And on the west side to the Great
Sea; on the north side, towards the kingdom of Syria and to the sea
of Cyprus. In Jerusalem was wont to be a patriarch; and
archbishops and bishops about in the country. About Jerusalem be
these cities: Hebron, at seven mile; Jericho, at six mile;
Beersheba, at eight mile; Ascalon, at seventeen mile; Jaffa, at
sixteen mile; Ramath, at three mile; and Bethlehem, at two mile.
And a two mile from Bethlehem, toward the south, is the Church of
St. Karitot, that was abbot there, for whom they made much dole
amongst the monks when he should die; and yet they be in mourning
in the wise that they made their lamentation for him the first
time; and it is full great pity to behold.
This country and land of Jerusalem hath been in many divers
nations' hands, and often, therefore, hath the country suffered
much tribulation for the sin of the people that dwell there. For
that country hath been in the hands of all nations; that is to say,
of Jews, of Canaanites, Assyrians, Persians, Medes, Macedonians, of
Greeks, Romans, of Christian men, of Saracens, Barbarians, Turks,
Tartars, and of many other divers nations; for God will not that it
be long in the hands of traitors ne of sinners, be they Christian
or other. And now have the heathen men held that land in their
hands forty year and more; but they shall not hold it long, if God
will.
And ye shall understand, that when men come to Jerusalem, their
first pilgrimage is to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where our
Lord was buried, that is without the city on the north side; but it
is now enclosed in with the town wall. And there is a full fair
church, all round, and open above, and covered with lead; and on
the west side is a fair tower and an high for bells, strongly made.
And in the midst of the church is a tabernacle, as it were a little
house, made with a low little door, and that tabernacle is made in
manner of half a compass, right curiously and richly made of gold
and azure and other rich colours full nobly made. And in the right
side of that tabernacle is the sepulchre of our Lord; and the
tabernacle is eight foot long, and five foot wide, and eleven foot
in height. And it is not long sith the sepulchre was all open,
that men might kiss it and touch it; but for pilgrims that came
thither pained them to break the stone in pieces or in powder,
therefore the soldan hath do make a wall about the sepulchre that
no man may touch it: but in the left side of the wall of the
tabernacle is, well the height of a man, a great stone to the
quantity of a man's head, that was of the holy sepulchre; and that
stone kiss the pilgrims that come thither. In that tabernacle be
no windows, but it is all made light with lamps that hang before
the sepulchre. And there is a lamp that hangeth before the
sepulchre, that burneth light; and on the Good Friday it goeth out
by himself, [and lighteth again by him self] at that hour that our
Lord rose from death to life.
Also within the church, at the right side, beside the choir of the
church, is the mount of Calvary, where our Lord was put on the
cross; and it is a rock of white colour and a little medled with
red. And the cross was set in a mortise in the same rock. And on
that rock dropped the wounds of our Lord when he was pined on the
cross. And that is clept Golgotha.
And men go up to that Golgotha by degrees; and in the place of that
mortise was Adam's head found after Noah's flood, in token that the
sins of Adam should be bought in that same place. And upon that
rock made Abraham sacrifice to our Lord. And there is an altar;
and before that altar lie Godefray de Bouillon and Baldwin, and
other Christian kings of Jerusalem.
And there, nigh where our Lord was crucified, is this written in
Greek:
[Greek text which cannot be reproduced]
that is to say, in Latin, -
DEUS REX NOSTER ANTE SECULA OPERATUS EST SALUTEM, IN MEDIO TERRAE;
that is to say, -
THIS GOD OUR KING, BEFORE THE WORLDS, HATH WROUGHT HEALTH IN MIDST
OF THE EARTH.
And also on that rock, where the cross was set, is written within
the rock these words:
[Greek text which cannot be reproduced]
that is to say, in Latin, -
QUOD VIDES, EST FUNDAMENTUM TOTIUS FIDEI MUNDI HUJUS;
that is to say, -
THAT THOU SEEST, IS THE GROUND OF ALL THE FAITH OF THIS WORLD.
And ye shall understand, that when our Lord was done upon the
cross, he was thirty-three year and three months of old. And the
prophecy of David saith thus: QUADRAGINTA ANNIS PROXIMUS FUI
GENERATIONI HUIC; that is to say, 'Forty year was I neighbour to
this kindred.' And thus should it seem that the prophecies were
not true. But they be both true; for in old time men made a year
of ten months, of the which March was the first and December was
the last. But Gaius, that was Emperor of Rome, put these two
months thereto, January and February, and ordained the year of
twelve months; that is to say, 365 days, without leap year, after
the proper course of the sun. And therefore after counting of ten
months of the year, he died in the fortieth year, as the prophet
said.
