This Cham was he that saw his
father's privy members naked when he slept, and scorned them, and
shewed them with his finger to his brethren in scorning wise.
And
therefore he was cursed of God. And Japhet turned his face away
and covered them.
These three brethren had seisin in all the land. And this Cham,
for his cruelty, took the greater and the best part, toward the
east, that is clept Asia, and Shem took Africa, and Japhet took
Europe. And therefore is all the earth parted in these three parts
by these three brethren. Cham was the greatest and the most
mighty, and of him came more generations than of the other. And of
his son Chuse was engendered Nimrod the giant, that was the first
king that ever was in the world; and he began the foundation of the
tower of Babylon. And that time, the fiends of hell came many
times and lay with the women of his generation and engendered on
them diverse folk, as monsters and folk disfigured, some without
heads, some with great ears, some with one eye, some giants, some
with horses' feet, and many other diverse shape against kind. And
of that generation of Cham be come the Paynims and divers folk that
be in isles of the sea by all Ind. And forasmuch as he was the
most mighty, and no man might withstand him, he cleped himself the
Son of God and sovereign of all the world. And for this Cham, this
emperor clepeth him Cham, and sovereign of all the world.
And of the generation of Shem be come the Saracens. And of the
generation of Japhet is come the people of Israel. And though that
we dwell in Europe, this is the opinion, that the Syrians and the
Samaritans have amongst them. And that they told me, before that I
went toward Ind, but I found it otherwise. Natheles, the sooth is
this; that Tartars and they that dwell in the great Asia, they came
of Cham; but the Emperor of Cathay clepeth him not Cham, but Can,
and I shall tell you how.
It is but little more but eight score year that all Tartary was in
subjection and in servage to other nations about. For they were
but bestial folk and did nothing but kept beasts and led them to
pastures. But among them they had seven principal nations that
were sovereigns of them all. Of the which, the first nation or
lineage was clept Tartar, and that is the most noble and the most
prized. The second lineage is clept Tanghot, the third Eurache,
the fourth Valair, the fifth Semoche, the sixth Megly, the seventh
Coboghe.
Now befell it so that of the first lineage succeeded an old worthy
man that was not rich, that had to name Changuys. This man lay
upon a night in his bed. And he saw in avision, that there came
before him a knight armed all in white.
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