And Therefore
Make They Their God Of An Ox The One Part, And The Other Half Of A
Man.
Because that man is the most noble creature in earth, and
also for he hath lordship above all beasts,
Therefore make they the
halvendel of idol of a man upwards; and the tother half of an ox
downwards, and of serpents, and of other beasts and diverse things,
that they worship, that they meet first at morrow.
And they worship also specially all those that they have good
meeting of; and when they speed well in their journey, after their
meeting, and namely such as they have proved and assayed by
experience of long time; for they say that thilk good meeting ne
may not come but of the grace of God. And therefore they make
images like to those things that they have belief in, for to behold
them and worship them first at morning, or they meet any
contrarious things. And there be also some Christian men that say,
that some beasts have good meeting, that is to say for to meet with
them first at morrow, and some beasts wicked meeting; and that they
have proved oft-time that the hare hath full evil meeting, and
swine and many other beasts. And the sparrow-hawk or other fowls
of ravine, when they fly after their prey and take it before men of
arms, it is a good sign; and if he fail of taking his prey, it is
an evil sign. And also to such folk, it is an evil meeting of
ravens.
In these things and in such other, there be many folk that believe;
because it happeneth so often-time to fall after their fantasies.
And also there be men enough that have no belief in them. And,
sith that Christian men have such belief, that be informed and
taught all day by holy doctrine, wherein they should believe, it is
no marvel then, that the paynims, that have no good doctrine but
only of their nature, believe more largely for their simplesse.
And truly I have seen of paynims and Saracens that men clepe
Augurs, that, when we ride in arms in divers countries upon our
enemies, by the flying of fowls they would tell us the
prognostications of things that fell after; and so they did full
oftentimes, and proffered their heads to-wedde, but if it would
fall as they said. But natheles, therefore should not a man put
his belief in such things, but always have full trust and belief in
God our sovereign Lord.
This isle of Chana the Saracens have won and hold. In that isle be
many lions and many other wild beasts. And there be rats in that
isle as great as hounds here; and men take them with great
mastiffs, for cats may not take them. In this isle and many other
men bury not no dead men, for the heat is there so great, that in a
little time the flesh will consume from the bones.
From thence men go by sea toward Ind the more to a city, that men
clepe Sarche, that is a fair city and a good. And there dwell many
Christian men of good faith. And there be many religious men, and
namely of mendicants.
After go men by sea to the land of Lomb. In that land groweth the
pepper in the forest that men clepe Combar. And it groweth nowhere
else in all the world, but in that forest, and that endureth well
an eighteen journeys in length. In the forest be two good cities;
that one hight Fladrine and that other Zinglantz, and in every of
them dwell Christian men and Jews, great plenty. For it is a good
country and a plentiful, but there is overmuch passing heat.
And ye shall understand, that the pepper groweth in manner as doth
a wild vine that is planted fast by the trees of that wood for to
sustain it by, as doth the vine. And the fruit thereof hangeth in
manner as raisins. And the tree is so thick charged, that it
seemeth that it would break. And when it is ripe it is all green,
as it were ivy berries. And then men cut them, as men do the
vines, and then they put it upon an oven, and there it waxeth black
and crisp. And there is three manner of pepper all upon one tree;
long pepper, black pepper and white pepper. The long pepper men
clepe SORBOTIN, and the black pepper is clept FULFULLE, and the
white pepper is clept BANO. The long pepper cometh first when the
leaf beginneth to come, and it is like the cats of hazel that
cometh before the leaf, and it hangeth low. And after cometh the
black with the leaf, in manner of clusters of raisins, all green.
And when men have gathered it, then cometh the white that is
somedeal less than the black. And of that men bring but little
into this country; for they beyond withhold it for themselves,
because it is better and more attempre in kind than the black. And
therefore is there not so great plenty as of the black.
In that country be many manner of serpents and of other vermin for
the great heat of the country and of the pepper. And some men say,
that when they will gather the pepper, they make fire, and burn
about to make the serpents and the cockodrills to flee. But save
their grace of all that say so. For if they burnt about the trees
that bear, the pepper should be burnt, and it would dry up all the
virtue, as of any other thing; and then they did themselves much
harm, and they should never quench the fire. But thus they do:
they anoint their hands and their feet [with a juice] made of
snails and of other things made therefore, of the which the
serpents and the venomous beasts hate and dread the savour; and
that maketh them flee before them, because of the smell, and then
they gather it surely enough.
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