_Of the evil customs used in the Isle of Lamary_. _And how the earth and
the sea be of round form and shape_, _by proof of the star that is clept
Antarctic_, _that is fixed in the south_
FROM that country go men by the sea ocean, and by many divers isles and
by many countries that were too long for to tell of. And a fifty-two
journeys from this land that I have spoken of, there is another land,
that is full great, that men clepe Lamary. In that land is full great
heat. And the custom there is such, that men and women go all naked.
And they scorn when they see any strange folk going clothed. And they
say, that God made Adam and Eve all naked, and that no man should shame
him to shew him such as God made him, for nothing is foul that is of
kindly nature. And they say, that they that be clothed be folk of
another world, or they be folk that trow not in God. And they say, that
they believe in God that formed the world, and that made Adam and Eve and
all other things. And they wed there no wives, for all the women there
be common and they forsake no man. And they say they sin if they refuse
any man; and so God commanded to Adam and Eve and to all that come of
him, when he said, _Crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram_. And
therefore may no man in that country say, This is my wife; ne no woman
may say, This my husband. And when they have children, they may give
them to what man they will that hath companied with them. And also all
the land is common; for all that a man holdeth one year, another man hath
it another year; and every man taketh what part that him liketh. And
also all the goods of the land be common, corns and all other things: for
nothing there is kept in close, ne nothing there is under lock, and every
man there taketh what he will without any contradiction, and as rich is
one man there as is another.
But in that country there is a cursed custom, for they eat more gladly
man’s flesh than any other flesh; and yet is that country abundant of
flesh, of fish, of corns, of gold and silver, and of all other goods.
Thither go merchants and bring with them children to sell to them of the
country, and they buy them. And if they be fat they eat them anon. And
if they be lean they feed them till they be fat, and then they eat them.
And they say, that it is the best flesh and the sweetest of all the
world.
In that land, ne in many other beyond that, no man may see the Star
Transmontane, that is clept the Star of the Sea, that is unmovable and
that is toward the north, that we clepe the Lode-star. But men see
another star, the contrary to him, that is toward the south, that is
clept Antartic. And right as the ship-men take their advice here and
govern them by the Lode-star, right so do ship-men beyond those parts by
the star of the south, the which star appeareth not to us. And this star
that is toward the north, that we clepe the Lode-star, ne appeareth not
to them. For which cause men may well perceive, that the land and the
sea be of round shape and form; for the part of the firmament sheweth in
one country that sheweth not in another country. And men may well prove
by experience and subtle compassment of wit, that if a man found passages
by ships that would go to search the world, men might go by ship all
about the world and above and beneath.
The which thing I prove thus after that I have seen. For I have been
toward the parts of Brabant, and beholden the Astrolabe that the star
that is clept the Transmontane is fifty-three degrees high; and more
further in Almayne and Bohemia it hath fifty-eight degrees; and more
further toward the parts septentrional it is sixty-two degrees of height
and certain minutes; for I myself have measured it by the Astrolabe. Now
shall ye know, that against the Transmontane is the tother star that is
clept Antarctic, as I have said before. And those two stars ne move
never, and by them turneth all the firmament right as doth a wheel that
turneth by his axle-tree. So that those stars bear the firmament in two
equal parts, so that it hath as much above as it hath beneath. After
this, I have gone toward the parts meridional, that is, toward the south,
and I have found that in Lybia men see first the star Antarctic. And so
far I have gone more further in those countries, that I have found that
star more high; so that toward the High Lybia it is eighteen degrees of
height and certain minutes (of the which sixty minutes make a degree).
After going by sea and by land toward this country of that I have spoken,
and to other isles and lands beyond that country, I have found the Star
Antarctic of thirty-three degrees of height and more minutes. And if I
had had company and shipping for to go more beyond, I trow well, in
certain, that we should have seen all the roundness of the firmament all
about. For, as I have said to you before, the half of the firmament is
between those two stars, the which halvendel I have seen. And of the
tother halvendel I have seen, toward the north under the Transmontane,
sixty-two degrees and ten minutes, and toward the part meridional I have
seen under the Antarctic, thirty-three degrees and sixteen minutes. And
then, the halvendel of the firmament in all holdeth not but nine score
degrees. And of those nine score, I have seen sixty-two on that one part
and thirty-three on that other part; that be, ninety-five degrees and
nigh the halvendel of a degree. And so, there ne faileth but that I have
seen all the firmament, save four score and four degrees and the
halvendel of a degree, and that is not the fourth part of the firmament;
for the fourth part of the roundness of the firmament holds four score
and ten degrees, so there faileth but five degrees and an half of the
fourth part. And also I have seen the three parts of all the roundness
of the firmament and more yet five degrees and a half. By the which I
say you certainly that men may environ all the earth of all the world, as
well under as above, and turn again to his country, that had company and
shipping and conduct. And always he should find men, lands and isles, as
well as in this country. For ye wit well, that they that be toward the
Antarctic, they be straight, feet against feet, of them that dwell under
the Transmontane; also well as we and they that dwell under us be feet
against feet. For all the parts of sea and of land have their opposites,
habitable trepassable, and they of this half and beyond half.
