Chapter 33 |
Index
OF THE CUSTOMS OF KINGS AND OTHER THAT DWELL IN THE ISLES COASTING
TO PRESTER JOHN'S LAND. AND OF THE WORSHIP THAT THE SON DOTH TO
THE FATHER WHEN HE IS DEAD
FROM those isles that I have spoken of before, in the Land of
Prester John, that be under earth as to us that be on this half,
and of other isles that be more further beyond, whoso will, pursue
them for to come again right to the parts that he came from, and so
environ all earth. But what for the isles, what for the sea, and
what for strong rowing, few folk assay for to pass that passage;
albeit that men might do it well, that might be of power to dress
them thereto, as I have said you before. And therefore men return
from those isles abovesaid by other isles, coasting from the land
of Prester John.
And then come men in returning to an isle that is clept Casson.
And that isle hath well sixty journeys in length, and more than
fifty in breadth. This is the best isle and the best kingdom that
is in all those parts, out-taken Cathay. And if the merchants used
as much that country as they do Cathay, it would be better than
Cathay in a short while. This country is full well inhabited, and
so full of cities and of good towns inhabited with people, that
when a man goeth out of one city, men see another city even before
them; and that is what part that a man go, in all that country. In
that isle is great plenty of all goods for to live with, and of all
manner of spices. And there be great forests of chestnuts. The
king of that isle is full rich and full mighty, and, natheles, he
holds his land of the great Chan, and is obeissant to him. For it
is one of the twelve provinces that the great Chan hath under him
without his proper land, and without other less isles that he hath;
for he hath full many.
From that kingdom come men, in returning, to another isle that is
clept Rybothe, and it is also under the great Chan. That is a full
good country, and full plenteous of all goods and of wines and
fruit and all other riches. And the folk of that country have no
houses, but they dwell and lie all under tents made of black fern,
by all the country. And the principal city and the most royal is
all walled with black stone and white. And all the streets also be
pathed of the same stones. In that city is no man so hardy to shed
blood of any man, ne of no beast, for the reverence of an idol that
is worshipped there. And in that isle dwelleth the pope of their
law, that they clepe Lobassy. This Lobassy giveth all the
benefices, and all other dignities and all other things that belong
to the idol. And all those that hold anything of their churches,
religious and other, obey to him, as men do here to the Pope of
Rome.
In that isle they have a custom by all the country, that when the
father is dead of any man, and the son list to do great worship to
his father, he sendeth to all his friends and to all his kin, and
for religious men and priests, and for minstrels also, great
plenty. And then men bear the dead body unto a great hill with
great joy and solemnity. And when they have brought it thither,
the chief prelate smiteth off the head, and layeth it upon a great
platter of gold and of silver, if so [he] be a rich man. And then
he taketh the head to the son. And then the son and his other kin
sing and say many orisons. And then the priests and the religious
men smite all the body of the dead man in pieces. And then they
say certain orisons. And the fowls of ravine of all the country
about know the custom of long time before, [and] come flying above
in the air; as eagles, gledes, ravens and other fowls of ravine,
that eat flesh. And then the priests cast the gobbets of the flesh
and then the fowls, each of them, taketh that he may, and goeth a
little thence and eateth it; and so they do whilst any piece
lasteth of the dead body.
And after that, as priests amongst us sing for the dead, SUBVENITE
SANCTI DEI, ETC., right so the priests sing with high voice in
their language; Behold how so worthy a man and how good a man this
was, that the angels of God come for to seek him and for to bring
him into Paradise. And then seemeth it to the son, that he is
highly worshipped, when that many birds and fowls and ravens come
and eat his father; and he that hath most number of fowls is most
worshipped.
And then the son bringeth home with him all his kin, and his
friends, and all the others to his house, and maketh them a great
feast. And then all his friends make their vaunt and their
dalliance, how the fowls came thither, here five, here six, here
ten, and there twenty, and so forth; and they rejoice them hugely
for to speak thereof. And when they be at meat, the son let bring
forth the head of his father, and thereof he giveth of the flesh to
his most special friends, instead of ENTRE MESSE, or a SUKKARKE.
