_Of the lands of Albania and of Libia_. _Of the wishings for watching of
the Sparrow-hawk_; _and of Noah’s ship_
NOW, sith I have told you before of the Holy Land and of that country
about, and of many ways for to go to that land and to the Mount Sinai,
and of Babylon the more and the less, and to other places that I have
spoken before, now is time, if it like you, for to tell you of the
marches and isles and diverse beasts, and of diverse folk beyond these
marches.
For in those countries beyond be many diverse countries and many great
kingdoms, that be departed by the four floods that come from paradise
terrestrial. For Mesopotamia and the kingdom of Chaldea and Arabia be
between the two rivers of Tigris and of Euphrates; and the kingdom of
Media and of Persia be between the rivers of Nile and of Tigris; and the
kingdom of Syria, whereof I have spoken before, and Palestine and
Phoenicia be between Euphrates and the sea Mediterranean, the which sea
dureth in length from Morocco, upon the sea of Spain, unto the Great Sea,
so that it lasteth beyond Constantinople 3040 miles of Lombardy.
And toward the sea Ocean in Ind is the kingdom of Scythia, that is all
closed with hills. And after, under Scythia, and from the sea of Caspian
unto the flom of Thainy, is Amazonia, that is the land of feminye, where
that no man is, but only all women. And after is Albania, a full great
realm; and it is clept Albania, because that the folk be whiter there
than in other marches there-about: and in that country be so great hounds
and so strong, that they assail lions and slay them. And then after is
Hircania, Bactria, Hiberia and many other kingdoms.
And between the Red Sea and the sea Ocean, toward the south is the
kingdom of Ethiopia and of Lybia the higher, the which land of Lybia
(that is to say, Lybia the low) that beginneth at the sea of Spain from
thence where the pillars of Hercules be, and endureth unto anent Egypt
and toward Ethiopia. In that country of Lybia is the sea more high than
the land, and it seemeth that it would cover the earth, and natheles yet
it passeth not his marks. And men see in that country a mountain to the
which no man cometh. In this land of Lybia whoso turneth toward the
east, the shadow of himself is on the right side; and here, in our
country, the shadow is on the left side. In that sea of Lybia is no
fish; for they may not live ne dure for the great heat of the sun,
because that the water is evermore boiling for the great heat. And many
other lands there be that it were too long to tell or to number. But of
some parts I shall speak more plainly hereafter.
Whoso will then go toward Tartary, toward Persia, toward Chaldea and
toward Ind, he must enter the sea at Genoa or at Venice or at some other
haven that I have told you before. And then pass men the sea and arrive
at Trebizond that is a good city; and it was wont to be the haven of
Pontus. There is the haven of Persians and of Medians and of the marches
there beyond. In that city lieth Saint Athanasius that was bishop of
Alexandria, that made the psalm _Quicunque vult_.
This Athanasius was a great doctor of divinity. And, because that he
preached and spake so deeply of divinity and of the Godhead, he was
accused to the Pope of Rome that he was an heretic. Wherefore the Pope
sent after him and put him in prison. And whiles he was in prison he
made that psalm and sent it to the Pope, and said, that if he were an
heretic, then was that heresy, for that, he said, was his belief. And
when the Pope saw it, and had examined it that it was perfect and good,
and verily our faith and our belief, he made him to be delivered out of
prison, and commanded that psalm to be said every day at prime; and so he
held Athanasius a good man. But he would never go to his bishopric
again, because that they accused him of heresy.
Trebizond was wont to be holden of the Emperor of Constantinople; but a
great man, that he sent for to keep the country against the Turks,
usurped the land and held it to himself, and cleped him Emperor of
Trebizond.
And from thence men go through Little Armenia. And in that country is an
old castle that stands upon a rock; the which is clept the castle of the
Sparrow-hawk, that is beyond the city of Layays beside the town of
Pharsipee, that belongeth to the lordship of Cruk, that is a rich lord
and a good Christian man; where men find a sparrow-hawk upon a perch
right fair and right well made, and a fair lady of faerie that keepeth
it. And who that will watch that sparrow-hawk seven days and seven
nights, and, as some men say, three days and three nights, without
company and without sleep, that fair lady shall give him, when he hath
done, the first wish that he will wish of earthly things; and that hath
been proved often-times.
And one time befell, that a King of Armenia, that was a worthy knight and
doughty man, and a noble princes watched that hawk some time. And at the
end of seven days and seven nights the lady came to him and bade him
wish, for he had well deserved it. And he answered that he was great
lord enough, and well in peace, and had enough of worldly riches; and
therefore he would wish none other thing, but the body of that fair lady,
to have it at his will. And she answered him, that he knew not what he
asked, and said that he was a fool to desire that he might not have; for
she said that he should not ask but earthly thing, for she was none
earthly thing, but a ghostly thing. And the king said that he ne would
ask none other thing. And the lady answered; “Sith that I may not
withdraw you from your lewd corage, I shall give you without wishing, and
to all them that shall come of you. Sir king! ye shall have war without
peace, and always to the nine degree, ye shall be in subjection of your
enemies, and ye shall be needy of all goods.” And never since, neither
the King of Armenia nor the country were never in peace; ne they had
never sith plenty of goods; and they have been sithen always under
tribute of the Saracens.
