The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation
Chapter 169 : 31 De multis alijs insulis Meridionalibus.32 De bona regione Mangi.33 De Pygmeis, et i

31 De multis alijs insulis Meridionalibus.

32 De bona regione Mangi.

33 De Pygmeis, et itinere vsque prouinciam Cathay.

34 De pallacio Imperatoris magni Chan.

35 De quatuor solemnitatibus, quas magnus Chan celebrat in Anno.

36 De praestigijs in festo, et de comitatu Imperatoris.

37 Qua de causa dicitur magnus Chan.

38 De territorio Cathay, et moribus Tartarorum.

39 De sepultura Imperatoris magni Chan, et de creatione successoris.

40 De multis regionibus Imperio Tartariae subiectis.

41 De magnificentia Imperatoris Indiae.

42 De frequentia Palatij, et comitatu Imperatoris praesbiteri Ioannis.

43 De quisbusdam miris per Regiones Imperij Indiae.

44 De loco et dispositione Vallis infaustae.

45 De quibusdam alijs admirandis, per Indorum insulas.

46 De periculis et tormentis in valle infausta.

47 De Bragmannorum insulis, et aliorum.

48 Aliquid de loco Paradisi terrestris per auditum.

49 In reuertendo de Regnis Ca.s.sam, et Riboth, de Diuite Epulone, vel consimili.

50 De compositione huius tractatus in Ciuitate Leodiensi.

Liber Praesens, Cvivs Avthor est Ioannes Mandevil militaris ordinis, agit de diuersis patrijs, Regionibus, Prouincijs, et insulis, Turcia, Armenia maiore et minore, aegypto, Lybia ba.s.sa et alta, Syria, Arabia, Persia, Chaldaea, Tartaria, India, et de infinitis insulis, Ciuitatibus, villis, castris, et locis, quae gentes, legum, morum, ac rituum inhabitant diuersorum.

DEDICATIO LIBRI.

Principi excellentissimo, prae cunctis mortalibus praecipue venerando, Domino Edwardo eius nominis tertio, diuina prouidentia Francorum et Anglorum Regi Serenissimo, Hiberniae Domino, Aquitainiae Duci, mari ac eius insulis occidentalibus dominanti, Christianorum encomio et ornatui, vniuersorumque arma gerentium Tutori, ac Probitatis et strenuitatis exemplo, principi quoque inuicto, mirabilis Alexandri Sequaci, ac vniuerso orbi tremendo, c.u.m reuerentia non qua decet, c.u.m ad talem, et tantam reuerentiam minus sufficientes ext.i.terint, sed qua paruitas, et possibilitas mittentis ac offerentis se extendunt, contenta tradantur.

Pars prima, continens Capita 23.

CAPVT. 1.

Commendatio breuis terrae Hierosolimitanae.

c.u.m terra Hierosolimitana, terra promissionis filiorum Dei, dignior cunctis mundi terris sit habenda multis ex causis, et praecipue illa, quod Deus conditor coeli et mundi, ipsam tanti dignatus fuit aestimare, vt in eo proprinm filium saluatorem mundi, Christum exhibuerit generi humano per incarnationem ex intemerata Virgine, et per eius conuersationem humillimam in eadem, ac per dolorosam mortis suae consummationem ibidem, atque inde per eius admirandam resurrectionem, ac ascensionem in coelum, et postrem quia creditur illic in fine seculi reuersurus, et omnia iudicaturus: certum est, qud ab omnibus qui Christiano nomine a Christo dic.u.n.tur, sit tanquam a suis proprijs haeredibus diligenda, et pro cuiusque potestate ac modulo honoranda. [Sidenote: Loquitur secundum tempora in quibus vixit.] A principibus quidem, et potentibus vt ipsam conentur de infidelium manibus recuperare, qui eam iam pridem a n.o.bis, nostris exigentibus meritis, abstulerunt, et per annos heu plurimos possederunt: a mediocribus antem et valentibus, vt per peregrinationem deuotam loca tam pia, et vestigia Christi ac discipolorum tam Sancta, princ.i.p.aliter in remissionem visitent delictorum. Ab impotentibus ver, et impeditis, quatenus supradictos vel hortentur, vel in aliquo modo iuuent, seu certe fideles fondant orationes.

