[_Of the Way from Constantinople to Jerusalem_.] _Of Saint John the
Evangelist_. _And of the Ypocras Daughter_, _transformed from a Woman to
a Dragon_
NOW return I again, for to teach you the way from Constantinople to
Jerusalem. He that will through Turkey, he goeth toward the city of
Nyke, and passeth through the gate of Chienetout, and always men see
before them the hill of Chienetout, that is right high; and it is a mile
and an half from Nyke.
And whoso will go by water, by the brace of St. George, and by the sea
where St. Nicholas lieth, and toward many other places—first men go to an
isle that is clept Sylo. In that isle groweth mastick on small trees,
and out of them cometh gum as it were of plum-trees or of cherry-trees.
And after go men through the isle of Patmos; and there wrote St. John the
Evangelist the Apocalypse. And ye shall understand, that St. John was of
age thirty-two year, when our Lord suffered his passion; and after his
passion, he lived sixty-seven year, and in the hundredth year of his age
he died.
From Patmos men go unto Ephesus, a fair city and nigh to the sea. And
there died St. John, and was buried behind the high altar in a tomb. And
there is a fair church; for Christian men were wont to holden that place
always. And in the tomb of St. John is nought but manna, that is clept
angels’ meat; for his body was translated into Paradise. And Turks hold
now all that place, and the city and the church; and all Asia the less is
y-clept Turkey. And ye shall understand, that St. John let make his
grave there in his life, and laid himself therein all quick; and
therefore some men say, that he died not, but that he resteth there till
the day of doom. And, forsooth, there is a great marvel; for men may see
there the earth of the tomb apertly many times stir and move, as there
were quick things under.
And from Ephesus men go through many isles in the sea, unto the city of
Patera, where St. Nicholas was born, and so to Martha, where he was
chosen to be bishop; and there groweth right good wine and strong, and
that men call wine of Martha. And from thence go men to the isle of
Crete, that the emperor gave sometime to [the] Genoese.
And then pass men through the isles of Colcos and of Lango, of the which
isles Ypocras was lord of. And some men say, that in the isle of Lango
is yet the daughter of Ypocras, in form and likeness of a great dragon,
that is a hundred fathom of length, as men say, for I have not seen her.
And they of the isles call her Lady of the Land. And she lieth in an old
castle, in a cave, and sheweth twice or thrice in the year, and she doth
no harm to no man, but if men do her harm. And she was thus changed and
transformed, from a fair damosel, into likeness of a dragon, by a goddess
that was clept Diana. And men say, that she shall so endure in that form
of a dragon, unto [the] time that a knight come, that is so hardy, that
dare come to her and kiss her on the mouth; and then shall she turn again
to her own kind, and be a woman again, but after that she shall not live
long.
And it is not long sithen, that a knight of Rhodes, that was hardy and
doughty in arms, said that he would kiss her. And when he was upon his
courser, and went to the castle, and entered into the cave, the dragon
lift up her head against him. And when the knight saw her in that form
so hideous and so horrible he fled away. And the dragon bare the knight
upon a rock, maugre his head; and from that rock, she cast him into the
sea. And so was lost both horse and man.
And also a young man, that wist not of the dragon, went out of a ship,
and went through the isle till that he came to the castle, and came into
the cave, and went so long, till that he found a chamber; and there he
saw a damosel that combed her head and looked in a mirror; and she had
much treasure about her. And he trowed that she had been a common woman,
that dwelled there to receive men to folly. And he abode, till the
damosel saw the shadow of him in the mirror. And she turned her toward
him, and asked him what he would? And he said, he would be her leman or
paramour. And she asked him, if that he were a knight? And he said,
nay. And then she said, that he might not be her leman; but she bade him
go again unto his fellows, and make him knight, and come again upon the
morrow, and she should come out of the cave before him, and then come and
kiss her on the mouth and have no dread,—for I shall do thee no manner of
harm, albeit that thou see me in likeness of a dragon; for though thou
see me hideous and horrible to look on, I do thee to wit that it is made
by enchantment; for without doubt, I am none other than thou seest now, a
woman, and therefore dread thee nought. And if thou kiss me, thou shalt
have all this treasure, and be my lord, and lord also of all the isle.
And he departed from her and went to his fellows to ship, and let make
him knight and came again upon the morrow for to kiss this damosel. And
when he saw her come out of the cave in form of a dragon, so hideous and
so horrible, he had so great dread, that he fled again to the ship, and
she followed him. And when she saw that he turned not again, she began
to cry, as a thing that had much sorrow; and then she turned again into
her cave. And anon the knight died. And sithen hitherward might no
knight see her, but that he died anon. But when a knight cometh, that is
so hardy to kiss her, he shall not die; but he shall turn the damosel
into her right form and kindly shape, and he shall be lord of all the
countries and isles abovesaid.
And from thence men come to the isle of Rhodes, the which isle
Hospitallers holden and govern; and that took they some-time from the
emperor. And it was wont to be clept Collos; and so call it the Turks
yet. And Saint Paul in his epistle writeth to them of that isle _ad
Colossenses_. This isle is nigh eight hundred mile long from
Constantinople.