The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation
Chapter 168 : The trauaile of Robert Turneham.Robertus Turneham Francisca.n.u.s, Theologiae professo

The trauaile of Robert Turneham.

Robertus Turneham Francisca.n.u.s, Theologiae professor insignis, Lynnae celebri Irenorum ad ripas Isidis emporio, collegio suorum fratrum magnifice praefuit. Edwardus Princeps, cognomento Longus, Henrici tertij filius, bellicam expeditionem contra Saracenos a.s.syriam incolentes, anno Dom. 1268.

parabat. Ad quam profectionem quaesitus quoque Orator vehemens, qui plebis in causa religionis animos excitaret, Turnehamus principi visus vel dignissimus est, qui munus hoc obiret. Sic tanquam signifer const.i.tutus a.s.syrios vna c.u.m Anglico exercitu petijt, ac suum non sine laude praest.i.tit officiuin. Claruit anno salutiferi partus, 1280. varia componens, sub eodem Edwardo eius nominis primo post Conquestum.

The same in English.

Robert Turneham Franciscan, a notable professor of Diuinitie, was with great dignitie Prior of the Colledge of his Order in the famous Mart Towne of Lynne, situate vpon the riuer of Isis in Norfolke. Prince Edward surnamed the Long, the sonne of Henrie the third, prepared his warlike voyage against the Saracens dwelling in Syria, in the yeere of our Lord, 1268. For the which expedition some earnest preacher was sought to stirre vp the peoples minds in the cause of religion. And this Turneham seemed to the Prince most worthy to performe that office: so that he being appointed as it were a standard bearer, went into Syria with the English army, and performed his duety with good commendation. He flourished in the yeere of Christ 1280, setting forth diuers workes vnder the same King Edward the first of that name after the Conquest.

The life of Syr Iohn Mandeuill Knight, written by Master Bale.

Ioannes Mandeuil, vir equestris ordinis, ex fano Albini oriundus, ita a teneris vt aiunt, vnguiculis literarum studijs a.s.sueuerat, vt in illis bonam foelicitatis suae partem poneret. Nam generis sui stemmata ill.u.s.tria, nulli vsui futura ducebat, nisi illa clariora doctis artibus redderet.

Quare c.u.m animum Euangelica lectione rite inst.i.tuisset, transtulit sua studia ad rem Medicam, artem imprimis liberali ingenio dignam. Sed inter alia, ingens quaedam cupido videndi Africam, et Asiam, vastioris...o...b..s partes, eius animum inuaserat. Comparato igitur amplo viatico, peregre profectus est, anno a Christo nato, 1332. et domum tanquam alter Vlysses, post 34. annos rediens, a paucissimis quidem cognitus fuit. Interim Scythiam, Armeniam, Maiorem et Minorem, Aegyptum, vtramque Lybiam, Arabiam, Syriam, Mediam, Mesopotamiam, Persiam, Chaldaeam, Graeciam, Illyrium, Tartariam, et alia s.p.a.ciosi orbis regna, laborioso itinere visitauit.

Denique linguarum cognitione praeditus, ne tot ac tantarum rerum varietates, et miracula quae oculatus testis viderat, memoriaeque mandauerat, obliuione premerentur, in tribus linguis, Anglica, Gallica, et Latina, graphice scripsit Itinerarium 33. annorum. Reuersus in Angliam, ac visis sui seculi malis, vir pius dicebat, nostris temporibus iam verius quam olim dici potest, virtus cessat, Ecclesia calcatur, Clerus errat, daemon regnat, simonia dominatur, etc. Leodij tandem obijt, anno Domini 1372. die 17.

Nouembris, apud Guilielmitas sepultus.

The same in English.

Iohn Mandeuil Knight, borne in the towne of S. Albons, was so well giuen to the studie of learning from his childhood, that he seemed to plant a good part of his felicitie in the same: for he supposed that the honour of his birth would nothing auaile him, except he could render the same more honourable by his knowledge in good letters. Hauing therefore well grounded himselfe in religion by reading the Scriptures, he applied his studies to the arte of Physicke, a profession worthy a n.o.ble wit: but amongst other things, he was rauished with a mightie desire to see the greater partes of the world, as Asia, and Africa. Hauing therefore prouided all things necessarie for his iourney he departed from his countrey in the yeere of Christ, 1332, and as another Vlysses returned home, after the s.p.a.ce of 34.

