What time John Maundevil departed out of England.
AND I John Maundevil that went out of my countrey and passed the sea, the yeare of our lord MCCCXXII and I haue passed through many landes and yles and countreys, and now am come to rest. I haue compyled this boke and do wryte it the yeare of our Lord MCCCLXVI at XXXIV yeare after my departing from my countrey, & for as much as many men beleve not that they see with theyr eyen, or yt they may conceive & know in their mynde, therefore I made my way to Rome in my coming homewarde, to shew my boke to the holy father the pope,1 and tell him of the mervayles yt I had sene in diverse countreys; so that he with his wise counsel wold examine it, with diverse folke yt are at Rome, for there dwell men of all nations of the world, and a lytle time after when he & his counsel had examined it all through, he sayde to me for a certayne that it was true for he sayd he had a boke of latin contayning all that and much more, of ye which Mappa Mundi is made, the which boke I saw, & therefore the pope hath ratyfied & confirmed my boke in all poyntes. And I pray to all those that rede this boke, that they will pray for me and I shall pray for them, & all those that say for me our Lord's prayer & that God forgive me my sinnes, I make them parteners & graunt them part of all my good pylgrimages and other good dedes which I ever dyd or shall do to my lyves ende & I pray to God of whome all grace cometh, that he will, all the readers and hearers that are christen, fulfil with his grace, and saue them body and soule & bring them to his Joy that euer shall last. He that is in the Trinitie, the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, that liveth & raigneth God without ende
Amen
Imprinted at London in Breadstreat at the nether ende
by Thomas East. An 1568
The 6 day of October
ALBEIT many and sundry things are reported by divers authors concerning the fashions and conditions of this world: notwithstanding I frier Odoricus of Friuli, de portu Vahonis being desirous to travel unto the foreign and remote nations of infidels, sawe and heard great and miraculous things, which I am truly able to avouch. First of al therefore sayling from Pera by Constantinople, I arrived at Trapesunda.1 This place is right commodiously situate, as being an haven for the Persians and Medes, and other countries beyonde the sea. In this lande I behelde with very great delight a very strange spectacle, namely a certain man leading about with him more than foure thousande partriges. The man himselfe walked upon the grounde, and the partriges flew in the aire, which he ledde unto a certaine castle called Zavena, being three days journey distant from Trapesunda. The saide partriges were so tame, that when the man was desirous to lie downe and rest, they would all come flocking about him like chickens. And so hee led them unto Trapesunda, and unto the palace of the Emperour, who tooke as many of them as he pleased, and the reste the saide man carried unto the place from whence he came. In this citie lyeth the body of Athanasius, upon the gate of the citie. And then I passed on further unto Armenia major, to a citie called Azaron,2 which had been very rich in olde time, but nowe the Tartars haue almost layde it waste. In the saide citie there was abundance of bread and flesh, and of all other victuals except wine and fruits. This citie also is very colde, and is reported to be higher situated, then any other city in the world. It hath most holesome and sweete waters about it: for the veines of the saide waters seeme to spring and flow from the mighty river of Euphrates, which is but a dayes journey from the saide city. Also, the saide citie stands directly in the way to Tauris.3 And I passed on unto a certaine mountaine called Sobissacalo. In the foresaide countrey there is the very same mountaine whereupon the Arke of Noah rested; unto the which I would willingly haue ascended, if my company would haue stayed for me. Howbeit the people of that countrey report, that no man could euer ascend the saide mountaine, because (say they) it pleaseth not the highest God. And I travailed on further unto Tauris that great and royal city, which was in olde time called Susis. This city is accompted for traffique of merchandize the chiefe citie of the world: for there is no kinde of victuals, nor any thing else belonging unto merchandize, which is not to be had there in great abundance. This citie stands very commodiously: for unto it all the nations of the whole worlde in a maner may resort for traffique. Concerning the saide citie, the Christians in those parts are of opinion, that the Persian Emperour receives more tribute out of it, then the King of France out of all his dominions. Neare unto the saide citie there is a salt-hill yeelding salt unto the city: and of that salt ech man may take what pleaseth him, not paying ought to any man therefor. In this city many Christians of all nations do inhabite, over whom the Saracens beare rule in all things. Then I traveiled on further unto a city called Soldania,4 wherein the Persian Emperour lieth all Sommer time: but in Winter hee takes his progresse unto another city standing upon the sea called Baku.5 Also the foresaide city is very great and colde having good and holesome waters therein, unto the which also store of marchandize is brought. Moreover I travelled with a certaine company of Caravans toward upper India: and in the way, after many days journey, I came unto the citie of the three wise men called Cassan,6 which is a noble and renowned city, saving that the Tartars haue destroyed a great part thereof, and it aboundeth in bread, wine, and many other commodities. From this citie unto Jerusalem (whither the three foresaid wisemen were miraculously led) it is fifty days journey. There be many wonders in this citie also, which for brevities sake, I omit. From thence I departed unto a certain city called Geste, whence the sea of sand is distant one dayes journey, which is a most wonderful and dangerous thing. In this city there is abundance of all kinds of victuals and especially of figs, raisins, and grapes: more (as I suppose) then in any part of the whole world besides. This is one of the three principall cities of all the Persian Empire. Of this city the Saracens report, that no Christian can by any means live therein above a yeere. Then passing many dayes journey on forward, I came unto a certain city called Comum7 which was a huge and mightie citie in olde time, conteyning well nigh fiftie miles in circuite, and hath done in times past great damage unto the Romanes. In it there are stately palaces altogether destitute of inhabitants, notwithstanding it aboundeth with great store of victuals. From hence travailing through many countreys, at length I came unto the land of Job called Hus, which is full of all kinde of victuals and very pleasantly situated. Thereabouts are certaine mountaines having good pastures for cattell upon them. Here also Manna is found in great aboundance. Four partriges are here solde for lesse than a groat. In this countrey there are most comely olde men. Here also the men spin and card, and not the women. This land bordereth upon the North part of Chaldea.
FROM thence I traveled into ChaldÆa, which is a great kingdome and I passed by the tower of Babel. This region hath a language peculiar unto itselfe, and there are beautiful men and deformed women. The men of the same countrey used to haue their haire kempt, and trimmed like unto our women: and they weare golden turbants upon their heads richly set with pearle, and pretious stones. The women are clad in a course smock onely reaching to their knees and having long sleeves hanging downe to the ground. And they goe barefooted, wearing breeches which reach to the ground also. They weare no attire upon their heads, but their haire hangs disheaveled about their eares: and there be many other strange things also. From thence I came into the lower India, which the Tartars overran & wasted. And in this countrey the people eat dates for the most part, whereof 42 li are there sold for lesse than a groat. I passed further also many dayes journey unto the Ocean Sea & the first lande where I arrived, is called Ormes,1 being well fortified, and having great store of merchandize and treasure therein. Here also they use a kinde of Bark or shippe called Jase, being compact together onely with hempe. And I went on board into one of them, wherein I could not finde any yron at all, and in the space of 28 days I arrived at the city of Thana,2 wherein foure of our friers were martyred for the faith of Christ. This countrey is well situate having abundance of bread and wine, and of other victuals therein. This Kingdome in olde time was very large and under the dominion of King Porus, who fought a great battell with Alexander the great. The people of this countrey are idolaters worshipping fire, serpents and trees. And ouer all this land the Saracens do beare rule, who tooke it by maine force, and they themselues are in subjection unto King Daldilus. There be divers kinds of beasts, as namely blacke lyons in great abundance, and apes also, and monkeis, and battes as bigge as our doves. And there are mise as bigge as our countrey dogs, and therefore they are hunted with dogs, because cats are not able to encounter them. Moreouer in the same countrey every man hath a bundle of great boughs standing in a water-pot before his doore, which bundle is as great as a pillar, and it will not wither, so long as water is applied thereunto: with many other novelties and strange things, the relation whereof would breed great delight.
