Chapter 20 |
Index |
Chapter 22
OF THE PALACE OF THE KING OF THE ISLE OF JAVA. OF THE TREES THAT
BEAR MEAL, HONEY, WINE, AND VENOM; AND OF OTHER MARVELS AND CUSTOMS
USED IN THE ISLES MARCHING THEREABOUT
BESIDE that isle that I have spoken of, there is another isle that
is clept Sumobor. That is a great isle, and the king thereof is
right mighty. The folk of that isle make them always to be marked
in the visage with an hot iron, both men and women, for great
noblesse, for to be known from other folk; for they hold themselves
most noble and most worthy of all the world. And they have war
always with the folk that go all naked.
And fast beside is another isle, that is clept Betemga, that is a
good isle and a plenteous. And many other isles be thereabout,
where there be many of diverse folk, of the which it were too long
to speak of all.
But fast beside that isle, for to pass by sea, is a great isle and
a great country that men clepe Java. And it is nigh two thousand
mile in circuit. And the king of that country is a full great lord
and a rich and a mighty, and hath under him seven other kings of
seven other isles about him. This isle is full well inhabited, and
full well manned. There grow all manner of spicery, more
plenteously than in any other country, as of ginger, cloves-
gilofre, canell, seedwall, nutmegs and maces. And wit well, that
the nutmeg beareth the maces; for right as the nut of the hazel
hath an husk without, that the nut is closed in till it be ripe and
that after falleth out, right so it is of the nutmeg and of the
maces. Many other spices and many other goods grow in that isle.
For of all things is there plenty, save only of wine. But there is
gold and silver, great plenty.
And the king of that country hath a palace full noble and full
marvellous, and more rich than any in the world. For all the
degrees to go up into halls and chambers be, one of gold, another
of silver. And also, the pavements of halls and chambers be all
square, of gold one, and another of silver. And all the walls
within be covered with gold and silver in fine plates, and in those
plates be stories and battles of knights enleved, and the crowns
and the circles about their heads be made of precious stones and
rich pearls and great. And the halls and the chambers of the
palace be all covered within with gold and silver, so that no man
would trow the riches of that palace but he had seen it. And wit
well, that the king of that isle is so mighty, that he hath many
times overcome the great Chan of Cathay in battle, that is the most
great emperor that is under the firmament either beyond the sea or
on this half. For they have had often-time war between them,
because that the great Chan would constrain him to hold his land of
him; but that other at all times defendeth him well against him.
After that isle, in going by sea, men find another isle, good and
great, that men clepe Pathen, that is a great kingdom full of fair
cities and full of towns. In that land grow trees that bear meal,
whereof men make good bread and white and of good savour; and it
seemeth as it were of wheat, but it is not allinges of such savour.
And there be other trees that bear honey good and sweet, and other
trees that bear venom, against the which there is no medicine but
[one]; and that is to take their proper leaves and stamp them and
temper them with water and then drink it, and else he shall die;
for triacle will not avail, ne none other medicine. Of this venom
the Jews had let seek of one of their friends for to empoison all
Christianity, as I have heard them say in their confession before
their dying: but thanked be Almighty God! they failed of their
purpose; but always they make great mortality of people. And other
trees there be also that bear wine of noble sentiment. And if you
like to hear how the meal cometh out of the trees I shall say you.
Men hew the trees with an hatchet, all about the foot of the tree,
till that the bark be parted in many parts, and then cometh out
thereof a thick liquor, the which they receive in vessels, and dry
it at the heat of the sun; and then they have it to a mill to grind
and it becometh fair meal and white. And the honey and the wine
and the venom be drawn out of other trees in the same manner, and
put in vessels for to keep.
In that isle is a dead sea, that is a lake that hath no ground; and
if anything fall into that lake it shall never come up again. In
that lake grow reeds, that be canes, that they clepe Thaby, that be
thirty fathoms long; and of these canes men make fair houses. And
there be other canes that be not so long, that grow near the land
and have so long roots that endure well a four quarters of a
furlong or more; and at the knots of those roots men find precious
stones that have great virtues. And he that beareth any of them
upon him, iron ne steel may not hurt him, ne draw no blood upon
him; and therefore, they that have those stones upon them fight
full hardily both on sea and land, for men may not harm [them] on
no part. And therefore, they that know the manner, and shall fight
with them, they shoot to them arrows and quarrels without iron or
steel, and so they hurt them and slay them. And also of those
canes they make houses and ships and other things, as we have here,
making houses and ships of oak or of any other trees. And deem no
man that I say it but for a trifle, for I have seen of the canes
with mine own eyes, full many times, lying upon the river of that
lake, of the which twenty of our fellows ne might not lift up ne
bear one to the earth.