And wit well, that, after that that I may perceive and comprehend, the
lands of Prester John, Emperor of Ind, be under us. For in going from
Scotland or from England toward Jerusalem men go upward always. For our
land is in the low part of the earth toward the west, and the land of
Prester John is in the low part of the earth toward the east. And [they]
have there the day when we have the night; and also, high to the
contrary, they have the night when we have the day. For the earth and
the sea be of round form and shape, as I have said before; and that that
men go upward to one coast, men go downward to another coast.
Also ye have heard me say that Jerusalem is in the midst of the world.
And that may men prove, and shew there by a spear, that is pight into the
earth, upon the hour of midday, when it is equinox, that sheweth no
shadow on no side. And that it should be in the midst of the world,
David witnesseth it in the Psalter, where he saith, _Deus operatus est
salutem in media terrae_. Then, they, that part from those parts of the
west for to go toward Jerusalem, as many journeys as they go upward for
to go thither, in as many journeys may they go from Jerusalem unto other
confines of the superficiality of the earth beyond. And when men go
beyond those journeys toward Ind and to the foreign isles, all is
environing the roundness of the earth and of the sea under our countries
on this half.
And therefore hath it befallen many times of one thing that I have heard
counted when I was young, how a worthy man departed some-time from our
countries for to go search the world. And so he passed Ind and the isles
beyond Ind, where be more than 5000 isles. And so long he went by sea
and land, and so environed the world by many seasons, that he found an
isle where he heard speak his own language, calling on oxen in the
plough, such words as men speak to beasts in his own country whereof he
had great marvel, for he knew not how it might be. But I say, that he
had gone so long by land and by sea, that he had environed all the earth;
that he was come again environing, that is to say, going about, unto his
own marches, and if he would have passed further, till he had found his
country and his own knowledge. But he turned again from thence, from
whence he was come from. And so he lost much painful labour, as himself
said a great while after that he was come home. For it befell after,
that he went into Norway. And there tempest of the sea took him, and he
arrived in an isle. And, when he was in that isle, he knew well that it
was the isle, where he had heard speak his own language before and the
calling of oxen at the plough; and that was possible thing.
But how it seemeth to simple men unlearned, that men ne may not go under
the earth, and also that men should fall toward the heaven from under.
But that may not be, upon less than we may fall toward heaven from the
earth where we be. For from what part of the earth that men dwell,
either above or beneath, it seemeth always to them that dwell that they
go more right than any other folk. And right as it seemeth to us that
they be under us, right so it seemeth to them that we be under them. For
if a man might fall from the earth unto the firmament, by greater, reason
the earth and the sea that be so great and so heavy should fall to the
firmament: but that may not be, and therefore saith our Lord God, _Non
timeas me_, _qui suspendi terram ex nihilo_?
And albeit that it be possible thing that men may so environ all the
world, natheles, of a thousand persons, one ne might not happen to return
into his country. For, for the greatness of the earth and of the sea,
men may go by a thousand and a thousand other ways, that no man could
ready him perfectly toward the parts that he came from, but if it were by
adventure and hap, or by the grace of God. For the earth is full large
and full great, and holds in roundness and about environ, by above and by
beneath, 20425 miles, after the opinion of old wise astronomers; and
their sayings I reprove nought. But, after my little wit, it seemeth me,
saving their reverence, that it is more.
And for to have better understanding I say thus. Be there imagined a
figure that hath a great compass. And, about the point of the great
compass that is clept the centre, be made another little compass. Then
after, be the great compass devised by lines in many parts, and that all
the lines meet at the centre. So, that in as many parts as the great
compass shall be departed, in as many shall be departed the little, that
is about the centre, albeit that the spaces be less. Now then, be the
great compass represented for the firmament, and the little compass
represented for the earth. Now then, the firmament is devised by
astronomers in twelve signs, and every sign is devised in thirty degrees;
that is, 360 degrees that the firmament hath above. Also, be the earth
devised in as many parts as the firmament, and let every part answer to a
degree of the firmament. And wit it well, that, after the authors of
astronomy, 700 furlongs of earth answer to a degree of the firmament, and
those be eighty-seven miles and four furlongs. Now be that here
multiplied by 360 sithes, and then they be 31,500 miles every of eight
furlongs, after miles of our country. So much hath the earth in
roundness and of height environ, after mine opinion and mine
understanding.
And ye shall understand, that after the opinion of old wise philosophers
and astronomers, our country ne Ireland ne Wales ne Scotland ne Norway ne
the other isles coasting to them ne be not in the superficiality counted
above the earth, as it sheweth by all the books of astronomy. For the
superficiality of the earth is parted in seven parts for the seven
planets, and those parts be clept climates. And our parts be not of the
seven climates, for they be descending toward the west †[drawing] towards
the roundness of the world. †And also these isles of Ind which be even
against us be not reckoned in the climates. For they be against us that
be in the low country. And the seven climates stretch them environing
the world.