Then Sir John tells of a field nigh to Bethlehem, called Floridus, and here was a maiden wrongfully blamed, and condemned to death, and to be burnt.

“And as the fire began to burn about her, she made her prayers to our Lord, that as wisely as she was not guilty of that sin, that he would keep her and make it to be known to all men, of His merciful grace. And when she had thus said, she entered into the fire, and anon was the fire quenched and out; and the brands that were burning became red Rose trees, and the brands that were not kindled became white Rose trees, full of Roses. And these were the first Rose trees and Roses, both white and red, that every any man said; and thus was this maiden saved by the grace of God. And therefore is that field clept the Field of God Flourished, for it was full of Roses.”

And later Sir John tells how he saw the Elder tree on the which Judas hanged himself. And he tells of the Sycamore tree that Zaccheus the dwarf climbed into. And of a plank of Noah’s ship that a monk, by the Grace of God, brought down from Ararat.

Then Sir John comes to Java on his wanderings, and by that isle is another called Pathen, and here he saw wonderful trees, bearing bread, and honey, and wine, and poison. Of the tree that bears the venom he says:

“And other trees that bear venom, against 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 thank be to Almighty God! they failed of their purpose; but always they make great mortality of people.”

Yet again Sir John has marvels of other countries, where are men who—“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.”

And near by is the isle of Calonak, where gardeners would indeed be evily distressed by reason of the snail—“that be so great, that many persons may lodge them in their shells, as men would do in a little house.”

By taking ship Sir John goes from isle to isle discussing the sights, and arrives at length at an isle where—“be white hens without feathers, but they bear white wool as sheep do here”; and he passes by Cassay, of the greatest cities of the world, and goes from that city by water to an abbey of monks.