And In That Field Be Many Tombs
Of Christian Men, For There Be Many Pilgrims Graven.
And there be
many oratories, chapels and hermitages, where hermits were wont to
dwell.
And toward the east, an hundred paces, is the charnel of
the hospital of Saint John, where men were wont to put the bones of
dead men.
Also from Jerusalem, toward the west, is a fair church, where the
tree of the cross grew. And two mile from thence is a fair church,
where our Lady met with Elizabeth, when they were both with child;
and Saint John stirred in his mother's womb, and made reverence to
his Creator that he saw not. And under the altar of that church is
the place where Saint John was born. And from that church is a
mile to the castle of Emmaus: and there also our Lord shewed him
to two of his disciples after his resurrection. Also on that other
side, 200 paces from Jerusalem, is a church, where was wont to be
the cave of the lion. And under that church, at thirty degrees of
deepness, were interred 12,000 martyrs, in the time of King Cosdroe
that the lion met with, all in a night, by the will of God.
Also from Jerusalem, two mile, is the Mount Joy, a full fair place
and a delicious; and there lieth Samuel the prophet in a fair tomb.
And men clepe it Mount Joy, for it giveth joy to pilgrims' hearts,
because that there men see first Jerusalem.
Also between Jerusalem and the mount of Olivet is the vale of
Jehosaphat, under the walls of the city, as I have said before.
And in the midst of the vale is a little river that men clepe
TORRENS CEDRON, and above it, overthwart, lay a tree (that the
cross was made of) that men yede over on. And fast by it is a
little pit in the earth, where the foot of the pillar is yet
interred; and there was our Lord first scourged, for he was
scourged and villainously entreated in many places. Also in the
middle place of the vale of Jehosaphat is the church of our Lady:
and it is of forty-three degrees under the earth unto the sepulchre
of our Lady. And our Lady was of age, when she died, seventy-two
year. And beside the sepulchre of our Lady is an altar, where our
Lord forgave Saint Peter all his sins. And from thence, toward the
west, under an altar, is a well that cometh out of the river of
Paradise. And wit well, that that church is full low in the earth,
and some is all within the earth. But I suppose well, that it was
not so founded. But for because that Jerusalem hath often-time
been destroyed and the walls abated and beten down and tumbled into
the vale, and that they have been so filled again and the ground
enhanced; and for that skill is the church so low within the earth.
And, natheles, men say there commonly, that the earth hath so been
cloven sith the time that our Lady was there buried; and yet men
say there, that it waxeth and groweth every day, without doubt. In
that church were wont to be monks black, that had their abbot.
And beside that church is a chapel, beside the rock that hight
Gethsemane. And there was our Lord kissed of Judas; and there was
he taken of the Jews. And there left our Lord his disciples, when
he went to pray before his passion, when he prayed and said, PATER,
SI FIERI POTEST, TRANSEAT A ME CALIX ISTE; that is to say, 'Father,
if it may be, do let this chalice go from me': and, when he came
again to his disciples, he found them sleeping. And in the rock
within the chapel yet appear the fingers of our Lord's hand, when
he put them in the rock, when the Jews would have taken him.
And from thence, a stone's cast towards the south, is another
chapel, where our Lord sweat drops of blood. And there, right
nigh, is the tomb of King Jehosaphat, of whom the vale beareth the
name. This Jehosaphat was king of that country, and was converted
by an hermit, that was a worthy man and did much good. And from
thence, a bow draught towards the south, is the church, where Saint
James and Zachariah the prophet were buried.
And above the vale is the mount of Olivet; and it is clept so for
the plenty of olives that grow there. That mount is more high than
the city of Jerusalem is; and, therefore, may men upon that mount
see many of the streets of the city. And between that mount and
the city is not but the vale of Jehosaphat that is not full large.
And from that mount styed our Lord Jesu Christ to heaven upon
Ascension Day; and yet there sheweth the shape of his left foot in
the stone. And there is a church where was wont to be an abbot and
canons regulars. And a little thence, twenty-eight paces, is a
chapel; and therein is the stone on the which our Lord sat, when he
preached the eight blessings and said thus: BEAU PAUPERES SPIRITU:
and there he taught his disciples the PATER NOSTER; and wrote with
his finger in a stone. And there nigh is a church of Saint Mary
Egyptian, and there she lieth in a tomb. And from thence toward
the east, a three bow shot, is Bethphage, to the which our Lord
sent Saint Peter and Saint James for to seek the ass upon Palm-
Sunday, and rode upon that ass to Jerusalem.
And in coming down from the mount of Olivet, toward the east, is a
castle that is clept Bethany. And there dwelt Simon leprous, and
there harboured our Lord: and after he was baptised of the
apostles and was clept Julian, and was made bishop; and this is the
same Julian that men clepe to for good harbourage, for our Lord
harboured with him in his house.
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