After this isle men go by sea to another isle that is clept
Calonak. And it is a fair land and a plenteous of goods. And the
king of that country hath as many wives as he will. For he maketh
search all the country to get him the fairest maidens that may be
found, and maketh them to be brought before him. And he taketh one
one night, and another another night, and so forth continually
suing; so that he hath a thousand wives or more. And he lieth
never but one night with one of them, and another night with
another; but if that one happen to be more lusty to his pleasance
than another. And therefore the king getteth full many children,
some-time an hundred, some-time a two-hundred, and some-time more.
And he hath also into a 14,000 elephants or more that he maketh for
to be brought up amongst his villains by all his towns. For in
case that he had any war against any other king about him, then
[he] maketh certain men of arms for to go up into the castles of
tree made for the war, that craftily be set upon the elephants'
backs, for to fight against their enemies. And so do other kings
there-about. For the manner of war is not there as it is here or
in other countries, ne the ordinance of war neither. And men clepe
the elephants WARKES.
And in that isle there is a great marvel, more to speak of than in
any other part of the world. For all manner of fishes, that be
there in the sea about them, come once in the year - each manner of
diverse fishes, one manner of kind after other. And they cast
themselves to the sea bank of that isle so great plenty and
multitude, that no man may unnethe see but fish. And there they
abide three days. And every man of the country taketh of them as
many as him liketh. And after, that manner of fish after the third
day departeth and goeth into the sea. And after them come another
multitude of fish of another kind and do in the same manner as the
first did, other three days. And after them another, till all the
diverse manner of fishes have been there, and that men have taken
of them that them liketh. And no man knoweth the cause wherefore
it may be. But they of the country say that it is for to do
reverence to their king, that is the most worthy king that is in
the world as they say; because that he fulfilleth the commandment
that God bade to Adam and Eve, when God said, CRESCITE ET
MULTIPLICAMINI ET REPLETE TERRAM. And for because that he
multiplieth so the world with children, therefore God sendeth him
so the fishes of diverse kinds of all that be in the sea, to take
at his will for him and all his people. And therefore all the
fishes of the sea come to make him homage as the most noble and
excellent king of the world, and that is best beloved with God, as
they say. I know not the reason, why it is, but God knoweth; but
this, me-seemeth, is the most marvel I saw. For this marvel is
against kind and not with kind, that the fishes that have freedom
to environ all the coasts of the sea at their own list, come of
their own will to proffer them to the death, without constraining
of man. And therefore, I am siker that this may not be, without a
great token.
There be also in that country a kind of snails that be so great,
that many persons may lodge them in their shells, as men would do
in a little house. And other snails there be that be full great
but not so huge as the other. And of these snails, and of great
white worms that have black heads that be as great as a man's
thigh, and some less as great worms that men find there in woods,
men make viand royal for the king and for other great lords. And
if a man that is married die in that country, men bury his wife
with him all quick; for men say there, that it is reason that she
make him company in that other world as she did in this.
From that country men go by the sea ocean by an isle that is clept
Caffolos. Men of that country when their friends be sick they hang
them upon trees, and say that it is better that birds, that be
angels of God, eat them, than the foul worms of the earth.
From that isle men go to another isle, where the folk be of full
cursed kind. For they nourish great dogs and teach them to
strangle their friends when they be sick. For they will not that
they die of kindly death. For they say, that they should suffer
too great pain if they abide to die by themselves, as nature would.
And, when they be thus enstrangled, they eat their flesh instead of
venison.
Afterward men go by many isles by sea unto an isle that men clepe
Milke. And there is a full cursed people. For they delight in
nothing more than for to fight and to slay men. And they drink
gladliest man's blood, the which they clepe Dieu. And the more men
that a man may slay, the more worship he hath amongst them. And if
two persons be at debate and, peradventure, be accorded by their
friends or by some of their alliance, it behoveth that every of
them that shall be accorded drink of other's blood: and else the
accord ne the alliance is nought worth: ne it shall not be no
reproof to him to break the alliance and the accord, but if every
of them drink of others' blood.
