_Of the Isle of Sicily_; _of the way from Babylon to the Mount Sinai_;
_of the Church of Saint Katherine and of all the marvels there_
NOW will I return again, ere I proceed any further, for to declare to you
the other ways, that draw toward Babylon, where the sultan himself
dwelleth, that is at the entry of Egypt; for as much as many folk go
thither first and after that to the Mount Sinai, and after return to
Jerusalem, as I have said you here before. For they fulfil first the
more long pilgrimage, and after return again by the next ways, because
that the more nigh way is the more worthy, and that is Jerusalem; for no
other pilgrimage is not like in comparison to it. But for to fulfil
their pilgrimages more easily and more sikerly, men go first the longer
way rather than the nearer way.
But whoso will go to Babylon by another way, more short from the
countries of the west that I have rehearsed before, or from other
countries next to them—then men go by France, by Burgundy and by
Lombardy. It needeth not to tell you the names of the cities, nor of the
towns that be in that way, for the way is common, and it is known of many
nations. And there be many havens [where] men take the sea. Some men
take the sea at Genoa, some at Venice, and pass by the sea Adriatic, that
is clept the Gulf of Venice, that departeth Italy and Greece on that
side; and some go to Naples, some to Rome, and from Rome to Brindisi and
there they take the sea, and in many other places where that havens be.
And men go by Tuscany, by Campania, by Calabria, by Apulia, and by the
hills of Italy, by Corsica, by Sardinia, and by Sicily, that is a great
isle and a good.
In that isle of Sicily there is a manner of a garden, in the which be
many diverse fruits; and the garden is always green and flourishing, all
the seasons of the year as well in winter as in summer. That isle holds
in compass about 350 French miles. And between Sicily and Italy there is
not but a little arm of the sea, that men clepe the Farde of Messina.
And Sicily is between the sea Adriatic and the sea of Lombardy. And from
Sicily into Calabria is but eight miles of Lombardy.
And in Sicily there is a manner of serpent, by the which men assay and
prove, whether their children be bastards or no, or of lawful marriage:
for if they be born in right marriage, the serpents go about them, and do
them no harm, and if they be born in avoutry, the serpents bite them and
envenom them. And thus many wedded men prove if the children be their
own.
Also in that isle is the Mount Etna, that men clepe Mount Gybelle, and
the volcanoes that be evermore burning. And there be seven places that
burn and that cast out diverse flames and diverse colour: and by the
changing of those flames, men of that country know when it shall be
dearth or good time, or cold or hot or moist or dry, or in all other
manners how the time shall be governed. And from Italy unto the
volcanoes ne is but twenty-five mile. And men say, that the volcanoes be
ways of hell.
And whoso goeth by Pisa, if that men list to go that way, there is an arm
of the sea, where that men go to other havens in those marches. And then
men pass by the isle of Greaf that is at Genoa. And after arrive men in
Greece at the haven of the city of Myrok, or at the haven of Valone, or
at the city of Duras; and there is a Duke at Duras, or at other havens in
those marches; and so men go to Constantinople. And after go men by
water to the isle of Crete and to the isle of Rhodes, and so to Cyprus,
and so to Athens, and from thence to Constantinople. To hold the more
right way by sea, it is well a thousand eight hundred and four score mile
of Lombardy. And after from Cyprus men go by sea, and leave Jerusalem
and all the country on the left hand, unto Egypt, and arrive at the city
of Damietta, that was wont to be full strong, and it sits at the entry of
Egypt. And from Damietta go men to the city of Alexandria, that sits
also upon the sea. In that city was Saint Catherine beheaded: and there
was Saint Mark the evangelist martyred and buried, but the Emperor Leo
made his bones to be brought to Venice.
And yet there is at Alexandria a fair church, all white without
paintures; and so be all the other churches that were of the Christian
men, all white within, for the Paynims and the Saracens made them white
for to fordo the images of saints that were painted on the walls. That
city of Alexandria is well thirty furlongs in length, but it is but ten
on largeness; and it is a full noble city and a fair. At that city
entereth the river of Nile into the sea, as I to you have said before.
