In Egypt There Be But Few Forcelets Or Castles, Because
That The Country Is So Strong Of Himself.
At the deserts of Egypt was a worthy man, that was an holy hermit,
and there met with him a monster (that is to say, a monster is a
thing deformed against kind both of man or of beast or of anything
else, and that is clept a monster).
And this monster, that met
with this holy hermit, was as it had been a man, that had two horns
trenchant on his forehead; and he had a body like a man unto the
navel, and beneath he had the body like a goat. And the hermit
asked him what he was. And the monster answered him, and said he
was a deadly creature, such as God had formed, and dwelt in those
deserts in purchasing his sustenance. And [he] besought the
hermit, that he would pray God for him, the which that came from
heaven for to save all mankind, and was born of a maiden and
suffered passion and death (as we well know) and by whom we live
and be. And yet is the head with the two horns of that monster at
Alexandria for a marvel.
In Egypt is the city of Heliopolis, that is to say, the city of the
Sun. In that city there is a temple, made round after the shape of
the Temple of Jerusalem. The priests of that temple have all their
writings, under the date of the fowl that is clept phoenix; and
there is none but one in all the world. And he cometh to burn
himself upon the altar of that temple at the end of five hundred
year; for so long he liveth. And at the five hundred years' end,
the priests array their altar honestly, and put thereupon spices
and sulphur vif and other things that will burn lightly; and then
the bird phoenix cometh and burneth himself to ashes. And the
first day next after, men find in the ashes a worm; and the second
day next after, men find a bird quick and perfect; and the third
day next after, he flieth his way. And so there is no more birds
of that kind in all the world, but it alone, and truly that is a
great miracle of God. And men may well liken that bird unto God,
because that there ne is no God but one; and also, that our Lord
arose from death to life the third day. This bird men see often-
time fly in those countries; and he is not mickle more than an
eagle. And he hath a crest of feathers upon his head more great
than the peacock hath; and is neck his yellow after colour of an
oriel that is a stone well shining, and his beak is coloured blue
as ind; and his wings be of purple colour, and his tail is barred
overthwart with green and yellow and red. And he is a full fair
bird to look upon, against the sun, for he shineth full gloriously
and nobly.
Also in Egypt be gardens, that have trees and herbs, the which bear
fruits seven times in the year. And in that land men find many
fair emeralds and enough; and therefore they be greater cheap.
Also when it raineth once in the summer in the land of Egypt, then
is all the country full of great mires. Also at Cairo, that I
spake of before, sell men commonly both men and women of other laws
as we do here beasts in the market. And there is a common house in
that city that is all full of small furnaces, and thither bring
women of the town their eyren of hens, of geese, and or ducks for
to be put into those furnaces. And they that keep that house cover
them with heat of horse dung, without hen, goose or duck or any
other fowl. And at the end of three weeks or of a month they come
again and take their chickens and flourish them and bring them
forth, so that all the country is full of them. And so men do
there both winter and summer.
Also in that country and in others also, men find long apples to
sell, in their season, and men clepe them apples of Paradise; and
they be right sweet and of good savour. And though ye cut them in
never so many gobbets or parts, overthwart or endlong, evermore ye
shall find in the midst the figure of the Holy Cross of our Lord
Jesu. But they will rot within eight days, and for that cause men
may not carry of those apples to no far countries; of them men find
the mountance of a hundred in a basket, and they have great leaves
of a foot and a half of length, and they be convenably large. And
men find there also the apple tree of Adam, that have a bite at one
of the sides; and there be also fig trees that bear no leaves, but
figs upon the small branches; and men clepe them figs of Pharaoh.
Also beside Cairo, without that city, is the field where balm
groweth; and it cometh out on small trees, that be none higher than
to a man's breeks' girdle, and they seem as wood that is of the
wild vine. And in that field be seven wells, that our Lord Jesu
Christ made with one of his feet, when he went to play with other
children. That field is not so well closed, but that men may enter
at their own list; but in that season that the balm is growing, men
put thereto good keeping, that no man dare be hardy to enter.
This balm groweth in no place, but only there. And though that men
bring of the plants, for to plant in other countries, they grow
well and fair; but they bring forth no fructuous thing, and the
leaves of balm fall not.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 12 of 81
Words from 11226 to 12240
of 81655
