CHAP. xlii.
MS. Tiberius D. vii (about 1400), f. 39 a.
In Brytayn buþ hoot welles wel arayed and yhyȝt to þe vse of
mankunde. Mayster of þulke welles ys þe gret spyryt of Minerua. Yn hys
hous fuyr duyreþ alwey, þat neuer chaungeþ into askes, bote þar þe fuyr
slakeþ, hyt changeþ ynto stony clottes. {5}
Yn Brytayn buþ meny wondres. Noþeles foure buþ most wonderfol. Þe
furste ys at Pectoun. Þar bloweþ so strong a wynd out of þe chenes of
þe eorþe þat hyt casteþ vp aȝe cloþes þat me casteþ yn. Þe secunde
ys at Stonhenge bysydes Salesbury. Þar gret stones and wondur huge buþ
{10} arered an hyȝ, as hyt were ȝates, so þat þar semeþ ȝates
yset apon oþer ȝates. Noþeles hyt ys noȝt clerlych yknowe noþer
parceyuet houȝ and wharfore a buþ so arered and so wonderlych
yhonged. Þe þridde ys at Cherdhol. Þer ys gret holwenes vndur eorþe.
Ofte meny men habbeþ {15} ybe þerynne, and ywalked aboute wiþynne, and
yseye ryuers and streemes, bote nowhar conneþ hy fynde non ende. Þe
feurþe ys þat reyn ys yseye arered vp of þe hulles, and anon yspronge
aboute yn þe feeldes. Also þer ys a gret pond þat conteyneþ þre score
ylondes couenable for men to dwelle {20} ynne. Þat pound ys byclypped
aboute wiþ six score rooches. Apon euerych rooch ys an egle hys nest;
and þre score ryuers eorneþ into þat pound, and non of ham alle eorneþ
into þe se, bot on. Þar ys a pound yclosed aboute wiþ a wal of tyyl and
of ston. Yn þat pound men wascheþ and baþeþ {25} wel ofte, and euerych
man feeleþ þe water hoot oþer cold ryȝt as a wol hymsylf. Þar buþ
also salt welles fer fram þe se, and buþ salt al þe woke long forto
Saturday noon, and fersch fram Saturday noon forto Moneday. Þe water of
þis welles, whanne hyt ys ysode, turneþ into smal salt, fayr and {30}
whyyt. Also þar ys a pond þe water þerof haþ wondur worchyng, for þey al
an ost stood by þe pond, and turnede þe face þyderward, þe water wolde
drawe <hem> vyolentlych toward þe pond, and weete al here cloþes. So
scholde hors be drawe yn þe same wyse. Bote ȝef þe face ys aweyward
{35} fram þe water, þe water noyeþ noȝt. Þer ys a welle <þat> non
streem eorneþ þarfram noþer þerto, and ȝet four maner fysch buþ ytake
þarynne. Þat welle ys bote twenty foot long, and twenty foot brood,
and noȝt deop bote to þe kneo, and ys yclosed wiþ hyȝ bankkes in
euerych syde. {40}
Yn þe contray aboute Wynchestre ys a den. Out of þat den alwey bloweþ a
strong wynd, so þat no man may endure for to stonde tofor þat den. Þar
ys also a pond þat turneþ tre into yre and hyt be þerynne al a ȝer,
and so tren buþ yschape into whestones. Also þer ys yn þe cop of an hul
{45} a buryel. Euerych man þat comeþ and meteþ þat buriel a schal fynde
hyt euene ryȝt of hys oune meete; and ȝef a pylgrym oþer eny wery
man kneoleþ þerto, anon a schal be al fersch, and of werynes schal he
feele non nuy.
Fast by pe Ministre of Wynburney, þat ys noȝt fer fram {50} Bathe,
ys a wode þat bereþ moche fruyt. Ȝef pe tren of þat wode falle into
a water oþer grounde <þat> þar ys nyȝ, and lygge þar al a ȝer, þe
tren teorneþ ynto stoones.
Vndur þe cité of Chestre eorneþ þe ryuer Dee, þat now todeleþ Engelond
and Wales. Þat ryuer euerych monthe {55} chaungeþ hys fordes, as men of
þe contray telleþ, and leueþ ofte þe chanel. Bote wheþer þe water drawe
more toward Engelond oþer toward Wales, to what syde þat hyt be, þat
ȝer men of þat syde schal habbe þe wors ende and be ouerset, and þe
men of þe oþer syde schal habbe þe betre ende and be {60} at here aboue.
Whanne þe water chaungeþ so hys cours, hyt bodeþ such happes. Þis ryuer
Dee eorneþ and comeþ out of a lake þat hatte Pimbilmere. Yn þe ryuer ys
gret plenté of samon. Noþeles in þe lake ys neuer samon yfounde.