_Of the Royal Estate of Prester John_. _And of a rich man that made a
marvellous castle and cleped it Paradise_; _and of his subtlety_
THIS emperor, Prester John, holds full great land, and hath many full
noble cities and good towns in his realm, and many great diverse isles
and large. For all the country of Ind is devised in isles for the great
floods that come from Paradise, that depart all the land in many parts.
And also in the sea he hath full many isles. And the best city in the
Isle of Pentexoire is Nyse, that is a full royal city and a noble, and
full rich.
This Prester John hath under him many kings and many isles and many
diverse folk of diverse conditions. And this land is full good and rich,
but not so rich as is the land of the great Chan. For the merchants come
not thither so commonly for to buy merchandises, as they do in the land
of the great Chan, for it is too far to travel to. And on that other
part, in the Isle of Cathay, men find all manner thing that is need to
man—cloths of gold, of silk, of spicery and all manner avoirdupois. And
therefore, albeit that men have greater cheap in the Isle of Prester
John, natheles, men dread the long way and the great perils in the sea in
those parts.
For in many places of the sea be great rocks of stones of the adamant,
that of his proper nature draweth iron to him. And therefore there pass
no ships that have either bonds or nails of iron within them. And if
there do, anon the rocks of the adamants draw them to them, that never
they may go thence. I myself have seen afar in that sea, as though it
had been a great isle full of tree, and buscaylle, full of thorns and
briars, great plenty. And the shipmen told us, that all that was of
ships that were drawn thither by the adamants, for the iron that was in
them. And of the rotten-ness, and other thing that was within the ships,
grew such buscaylle, and thorns and briars and green grass, and such
manner of thing; and of the masts and the sail-yards; it seemed a great
wood or a grove. And such rocks be in many places thereabout. And
therefore dare not the merchants pass there, but if they know well the
passages, or else that they have good lodesmen.
And also they dread the long way. And therefore they go to Cathay, for
it is more nigh. And yet it is not so nigh, but that men must be
travelling by sea and land, eleven months or twelve, from Genoa or from
Venice, or he come to Cathay. And yet is the land of Prester John more
far by many dreadful journeys.
And the merchants pass by the kingdom of Persia, and go to a city that is
Clept Hermes, for Hermes the philosopher founded it. And after that they
pass an arm of the sea, and then they go to another city that is clept
Golbache. And there they find merchandises, and of popinjays, as great
plenty as men find here of geese. And if they will pass further, they
may go sikerly enough. In that country is but little wheat or barley,
and therefore they eat rice and honey and milk and cheese and fruit.
This Emperor Prester John taketh always to his wife the daughter of the
great Chan; and the great Chan also, in the same wise, the daughter of
Prester John. For these two be the greatest lords under the firmament.
In the land of Prester John be many diverse things and many precious
stones, so great and so large, that men make of them vessels, as
platters, dishes and cups. And many other marvels be there, that it were
too cumbrous and too long to put it in scripture of books; but of the
principal isles and of his estate and of his law, I shall tell you some
part.
This Emperor Prester John is Christian, and a great part of his country
also. But yet, they have not all the articles of our faith as we have.
They believe well in the Father, in the Son and in the Holy Ghost. And
they be full devout and right true one to another. And they set not by
no barretts, ne by cautels, nor of no deceits.
And he hath under him seventy-two provinces, and in every province is a
king. And these kings have kings under them, and all be tributaries to
Prester John. And he hath in his lordships many great marvels.
For in his country is the sea that men clepe the Gravelly Sea, that is
all gravel and sand, without any drop of water, and it ebbeth and floweth
in great waves as other seas do, and it is never still ne in peace, in no
manner season. And no man may pass that sea by navy, ne by no manner of
craft, and therefore may no man know what land is beyond that sea. And
albeit that it have no water, yet men find therein and on the banks full
good fish of other manner of kind and shape, than men find in any other
sea, and they be of right good taste and delicious to man’s meat.