And from that isle men go by sea, from isle to isle, unto an isle
that is clept Tracoda, where the folk of that country be as beasts,
and unreasonable, and dwell in caves that they make in the earth;
for they have no wit to make them houses. And when they see any
man passing through their countries they hide them in their caves.
And they eat flesh of serpents, and they eat but little. And they
speak nought, but they hiss as serpents do. And they set no price
by no avoir ne riches, but only of a precious stone, that is
amongst them, that is of sixty colours. And for the name of the
isle, they clepe it Tracodon. And they love more that stone than
anything else; and yet they know not the virtue thereof, but they
covet it and love it only for the beauty.
After that isle men go by the sea ocean, by many isles, unto an
isle that is clept Nacumera, that is a great isle and good and
fair. And it is in compass about, more than a thousand mile. And
all the men and women of that isle have hounds' heads, and they be
clept Cynocephales. And they be full reasonable and of good
understanding, save that they worship an ox for their God. And
also every one of them beareth an ox of gold or of silver in his
forehead, in token that they love well their God. And they go all
naked save a little clout, that they cover with their knees and
their members. They be great folk and well-fighting. And they
have a great targe that covereth all the body, and a spear in their
hand to fight with. And if they take any man in battle, anon they
eat him.
The king of that isle is full rich and full mighty and right devout
after his law. And he hath about his neck 300 pearls orient, good
and great and knotted, as paternosters here of amber. And in
manner as we say our PATER NOSTER and our AVE MARIA, counting the
PATER NOSTERS, right so this king saith every day devoutly 300
prayers to his God, or that he eat. And he beareth also about his
neck a ruby orient, noble and fine, that is a foot of length and
five fingers large. And, when they choose their king, they take
him that ruby to bear in his hand; and so they lead him, riding all
about the city. And from thence-fromward they be all obeissant to
him. And that ruby he shall bear always about his neck, for if he
had not that ruby upon him men would not hold him for king. The
great Chan of Cathay hath greatly coveted that ruby, but he might
never have it for war, ne for no manner of goods. This king is so
rightful and of equity in his dooms, that men may go sikerly
throughout all his country and bear with them what them list; that
no man shall be hardy to rob them, and if he were, the king would
justified anon.
From this land men go to another isle that is clept Silha. And it
is well a 800 miles about. In that land is full much waste, for it
is full of serpents, of dragons and of cockodrills, that no man
dare dwell there. These cockodrills be serpents, yellow and rayed
above, and have four feet and short thighs, and great nails as
claws or talons. And there be some that have five fathoms in
length, and some of six and of eight and of ten. And when they go
by places that be gravelly, it seemeth as though men had drawn a
great tree through the gravelly place. And there be also many wild
beasts, and namely of elephants.
In that isle is a great mountain. And in mid place of the mount is
a great lake in a full fair plain; and there is great plenty of
water. And they of the country say, that Adam and Eve wept upon
that mount an hundred year, when they were driven out of Paradise,
and that water, they say, is of their tears; for so much water they
wept, that made the foresaid lake. And in the bottom of that lake
men find many precious stones and great pearls. In that lake grow
many reeds and great canes; and there within be many cocodrills and
serpents and great water-leeches. And the king of that country,
once every year, giveth leave to poor men to go into the lake to
gather them precious stones and pearls, by way of alms, for the
love of God that made Adam. And all the year men find enough. And
for the vermin that is within, they anoint their arms and their
thighs and legs with an ointment made of a thing that is clept
lemons, that is a manner of fruit like small pease; and then have
they no dread of no cockodrills, ne of none other venomous vermin.
This water runneth, flowing and ebbing, by a side of the mountain,
and in that river men find precious stones and pearls, great
plenty. And men of that isle say commonly, that the serpents and
the wild beasts of that country will not do no harm ne touch with
evil no strange man that entereth into that country, but only to
men that be born of the same country.
In that country and others thereabout there be wild geese that have
two heads. And there be lions, all white and as great as oxen, and
many other diverse beasts and fowls also that be not seen amongst
us.
And wit well, that in that country and in other isles thereabout,
the sea is so high, that it seemeth as though it hung at the
clouds, and that it would cover all the world. And that is great
marvel that it might be so, save only the will of God, that the air
sustaineth it. And therefore saith David in the Psalter, MIRABILES
ELATIONES MARIS.
Chapter 20 |Index | Chapter 22