MOREOUER, that it may be manifest how peper is had, it is to be understood that it groweth in a certaine kingdome whereat I myself arrived, being called Minibar,1 and it is not so plentifull in any other part of the worlde as it is there. For the wood wherein it growes conteineth in circuit 18 dayes journey. And in the said wood or forrest there are two cities one called Flandrina,2 and the other Cyncilim. In Flandrina both Jewes & Christians doe inhabite, betweene whom there is often contention and warre: howbeit the Christians overcome the Jewes at all times. In the foresaid wood pepper is had after this maner: first it groweth in leaves like unto pot-hearbes, which they plant neere unto great trees as we do our vines, and they bring forth pepper in clusters, as our vines doe yeeld grapes, but being ripe, they are of a green colour, and are gathered as we gather grapes, and then the graines are layd in the Sunne to be dried, and being dried are put into earthen vessels: and thus is pepper made and kept. Now, in the same wood there be many rivers, wherein are great store of Crocodiles, and of other serpents, which the inhabitants of that countrey do burne up with strawe and with other dry fewel, and so they go to gather their pepper without danger. At the South End of the said forrest stands the city of Polumbrum,3 which aboundeth with marchandize of all kinds. All the inhabitants of that countrey do worship a living oxe, as their god, whom they put to labour for sixe yeres, and in the seventh yere they cause him to rest from al his worke, placing him in a solemne and publique place: and calling him an holy beast. Moreouer they use this foolish ceremonie: Every morning they take two basons, either of silver or of gold, and with one they receive the urine of the oxe, and with the other his dung. With the urine they wash their face, their eyes, and all their fiue senses. Of the dung they put into both their eyes, then they anoint the bals of their cheeks therewith, and thirdly their breast: and then they say that they are sanctified for all that day: And as the people doe, euen so doe their king and Queene. This people worshippeth also a dead idole which from the navel upward, resembleth a man, and from the navel downward an oxe. The very same Idol delivers oracles unto them, and sometimes requireth the blood of fourtie virgins for his hire. And therefore the men of that region do consecrate their daughters and their sonnes unto their idols, euen as Christians do their children unto some Religion or Saint in heaven. Likewise they sacrifice their sonnes and their daughters, and so, much people is put to death before the said Idol by reason of that accursed ceremony. Also, many other hainous and abominable villainies doeth that brutish beastly people commit: and I saw many more strange things among them which I meane not here to insert. Another most vile custome the foresaide nation doeth retaine: for when any man dieth they burne his dead corpse to ashes: and if his wife surviveth him, her they burne quicke, because (say they) she shall accompany her husband in his tilthe and husbandry, when he is come unto a new worlde. Howbeit the said wife having children by her husband, may if she will, remaine still alive with them, without shame or reproche: notwithstanding, for the most part, they all of them make choice to be burnt with their husbands. Now, albeit the wife dieth before her husband, that law bindeth not the husband to any such inconvenience but he may marry another wife also. Likewise, ye said nation hath another strange custome, in that their women drink wine, but their men do not. Also the women haue the lids & brows of their eyes & beards shaven, but the men haue not: with many other base and filthie fashions which the said women do use contrary to the nature of their sexe. From that kingdome I traveiled 10 daies journey unto another kingdome called Mobar,4 which containeth many cities. Within a certaine church of the same countrey, the body of S. Thomas the Apostle is interred, the very same church being full of idols: and in 15 houses round about the said Church there dwell certaine priests who are Nestorians, that is to say, false, and bad Christians and schismatiques.
IN the kingdome of Mobar there is a wonderfull strange idole, being made after the shape and resemblance of a man, as big as the image of our Christopher, & consisting all of most pure and glittering gold. And about the necke thereof hangeth a silke riband, ful of most rich & precious stones, some one of which is of more value than a whole kingdome. The house of this idol is all of beaten gold, namely the roofe, the pavement, and the sieling of the wall within and without. Unto this idol the Indians go on pilgrimage, as we do unto St. Peter. Some go with halters about their necks, some with their hands bound behind them, some with knives sticking on their armes or legs: and if after their peregrination, the flesh of their wounded arme festereth or corrupteth, they esteeme that limme to be holy, & thinke that their God is wel pleased with them. Neare unto the temple of that idol is a lake made by men in an open and common place, whereinto the pilgrimes cast gold, silver and precious stones, for the honour of the idol and the repairing of his temple. And therefore when anything is to be adorned or mended, they go unto this lake taking up the treasure which was cast in. Moreouer at euery yerely feast of the making or repairing of the said idol, the king and queene, with the whole multitude of the people, & all the pilgrimes assemble themselues, & placing the said idol in a most stately & rich chariot, they cary him out of their temple with songs, & with all kinds of musical harmonie, and a great companie of virgins go procession-wise two and two in a rank singing before him. Many pilgrims also put themselves under the chariot wheeles, to the end that their false god may go ouer them, and al they ouer whom the chariot runneth, are crushed in pieces, & divided asunder in the midst, and slaine right out. Yea, & in doing this, they think themselves to die most holily & securely, in the service of their god. And by this meanes every yere, there die under the said filthy idol, mo then 500 persons, whose carcases are burned, and their ashes are kept for reliques, because they died in that sort for their god. Moreover they haue another detestable ceremony. For when any man offers to die in the service of his false god, his parents & all his friends assemble themselues together with a consort of musicians, making him a great & solemne feast: which feast being ended, they hang 5 sharpe knifes about his neck carrying him before the idol & so soone as he is come thither, he taketh one of his knives crying with a loud voice, For the worship of my god do I cut this my flesh, and then he casteth the morsel which is cut, at ye face of his idol: but at the very last wound wherewith he murthereth himselfe, he uttereth these words: "Now do I yeeld myself to death in the behalfe of my god" and being dead his body is burned, & is esteemed by al men to be holy. The king of the said region is most rich in silver, gold, and precious stones, & there be the fairest unions in al the world.