In that river men find many precious stones, and much also of lignum
aloes; and it is a manner of wood, that cometh out of Paradise
terrestrial, the which is good for many diverse medicines, and it is
right dear-worth. And from Alexandria men go to Babylon, where the
sultan dwelleth; that sits also upon the river of Nile: and this way is
the most short, for to go straight unto Babylon.
Now shall I say you also the way, that goeth from Babylon to the Mount of
Sinai, where Saint Catherine lieth. He must pass by the deserts of
Arabia, by the which deserts Moses led the people of Israel. And then
pass men by the well that Moses made with his hand in the deserts, when
the people grucched; for they found nothing to drink. And then pass men
by the Well of Marah, of the which the water was first bitter; but the
children of Israel put therein a tree, and anon the water was sweet and
good for to drink. And then go men by desert unto the vale of Elim, in
the which vale be twelve wells; and there be seventy-two trees of palm,
that bear the dates the which Moses found with the children of Israel.
And from that valley is but a good journey to the Mount of Sinai.
And whoso will go by another way from Babylon, then men go by the Red
Sea, that is an arm of the sea Ocean. And there passed Moses with the
children of Israel, over-thwart the sea all dry, when Pharaoh the King of
Egypt chased them. And that sea is well a six mile of largeness in
length; and in that sea was Pharaoh drowned and all his host that he led.
That sea is not more red than another sea; but in some place thereof is
the gravel red, and therefore men clepen it the Red Sea. That sea
runneth to the ends of Arabia and of Palestine.
That sea lasteth more than a four journeys, and then go men by desert
unto the Vale of Elim, and from thence to the Mount of Sinai. And ye may
well understand, that by this desert no man may go on horseback, because
that there ne is neither meat for horse ne water to drink; and for that
cause men pass that desert with camels. For the camel finds alway meat
in trees and on bushes, that he feedeth him with: and he may well fast
from drink two days or three. And that may no horse do.
And wit well that from Babylon to the Mount Sinai is well a twelve good
journeys, and some men make them more. And some men hasten them and pain
them, and therefore they make them less. And always men find latiners to
go with them in the countries, and further beyond, into time that men con
the language: and it behoveth men to bear victuals with them, that shall
dure them in those deserts, and other necessaries for to live by.
And the Mount of Sinai is clept the Desert of Sin, that is for to say,
the bush burning; because there Moses saw our Lord God many times in the
form of fire burning upon that hill, and also in a bush burning, and
spake to him. And that was at the foot of the hill. There is an abbey
of monks, well builded and well closed with gates of iron for dread of
the wild beasts; and the monks be Arabians or men of Greece. And there
[is] a great convent, and all they be as hermits, and they drink no wine,
but if it be on principal feasts; and they be full devout men, and live
poorly and simply with joutes and with dates, and they do great
abstinence and penances.
There is the Church of Saint Catherine, in the which be many lamps
burning; for they have of oil of olives enough, both for to burn in their
lamps and to eat also. And that plenty have they by the miracle of God;
for the ravens and the crows and the choughs and other fowls of the
country assemble them there every year once, and fly thither as in
pilgrimage; and everych of them bringeth a branch of the bays or of olive
in their beaks instead of offering, and leave them there; of the which
the monks make great plenty of oil. And this is a great marvel. And
sith that fowls that have no kindly wit or reason go thither to seek that
glorious Virgin, well more ought men then to seek her, and to worship
her.
Also behind the altar of that church is the place where Moses saw our
Lord God in a burning bush. And when the monks enter into that place,
they do off both hosen and shoon or boots always, because that our Lord
said to Moses, Do off thy hosen and thy shoon, for the place that thou
standest on is land holy and blessed. And the monks clepe that place
Dozoleel, that is to say, the shadow of God. And beside the high altar,
three degrees of height is the fertre of alabaster, where the bones of
Saint Catherine lie. And the prelate of the monks sheweth the relics to
the pilgrims, and with an instrument of silver he froteth the bones; and
then there goeth out a little oil, as though it were a manner sweating,
that is neither like to oil ne to balm, but it is full sweet of smell;
and of that they give a little to the pilgrims, for there goeth out but
little quantity of the liquor. And after that they shew the head of
Saint Catherine, and the cloth that she was wrapped in, that is yet all
bloody; and in that same cloth so wrapped, the angels bare her body to
the Mount Sinai, and there they buried her with it. And then they shew
the bush, that burned and wasted nought, in the which our Lord spake to
Moses, and other relics enough.