And a three journeys long from that sea be great mountains, out of the
which goeth out a great flood that cometh out of Paradise. And it is
full of precious stones, without any drop of water, and it runneth
through the desert on that one side, so that it maketh the sea gravelly;
and it beareth into that sea, and there it endeth. And that flome
runneth, also, three days in the week and bringeth with him great stones
and the rocks also therewith, and that great plenty. And anon, as they
be entered into the Gravelly Sea, they be seen no more, but lost for
evermore. And in those three days that that river runneth, no man dare
enter into it; but in the other days men dare enter well enough.
Also beyond that flome, more upward to the deserts, is a great plain all
gravelly, between the mountains. And in that plain, every day at the
sun-rising, begin to grow small trees, and they grow till mid-day,
bearing fruit; but no man dare take of that fruit, for it is a thing of
faerie. And after mid-day, they decrease and enter again into the earth,
so that at the going down of the sun they appear no more. And so they
do, every day. And that is a great marvel.
In that desert be many wild men, that be hideous to look on; for they be
horned, and they speak nought, but they grunt, as pigs. And there is
also great plenty of wild hounds. And there be many popinjays, that they
clepe psittakes their language. And they speak of their proper nature,
and salute men that go through the deserts, and speak to them as apertly
as though it were a man. And they that speak well have a large tongue,
and have five toes upon a foot. And there be also of another manner,
that have but three toes upon a foot, and they speak not, or but little,
for they can not but cry.
This Emperor Prester John when he goeth into battle against any other
lord, he hath no banners borne before him; but he hath three crosses of
gold, fine, great and high, full of precious stones, and every of those
crosses be set in a chariot, full richly arrayed. And for to keep every
cross, be ordained 10,000 men of arms and more than 100,000 men on foot,
in manner as men would keep a standard in our countries, when that we be
in land of war. And this number of folk is without the principal host
and without wings ordained for the battle. And when he hath no war, but
rideth with a privy meinie, then he hath borne before him but one cross
of tree, without painting and without gold or silver or precious stones,
in remembrance that Jesu Christ suffered death upon a cross of tree. And
he hath borne before him also a platter of gold full of earth, in token
that his noblesse and his might and his flesh shall turn to earth. And
he hath borne before him also a vessel of silver, full of noble jewels of
gold full rich and of precious stones, in token of his lordship and of
his noblesse and of his might.
He dwelleth commonly in the city of Susa. And there is his principal
palace, that is so rich and so noble, that no man will trow it by
estimation, but he had seen it. And above the chief tower of the palace
be two round pommels of gold, and in everych of them be two carbuncles
great and large, that shine full bright upon the night. And the
principal gates of his palace be of precious stone that men clepe
sardonyx, and the border and the bars be of ivory. And the windows of
the halls and chambers be of crystal. And the tables whereon men eat,
some be of emeralds, some of amethyst, and some of gold, full of precious
stones; and the pillars that bear up the tables be of the same precious
stones. And the degrees to go up to his throne, where he sitteth at the
meat, one is of onyx, another is of crystal, and another of jasper green,
another of amethyst, another of sardine, another of cornelian, and the
seventh, that he setteth on his feet, is of chrysolite. And all these
degrees be bordered with fine gold, with the tother precious stones, set
with great pearls orient. And the sides of the siege of his throne be of
emeralds, and bordered with gold full nobly, and dubbed with other
precious stones and great pearls. And all the pillars in his chamber be
of fine gold with precious stones, and with many carbuncles, that give
great light upon the night to all people. And albeit that the carbuncles
give light right enough, natheles, at all times burneth a vessel of
crystal full of balm, for to give good smell and odour to the emperor,
and to void away all wicked airs and corruptions. And the form of his
bed is of fine sapphires, bended with gold, for to make him sleep well
and to refrain him from lechery; for he will not lie with his wives, but
four sithes in the year, after the four seasons, and that is only for to
engender children.
He hath also a full fair palace and a noble at the city of Nyse, where
that he dwelleth, when him best liketh; but the air is not so attempre,
as it is at the city of Susa.
And ye shall understand, that in all his country nor in the countries
there all about, men eat not but once in the day, as they do in the court
of the great Chan. And so they eat every day in his court, more than
30,000 persons, without goers and comers. But the 30,000 persons of his
country, ne of the country of the great Chan, ne spend not so much good
as do 12,000 of our country.