Traveling from thence by the Ocean sea 50 daies journey southward, I came unto a certaine land named Lammori,1 where, in regard of extreeme heat, the people both men and women go stark-naked from top to toe: who seeing me apparelled, scoffed at me, saying that God made Adam and Eve naked. In this countrey al women are common, so that no man can say, this is my wife. Also when any of the said women beareth a son or a daughter, she bestowes it upon anyone that hath lien with her, whom she pleaseth. Likewise al the land of that region is possessed in common, so that there is not mine & thine, or any propriety of possession in the division of lands: howbeit euery man hath his owne house peculiar unto himselfe. Mans flesh, if it be fat, is eaten as ordinarily there as beefe in our countrey. And albeit the people are most lewd, yet the countrey is exceeding good, abounding with al commodities, as fleshe, corne, rise, silver, gold, wood of aloes, Camphir, and many other things. Marchants coming unto this region for traffique do usually bring with them fat men, selling them unto the inhabitants as we sel hogs, who immediately kil and eat them. In this island towards the south, there is another kingdome called Simoltra,2 where both men and women marke themselves with red-hot yron in 12 sundry spots of their faces: and this nation is at continual warre with certaine naked people in another region. Then I traveled further unto another island called Java, the compasse whereof by sea is 3000 miles. The king of this Iland hath 7 other crowned kings under his jurisdiction. The said Island is throughly inhabited & is thought to be one of the principall Ilands of ye whole world. In the same Iland there groweth great plenty of cloves, cubibez, and nutmegs, and in a word all kinds of spices are there to be had, and great aboundance of all victuals except wine. The king of the said Iland of Java hath a brave and sumptuous pallace, the most loftily built, that euer I saw any, & it hath most high greeses3 and stayers to ascend up into the roomes therein contained, one stayre being of silver, & another of gold, throughout the whole building. Also the lower roomes were paved all ouer with one square plate of silver, & another of gold. All the walls upon the inner side were seeled ouer with plates of gold, wherupon were ingraven ye pictures of knights, having about their temples, ech of them a wreath of golde, adorned with precious stones. The roofe of the palace was of pure gold. With this King of Java the great Can of Catay hath had many conflicts in war; whom notwithstanding the said king hath always overcome and vanquished.
NEERE unto the said Iland is another countrey called Panten, or Tathalamasin.1 And the king of the same countrey hath many Ilands under his dominion. In this land there are trees yeelding meale, hony, & wine & the most deadly poison in all ye whole world: for against it there is but one only remedy: & that is this: if any man hath taken of ye poyson, & would be delivered from the danger thereof, let him temper the dung of a man in water, & so drinke a good quantitie thereof, & it expels the poyson immediatly, making it to avoid at the fundament. Meale is produced out of the said trees after this maner. They be mighty huge trees and when they are cut with an axe by the ground, there issueth out of the stock a certain licour like unto gumme, which they take and put into bags made of leaues, laying them for 15 days together abroad in the sunne, & at the end of those 15 dayes, when the said licour is throughly parched, it becometh meale. Then they steepe it first in sea water, washing it afterward with fresh water, and so it is made very good & savorie paste, whereof they make either meat or bread, as they thinke good. Of which bread I my selfe did eate, & it is fayrer without & somewhat browne within. By this countrey is the sea called Mare mortuum, which runneth continually Southward, into ye which whosoever falleth in (is) never seene after. In this countrey also are found canes of an incredible length, namely of 60 paces high or more, & they are as bigge as trees. Other canes there be also called Cassan,2 which overspread the earth like grasse, & out of euery knot of them spring foorth certaine branches, which are continued upon the ground almost for the space of a mile. In the said canes there are found certaine stones, one of which stones, whosoever carryeth about with him, cannot be wounded with any yron: & therefore the men of that countrey for the most part, carry such stones with them, whithersoever they goe. Many also cause one of the armes of their children, while they are yong, to be launced, putting one of the said stones into the wound, healing also, and closing up the said wound with the powder of a certaine fish (the name whereof I do not know) which powder doth immediatly consolidate and cure the said wounde. And by the virtue of these stones the people aforesaid doe for the most part triumph both on sea and land. Howbeit there is one kinde of stratageme, which the enemies of this nation, knowing the vertue of the sayd stones, doe practise against them: namely, they provide themselues armour of yron or steele against their arrowes, & weapons also poisoned with the poyson of trees & they carry in their hands wooden stakes most sharpe and hard pointed, as if they were yron: likewise they shoot arrowes without yron heads, & so they confound and slay some of their unarmed foes trusting too securely unto the vertue of their stones. Also of the foresayd canes called Cassan they make sayles for their ships, and litel houses, and many other necessaries. From thence after many dayes travell, I arrived at another kingdome called Campa, a most beautiful and rich countrey, & abounding with all kind of victuals: the king whereof, at my being there, had so many wives & concubines, that he had 300 sonnes & daughters by them. This king hath 10004 tame Elephants, which are kept even as we keepe droves of oxen or flocks of sheepe in pasture.
IN this countrey there is one strange thing to be observed, yt euery several kind of fishes in those seas come swimming towards the said countrey in such abundance, that, for a great distance into the sea, nothing can be seene but the backes of fishes: which casting themselues upon the shore when they come neere unto it, do suffer men, for the space of 3 daies to come & take as many of them as they please, & then they return again to the sea. After that kind of fishes comes another kind, offering itselfe after the same maner, & so in like sort all other kinds whatsoever: notwithstanding they do this but once in a year. And I demaunded of the inhabitants there how, or by what meanes this strange accident could come to passe: They answered, that fishes were taught, even by nature to come and do homage unto their Emperour. There be Tortoises also as bigge as an oven. Many other things I saw which are incredible, unlesse a man should see them with his own eies. In this countrey also dead men are burned, & their wives are burned aliue with them, as in the city of Polumbrum aboue mentioned: for the men of that countrey say that she goeth to accompany him in another world, that he should take none other wife in mariage. Moreouer I traveled on further by the ocean-sea towards the South, & passed through many countries and islands, whereof one is called Moumoran, & it containeth in compasse ii. M miles, wherein men & women haue dogs faces, and worship an oxe for their god: and therefore euery one of them cary the image of an oxe of gold or silver upon their foreheads. The men & women of this country go all naked, saving that they hang a linen cloth round their loins. The men of the said country are very tall and mighty, and by reason that they goe naked, when they are to make battell, they cary yron or steele-targets before them, which do cover and defend their bodies from top to toe: and whomsoever of their foes they take in battel not being able to ransome himselfe for money, they presently devoure him: but if he be able to redeeme himselfe for money, they let him go free. Their king weareth about his necke 300 great & most beautiful unions,1 and saith euery day 300 prayers unto his god. He weareth upon his finger also a stone of a span long, which seemeth to be a flame of fire, and therefore when he weareth it, no man dare approach unto him: and they say that there is not any stone in the whole world of more value than it. Neither could at any time the great Tartarian Emperour of Katay either by force, money, or policie obtain it at his hands, notwithstanding that he hath done the utmost of his indeavour for this purpose.
I PASSED by also another island called Sylan,1 which conteineth in compasse aboue ii M miles, wherin are an infinit number of serpents, & great store of lions, beares, & al kinds of ravening & wild beasts, and especially of elephants. In the said countrey there is an huge mountaine, whereupon the inhabitants of that region do report that Adam mourned for his son Abel ye space of 500 yeres. In the midst of this mountaine there is a most beautiful plain, wherin is a litle lake conteining great plenty of water, which water ye inhabitants report to haue proceeded from the teares of Adam & Eve: howbeit I proved that to be false, because I saw the water flow in the lake. This water is ful of hors-leeches, & blood suckers, & of precious stones also, which precious stones the king taketh not unto his owne use, but once or twise euery yere he permitteth certaine poore people to diue under water for ye said stones & al that they may get he bestoweth upon them, to the end that they may pray for his soule. But yt they may with less danger dive under water, they take limons2 which they pil,3 anointing themselves with the juice thereof, & so they may diue naked under ye water, the hors-leeches not being able to hurt them. From this lake the water runneth even unto the sea, and at a low ebbe the inhabitants dig rubies, diamonds & perles, and other precious stones out of the shore: wherupon it is thought, that ye king of this island hath greater abundance of pretious stones, then any other monarch in the whole earth besides. In the said countrey there be all kinds of beastes and foules: & the people told me, that those beasts would not invade nor hurt any stranger but only the natural inhabitants.
