And, As The Fire Began To Burn About
Her, She Made Her Prayers To Our Lord, That As Wisely As She Was
Not Guilty Of That Sin, That He Would Help Her And Make It To Be
Known To All Men, Of His Merciful Grace.
And when she had thus
said, she entered into the fire, and anon was the fire quenched and
out; and the brands that were burning became red rose-trees, and
the brands that were not kindled became white rose-trees, full of
roses.
And these were the first rose-trees and roses, both white
and red, that ever any man saw; and thus was this maiden saved by
the grace of God. And therefore is that field clept the field of
God flourished, for it was full of roses.
Also beside the choir of the church, at the right side, as men come
downward sixteen degrees, is the place where our Lord was born,
that is full well dight of marble, and full richly painted with
gold, silver, azure and other colours. And three paces beside is
the crib of the ox and the ass. And beside that is the place where
the star fell, that led the three kings, Jaspar, Melchior and
Balthazar: but men of Greece clepe them thus, GALGALATH,
MALGALATH, and SERAPHIE, and the Jews clepe them, in this manner,
in Hebrew, APPELIUS, AMERRIUS, and DAMASUS. These three kings
offered to our Lord, gold, incense and myrrh, and they met together
through miracle of God; for they met together in a city in Ind,
that men clepe Cassak, that is a fifty-three journeys from
Bethlehem; and they were at Bethlehem the thirteenth day; and that
was the fourth day after that they had seen the star, when they met
in that city, and thus they were in nine days from that city at
Bethlehem, and that was great miracle.
Also, under the cloister of the church, by eighteen degrees at the
right side, is the charnel of the Innocents, where their bones lie.
And before the place where our Lord was born is the tomb of Saint
Jerome, that was a priest and a cardinal, that translated the Bible
and the Psalter from Hebrew into Latin: and without the minster is
the chair that he sat in when he translated it. And fast beside
that church, a sixty fathom, is a church of Saint Nicholas, where
our Lady rested her after she was lighted of our Lord; and
forasmuch as she had too much milk in her paps, that grieved her,
she milked them on the red stones of marble, so that the traces may
yet be seen, in the stones, all white.
And ye shall understand, that all that dwell in Bethlehem be
Christian men.
And there be fair vines about the city, and great plenty of wine,
that the Christian men have do let make. But the Saracens ne till
not no vines, ne they drink no wine: for their books of their law,
that Mahomet betoke them, which they clepe their AL KORAN, and some
crepe it MESAPH, and in another language it is clept HARME, and the
same book forbiddeth them to drink wine. For in that book, Mahomet
cursed all those that drink wine and all them that sell it: for
some men say, that he slew once an hermit in his drunkenness, that
he loved full well; and therefore he cursed wine and them that
drink it. But his curse be turned on to his own head, as holy writ
saith, ET IN VIRTICEM IPSIUS INIQUITAS EJUS DESCENDET, that is for
to say, 'His wickedness shall turn and fall in his own head.'
And also the Saracens bring forth no pigs, nor they eat no swine's
flesh, for they say it is brother to man, and it was forbidden by
the old law; and they hold him all accursed that eat thereof. Also
in the land of Palestine and in the land of Egypt, they eat but
little or none of flesh of veal or of beef, but if be so old, that
he may no more travel for old; for it is forbidden, and for because
they have but few of them; therefore they nourish them for to ere
their lands.
In this city of Bethlehem was David the king born; and he had sixty
wives, and the first wife was called Michal; and also he had three
hundred lemans.
And from Bethlehem unto Jerusalem is but two mile; and in the way
to Jerusalem half a mile from Bethlehem is a church, where the
angel said to the shepherds of the birth of Christ. And in that
way is the tomb of Rachel, that was Joseph's mother, the patriarch;
and she died anon after that she was delivered of her son Benjamin.
And there she was buried of Jacob her husband, and he let set
twelve great stones on her, in token that she had born twelve
children. In the same way, half mile from Jerusalem, appeared the
star to the three kings. In that way also be many churches of
Christian men, by the which men go towards the city of Jerusalem.
CHAPTER X
OF THE PILGRIMAGES IN JERUSALEM, AND OF THE HOLY PLACES THEREABOUT
AFTER, for to speak of Jerusalem the holy city: ye shall
understand, that it stands full fair between hills, and there be no
rivers ne wells, but water cometh by conduit from Hebron. And ye
shall understand, that Jerusalem of old time, unto the time of
Melchisadech, was clept Jebus; and after it was clept Salem, unto
the time of King David, that put these two names together, and
clept it Jebusalem; and after that, King Solomon clept it
Jerosolomye; and after that, men clept it Jerusalem, and so it is
clept yet.
And about Jerusalem is the kingdom of Syria. And there beside is
the land of Palestine, and beside it is Ascalon, and beside that is
the land of Maritaine.
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