And It Is Clept Ind, For A
Flom That Runneth Throughout The Country That Is Clept Ind.
In
that flom men find eels of thirty foot long and more.
And the folk
that dwell nigh that water be of evil colour, green and yellow.
In Ind and about Ind be more than 5000 isles good and great that
men dwell in, without those that he inhabitable, and without other
small isles. In every isle is great plenty of cities, and of
towns, and of folk without number. For men of Ind have this
condition of kind, that they never go out of their own country, and
therefore is there great multitude of people. But they be not
stirring ne movable, because that they be in the first climate,
that is of Saturn; and Saturn is slow and little moving, for he
tarryeth to make his turn by the twelve signs thirty year. And the
moon passeth through the twelve signs in one month. And for
because that Saturn is of so late stirring, therefore the folk of
that country that be under his climate have of kind no will for to
move ne stir to seek strange places. And in our country is all the
contrary; for we be in the seventh climate, that is of the moon.
And the moon is of lightly moving, and the moon is planet of way;
and for that skill it giveth us will of kind for to move lightly
and for to go divers ways, and to seek strange things and other
diversities of the world; for the moon environeth the earth more
hastily than any other planet.
Also men go through Ind by many diverse countries to the great sea
Ocean. And after, men find there an isle that is clept Crues. And
thither come merchants of Venice and Genoa, and of other marches,
for to buy merchandises. But there is so great heat in those
marches, and namely in that isle, that, for the great distress of
the heat, men's ballocks hang down to their knees for the great
dissolution of the body. And men of that country, that know the
manner, let bind them up, or else might they not live, and anoint
them with ointments made therefore, to hold them up.
In that country and in Ethiopia, and in many other countries, the
folk lie all naked in rivers and waters, men and women together,
from undern of the day till it be past the noon. And they lie all
in the water, save the visage, for the great heat that there is.
And the women have no shame of the men, but lie all together, side
to side, till the heat be past. There may men see many foul figure
assembled, and namely nigh the good towns.
In that isle be ships without nails of iron or bonds, for the rocks
of the adamants, for they be all full thereabout in that sea, that
it is marvel to speak of. And if a ship passed by those marches
that had either iron bonds or iron nails, anon he should be
perished; for the adamant of his kind draweth the iron to him. And
so would it draw to him the ship because of the iron, that he
should never depart from it, ne never go thence.
From that isle men go by sea to another isle that is clept Chana,
where is great plenty of corn and wine. And it was wont to be a
great isle, and a great haven and a good; but the sea hath greatly
wasted it and overcome it. The king of that country was wont to be
so strong and so mighty that he held war against King Alexander.
The folk of that country have a diverse law. For some of them
worship the sun, some the moon, some the fire, some trees, some
serpents, or the first thing that they meet at morrow. And some
worship simulacres and some idols. But between simulacres and
idols is a great difference. For simulacres be images made after
likeness of men or of women, or of the sun, or of the moon, or of
any beast, or of any kindly thing. And idols is an image made of
lewd will of man, that man may not find among kindly things, as an
image that hath four heads, one of a man, another of an horse or of
an ox, or of some other beast, that no man hath seen after kindly
disposition.
And they that worship simulacres, they worship them for some worthy
man that was sometime, as Hercules, and many other that did many
marvels in their time. For they say well that they be not gods;
for they know well that there is a God of kind that made all
things, the which is in heaven. But they know well that this may
not do the marvels that he made, but if it had been by the special
gift of God; and therefore they say that he was well with God, and
for because that he was so well with God, therefore they worship
him. And so say they of the sun, because that he changeth the
time, and giveth heat, and nourisheth all things upon earth; and
for it is of so great profit, they know well that that might not
be, but that God loveth it more than any other thing, and, for that
skill, God hath given it more great virtue in the world.
Therefore, it is good reason, as they say, to do it worship and
reverence. And so say they, and make their reasons, of other
planets, and of the fire also, because it is so profitable.
And of idols they say also that the ox is the most holy beast that
is in earth and most patient, and more profitable than any other.
For he doth good enough and he doth no evil; and they know well
that it may not be without special grace of God.
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