I saw in this island fouls as big as our countrey geese, having two heads, and other miraculous things, which I will not here write off. Traveling on further South, I arrived at a certaine island called Bodin,4 which signifieth in our language unclean. In this island there do inhabit most wicked persons, who devour & eate rawe flesh, committing all kinds of uncleannes & abominations in such sort, as it is incredible. For the father eateth his son, & the son his father, the husband his owne wife & the wife her husband: & that after this maner. If any mans father be sick, the son straight goes unto the sooth-saying or prognosticating priest, requesting him to demand of his god, whether his father shall recover from his infirmity or no; Then both of them go unto an idol of gold or silver, making their prayers unto it in maner folowing: Lord, thou art our god, & thee we do adore, beseeching thee to resolve us, whether such a man must die, or recover of such an infirmity or no: Then the divel answereth out of ye aforesaide idol: if he saieth (he shal liue) then returneth his son and ministreth things necessary unto him til he hath attained unto his former health: but if he saith (he shall die) then goes ye priest unto him, & putting a cloth into his mouth doth strangle him therewith: which being done, he cuts his dead body into morsels, & al his friends and kinsfolk are invited unto the eating thereof, with musique & all kinde of mirth: howbeit his bones are solemnely buried. And when I found fault with that custome demanding a reason thereof, one of them gaue me this answere; this we doe lest the wormes should eat his flesh, for then his soule should suffer great torments, neither could I by any meanes remoove them from that errour. Many other novelties and strange things there bee in this countrey, which no man would credite, unles he saw them with his owne eyes. Howbeit, I (before almighty God) do here make relation of nothing but of that onely, whereof I am as sure, as a man may be sure. Concerning the foresaid islands, I enquired of divers wel-experienced persons, who al of them, as it were with one consent, answered me saying, that this India contained 4400 islands under it, or within it, in which islands there are sixty and foure crowned kings: and they say moreouer, that the greater part of those islands are wel inhabited. And here I conclude concerning that part of India.
FIRST of al therefore, having traveled many dayes journey upon the Ocean-sea towards the East, at length I arrived at a certaine great province called Mancy, being in Latine named India. Concerning this India I inquired of Christians, of Saracens, & of Idolaters, and of al such as bare an office under the great Can; who all of them with one consent answered, that this province of Mancy hath mo then 2000 great cities within the precincts thereof & that it aboundeth with all plenty of victuals, as namely with bread, wine, rise, flesh, and fish. All the men of this province be artificers & marchants, who, though they be in never so extreme penurie, so long as they can help themselues by the labor of their handes, will neuer beg almes of any man. The men of this province are of a faire and comely personage, but somewhat pale, having their heads shaven but a little, but the women are the most beautiful under the sunne. The first city of the said India which I came unto, is called Ceuskalon, which being a daies journey distant from the sea, stands upon a river, the water whereof, nere unto the mouth, where it exonerateth it selfe into the sea, doth overflow the land for the space of 12 daies journey. All the inhabitants of this India are worshippers of idols. The foresaid city of Ceuskalon hath such an huge navy belonging thereunto, that no man would beleeve it unlesse he should see it. In this city I saw 300 li of good and new ginger sold for lesse than a groat. There are the greatest, and the fairest geese, & most plenty of them to be sold in al the world, as I suppose: they are as white as milke, & haue a bone upon the crowne of their heads, as bigge as an egge, being of the colour of blood: under the throat they haue a skin or bag hanging down halfe a foot. They are exceeding fat and wel sold. Also they haue ducks and hens in that countrey, one as big as two of ours. There be monstrous great serpents likewise, which are taken by the inhabitants & eaten; whereupon a solemne feast among them without serpents is not set by.
And to be briefe, in this city there are al kinds of victuals in great abundance. From thence I passed by many cities & at length I came unto a citie named Caitan,2 wherein ye friers Minorites haue two places of abode, unto which I transported the bones of the dead friers, which suffered martyrdom for the faith of Christ, as it is aboue mentioned. In this citie there is abundance of al kind of victuals very cheap. The said city is as big as two of Bononia,3 & in it are many monasteries of religious persons, al which do worship idols.
I myselfe was in one of those monasteries, & it was told me, that there were in it III M religious men, having XI M idols; and one of ye said idols which seemed unto me but litle in regard of the rest, was as big as our Christopher. These religious men euery day do feed their idol-gods: wherupon at a certaine time I went to behold the banquet: and indeed those things which they brought unto them were good to eate, & fuming hote insomuch that the steam of the smoke thereof ascended up unto their idols, and they said that their gods were refreshed with the smoke: howbeit all the meat they conveyed away, eating it up their owne selves, and so they fed their dumb gods with the smoke only.
TRAVELING more eastward, I came unto a city named Fuco,1 which containeth 30 miles in circuit, wherein be exceeding great & faire cocks, and al their hens are as white as the very snow, having wool in stead of feathers, like unto sheep. It is a most stately & beautiful city & standeth up the sea. Then I went 18 daies journey on further, & passed by many provinces & cities, and in the way I went over a certain great mountaine, upon ye one side whereof I beheld al living creatures to be as black as a cole, & the men and women on that side differed somewhat in maner of living from others; howbeit, on the other side of the said hil every living thing was snow-white & the inhabitants in their maner of living, were altogether unlike unto others. There, al maried women cary in token that they haue husbands, a great trunk of horne upon their heads. From thence I traveled 18 dayes journey further and came unto a certaine great river, and entered also into a city, whereunto belongeth a mighty bridge to passe the said river. And mine hoste with whom I sojourned, being desirous to show me some sport, said unto me, Sir, if you will see any fish taken, goe with me. Then hee led me unto the foresaid bridge, carrying in his armes certain dive-doppers2 or water-foules, bound unto a company of poles, and about every one of their necks he tied a thread, lest they should eat the fish as fast as they took them: and he carried three great baskets with him also; then loosed he the dive-doppers from the poles, which presently went into the water, & within lesse then the space of one houre, caught as many fishes as filled the 3 baskets: which being full, mine hoste untied the threeds from about their neckes, and entering a second time into the river they fed themselves with fish, and being satisfied they returned and suffered themselves to be bound unto the said poles as they were before. And when I did eate of those fishes, we thought they were exceeding good. Travailing thence many dayes journeys, at length I arrived at another city called Canasia,3 which signifieth in our language, the city of heaven. Never in all my life did I see so great a city: for it containeth in circuit an hundreth miles; neither sawe I any plot thereof, which was not throughly inhabited: yea, I sawe many houses of tenne or twelve stories high, one aboue the other. It hath mightie large suburbs containing more people then the citie it selfe. Also it hath twelue principall gates: and about the distance of 8 miles, in the high way unto euery one of the saide gates standeth a city as big by estimation as Venice, and Padua. The aforesaide city of Canasia is situated in waters or marshes, which always stand still, neither ebbing nor flowing: howbeit it hath a defence for the winde like unto Venice. In this citie there are mo than 10002 bridges, many whereof I numbered and passed over them: and upon every of those bridges stand certaine watchmen of the citie, keeping continuall ward and watch about the saide citie, the great Can the Emperour of Catay. The people of this countrey say, that they haue one duetie injoyned unto them by their lord: for euery fire payeth one Balis in regard of tribute: and a Balis is five papers or pieces of silk, which are worth one floren and an halfe of our coine. Tenne or twelue housholds are accompted for one fire, and so pay tribute but for one fire only. Al those tributary fires amount unto the number of 85 Thuman, with other foure Thuman of the Saracens, which make 89 in al: And one Thuman consisteth of 10000 fires. The residue of the people of the city are some of them Christians, some marchants, and some traveilers through the countrey. Whereupon I marveiled much how such an infinite number of persons could inhabite and liue together. There is great aboundance of victuals in this city, as namely of bread and wine, and especially of hogs-flesh with other necessaries.
