem þat in
oure contree weren trees þat baren a fruyt þat becomen briddes fleeynge;
and þo þat fellen in the water lyuen; and þei þat fallen on the erthe
dyen anon; and þei ben right gode to mannes mete. And hereof {150} had
þei als gret meruaylle þat summe of hem trowed it were an inpossible
thing to be. In þat contré ben longe apples of gode sauour, whereof
ben mo þan an hundred in a clustre, and als manye in another: and þei
han grete longe leves and large, of two fote long or more. And in þat
contree, and in {155} oþer contrees þere abouten, growen many trees, þat
beren clowe gylofres, and notemuges, and grete notes of Ynde, and of
canell, and of many oþer spices. And þere ben vynes þat beren so grete
grapes þat a strong man scholde haue ynow to done for to bere o clustre
with all the grapes. In {160} þat same regioun ben the mountaynes of
Caspye þat men clepen 'Vber' in the contree. Betwene þo mountaynes the
Iewes of ten lynages ben enclosed, þat men clepen Goth and Magoth; and
þei mowe not gon out on no syde. Þere weren enclosed twenty two kynges
with hire peple, þat dwelleden {165} betwene the mountaynes of Sy_t_hye.
Þere Kyng Alisandre chacede hem betwene þo mountaynes; and þere he
thoughte for to enclose hem þorgh werk of his men. But whan he saugh
þat he myghte not don it, ne bryng it to an ende, he preyed to God of
Nature þat He wolde parforme þat þat he {170} had begonne. And all were
it so þat he was a payneme, and not worthi to ben herd, ȝit God of
His grace closed the mountaynes togydre; so þat þei dwellen þere, all
faste ylokked and enclosed with high mountaynes alle aboute, saf only
on o syde; and on þat syde is the See of Caspye. Now {175} may sum men
asken: sith þat the see is on þat o syde, wherfore go þei not out on the
see syde, for to go where þat hem lyketh? But to this questioun I schal
answere: þat See of Caspye goth out be londe, vnder the mountaynes, and
renneth be the desert at o syde of the contree; and after it streccheth
vnto the endes {180} of Persie. And allþough it be clept a see, it is no
see, ne it toucheth to non oþer see; but it is a lake, the grettest of
the world. And þough þei wolden putten hem into þat see, þei ne wysten
neuer where þat þei scholde arryuen. And also þei conen no langage but
only hire owne, þat no man {185} knoweth but þei: and þerfore mowe þei
not gon out. And also ȝee schull vnderstonde þat the Iewes han no
propre lond of hire owne, for to dwellen inne, in all the world, but
only þat lond betwene the mountaynes. And ȝit þei ȝelden tribute
for þat lond to the queen of Amazoine, the whiche þat {190} maketh hem
to ben kept in cloos full diligently, þat þei schull not gon out on
no syde, but be the cost of hire lond. For hire lond marcheth to þo
mountaynes. And often it hath befallen þat summe of þe Iewes han gon vp
the mountaynes, and avaled down to the valeyes: but gret nombre of folk
ne {195} may not do so. For the mountaynes ben so hye, and so streght
vp, þat þei moste abyde þere, maugree hire myght. For þei mowe not
gon out, but be a litill issue þat was made be strengthe of men; and
it lasteth wel a four grete myle. And after is þere ȝit a lond all
desert, where men {200} may fynde no water, ne for dyggynge, ne for non
other þing: wherfore men may not dwellen in þat place. So is it full of
dragounes, of serpentes, and of oþer venymous bestes, þat no man dar not
passe, but ȝif it be be strong wynter. And þat streyt passage men
clepen in þat contree 'Clyron'. And þat {205} is the passage þat the
Queen of Amazoine maketh to ben kept. And þogh it happene sum of hem,
be fortune, to gon out, þei conen no maner of langage but Ebrew, so þat
þei can not speke to the peple. And ȝit natheles, men seyn þei schull
gon out in the tyme of Antecrist, and þat þei schull maken {210} gret
slaughter of Cristene men. And þerfore all the Iewes þat dwellen in all
londes lernen allweys to speken Ebrew, in hope þat whan the oþer Iewes
schull gon out, þat þei may vnderstonden hire speche, and to leden hem
into Cristendom, for to destroye the Cristene peple. For the Iewes seyn
þat {215} þei knowen wel be hire prophecyes þat þei of Caspye schull gon
out and spreden þorghout all the world; and þat the Cristene men schull
ben vnder hire subieccioun als longe as þei han ben in subieccioun of
hem. And ȝif þat ȝee wil wyte how þat þei schull fynden hire weye,
after þat I haue herd {220} seye, I schall tell ȝou. In the tyme of
Antecrist, a fox schall make þere his †trayne†, and mynen an hole,
where Kyng Alisandre leet make the ȝates: and so longe he schall
mynen and percen the erthe, til þat he schall passe þorgh towardes þat
folk. And whan þei seen the fox, they schull {225} haue gret merueylle
of him, because þat þei saugh neuer such a best. For of all oþere bestes
þei han enclosed amonges hem, saf only the fox. And þanne þei schulle
chacen him and pursuen him so streyte, till þat he come to the same
place þat he cam fro. And þanne þei schulle {230} dyggen and mynen so
strongly, till þat þei fynden the ȝates þat King Alisandre leet make
of grete stones and passynge huge, wel symented and made stronge for the
maystrie. And þo ȝates þei schull breken, and so gon out, be fyndynge
of þat issue. {235}
Fro þat lond gon men toward the lond of Bacharie, where ben full yuele
folk and full cruell. In þat lond ben trees þat beren wolle, as þogh
it were of scheep; whereof men maken clothes, and all þing þat may ben
made of wolle. In þat contree ben many ipotaynes, þat dwellen som tyme
in the {240} water, and somtyme on the lond: and þei ben half man and
half hors, as I haue seyd before; and þei eten men, whan þei may take
hem. And þere ben ryueres and watres þat ben fulle byttere, þree sithes
more þan is the water of the see. In þat contré ben many griffounes,
more plentee þan in ony {245} other contree. Sum men seyn þat þei han
the body vpward as an egle, and benethe as a lyoun: and treuly þei seyn
soth þat þei ben of þat schapp. But o griffoun hath the body more gret,
and is more strong, þanne eight lyouns, of suche lyouns as ben o this
half; and more gret and strongere þan an {250} hundred egles, suche as
we han amonges vs. For o griffoun þere wil bere fleynge to his nest a
gret hors, ȝif he may fynde him at the poynt, or two oxen ȝoked
togidere, as þei gon at the plowgh. For he hath his talouns so longe and
so large and grete vpon his feet, as þough þei weren hornes of grete
oxen, or of {255} bugles, or of kyȝn; so þat men maken cuppes of hem,
to drynken of. And of hire ribbes, and of the pennes of hire wenges, men
maken bowes full stronge, to schote with arwes and quarell.
From þens gon men be many iourneyes þorgh the lond of Prestre Iohn, the
grete emperour of Ynde. And men clepen {260} his roialme the Yle of
Pentexoire.