Also, when the prelate of the abbey is dead, I have understood, by
information, that his lamp quencheth. And when they choose another
prelate, if he be a good man and worthy to be prelate, his lamp shall
light with the grace of God without touching of any man. For everych of
them hath a lamp by himself, and by their lamps they know well when any
of them shall die. For when any shall die, the light beginneth to change
and to wax dim; and if he be chosen to be prelate, and is not worthy, his
lamp quencheth anon. And other men have told me, that he that singeth
the mass for the prelate that is dead—he shall find upon the altar the
name written of him that shall be prelate chosen. And so upon a day, I
asked of the monks, both one and other, how this befell. But they would
not tell me nothing, into the time that I said that they should not hide
the grace that God did them, but that they should publish it to make the
people have the more devotion, and that they did sin to hide God’s
miracle, as me seemed. For the miracles that God hath done and yet doth
every day, be the witness of his might and of his marvels, as David saith
in the Psalter: _Mirabilia testimonia tua_, _Domine_, that is to say,
‘Lord thy marvels be thy witness.’ And then they told me, both one and
other, how it befell full many a time, but more I might not have of them.
In that abbey ne entereth not no fly, ne toads ne newts, ne such foul
venomous beasts, ne lice ne fleas, by the miracle of God, and of our
Lady. For there were wont to be so many such manner of filths, that the
monks were in will to leave the place and the abbey, and were from thence
upon the mountain above to eschew that place; and our Lady came to them
and bade them turn again, and from thence forwards never entered such
filth in that place amongst them, ne never shall enter hereafter. Also,
before the gate is the well, where Moses smote the stone, of the which
the water came out plenteously.
From that abbey men go up the mountain of Moses, by many degrees. And
there men find first a church of our Lady, where that she met the monks,
when they fled away for the vermin above-said. And more high upon that
mountain is the chapel of Elijah the prophet; and that place they clepe
Horeb, whereof holy writ speaketh, _Et ambulavit in fortitudine cibi
illius usque_, _ad montem Oreb_; that is to say, ‘And he went in strength
of that meat unto the hill of God, Horeb.’ And there nigh is the vine
that Saint John the Evangelist planted that men clepe raisins of Staphis.
And a little above is the chapel of Moses, and the rock where Moses fled
to for dread when he saw our Lord face to face. And in that rock is
printed the form of his body, for he smote so strongly and so hard
himself in that rock, that all his body was dolven within through the
miracle of God. And there beside is the place where our Lord took to
Moses the Ten Commandments of the Law. And there is the cave under the
rock where Moses dwelt, when he fasted forty days and forty nights. But
he died in the Land of Promission, and no man knoweth where he was
buried. And from that mountain men pass a great valley for to go to
another mountain, where Saint Catherine was buried of the angels of the
Lord. And in that valley is a church of forty martyrs, and there sing
the monks of the abbey, often-time: and that valley is right cold. And
after men go up the mountain of Saint Catherine, that is more high than
the mount of Moses; and there, where Saint Catherine was buried, is
neither church nor chapel, nor other dwelling place, but there is an heap
of stones about the place, where body of her, was put of the angels.
There was wont to be a chapel, but it was cast down, and yet lie the
stones there. And albeit that the Collect of Saint Catherine says, that
it is the place where our Lord betaught the Ten Commandments to Moses,
and there, where the blessed Virgin Saint Catherine was buried, that is
to understand in one country, or in one place bearing one name; for both
that one and that other is clept the mount of Sinai. But it is a great
way from that one to that other, and a great deep valley between them.