Verum quia iam nostris temporibus verius quam olim dici potest,

Virtus, Ecclesia, Clerus, daemon, symonia, Cessat, calcatur, errat, regnat, dominatur,

ecce iusto Dei iudicio, credita est terra tam inclyta, et sacrosancta impiorum manibus Saracenorum, quod non est absque dolore pijs mentibus audiendum, et recolendum. EGO Ioannes Mandeuill militaris ordinis saltem gerens nomen, natus et educatus in terra Angliae, in villa sancti Albani, ducebar in Adolescentia mea tali inspiratione, vt quamuis non per potentiam, nec per vires proprias possem praefatam terram suis haeredibus recuperare, irem tamen per aliquod temporis s.p.a.cium peregrinari ibidem, et salutarem aliquantulum de propinquo. [Sidenote: Ioannis Mandiuilli peregrinatio, per tres et triginta annos continuata.] Vnde in anno ab Incarnatione Domini 1322. imposui me nauigationi Marsiliensis maris et vsque in hoc temporis, Anni 1355. scilicet, per 33. annos in transmarinis partibus mansi, peregrinatus sum, ambulaui, et circuiui multas, ac diuersas patrias, regiones, prouincias, et insulas, Turciam, Armeniam maiorem, et minorem, aegyptum, Lybiam ba.s.sam et altam, Syriam, Arabiam, Persiam, Chaldeam, aethiopiae partem magnam, Tartariam, Amazoniam, Indiam minorem, et mediam, ac partem magnam de maiori, et in istis, et circ.u.m istas regiones, multas insulas, Ciuitates, vrbes, castra, villas, et loca, vbi habitant variae gentes, aspectuum, morum, legum, ac rituum, diuersorum: Attamen quia summo desiderio in terra promissionis eram, ipsam diligentius per loca vestigiorum filij Dei perl.u.s.trare curaui, et diutius in illa steti.

Quapropter et in hac prima parte huius operis iter tam peregrinandi, quam nauigandi, a partibus Angliae ad ipsam describo, et loca notabiliter sancta, quae intra eandem sunt breuiter commemoro et diligenter, quatenus peregrinis tam in itinere quam in prouentione valeat haec descriptio in aliquo deseruire.

The English Version. [Footnote: This English version (for the variations from the Latin are so great that it cannot be called a _translation_) was published in 1725 from a MS. of the end of the 14th or beginning of the 15th century, in the Cottonian Library, marked t.i.tus. C. xvi.

Instead of being divided into 50 chapters like the Latin, it contains only 33, but I have thought it best to make it correspond as nearly with the Latin as possible, merely indicating where the various chapters begin in the English version. From the last paragraph of the introductory chapter, it would seem that the English version was written by Mandeville himself.--E. G.]