IN the foresaide citie foure of our friers had converted a mighty and rich man unto the faith of Christ, at whose house I continually abode, for so long time as I remained in the citie, Who upon a certain time said unto me: Ara, that is to say, Father, will you go and behoulde the citie? And I said, yea. Then embarked we ourselves, and directed our course unto a certaine great Monastery: where being arrived, he called a religious person with whom he was acquainted, saying unto him concerning me: this Raban Francus, that is to say, this religious Frenchman commeth from the Westerne parts of the world and therefore you must show him some rare things, that when he returnes into his owne countrey, he may say, this strange sight or novelty haue I seene in the citie of Canasia. Then the said religious man tooke two greate baskets full of broken reliques which remained of the table, & led me unto a little walled parke, the doore whereof he unlocked with his key, and there appeared unto us a pleasant faire green plot, into the which we entred. In the said greene stands a litle mount in forme of a steeple, replenished with fragrant herbes, and fine shady trees. And while we stood there, he tooke a cymbal or bell, and rang therewith, as they used to ring to dinner or bevoir in cloisters, at the sound whereof many creatures of divers kindes came downe from the mount, some like apes, some like cats, some like monkeys, and some having faces like men. And while I stood beholding of them, they gathered themselves together about him, to the number of 4200 of those creatures, putting themselues in good order, before whom he set a platter, and gaue them the saide fragments to eate. And when they had eaten he rang upon his cymbal the second time, and they all returned unto their former places. Then, wondring greatly at the matter, I demanded what kind of creatures those might be? They are (quoth he) the Soules of noble men which we do here feed, for the love of God who governeth the world: and as a man was honorable or noble in this life, so his soule after death, entreth into the body of some excellent beast or other, but the soules of simple and rusticall people do possesse the bodies of more vile and brutish creatures. Then I began to refute that foule error: howbeit my speech did nothing at all to prevaile with him, for hee could not be perswaded that any soule might remaine without a body. From thence I departed unto a certaine citie named Chilenso, the walls whereof contained 40 miles in circuit. In this citie there are 360 bridges of stone, the fairest that euer I saw, and it is wel inhabited, having a great navie belonging thereunto, & abounding with all kinds of victuals and other commodities. And thence I went unto a certaine river called Thalay which where it is most narrow, is 7 miles broad: and it runneth through the midst of the land of the Pygmoei whose chiefe city is called Cakam, and is one of the goodliest cities in the world. These Pygmoeans are three of my spans high, and they make larger and better cloth of cotton and silke, then any other nation under the sunne. And coasting along by the said river, I came unto a certaine city named Janzu, in which citie there is one receptacle for the Friers of our order, and there be also three Churches of the Nestorians. This Janzu is a noble and great citie, containing 48 Thumans of tributarie fires, and in it are all kindes of victuals, and great plenty of such beastes, foules, and fishes, as Christians doe usually liue upon. The lord of the same citie hath in yeerely revenues for salt onely, fiftie Thuman of Balis, & one balis is worth a floren and a halfe of our coyne: insomuch that one Thuman of balis amounteth unto the value of 15000 florens. Howbeit the sayd lord, favoureth his people in one respect, for sometimes he forgiveth them frely 200 Thuman, lest there should be any scarcity or dearth among them. There is a custome in this citie, that when any man is determined to banquet his friends, going about unto certaine tavernes or cookes houses appointed for the same purpose, he sayth unto euery particular hoste, you shall haue such and such of my friends, whom you must entertain in my name, and so much I will bestowe upon the banquet. And by that means his friendes are better feasted at diverse places, then they should haue beene at one. Tenne miles from the sayde citie, about the head of the foresayd river of Thalay, there is a certaine other citie called Montu, which hath the greatest navy that I saw in the whole world. All their ships are as white as snow, & they haue banquetting houses in them, and many other rare things also, which no man would beleeve unlesse he had seene them with his owne eyes.
TRAVELING eight dayes journey further by divers territories and cities, at length I came by fresh water unto a certaine citie named Leucyn, standing upon a river of Karavoran1 which runneth through the midst of Cataie, and doeth great harme in the countrey when it overfloweth the bankes, or breaketh foorth of the chanell. From thence passing along the river Eastward, after many dayes travell, and the sight of divers cities, I arrived at a citie called Sumakoto,2 which aboundeth more with silke then any other citie in the worlde: for when there is a great scarcity of silke, fortie pound is solde for lesse then eight groates. In this citie there is abundance of all merchandize, and all kinds of victuals also, as of bread, wine, flesh, fish, with all choise and delicate spices. Then travelling on still towards the East by many cities, I came unto the noble and renowned citie of Cambaleth, which is of great antiquitie, being situate in the province of Cataie. This citie the Tartars tooke, & neere unto it within the space of halfe a mile, they built another citie called Caido. The citie of Caido hath twelve gates, being each of them two miles distant from another. Also the space lying in the midst betweene the two foresayde cities is very well and thoroughly inhabited, so that they make as it were but one citie betweene them both. The whole compasse or circuit of both cities together is 40 miles. In this citie the great emperour Can hath his principall seat, and his Imperiall palace, the wals of which palace containe foure miles in circuit: and neere unto this his palace are many other palaces and houses of his nobility which belong unto his court. Within the precincts of the said palace Imperiall, there is a most beautifull mount, set and replenished with trees, for which cause it is called the Greene mount, having a most royall and sumptuous palace standing thereupon, in which, for the most part, the great Can is resident. Upon the one side of the sayde mount there is a great lake, whereupon a most stately bridge is built, in which lake a great abundance of geese, ducks, & all kinds of water foules, and in the wood growing upon the mount, there is a great store of all birdes and wilde beastes. And therefore when the great Can will solace himselfe with hunting or hauking, he needs not so much as once to step forth of his palace. Moreover, the principall palace, wherein he maketh his abode, is very large, having within it 14 pillers of golde, and all the walles thereof are hanged with red skinnes, which are said to be the most costly skinnes in all the world. In the midst of the palace stands a cisterne of two yards high, which consisteth of a precious stone called Merdochas, and is wreathed about with golde, & at ech corner thereof is the golden image of a serpent, as it were furiously shaking and casting forth his head. This cisterne also hath a kinde of network of pearle wrought about it. Likewise by the sayd cisterne there is drinke conveyed thorow certaine pipes and conducts such as useth to be drunke in the emperours court, upon the which also there hang many vessels of golde, wherein whosoever will may drinke of the said licour. In the foresayd palace there are many peacockes of golde: & when any Tartar maketh a banquet unto his lorde, if the guests chance to clap their hands for joy and mirth the said golden peacocks also will spread their wings abroad, and lift up their traines, seeming as if they danced, and this I suppose to be done by arte magicke or by some secret engine under the grounde.