And of the brain pan, he letteth make a cup, and thereof drinketh
he and his other friends also, with great devotion, in remembrance
of the holy man, that the angels of God have eaten. And that cup
the son shall keep to drink of all his life-time, in remembrance of
his father.
From that land, in returning by ten journeys throughout the land of
the great Chan, is another good isle and a great kingdom, where the
king is full rich and mighty.
And amongst the rich men of his country is a passing rich man, that
is no prince, ne duke, ne earl, but he hath more that hold of him
lands and other lordships, for he is more rich. For he hath, every
year, of annual rent 300,000 horses charged with corn of diverse
grains and of rice. And so he leadeth a full noble life and a
delicate, after the custom of the country. For he hath, every day,
fifty fair damosels, all maidens, that serve him evermore at his
meat, and for to lie by him o' night, and for to do with them that
is to his pleasance. And when he is at table, they bring him his
meat at every time, five and five together; and in bringing their
service they sing a song. And after that, they cut his meat, and
put it in his mouth; for he toucheth nothing, ne handleth nought,
but holdeth evermore his hands before him upon the table. For he
hath so long nails, that he may take nothing, ne handle nothing.
For the noblesse of that country is to have long nails, and to make
them grow always to be as long as men may. And there be many in
that country, that have their nails so long, that they environ all
the hand. And that is a great noblesse. And the noblesse of the
women is for to have small feet and little. And therefore anon as
they be born, they let bind their feet so strait, that they may not
grow half as nature would. And this is the noblesse of the women
there to have small feet and little. And always these damosels,
that I spake of before, sing all the time that this rich man
eateth. And when that he eateth no more of his first course, then
other five and five of fair damsels bring him his second course,
always singing as they did before. And so they do continually
every day to the end of his meat. And in this manner he leadeth
his life. And so did they before him, that were his ancestors.
And so shall they that come after him, without doing of any deeds
of arms, but live evermore thus in ease, as a. swine that is fed in
sty for to be made fat. He hath a full fair palace and full rich,
where that he dwelleth in, of the which the walls be, in circuit,
two mile. And he hath within many fair gardens, and many fair
halls and chambers; and the pavement of his halls and chambers be
of gold and silver. And in the mid place of one of his gardens is
a little mountain, where there is a little meadow. And in that
meadow is a little toothill with towers and pinnacles, all of gold.
And in that little toothill will he sit often-time, for to take the
air and to disport him. For the place is made for nothing else,
but only for his disport.
From that country men come by the land of the great Chan also, that
I have spoken of before.
And ye shall understand, that of all these countries, and of all
these isles, and of all the diverse folk, that I have spoken of
before, and of diverse laws, and of diverse beliefs that they have,
yet is there none of them all but that they have some reason within
them and understanding, but if it be the fewer, and that have
certain articles of our faith and some good points of our belief,
and that they believe in God, that formed all things and made the
world, and clepe him God of Nature; after that the prophet saith,
ET METUENT EUM OMNES FINES TERRAE, and also in another place, OMNES
GENTES SERVIENT EI, that is to say, 'All folk shall serve him.'
But yet they cannot speak perfectly (for there is no man to teach
them), but only that they can devise by their natural wit. For
they have no knowledge of the Son, ne of the Holy Ghost. But they
can all speak of the Bible, and namely of Genesis, of the prophet's
saws and of the books of Moses. And they say well, that the
creatures that they worship ne be no gods; but they worship them
for the virtue that is in them, that may not be but only by the
grace of God. And of simulacres and of idols, they say, that there
be no folk, but that they have simulacres. And that they say, for
we Christian men have images, as of our Lady and of other saints
that we worship; not the images of tree or of stone, but the
saints, in whose name they be made after. For right as the books
and the scripture of them teach the clerks how and in what manner
they shall believe, right so the images and the paintings teach the
lewd folk to worship the saints and to have them in their mind, in
whose names that the images be made after. They say also, that the
angels of God speak to them in those idols, and that they do many
great miracles. And they say sooth, that there is an angel within
them. For there be two manner of angels, a good and an evil, as
the Greeks say, Cacho and Calo. This Cacho is the wicked angel,
and Calo is the good angel. But the tother is not the good angel,
but the wicked angel that is within the idols to deceive them and
for to maintain them in their error.
