MONTES GILBOAE, NEC ROS NEC PLUVIA, ETC.; That Is
To Say, 'Ye Hills Of Gilboa, Neither Dew Ne Rain Come
Upon you.'
And a mile from the hills of Gilboa toward the east is the city of
Cyropolis, that
Was clept before Bethshan; and upon the walls of
that city was the head of Saul hanged.
After go men by the hill beside the plains of Galilee unto
Nazareth, where was wont to be a great city and a fair; but now
there is not but a little village, and houses abroad here and
there. And it is not walled. And it sits in a little valley, and
there be hills all about. There was our Lady born, but she was
gotten at Jerusalem. And because that our Lady was born at
Nazareth, therefore bare our Lord his surname of that town. There
took Joseph our Lady to wife, when she was fourteen year of age.
And there Gabriel greeted our Lady, saying, AVE GRATIA PLENA,
DOMINUS TECUM! that is to say, 'Hail, full of grace, our Lord is
with thee!' And this salutation was done in a place of a great
altar of a fair church that was wont to be sometime, but it is now
all down, and men have made a little receipt, beside a pillar of
that church, to receive the offerings of pilgrims. And the
Saracens keep that place full dearly, for the profit that they have
thereof. And they be full wicked Saracens and cruel, and more
despiteful than in any other place, and have destroyed all the
churches.
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