MOREOVER, when the great emperour Can sitteth on his imperiall throne of estate, on his lefte hand sitteth his queene or empresse and upon another inferior seate there sit two other women, which are to accompany the emperour, when his spouse is absent, but in the lowest place of all, there sit all the ladies of his kinred. All the married women weare upon their heads a kind of ornament in shape like unto a man's foote of a cubite and a halfe in length, and the lower part of the said foote is adorned with cranes feathers, and is all ouer thicke set with great and orient pearles. Upon the right hande of the great Can sitteth his first begotten sonne and heire apparent unto his empire, and under him sit all the nobles of the blood royall. There bee also foure Secretaries, which put all things in writing that the emperour speaketh. In whose presence likewise stand his Barons and divers others of his nobilitie, with great traines of folowers after them, of whom none dare speake so much as one worde, unlesse they haue obtained licence of the emperour so to doe, except his jesters and stage players, who are appointed of purpose to solace their lord. Neither yet dare they attempt to doe ought, but onely according to the pleasure of their emperor, and as hee enjoineth by lawe. About the palace gate stand certaine Barons to keepe all men from treading upon the threshold of the sayd gate. When it pleaseth the great Can to solemnize a feast, he hath about him 14000 Barons, carying wreathes & litle crownes upon their heads, and giving attendance upon their lord, and eueryone of them weareth a garment of golde and precious stones, which is worth ten thousand florens. His court is kept in very good order, by governours of tens, governours of hundreds, and governours of thousands, insomuch that euery one in his place performeth his dutie committed to him, neither is there any defect to bee found. I Frier Odoricus was there present in person for the space of three yeares and was often at the sayd banquets: for wee friers Minorites have a place of aboad appointed out for us in the emperours court, and are enjoined to goe and to bestow our blessing upon him. And I enquired of certain courtiers concerning the number of persons pertaining to the emperors court. Moreouer, when he will make his progresse from one countrey to another, hee hath foure troupes of horsemen, one being appointed to goe a dayes journey before, and another to come a dayes journey after him, the third to march on his right hand and the fourth on his left, in the maner of a crosse, he himselfe being in the midst, and so euery particular troupe haue their daily journeys limited unto them, to the ende they may provide sufficient victuals without defect. Nowe the great Can himselfe is caried in maner following: hee rideth in a chariot with two wheeles, upon which a majesticall throne is built of the wood of Aloe, being adorned with gold and great pearles and precious stones, and foure elephants bravely furnished doe drawe the sayd chariot, before which elephants foure greate horses richly trapped and covered doe lead the way. Hard by the chariot on both sides thereof, are foure Barons laying hold and attending thereupon, to keepe all persons from approching neere unto their emperour. Upon the chariot two milke-white jer-falcons doe sit, and seeing any game which hee would take, hee letteth them fly, and so they take it, and after this maner doeth hee solace himselfe as hee rideth. Moreover, no man dare come within a stone's cast of the chariot, but such as are appointed. The number of his owne followers, of his wives attendants, and of the traine of his first begotten sonne and heire apparent, would seem incredible to any man; unless he had first seene it with his owne eyes. The foresayd great Can hath divided his Empire into twelue parts or provinces, and one of the said provinces hath two thousand great cities within the precincts thereof. Whereupon his empire is of that length and breadth, that unto whatsoever part thereof he intendeth his journey, he hath space enough for six moneths continual progress, except his islands which are at the least 5000.
THE foresayd Emperor (to the end that travailers may haue all things necessary throughout his whole empire) hath caused certaine Innes to be provided in sundry places upon the highwayes, where all things pertaining unto victuals are in a continuall readinesse. And when any alteration or newes happen in any part of his Empire, if he chance to be farre absent from that part, his ambassadors upon horses or dromedaries ride post unto him, and when themselves and their beaste are weary, they blowe their horne, at the noise whereof, the next Inne likewise provideth a horse and a man, who takes the letter from him that is weary, and runneth unto another Inne: and so by divers Innes, and divers postes, the report, which ordinarily could skarce come in 30 dayes, is in one naturall day brought unto the Emperour: and therefore no matter of any moment can be done in his empire, but straightway he hath intelligence of it. Moreouer when the great Can himselfe will go on hunting, he useth this custome. Some 20 days journey from the citie of Kambaleth there is a forrest containing six dayes journey in circuit, in which forrest there are so many kinds of beasts and birds as it is incredible to report. Unto this forrest, at the ende of euery thirde or fourthe yeere, himself with his whole traine resorteth, and they all of them together environ the said forrest, sending dogs into the same, which by hunting doe bring foorth the beasts: namely lions and stags, and other creatures, unto a most beautifull plaine in the midst of the forrest, because all the beasts of the forrest doe tremble, especially at the cry of hounds. Then cometh the great Can himselfe, being caried upon three elephants, and shooteth fiue arrowes into the whole herd of beasts, and after him all his Barons, and after them the rest of his courtiers and family doe all in like maner discharge their arrowes also, and euery mans arrow hath a sundry marke. Then they all goe unto the beasts which are slaine (suffering the living beasts to returne into the wood that they may haue more sport with them another time) and euery man enjoyeth that beast as his owne, wherein he findeth his arrow sticking.
FOURE great feasts in a yeere doeth the emperor Can celebrate: namely the feast of his birth, the feast of his circumcision, the feast of his coronation, and the feast of his mariage. And unto these feasts he inviteth all his Barons, his stage players, and all such as are of his kinred. Then the great Can sitting in his throne, all his Barons present themselves before him, with wreaths and crowns upon their heads, being diversely attired, for some of them are in greene, namely the principall: the seconde are in red, and the third in yellow: and they hold each man in his hand a little Ivorie table of elephants tooth, and they are girt with golden girdles of halfe a foote broad, and they stand upon their feete keeping silence. About them stand the stage-players or musicians with their instruments. And in one of the corners of a certaine great pallace, all the Philosophers or Magicians remaine for certaine howers, and do attend upon points or characters; and when the point and hower which the sayd Philosophers expected for, is come, a certain crier crieth out with a loud voice, saying, Incline or bowe your selves before your Emperour; with that all the Barons fall flat upon the earth. Then hee crieth oute againe: Arise all, and immediately they all arise. Likewise the Philosophers attend upon a point or character the second time, and when it is fulfilled the crier crieth out amaine: Put your fingers in your eares; and foorthwith againe he saieth: Plucke them out. Againe, at the third point he crieth, Boult this meale. Many other circumstances also doe they performe, all which they say haue some certaine signification, howbeit neither would I write them, nor giue any heed unto them, because they are vaine and ridiculouse. And when the musicians houre is come, then the Philosophers say, Solemnize a feast unto your Lord: with that all of them sound their instruments, making a great and melodious noise. And immediately another crieth, Peace, Peace, and they are all whist. Then come the women-musicians, and sing sweetly before the Emperour, which musike was more delightfull unto me. After them come in the lions and doe their obeisance unto the great Can. Then the juglers cause golden cups full of wine to flie up and downe in the ayre & to apply themselves unto mens mouths that they may drinke of them. These any many other strange things I sawe in the court of the great Can, which no man would beleeve unlesse he had seen them with his owne eies, and therefore I omit to speake of them. I was informed also by certaine credible persons of another miraculous thing, namely, that in a certaine Kingdome of the sayd Can, wherein stand the mountains called Kapsei (the Kingdomes name is Kalor) there groweth great Gourds or Pompions,1 which being ripe, doe open at the tops, and within them is found a little beast like unto a yong lambe, even as I my selfe have heard reported, that there stand certain trees upon the shore of the Irish Sea, bearing fruit like unto a gourd, which at a certaine time of the yeere doe fall into the water, and become birds called Bernacles, and this is most true.