This Emperor Prester John hath evermore seven kings with him to serve
him, and they depart their service by certain months. And with these
kings serve always seventy-two dukes and three hundred and sixty earls.
And all the days of the year, there eat in his household and in his
court, twelve archbishops and twenty bishops. And the patriarch of Saint
Thomas is there as is the pope here. And the archbishops and the bishops
and the abbots in that country be all kings. And everych of these great
lords know well enough the attendance of their service. The one is
master of his household, another is his chamberlain, another serveth him
of a dish, another of the cup, another is steward, another is marshal,
another is prince of his arms, and thus is he full nobly and royally
served. And his land dureth in very breadth four month’s journeys, and
in length out of measure, that is to say, all isles under earth that we
suppose to be under us.
Beside the isle of Pentexoire, that is the land of Prester John, is a eat
isle, long and broad, that men clepe Mistorak; and it is in the lordship
of Prester John. In that isle is great plenty of goods.
There was dwelling, sometime, a rich man; and it is not long since; and
men clept him Gatholonabes. And he was full of cautels and of subtle
deceits. And he had a full fair castle and a strong in a mountain, so
strong and so noble, that no man could devise a fairer ne stronger. And
he had let mure all the mountain about with a strong wall and a fair.
And within those walls he had the fairest garden that any man might
behold. And therein were trees bearing all manner of fruits, that any
man could devise. And therein were also all manner virtuous herbs of
good smell, and all other herbs also that bear fair flowers. And he had
also in that garden many fair wells; and beside those wells he had let
make fair halls and fair chambers, depainted all with gold and azure; and
there were in that place many diverse things, and many diverse stories:
and of beasts, and of birds that sung full delectably and moved by craft,
that it seemed that they were quick. And he had also in his garden all
manner of fowls and of beasts that any man might think on, for to have
play or sport to behold them.
And he had also, in that place, the fairest damsels that might be found,
under the age of fifteen years, and the fairest young striplings that men
might get, of that same age. And all they were clothed in cloths of
gold, full richly. And he said that those were angels.
And he had also let make three wells, fair and noble and all environed
with stone of jasper, of crystal, diapered with gold, and set with
precious stones and great orient pearls. And he had made a conduit under
earth, so that the three wells, at his list, one should run milk, another
wine and another honey. And that place he clept Paradise.
And when that any good knight, that was hardy and noble, came to see this
royalty, he would lead him into his paradise, and show him these
wonderful things to his disport, and the marvellous and delicious song of
diverse birds, and the fair damsels, and the fair wells of milk, of wine
and of honey, plenteously running. And he would let make divers
instruments of music to sound in an high tower, so merrily, that it was
joy for to hear; and no man should see the craft thereof. And those, he
said, were angels of God, and that place was Paradise, that God had
behight to his friends, saying, _Dabo vobis terram fluentem lacte et
melle_. And then would he make them to drink of certain drink, whereof
anon they should be drunk. And then would them think greater delight
than they had before. And then would he say to them, that if they would
die for him and for his love, that after their death they should come to
his paradise; and they should be of the age of those damosels, and they
should play with them, and yet be maidens. And after that yet should he
put them in a fairer paradise, where that they should see God of nature
visibly, in his majesty and in his bliss. And then would he shew them
his intent, and say them, that if they would go slay such a lord, or such
a man that was his enemy or contrarious to his list, that they should not
dread to do it and for to be slain therefore themselves. For after their
death, he would put them into another paradise, that was an hundred-fold
fairer than any of the tother; and there should they dwell with the most
fairest damosels that might be, and play with them ever-more.
And thus went many diverse lusty bachelors for to slay great lords in
diverse countries, that were his enemies, and made themselves to be
slain, in hope to have that paradise. And thus, often-time, he was
revenged of his enemies by his subtle deceits and false cautels.
And when the worthy men of the country had perceived this subtle
falsehood of this Gatholonabes, they assembled them with force, and
assailed his castle, and slew him, and destroyed all the fair places and
all the nobilities of that paradise. The place of the wells and of the
walls and of many other things be yet apertly seen, but the riches is
voided clean. And it is not long gone, since that place was destroyed.