From Thence Men Go To The City Of Phenice, Where Are Hot
Wells And Hot Baths.
And then men go to the city of Ferne; and
between Phenice and Ferne are ten mile.
And there are many fair
woods. And then men come to Antioch, which is ten mile thence.
And it is a fair city and well walled about with many fair towers;
and it is a great city, but it was some-time greater than it is
now. For it was some-time two mile on length and on breadth other
half mile. And through the midst of that city ran the water of
Farphar and a great bridge over it; and there was some-time in the
walls about this city three hundred and fifty towers, and at each
pillar of the bridge was a stone. This is the chief city of the
kingdom of Syria. And ten mile from this city is the port of Saint
Symeon; and there goes the water of Farphar into the sea. From
Antioch men go to a city that is called Lacuth, and then to Gebel,
and then to Tortouse. And there near is the land of Channel; and
there is a strong castle that is called Maubek. From Tortouse pass
men to Tripoli by sea, or else by land through the straits of
mountains and fells. And there is a city that is called Gibilet.
From Tripoli go men to Acres; and from thence are two ways to
Jerusalem, the one on the left half and the other on the right
half. By the left way men go by Damascus and by the flum Jordan.
By the right way men go by Maryn and by the land of Flagramy and
near the mountains into the city of Cayphas, that some men call the
castle of Pilgrims. And from thence to Jerusalem are three day
journey, in the which men shall go through Caesarea Philippi, and
so to Jaffa and Rames and the castle of Emmaus, and so to
Jerusalem.
Now have I told you some ways by land and by water that men may go
by to the Holy Land after the countries that they come from.
Nevertheless they come all to one end. Yet is there another way to
Jerusalem all by land, and pass not the sea, from France or
Flanders; but that way is full long and perilous and of great
travel, and therefore few go that way. He that shall go that way,
he shall go through Almayne and Prussia and so to Tartary. This
Tartary is holden of the great Caan of Cathay, of whom I think to
speak afterward. This is a full ill land and sandy and little
fruit bearing. For there grows no corn, ne wine, ne beans, ne
peas, ne none other fruit convenable to man for to live with. But
there are beasts in great plenty: and therefore they eat but flesh
without bread and sup the broth and they drink milk of all manner
of beasts. They eat hounds, cats, ratons, and all other wild
beasts. And they have no wood, or else little; and therefore they
warm and seethe their meat with horse-dung and cow-dung and of
other beasts, dried against the sun. And princes and other eat not
but once in the day, and that but little. And they be right foul
folk and of evil kind. And in summer, by all the countries, fall
many tempests and many hideous thunders and leits and slay much
people and beasts also full often-time. And suddenly is there
passing heat, and suddenly also passing cold; and it is the foulest
country and the most cursed and the poorest that men know. And
their prince, that governeth that country, that they clepe Batho,
dwelleth at the city of Orda. And truly no good man should not
dwell in that country, for the land and the country is not worthy
hounds to dwell in. It were a good country to sow in thistle and
briars and broom and thorns and briars; and for no other thing is
it not good. Natheles, there is good land in some place, but it is
pure little, as men say.
I have not been in that country, nor by those ways. But I have
been at other lands that march to those countries, as in the land
of Russia, as in the land of Nyflan, and in the realm of Cracow and
of Letto, and in the realm of Daristan, and in many other places
that march to the coasts. But I went never by that way to
Jerusalem, wherefore I may not well tell you the manner.
But, if this matter please to any worthy man that hath gone by that
way, he may tell it if him like, to that intent, that those, that
will go by that way and make their voyage by those coasts, may know
what way is there. For no man may pass by that way goodly, but in
time of winter, for the perilous waters and wicked mareys, that be
in those countries, that no man may pass but if it be strong frost
and snow above. For if the snow ne were not, men might not go upon
the ice, ne horse ne car neither.
And it is well a three journeys of such way to pass from Prussia to
the land of Saracens habitable. And it behoveth to the Christian
men, that shall war against them every year, to bear their victuals
with them; for they shall find there no good. And then must they
let carry their victual upon the ice with cars that have no wheels,
that they clepe sleighs. And as long as their victuals last they
may abide there, but no longer; for there shall they find no wight
that will sell them any victual or anything. And when the spies
see any Christian men come upon them, they run to the towns, and
cry with a loud voice; KERRA, KERRA, KERRA.
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