AND after three yeeres I departed out of the empire of Cataie, traveiling fiftie dayes journey towards the West. And at length I came unto the empire of Pretegoani,1 whose principall citie is Kasan, which hath many cities under it. From thence passing many dayes travel I came unto a province called Casan, which is for good commodities, one of the onely provinces under the Sunne, & is very well inhabited, insomuch that when we depart out of the gates of one city we may beholde the gates of another city, as I myselfe sawe in divers of them. The breadth of the said province is 50 dayes journey and the length aboue sixtie. In it there is great plenty of all victuals, and especially of chesnuts, and it is one of the twelve provinces of the great Can. Going on further, I came unto a certaine Kingdome called Tebek,2 which is in subjection unto the great Can also, wherein I thinke there is more plenty of bread and wine then in any other part of the worlde besides. The people of the sayd countrey do, for the most part, inhabit in tents made of blacke felt. Their principall city is invironed with faire and beautifull walls, being built of most white and blacke stones, which are disposed checkerwise one by another, and curiously compiled together: likewise all the high wayes in this countrey are exceedingly well paved. In the said countrey none dare shed the bloud of a man, or of any beast, for the reverence of a certaine idol. In the aforesayd citie their Abassi, that is to say, their Pope is resident, being the head and prince of all idolaters (upon whom he bestoweth and distributeth gifts after his maner) euen as our Pope of Rome accounts himselfe to be the head of all Christians. The Women of this countrey weare aboue an hundreth tricks & trifles about them, and they haue two teeth in their mouthes as long as the tuskes of a boare. When any mans father deceaseth among them, his sonne assembleth together all the priests and musicians that he can get, saying that he is determined to honour his father: then causeth he him to be caried into the field (all his kinsfolks, friends, and neighbours, accompanying him in the sayd action) where the priests with great solemnity cut off the fathers head, giving it unto his sonne, which being done, they divide the whole body into morsels, and so leaue it behinde them, returning home with prayers in the company of the said sonne. So soone as they are departed, certain vultures, which are accustomed to such bankets, come flying from the mountains, and cary away all the sayd morsels of flesh: and from thenceforth a fame is spread abroad, that the sayd party deceased was holy, because the angels of God carried him into paradise. And this is the greatest and highest honour, that the sonne can devise to performe unto his father. Then the sayd sonne taketh his fathers head, seething it and eating the flesh thereof, but of the skull he maketh a drinking cup, wherein himselfe with all his family and kinred do drinke with great solemnitie and mirth, in the remembrance of his dead and devoured father. Many other vile and abominable things doth the sayd nation commit, which I meane not to write because men neither can nor will beleeve, except they should haue a sight of them.
WHILE I was in the province of Mancy, I passed by the palace of a certaine famous man, which hath fifty virgin damosels continually attending upon him, feeding him euery meale as a bird feeds her yoong ones. Also he hath sundry kinds of meat served in at his table and three dishes of ech kinde: and when the said virgins feed him, they singe most sweetly. This man hath in yeerely revenues thirty thuman of tagars of rise, euery of which thuman yeeldeth tenne thousand tagars, and one tagar is the burthen of an asse. His palace is two miles in circuit, the pavement thereof is one plate of golde and another of silver. Neere unto the wall of the sayd palace there is a mount artificially wrought with golde and silver, whereupon stand turrets and steeples, and other delectable things for the solace and recreation of the foresayd great man. And it was tolde me that there were foure such men in the sayd kingdome. It is accounted a great grace for the men of that countrey to haue long nailes upon their fingers, and especially upon their thumbes which nailes they may folde about their handes: but the grace and beauty of their women is to haue small and slender feet: and therefore the mothers when their daughters are yoong, do binde up their feete that they may not grow great. Travelling on further towards the South, I arrived at a certain countrey called Melistorte, which is a pleasant and fertile place. In this countrey was a certain aged man called Senex de monte, who round about two mountaines had built a wall to inclose the said mountaines. Within this wall there were the fairest and most chrystall fountaines in the whole world: and about the sayd fountaines there were the most beautifull virgins in great number, and goodly horses also, and in a word, euery thing that could be devised for bodily solace and delight, and therefore the inhabitants of the countrey call the same place by the name of Paradise. The olde Senex, when he saw any proper and valiant yoong man, he would admit him into his paradise. Moreover by certain conducts he makes wine and milke to flow abundantly. This Senex when he hath a minde to revenge himselfe or to slay any king or baron, commandeth him who is governor of the sayd paradise, to bring thereunto some of the acquaintance of the sayd king or baron, permitting him a while to take his pleasure therein, and then to give him a certaine potion being of force, to cast him into such a slumber as should make him quite voide of all sense, and so being in a profound sleepe to convey him out of his paradise: who being awakened and seeing himselfe thrust out of the paradise, would become so sorrowfull, that he could not in the world devise what to do, or whither to turne him. Then would he goe unto the foresaid old man, beseeching him that he might be admitted again into his paradise, who saith unto him, You cannot be admitted thither, unlesse you will slay such or such a man for my sake, & if you will giue the attempt onely, whether you kill him or no, I will place you againe in paradise, that there you may remain always: then would the party without faile put the same in execution, indevouring to murther all those against whom the old man had conceived any hatred. And therefore all the kings of the east stood in awe of the sayd olde man, and gaue unto him great tribute.
