They Ne Be Not Full Reasonable, But They Be Simple And
Bestial.
After that is another isle, where the folk be all skinned rough
hair, as a rough beast, save only the face and the palm of the
hand.
These folk go as well under the water of the sea, as they do
above the land all dry. And they eat both flesh and fish all raw.
In this isle is a great river that is well a two mile and an half
of breadth that is clept Beaumare.
And from that river a fifteen journeys in length, going by the
deserts of the tother side of the river - whoso might go it, for I
was not there, but it was told us of them of the country, that
within those deserts were the trees of the sun and of the moon,
that spake to King Alexander, and warned him of his death. And men
say that the folk that keep those trees, and eat of the fruit and
of the balm that groweth there, live well four hundred year or five
hundred year, by virtue of the fruit and of the balm. For men say
that balm groweth there in great plenty and nowhere else, save only
at Babylon, as I have told you before. We would have gone toward
the trees full gladly if we had might. But I trow that 100,000 men
of arms might not pass those deserts safely, for the great
multitude of wild beasts and of great dragons and of great serpents
that there be, that slay and devour all that come anent them. In
that country be many white elephants without number, and of
unicorns and of lions of many manners, and many of such beasts that
I have told before, and of many other hideous beasts without
number.
Many other isles there be in the land of Prester John, and many
great marvels, that were too long to tell all, both of his riches
and of his noblesse and of the great plenty also of precious stones
that he hath. I trow that ye know well enough, and have heard say,
wherefore this emperor is clept Prester John. But, natheles, for
them that know not, I shall say you the cause.
It was sometime an emperor there, that was a worthy and a full
noble prince, that had Christian knights in his company, as he hath
that is now. So it befell, that he had great list for to see the
service in the church among Christian men. And then dured
Christendom beyond the sea, all Turkey, Syria, Tartary, Jerusalem,
Palestine, Arabia, Aleppo and all the land of Egypt. And so it
befell that this emperor came with a Christian knight with him into
a church in Egypt. And it was the Saturday in Whitsun-week. And
the bishop made orders. And he beheld, and listened the service
full tentively. And he asked the Christian knight what men of
degree they should be that the prelate had before him. And the
knight answered and said that they should be priests. And then the
emperor said that he would no longer be clept king ne emperor, but
priest, and that he would have the name of the first priest that
went out of the church, and his name was John. And so ever-more
sithens, he is clept Prester John.
In his land be many Christian men of good faith and of good law,
and namely of them of the same country, and have commonly their
priests, that sing the Mass, and make the sacrament of the altar,
of bread, right as the Greeks do; but they say not so many things
at the Mass as men do here. For they say not but only that that
the apostles said, as our Lord taught them, right as Saint Peter
and Saint Thomas and the other apostles sung the Mass, saying the
PATER NOSTER and the words of the sacrament. But we have many more
additions that divers popes have made, that they ne know not of.
CHAPTER XXXIII
OF THE HILLS OF GOLD THAT PISMIRES KEEP. AND OF THE FOUR FLOODS
THAT COME FROM PARADISE TERRESTRIAL
TOWARD the east part of Prester John's land is an isle good and
great, that men clepe Taprobane, that is full noble and full
fructuous. And the king thereof is full rich, and is under the
obeissance of Prester John. And always there they make their king
by election. In that isle be two summers and two winters, and men
harvest the corn twice a year. And in all the seasons of the year
be the gardens flourished. There dwell good folk and reasonable,
and many Christian men amongst them, that be so rich that they wit
not what to do with their goods. Of old time, when men passed from
the land of Prester John unto that isle, men made ordinance for to
pass by ship, twenty-three days, or more; but now men pass by ship
in seven days. And men may see the bottom of the sea in many
places, for it is not full deep.
Beside that isle, toward the east, be two other isles. And men
clepe that one Orille, and that other Argyte, of the which all the
land is mine of gold and silver. And those isles be right where
that the Red Sea departeth from the sea ocean. And in those isles
men see there no stars so clearly as in other places. For there
appear no stars, but only one clear star that men clepe Canapos.
And there is not the moon seen in all the lunation, save only the
second quarter.
In the isle also of this Taprobane be great hills of gold, that
pismires keep full diligently. And they fine the pured gold, and
cast away the un-pured. And these pismires be great as hounds, so
that no man dare come to those hills for the pismires would assail
them and devour them anon.
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