There be many other divers countries and many other marvels beyond,
that I have not seen. Wherefore, of them I cannot speak properly
to tell you the manner of them. And also in the countries where I
have been, be many more diversities of many wonderful things than I
make mention of; for it were too long thing to devise you the
manner. And therefore, that that I have devised you of certain
countries, that I have spoken of before, I beseech your worthy and
excellent noblesse, that it suffice to you at this time. For if
that I devised you all that is beyond the sea, another man,
peradventure, that would pain him and travail his body for to go
into those marches for to ensearch those countries, might be blamed
by my words in rehearsing many strange things; for he might not say
nothing of new, in the which the hearers might have either solace,
or disport, or lust, or liking in the hearing. For men say always,
that new things and new tidings be pleasant to hear. Wherefore I
will hold me still, without any more rehearsing of diversities or
of marvels that be beyond, to that intent and end, that whoso will
go into those countries, he shall find enough to speak of, that I
have not touched of in no wise.
And ye shall understand, if it like you, that at mine home-coming,
I came to Rome, and shewed my life to our holy father the pope, and
was assoiled of all that lay in my conscience, of many a diverse
grievous point; as men must needs that be in company, dwelling
amongst so many a diverse folk of diverse sect and of belief, as I
have been.
And amongst all I shewed him this treatise, that I had made after
information of men that knew of things that I had not seen myself,
and also of marvels and customs that I had seen myself, as far as
God would give me grace; and besought his holy fatherhood, that my
book might be examined and corrected by advice of his wise and
discreet council. And our holy father, of his special grace,
remitted my book to be examined and proved by the advice of his
said counsel. By the which my book was proved for true, insomuch,
that they shewed me a book, that my book was examined by, that
comprehended full much more, by an hundred part, by the which the
MAPPA MUNDI was made after. And so my book (albeit that many men
ne list not to give credence to nothing, but to that that they see
with their eye, ne be the author ne the person never so true) is
affirmed and proved by our holy father, in manner and form as I
have said.
And I, John Mandevile, knight, abovesaid (although I be unworthy),
that departed from our countries and passed the sea, the year of
grace a thousand three hundred and twenty two, that have passed
many lands and many isles and countries, and searched many full
strange places, and have been in many a full good honourable
company, and at many a fair deed of arms (albeit that I did none
myself, for mine unable insuffisance), now I am come home, maugre
myself, to rest, for gouts artetykes that me distrain, that define
the end of my labour; against my will (God knoweth).
And thus, taking solace in my wretched rest, recording the time
passed, I have fulfilled these things, and put them written in this
book, as it would come into my mind, the year of grace a thousand
three hundred and fifty six, in the thirty-fourth year, that I
departed from our countries.
Wherefore, I pray to all the readers and hearers of this book, if
it please them, that they would pray to God for me; and I shall
pray for them. And all those that say for me a PATER NOSTER, with
an AVE MARIA, that God forgive me my sins, I make them partners,
and grant them part of all the good pilgrimages and of all the good
deeds that I have done, if any be to his pleasance; and not only of
those, but of all that ever I shall do unto my life's end. And I
beseech Almighty God, from whom all goodness and grace cometh from,
that he vouchsafe of his excellent mercy and abundant grace, to
fulfil their souls with inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in making
defence of all their ghostly enemies here in earth, to their
salvation both of body and soul; to worship and thanking of him,
that is three and one, without beginning and without ending; that
is without quality, good, without quantity, great; that in all
places is present, and all things containing; the which that no
goodness may amend, ne none evil impair; that in perfect Trinity
liveth and reigneth God, by all worlds, and by all times!
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
[HERE ENDETH THE BOOK OF JOHN MANDEVILLE.]
Chapter 33 | Index