[Sidenote: The Prologue] For als moche as the Lond bezonde the See, that is to seye, the Holy Lond, that men callen the Lond of Promyssioun, or of Beheste, pa.s.synge alle othere Londes, is the most worthi Lond, most excellent, and Lady and Sovereyn of alle othere Londes, and is blessed and halewed of the precyous Body and Blood of oure Lord Jesu Crist; in the whiche Lond it lykede him to take Flesche and Blood of the Virgyne Marie, to envyrone that holy Lond with his blessede Feet; and there he wolde of his blessednesse enoumbre him in the seyd blessed and gloriouse Virgine Marie, and become Man, and worche many Myracles, and preche and teche the Feythe and the Lawe of Cristene Men unto his Children; and there it lykede him to suffre many Reprevinges and Scornes for us; and he that was Kyng of Hevene, of Eyr, of Erthe, of See and of alle thinges that ben conteyned in hem, wolde alle only ben cleped Kyng of that Lond, whan he seyde, "_Rex sum Judeorum_," that is to seyne, "I am Kyng of Jewes;" and that Lond he chees before alle other. Londes, as the beste and most worthi Lond, and the most vertouse lond of alle the world: For it is the herte and the myddes of all the world; wytnessynge the philosophere, that seythe thus; "_Vertus rerum in medio consist.i.t:_" That is to seye, "The vertue of thinges is in the myddes;" and in that Lond he wolde lede his lyf, and suffre pa.s.sioun and dethe of Jewes, for us; for to bye and to delyvere us from peynes of h.e.l.le, and from dethe withouten ende; the whiche was ordeyned for us, for the synne of oure formere fader Adam, and for oure owne synnes also: for as for himself, he hadde non evylle deserved: For he thoughte nevere evylle ne dyd evylle: And he that was kyng of glorie and of joye myghten best in that place suffre dethe; because he ches in that lond, rathere than in ony othere, there to suffre his pa.s.sioun and his dethe: For he that wil pupplische ony thing to make it openly knowen, he wil make it to ben cryed and p.r.o.nounced, in the myddel place of a town; so that the thing that is proclamed and p.r.o.nounced, may evenly strecche to alle parties: Righte so, he that was formyour of alle the world, wolde suffre for us at Jerusalem; that is the myddes of the world; to that ende and entent, that his pa.s.sioun and his dethe, that was pupplischt there, myghte ben knowen evenly to alle the parties of the world. See now how dere he boughte man, that he made after his owne ymage, and how dere he azen boghte us, for the grete love that he hadde to us; and we nevere deserved it to him. For more precyous catelle ne gretter ransoum, ne myghte he put for us, than his blessede body, his precyous blood, and his holy lyf, that he thralled for us; and alle he offred for us, that nevere did synne. A dere G.o.d, what love hadde he to his subjettes, whan he that nevere tres.p.a.ced, wolde for trespa.s.sours suffre dethe! Righte wel oughte us for to love and worschipe, to drede and serven suche a Lord; and to worschipe and preyse suche an holy lond, that broughte forthe suche fruyt, thorghe the whiche every man is saved, but it be his owne defaute. Wel may that lond be called delytable and a fructuous lond, that was bebledd [Footnote: Coloured with blood] and moysted with the precyouse blode of oure Lord Jesu Crist; the whiche is the same lond, that oure lord behighten us in heritage. And in that lond he wolde dye, as seised, for to leve it to us his children. Wherfore every G.o.de Cristene man, that is of powere, and hathe whereof, scholde peynen him with all his strengthe for to conquere oure righte heritage, and chacen out alle the mysbeleevynge men. For wee ben clept cristene men, aftre Crist our Fadre.

And zif wee ben righte children of Crist, we oughte for to chalenge the heritage, that oure Fadre lafte us, and do it out of hethene mennes hondes.

But nowe pryde, covetyse and envye han so enflawmed the hertes of lordes of the world, that thei are more besy for to disherite here neyghbores, more than for to chalenge or to conquere here righte heritage before seyd. And the comoun peple, that wolde putte here bodyes and here catelle, for to conquere oure heritage, thei may not don it withouten the lordes. For a semblee of peple withouten a cheventeyn, [Footnote: Chieftain.] or a chief lord, is as a flock of scheep withouten a schepperde; the whiche departeth and desparpleth, [Footnote: Disperseth.] and wyten never whidre to go. But wolde G.o.d, that the temporel lordes and all worldly lordes weren at G.o.de accord, and with the comen peple woulden taken this holy viage over the see. Thanne I trowe wel, that within a lytyl tyme, our righte heritage before seyd scholde be reconsyled and put in the hondes of the right heires of Jesu Crist.