yeeres, and was then knowen to a very fewe. In the time of his trauaile he was in Scythia, the greater and lesse Armenia, Egypt, both Lybias, Arabia, Syria, Media, Mesopotamia, Persia, Chaldaea, Greece, Illyrium, Tartarie, and diuers other kingdomes of the world: and hauing gotten by this meanes the knowledge of the languages, least so many and great varieties, and things miraculous, whereof himselfe had bene an eie witnes, should perish in obliuion, he committed his whole trauell of 33. yeeres to writing in three diuers tongues, English, French and Latine. Being arriued againe in England, and hauing seene the wickednes of that age, he gaue out this speach. In our time (sayd he) it may be spoken more truely then of olde, that vertue is gone, the Church is vnder foote, the Clergie is in errour, the deuill raigneth, and Simonie beareth the sway, &c.

He died at Leege, in the yeere 1311. the 17. day of Nouember, being there buried in the Abbie of the Order of the Guilielmites.

The Tombe and Epitaph of Sir Iohn Mandeuil, in the citie of Leege, spoken of by Ortelius, in his booke called Itinerarium Belgiae, in this sort.

[Sidenote: Fol. 15, 16.] Magna et populosa Leodij suburbia, ad collium radices, in quorum iugis multa sunt, et pulcherrima monasteria, inter quae magnific.u.m illud, ac n.o.bile D. Laurentio dicatum, ab Raginardo Episcopo.

Est in hac quoque regione, vel suburbijs Leodij, Guilielmitarum Coen.o.bium, in quo Epitaphium hoc Ioannis a Mandeuille, excepimus.

[Sidenote: Epitaphum.] Hic iacet vir n.o.bilis, D. Ioannes de Mandeuille, aliter dictus ad Barbam, Miles, Dominus de Campdi, natus de Anglia, Medicinae professor, deuotissimus, orator, et bonorum largissimus pauperibus erogator, qui toto quasi orbe l.u.s.trato, Leodij diem vitae suae clausit extremum. Anno Dom. 1371. Mensis Nouembris, Die 17.

Haec in lapide: in quo caelata viri armati imago, Leonem calcantis, barba bifurcata, ad caput ma.n.u.s benedicens, et vernacula haec verba: Vos qui paseis sor mi, pour l'amour deix proes por mi. Clipeus erat vacuus, in quo olim fuisse dicebant laminam aeream, et eius in ea itidem caelata insignia, Leonem videlicet argenteum, cui ad pectus lunula rubea in campo caeruleo, quem Limbus ambiret denticulatus ex auro. Eius n.o.bis ostendebant, et cultros, ephipiaque, et calcaria quibus vsum fuisse a.s.serebant, in peragrando toto fere terrarum orbe, vt clarius testatur eius Itinerarium, quod typis etiam excusum pa.s.sim habetur.

Tabvla Praesentis Libri Ioannes Mandevil, singvla per ordinem capitula, et in eorum quolibet quid agitur, notificat euidenter.

Capvt. 1 Commendatio breuis terrae Hierosolymltanae.

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

3 De vrbe Constantinopoli, et reliquijs ibidem contentis.

4 Via tam per terras quam per aquas, a Constantinopoli vsque Acharon, vel Acon.

5 Via a Francia et Flandria, per solas terras vsque in Hierusalem.

6 Via de Cypro vel de Hierusalem, vsque in Babyloniam Egypti.

7 De Pallatio Soldani, et nominibus praeteritorum Soldanorum.

8 De Campo Balsami in Egypto.

9 De Nilo fluuio, et Egypti territorio.

10 De conductu Soldani.

11 De Monasterio Sinay.

12 Iter per desertum Sinay, vsque in Iudeam.

13 De ciuitate Bethleem, et semita, vsque in Ierusalem.

14 De Ecclesia gloriosi sepulchri Domini in vrbe Ierusalem.

15 De tribus alijs Ecclesiis, et specialiter de Templo Domini.

16 De pluribus locis sacris extra vrbem.

17 De sacris locis extra muros ciuitatis.

18 De alijs locis notabilibus.

19 De Nazareth et Samaria.

20 De Territorio Galileae et Samariae.

21 De secta detestabili Sarracenorum.

22 De vita Mahometi.

23 De colloquio Authoris c.u.m Soldano.

24 Persuasio ad non credentes terrarum diuersitates per orbem terrae.

25 De Armenia, et Persia.

26 De Ethiopia et diamantibus, ac de infima et media India.

27 De foresto piperis.

28 De Ecclesia beati Thomae Apostoli.

29 De quibusdam meridionalibus insulis, et farina et melle.

30 De Regno Cynocephalorum, et alijs Insulis.