But For To Fulfil Their Pilgrimages More
Easily And More Sikerly, Men Go First The Longer Way Rather Than
The Nearer Way.
But whoso will go to Babylon by another way, more short from the
countries of the west that I have rehearsed before, or from other
countries next to them - then men go by France, by Burgundy and by
Lombardy.
It needeth not to tell you the names of the cities, nor
of the towns that be in that way, for the way is common, and it is
known of many nations. And there be many havens [where] men take
the sea. Some men take the sea at Genoa, some at Venice, and pass
by the sea Adriatic, that is clept the Gulf of Venice, that
departeth Italy and Greece on that side; and some go to Naples,
some to Rome, and from Rome to Brindisi and there they take the
sea, and in many other places where that havens be. And men go by
Tuscany, by Campania, by Calabria, by Apulia, and by the hills of
Italy, by Corsica, by Sardinia, and by Sicily, that is a great isle
and a good.
In that isle of Sicily there is a manner of a garden, in the which
be many diverse fruits; and the garden is always green and
flourishing, all the seasons of the year as well in winter as in
summer. That isle holds in compass about 350 French miles. And
between Sicily and Italy there is not but a little arm of the sea,
that men clepe the Farde of Messina. And Sicily is between the sea
Adriatic and the sea of Lombardy. And from Sicily into Calabria is
but eight miles of Lombardy.
And in Sicily there is a manner of serpent, by the which men assay
and prove, whether their children be bastards or no, or of lawful
marriage: for if they be born in right marriage, the serpents go
about them, and do them no harm, and if they be born in avoutry,
the serpents bite them and envenom them. And thus many wedded men
prove if the children be their own.
Also in that isle is the Mount Etna, that men clepe Mount Gybelle,
and the volcanoes that be evermore burning. And there be seven
places that burn and that cast out diverse flames and diverse
colour: and by the changing of those flames, men of that country
know when it shall be dearth or good time, or cold or hot or moist
or dry, or in all other manners how the time shall be governed.
And from Italy unto the volcanoes ne is but twenty-five mile. And
men say, that the volcanoes be ways of hell.
And whoso goeth by Pisa, if that men list to go that way, there is
an arm of the sea, where that men go to other havens in those
marches. And then men pass by the isle of Greaf that is at Genoa.
And after arrive men in Greece at the haven of the city of Myrok,
or at the haven of Valone, or at the city of Duras; and there is a
Duke at Duras, or at other havens in those marches; and so men go
to Constantinople. And after go men by water to the isle of Crete
and to the isle of Rhodes, and so to Cyprus, and so to Athens, and
from thence to Constantinople. To hold the more right way by sea,
it is well a thousand eight hundred and four score mile of
Lombardy. And after from Cyprus men go by sea, and leave Jerusalem
and all the country on the left hand, unto Egypt, and arrive at the
city of Damietta, that was wont to be full strong, and it sits at
the entry of Egypt. And from Damietta go men to the city of
Alexandria, that sits also upon the sea. In that city was Saint
Catherine beheaded: and there was Saint Mark the evangelist
martyred and buried, but the Emperor Leo made his bones to be
brought to Venice.
And yet there is at Alexandria a fair church, all white without
paintures; and so be all the other churches that were of the
Christian men, all white within, for the Paynims and the Saracens
made them white for to fordo the images of saints that were painted
on the walls. That city of Alexandria is well thirty furlongs in
length, but it is but ten on largeness; and it is a full noble city
and a fair. At that city entereth the river of Nile into the sea,
as I to you have said before. In that river men find many precious
stones, and much also of lignum aloes; and it is a manner of wood,
that cometh out of Paradise terrestrial, the which is good for many
diverse medicines, and it is right dear-worth. And from Alexandria
men go to Babylon, where the sultan dwelleth; that sits also upon
the river of Nile: and this way is the most short, for to go
straight unto Babylon.
Now shall I say you also the way, that goeth from Babylon to the
Mount of Sinai, where Saint Catherine lieth. He must pass by the
deserts of Arabia, by the which deserts Moses led the people of
Israel. And then pass men by the well that Moses made with his
hand in the deserts, when the people grucched; for they found
nothing to drink. And then pass men by the Well of Marah, of the
which the water was first bitter; but the children of Israel put
therein a tree, and anon the water was sweet and good for to drink.
And then go men by desert unto the vale of Elim, in the which vale
be twelve wells; and there be seventy-two trees of palm, that bear
the dates the which Moses found with the children of Israel. And
from that valley is but a good journey to the Mount of Sinai.
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