And for als moche as it is longe tyme pa.s.sed, that there was no generalle pa.s.sage ne vyage over the see; and many men desiren for to here speke of the holy lond, and han thereof great solace and comfort; I John Maundevylle, Knyght, alle be it I be not worthi, that was born in Englond, in the town of Scynt Albones, pa.s.sed the see in the zeer of our Lord Jesu Crist MCCCXXII, in the day of Seynt Mich.e.l.le; and hidre [Footnote: There.]

to have ben longe tyme over the see, and have seyn and gon thorghe manye dyverse londes, and many provynces and Kingdomes and iles, and have pa.s.sed thorghe Tartarye, Percye, Ermonye [Footnote: Armenia.] the litylle and the grete; thorghe Lybye, Caldee, and a gret partie of Ethiope; thorghe Amazoyne, Inde the la.s.se and the more, a gret partie; and thorghe out many othere iles, that ben abouten Inde; where dwellen many dyverse folkes, and of dyverse manneres and lawes, and of dyverse schappes of men. Of which londes and iles, I schall speake more pleynly hereaftre. And I schall devise zou sum partie of thinges that there ben, whan time schalle ben, aftre it may best come to my mynde; and specially for hem, that wylle and are in purpos for to visite the holy citee of Jerusalem, and the holy places that are thereaboute. And I schalle telle the weye, that thei schulle holden thidre. For I have often tymes pa.s.sed and ryden the way, with G.o.de companye of many lordes: G.o.d be thonked.

And zee schulle undirstonde, that I have put this boke out of Latyn into Frensche, and translated it azen out of Frensche into Englyssche, that every man of my nacioun may undirstonde it. But lordes and knyghtes and othere n.o.ble and worthi men, that conne Latyn but litylle, and han ben bezonde the see, knowen and undirstonden, zif I erre in devisynge, for forzetynge, [Footnote: Forgetting.] or elles; that thei mowe redresse it and amende it. For thinges pa.s.sed out of longe tyme from a mannes mynde or from his syght, turnen sone into forzetynge: Because that mynde of man ne may not ben comprehended ne witheholden, for the freeltee of mankynde.

To teche zou the Weye out of Englond to Constantin.o.ble.

[Sidenote: Cap I.] In the name of G.o.d Glorious and Allemyghty. He that wil pa.s.se over the see, to go to the city of Jerusalem, he may go by many wayes, bothe on see and londe, aftre the contree that hee cometh fro; manye of hem comen to on ende. But troweth not that I wil telle zou alle the townes and cytees and castelles, that men schulle go by; for than scholde I make to longe a tale; but alle only summe contrees and most princypalle stedes, that men schulle gone thorgh, to gon the righte way.

CAPVT. 2.

Iter ab Anglia tam per terras quam per aquas vsque in Constantinopolim.

Qui de Hybernia, Anglia, Scotia, Noruegia, aut Gallia, iter arripit ad partes Hierosolymitanas potest saltem vsque ad Imperialem Greciae Ciuitatem Constantinopolim eligere sibi modum proficiscendi, siue per terras, siue per aquas. Et si peregrinando eligit transigere viam, tendat per Coloniam Agrippinam, et sic per Almaniam in Hungariam ad Montlusant Ciuitatem, sedem Regni Hungariae. [Sidenote: Regis Hungariae olim potentia.] Et est Rex Hungariae multum potens istis temporibus. Nam tenet et Sclauoniam, et magnam partem Regni Comannorum, et Hungariam, et partem Regni Russiae. Oportet vt peregrinus in finibus Hungariae transeat magnum Danubij flumen, et vadat in Belgradum; Hoc flumen oritur inter Montana Almaniae, et currens versus Orientem, recipit in se 40. flumina antequam finiatur in mare. De Belgrade intratur terra Bulgariae, et transitur per Pontem petrinum fluuij Marroy, et per terram Pyncenars, et tunc intratur Graecia, in Ciuitates, Sternes, Asmopape, et Andrinopolis, et sic in Constantinopolim, vbi communiter est sedes Imperatoris Greciae. Qui autem viam eligit per aquas versus Constantinopolim nauigare, accipiat sibi portum, prout voluerit, propinquum siue remotum, Marsiliae, Pisi, Ianuae, Venetijs, Romae, Neapoli, vel alibi: sicque transeat Tusciam, Campaniam, Italiam, Corsicam, Sardiniam, vsque in Siciliam, quae diuiditur ab Italia per brachiam maris non magnum. [Sidenote: Mons aetna.] In Sicilia est mons aetna iugiter ardens, qui ibidem apellatur Mons Gibelle, et praeter illum habentur ibi loca Golthan vbi sunt septem leucae quasi semper ignem spirantes: secundum diuersitatem colorum harum flammarum estimant. [Sidenote: Aeolides insulae.] Incolae annum fertilem fore, vel sterilem, sicc.u.m vel humidum, calidum, vel frigidum: haec loca vocant caminos Infernales, et a finibus Italiae vsque ad ista loca sunt 25.