AND when the Tartars had subdued a great part of the world, they came unto the sayd olde man, and tooke from him the custody of his paradise: who being incensed thereat, sent abroad divers desperate and resolute persons out of his forenamed paradise, and caused many of the Tartarian nobles to be slaine. The Tartars seeing this, went and beseiged the citie wherein the sayd olde man was, tooke him, and put him to a most cruell and ignominious death. The friers in that place haue this special gift and prerogative, namely, that by the vertue of the name of Christ Jesu, & in the vertue of his precious blood, which he shedde upon the crosse for the salvation of mankinde, they doe cast foorth devils out of them that are possessed. And because there are many possessed men in those parts, they are bound and brought ten dayes journey unto the sayd friers, who being dispossessed of the uncleane spirits, do presently beleeve in Christ, who delivered them, accounting him for their God, and being baptised in his name, and also delivering immediately unto the friers all their idols and the idols of their cattell, which are commonly made of felt or of womens haire: then the sayd friers kindle a fire in a publicke place (whereunto the people resort, that they may see the false gods of their neighbors burnt), and cast the sayd idols thereinto: howbeit at first those idols came out of the fire againe. Then the friers sprinkled the sayd fire with holy water, casting in the idols the second time, and with that the devils fled in the likenesse of black smoake, and the idols still remained till they were consumed unto ashes. Afterward, this noise and outcry was heard in the ayre: Beholde and see how I am expelled out of my habitation. And by these means the friers doe baptise great multitudes, who presently revolt againe unto their idols; insomuch that the sayd friers must eftsoones, as it were, underprop them, and informe them anew. There was another terrible thing which I saw there: for passing by a certaine valley, which is situate beside a pleasant river, I saw many dead bodies, and in the said valley also I heard divers sweet sounds and harmonies of musike, especially the noise of citherns, whereat I was greatly amazed. This valley conteineth in length seven or eight miles at the least, into the which whosoeuer entreth, dieth presently, and can by no means passe aliue thorow the middest thereof; for which cause all the inhabitants thereabout decline unto the one side. Moreover, I was tempted to go in & to see what it was. At length, making my prayers and recommending my selfe to God in the name of Jesu, I entred, and saw such swarmes of dead bodies there, as no man would beleeve unless he were an eyewitnesse thereof. At the one side of the foresayde valley upon a certaine stone, I saw the visage of a man, which behelde me with such a terrible aspect that I thought verily I should haue died in the same place. But alwayes this sentence, the word became flesh, and dwelt amomgst us, I ceased not to pronounce, signing my selfe with the signe of the crosse, and neerer than seven to eight pases I durst not approach unto the sayd head: but I departed & fled unto another place in the sayd valley, ascending up into a little sande mountaine, where looking about, I saw nothing but the sayd citherns, which methought I heard miraculously sounding and playing by themselves without the helpe of musicians. And being upon the toppe of the mountaine, I found silver there like the scales of fishes in great abundance, and I gathered some part thereof into my bosome to shew for a wonder, but my conscience rebuking me, I cast it upon the earth, reserving no whit at all unto my selfe, and so, by God's grace I departed without danger. And when the men of the countrey knew that I was returned out of the valley alive, they reverenced me much, saying that I was baptised and holy, and that the foresayd bodies were men subject unto the devils infernall who used to play upon citherns, to the end they might allure people to enter, and so murther them. Thus much concerning these things which I beheld most certainly with mine eyes, I frier Odoricus haue heere written: many strange things also I haue of purpose omitted, because men will not beleeue them unlesse they should see them.
I WILL report one thing more, which I saw, concerning the great Can. It is an usuall custome in those parts, that when the foresayd Can traveileth thorow any countrey, his subjects kindle fires before their doores, casting spices thereinto to make a perfume, that their lord passing by may smell the sweet and delectable odours thereof, and much people come forth to meet him. And upon a certaine time when he was comming towardes Cambaleth, the fame of his approch being published, a bishop of ours with certaine of our minorite friers and myselfe went two dayes journey to meet him: and being come nigh unto him, we put a crosse upon wood. I my selfe having a censer in my hand, and began to sing with a loud voice: Veni creator spiritus. And as we were singing on this wise he caused us to be called, commanding us to come unto him: notwithstanding (as it is above mentioned) that no man dare approche within a stones cast of his chariot, unlesse he be called, but such onely as keep his chariot. And when we came neare unto him, he vailed his hat or bonet being of an inestimable price, doing reverence unto the crosse. And immediately I put incense into the censour, and our bishop taking the censer perfumed him, and gaue him his benediction. Moreouer, they that come before the said Can, do alwayes bring some oblation to present unto him, observing the ancient law: Thou shalt not appear in my presence with an empty hand. And for that cause we carried apples with us, and offered them in a platter with reverence unto him: and taking out two of them he did eate some part of one. And then he signified unto us, that we should go apart, lest the horses comming on might in ought offend us. With that we departed from him, and turned aside, going unto certaine of his barons, which had been converted to the faith by certaine friers of our order, being at the same time in his army: and we offered unto them of the foresayd apples, who received them at our hands with great joy, seeming unto us to be as glad, as if we had giuen them some great gift. All the premisses above written frier William de Solanga hath put downe in writing euen as the foresayd frier Odoricus uttered them by word of mouth, in the yeere of our Lord 1330 in the moneth of May, and in the place of S. Anthony of Padua. Neither did he regard to write them in difficult Latine, or in an eloquent style, but even as Odoricus himselfe rehearsed them, to the end that men might the more easily understand the things reported. I Odoricus frier, of Friuli, of a certaine territory called Portus Vahonis, and of the order of the minorites, do testifie and beare witnesse unto the reverend father Guidotus minister of the province of S. Anthony, in the marquisate of Treviso (being by him required upon mine obedience so to doe) that all the premisses above written, either I saw with mine owne eyes, or heard the same reported by credible and substantiall persons. The common report also of the countreys where I was, testifieth those things, which I saw, to be true. Many other things I haue omitted because I behelde them not with my owne eyes. Howbeit from day to day I purpose with my selfe to travell countreys or lands, in which action I dispose myselfe to die or to live, as it shall please my God.
IN the yeere therefore of our Lord 1331 the foresayd frier Odoricus preparing himselfe for the performance of his intended journey, that his travel and labour might be to greater purpose, he determined to present himselfe unto Pope John the two and twentieth, whose benediction and obedience being received, he with a certaine number of friers willing to beare him company might convey himselfe unto all the countreys of infidels. And as he was travelling toward the pope, and not farre distant from the city of Pisa, there meets him by the waye a certaine olde man, in the habit and attire of a pilgrime, saluting him by name and saying: All haile frier Odoricus. And when the frier demaunded how he had knowledge of him: he answered: Whilest you were in India I knew you full well, yea, and I knew your holy purpose also: but see that you returne immediately unto the coven1 from where you came, for tenne dayes hence you shall depart out of this present world. Wherefore being astonished and amazed at these words, (especially the olde man vanishing out of his sight, presently after he had spoken them) he determined to returne. And so he returned in perfect health feeling no crazedness nor infirmity of body. And being in his coven at Udene in the province of Padua, the tenth daye after the foresayd vision, having received the Communion, and preparing himselfe unto God, yea, being strong and sound of body, hee happily rested in the Lord: who sacred departure was signified unto the Pope aforesaid, under the hand of the publique notary in these words following.
In the yeere of our Lord 1331, the 14 day of Januarie, Beatus Odoricus a Frier minorite deceased in Christ, at whose prayers God shewed many and sundry miracles, which I Guetelus publique notarie of Utina, sonne of M. Damianus de Porto Gruaro at the commandment and direction of the honorable Conradus of the Borough of Gastaldion, and one of the Councell of Utina, haue written as faithfully as I could, and haue delivered a copie thereof unto the friers minorites, howbeit not of all, because they are innumerable, and too difficult for me to write.
