For they may not
go out, but by a little issue that was made by strength of men, and
it lasteth well a four great mile.
And after, is there yet a land all desert, where men may find no
water, neither for digging ne for none other thing. Wherefore men
may not dwell in that place, so is it full of dragons, of serpents
and of other venomous beasts, that no man dare not pass, but if it
be strong winter. And that strait passage men clepe in that
country Clyron. And that is the passage that the Queen of Amazonia
maketh to be kept. And though it happen some of them by fortune to
go out, they can no manner of language but Hebrew, so that they
cannot speak to the people.
And yet, natheles, men say they shall go out in the time of anti-
Christ, and that they shall make great slaughter of Christian men.
And therefore all the Jews that dwell in all lands learn always to
speak Hebrew, in hope, that when the other Jews shall go out, that
they may understand their speech, and to lead them into Christendom
for to destroy the Christian people. For the Jews say that they
know well by their prophecies, that they of Caspia shall go out,
and spread throughout all the world, and that the Christian men
shall be under their subjection, as long as they have been in
subjection of them.
And if that you will wit how that they shall find their way, after
that I have heard say I shall tell you.
In the time of anti-Christ a fox shall make there his train, and
mine an hole where King Alexander let make the gates; and so long
he shall mine and pierce the earth, till that he shall pass through
towards that folk. And when they see the fox, they shall have
great marvel of him, because that they saw never such a beast. For
of all other beasts they have enclosed amongst them, save only the
fox. And then they shall chase him and pursue him so strait, till
that he come to the same place that he came from. And then they
shall dig and mine so strongly, till that they find the gates that
King Alexander let make of great stones, and passing huge, well
cemented and made strong for the mastery. And those gates they
shall break, and so go out by finding of that issue.
From that land go men toward the land of Bacharia, where be full
evil folk and full cruel. In that land be trees that bear wool, as
though it were of sheep, whereof men make clothes and all things
that may be made of wool.
In that country be many hippotaynes that dwell some-time in the
water and sometime on the land. And they be half man and half
horse, as I have said before. And they eat men when they may take
them.
And there be rivers of waters that be full bitter, three sithes
more than is the water of the sea.
In that country be many griffins, more plenty than in any other
country. Some men say that they have the body upward as an eagle
and beneath as a lion; and truly they say sooth, that they be of
that shape. But one griffin hath the body more great and is more
strong than eight lions, of such lions as be on this half, and more
great and stronger than an hundred eagles such as we have amongst
us. For one griffin there will bear, flying to his nest, a great
horse, if he may find him at the point, or two oxen yoked together
as they go at the plough. For he hath his talons so long and so
large and great upon his feet, as though they were horns of great
oxen or of bugles or of kine, so that men make cups of them to
drink of. And of their ribs and of the pens of their wings, men
make bows, full strong, to shoot with arrows and quarrels.
From thence go men by many journeys through the land of Prester
John, the great Emperor of Ind. And men clepe his realm the isle
of Pentexoire.
CHAPTER XXX
OF THE ROYAL ESTATE OF PRESTER JOHN. AND OF A RICH MAN THAT MADE A
MARVELLOUS CASTLE AND CLEPED IT PARADISE; AND OF HIS SUBTLETY
THIS emperor, Prester John, holds full great land, and hath many
full noble cities and good towns in his realm, and many great
diverse isles and large. For all the country of Ind is devised in
isles for the great floods that come from Paradise, that depart all
the land in many parts. And also in the sea he hath full many
isles. And the best city in the Isle of Pentexoire is Nyse, that
is a full royal city and a noble, and full rich.
This Prester John hath under him many kings and many isles and many
diverse folk of diverse conditions. And this land is full good and
rich, but not so rich as is the land of the great Chan. For the
merchants come not thither so commonly for to buy merchandises, as
they do in the land of the great Chan, for it is too far to travel
to. And on that other part, in the Isle of Cathay, men find all
manner thing that is need to man - cloths of gold, of silk, of
spicery and all manner avoirdupois. And therefore, albeit that men
have greater cheap in the Isle of Prester John, natheles, men dread
the long way and the great perils in the sea in those parts.