miliaria. [Sidenote: Temperes Siciliae Insulae.] Sunt autem in Sicilia aliqua Pomeria in quibus inueniuntur frondes, flores, et fructus per totum annum, etiam, in profunda hyeme. Regnum Siciliae est bona, et grandis insula habens in circuitu fere leucas 300. [Sidenote: Leuca Lombardica. Quid sit dieta.]

Et ne quis eret, vel de facili reprehendat quoties scribo leucam, intelligendum est de leuca Lombardica, quae aliquant maior est Geometrica; et quoties pono numerum, sub intelligatur fere, vel circiter, siue citra, et dietam intendo ponere, de 10. Lombardicis leucis: Geometrica autem leuca describitur, vt notum est, per hos versus.

Quinque pedes pa.s.sum faciunt, pa.s.sus quoque centum Viginti quinque stadium, si millia des que Octo facis stadia, duplicatum dat tibi leuca.

[Sidenote: Portus Greciae.] Postquam itaque peregrinus se credidit Deo et mari, si prospera sibi fuerit nauigatio, non ascendet in terram, donec intret aliquem portum Greciae, scilicet, Myrroyt, Valonae, Durase, siue alium prout Diuinae placuerit uoluntati, et exhinc ibit Constantinopolim praaedictam, quaae olim Bysantium, vel Vesaton dicebatur. Hic autem notandum est, qud a portu Venetie, vsque ad Constantinopolim directe per mare octingentae leucae et 80. communiter computantur ibi contentae.

The English Version.

First, zif a man come from the west syde of the world, as Engelond, Irelond, Wales, Skotlond or Norwaye; he may, zif that he wole, go thorge Almayne, and thorge the kyngdom of Hungarye, that marchethe to the lond of Polayne, and to the lond of Pannonye, and so to Slesie. And the Kyng of Hungarye is a gret lord and a myghty, and holdeth grete lordschippes and meche lond in his hond. For he holdeth the kyngdom of Hungarie, Solavonye and of Comanye a gret part, and of Bulgarie, that men clepen the lond of Bougiers, and of the Reme of Roussye a gret partie, whereof he hathe made a d.u.c.h.ee, that lasteth unto the lond of Nyflan, and marchethe to Pruysse. And men gon thorghe the lond of this lord, thorghe a cytee that is clept Cyp.r.o.n, and by the castelle of Neaseburghe, and be the evylle town, that sytt toward the ende of Hungarye. And there pa.s.se men the ryvere of Danubee. This ryvere of Danubee is a fulle gret ryvere; and it gothe into Almayne, undre the hilles of Lombardye: and it receiveth into him 40 othere ryveres; and it rennethe thorghe Hungarie and thorghe Greece and thorghe Traachie, and it entreth into the see, toward the est, so rudely and so scharply, that the watre of the see is fressche and holdethe his swetnesse 20 myle within the see.

And aftre gon men to Belgrave, and entren into the lond of Bourgres; [Footnote: Bulgaria.] and there pa.s.se men a brigge of ston, that is upon the ryver of Marrok. [Footnote: The river Maros.] And men pa.s.sen thorghe the lond of Pyncemartz, and comen to Greece to the cytee of Nye, and to the cytee of Fynepape, and aftre to the cytee of Dandren.o.ble, [Footnote: Adrianople.] and aftre to Constantyn.o.ble, that was wont to be clept Bezanzon.

CAPVT. 3.