Also the son of a poor man watched that hawk and wished that he might
chieve well, and to be happy to merchandise. And the lady granted him.
And he became the most rich and the most famous merchant that might be on
sea or on earth. And he became so rich that he knew not the thousand
part of that he had. And he was wiser in wishing than was the king.
Also a knight of the Temple watched there, and wished a purse evermore
full of gold. And the lady granted him. But she said him that he had
asked the destruction of their order for the trust and the affiance of
that purse, and for the great pride that they should have. And so it
was. And therefore look he keep him well, that shall wake. For if he
sleep he is lost, that never man shall see him more.
This is not the right way for to go to the parts that I have named
before, but for to see the marvel that I have spoken of. And therefore
whoso will go right way, men go from Trebizond toward Armenia the Great
unto a city that is clept Erzeroum, that was wont to be a good city and a
plenteous; but the Turks have greatly wasted it. There-about groweth no
wine nor fruit, but little or else none. In this land is the earth more
high than in any other, and that maketh great cold. And there be many
good waters and good wells that come under earth from the flom of
Paradise, that is clept Euphrates, that is a journey beside that city;
and that river cometh towards Ind under earth, and resorteth into the
land of Altazar. And so pass men by this Armenia and enter the sea of
Persia.
From that city of Erzeroum go men to an hill that is clept Sabissocolle.
And there beside is another hill that men clepe Ararat, but the Jews
clepe it Taneez, where Noah’s ship rested, and yet is upon that mountain.
And men may see it afar in clear weather. And that mountain is well a
seven mile high. And some men say that they have seen and touched the
ship, and put their fingers in the parts where the fiend went out, when
that Noah said, _Benedicite_. But they that say such words, say their
will. For a man may not go up the mountain, for great plenty of snow
that is always on that mountain, neither summer nor winter. So that no
man may go up there, ne never man did, since the time of Noah, save a
monk that, by the grace of God, brought one of the planks down, that yet
is in the minster at the foot of the mountain.
And beside is the city of Dain that Noah founded. And fast by is the
city of Any in the which were wont to be a thousand churches.
But upon that mountain to go up, this monk had great desire. And so upon
a day, he went up. And when he was upward the three part of the mountain
he was so weary that he might no further, and so he rested him, and fell
asleep. And when he awoke he found himself lying at the foot of the
mountain. And then he prayed devoutly to God that he would vouchsafe to
suffer him go up. And an angel came to him, and said that he should go
up. And so he did. And sith that time never none. Wherefore men should
not believe such words.
From that mountain go men to the city of Thauriso that was wont to be
clept Taxis, that is a full fair city and a great, and one of the best
that is in the world for merchandise; thither come all merchants for to
buy avoirdupois, and it is in the land of the Emperor of Persia. And men
say that the emperor taketh more good in that city for custom of
merchandise than doth the richest Christian king of all his realm that
liveth. For the toll and the custom of his merchants is without
estimation to be numbered. Beside that city is a hill of salt, and of
that salt every man taketh what he will for to salt with, to his need.
There dwell many Christian men under tribute of Saracens. And from that
city, men pass by many towns and castles in going toward Ind unto the
city of Sadonia, that is a ten journeys from Thauriso, and it is a full
noble city and a great. And there dwelleth the Emperor of Persia in
summer; for the country is cold enough. And there be good rivers bearing
ships.
After go men the way toward Ind by many journeys, and by many countries,
unto the city that is clept Cassak, and that is a full noble city, and a
plenteous of corns and wines and of all other goods. This is the city
where the three kings met together when they went to seek our Lord in
Bethlehem to worship him and to present him with gold, incense, and
myrrh. And it is from that city to Bethlehem fifty-three journeys. From
that city men go to another city that is clept Gethe, that is a journey
from the sea that men clepe the Gravelly Sea. That is the best city that
the Emperor of Persia hath in all his land. And they clepe flesh there
Dabago and the wine Vapa. And the Paynims say that no Christian man may
not long dwell ne endure with the life in that city, but die within short
time; and no man knoweth not the cause.
After go men by many cities and towns and great countries that it were
too long to tell unto the city of Cornaa that was wont to be so great
that the walls about hold twenty-five mile about. The walls shew yet,
but it is not all inhabited. From Cornaa go men by many lands and many
cities and towns unto the land of Job. And there endeth the land of the
Emperor of Persia. And if ye will know the letters of Persians and what
names they have, they be such as I last devised you, but not in sounding
of their words.