Of the Kingedome named Mancy which is the best kingedome of the worlde.
TO go from this yle toward the east many journies a man shall finde a kingdome that is called Mancy1 & this is in Inde the more, & it is ye most delectable and plenty of goods of all the worlde. In this lande dwell christen men and Sarasins, for it is a great lande, and therein are II M great cities & many other townes. In this lande no man goeth a begging, for there is no pore man, and there men haue beardes of heare2 as it were cattes. In this lande are faire women, and therefore some men call that lande Albany, for the white folke, and there is a citie that men call Latorim and is more3 than Paris, and in that land are birdes twise greater than they be here and there is all maner of vytayles good cheape.4 In this countrey are whyte hennes, and they beare no feathers but woll5 as shepe doe in our lande; and women of that countrey that are wedded beare crownes uppon theyr heads that they may be knowne by. In this countrey they take a beast that is called Loyres, and they keepe it to goe in to waters or ryvers, and straighte waye hee bringeth out of the water great fishes, and thus they take fishe as longe as they will, and as them nedeth. Fro this citie men go by many journeys to an other citie that is called Cassay,6 that is the fayrest citie of the worlde, and that citie is fifty myle about and there is in that citie mo than xii7 principall gates without. From thence within three myle is an other great citie, and within this citie are more than xii thousand bridges and upon eche bridge is a stronge toure where the kepers dwell to kepe it against the great Caane, for it marcheth8 on his land. And on one side of the citie runneth a great river, and there dwell christen men & other for it is a good countrey and plentious, & there groweth right good wine. In this noble citie the King of Mancy was wont to dwell and there dwell religious men, as fryers. And men go vpon the river till they come to an Abbey of Monkes a lyttle from the citie & in yt Abbey is a great gardeine, and therein is many maner of trees of divers fruites, in that gardein are divers kindes of beastes, as Baboyns,9 Apes, Marmosets and other, & when the covent10 haue eaten, a monke taketh the reliefe11 & beareth it into the gardein, & smiteth once with a bell of silver which he holdeth in his hand, anone come out these beastes that I speake of and many nere II or III thousand,12 and he giveth them to eate of13 faire vessels of silver, & when they haue eaten he smyteth the bell againe and they go away, and the monke sayth that those beasts are soules of men that are dead, and those beastes that are fayre are soules of Lordes and other rich men, & those that are foule beastes are soules of other commons, and I asked them if it had not been better to give that relife to pore men, & they sayde there is no pore men in ye countrey and if there were yet were it more almes to give it to those soules yt suffer there their penaunce & may go no farther to get their meat, than to men that haue wit & may travail for theyr meat. Then come men to a citie yt is called Chibens & there was the first sege14 of the King of Mancy. In this citie are LX brydges of stone as fayre as they may be.
