Sickness was curable, [ne] good
medicine to lay thereto, but if men knew the nature of the malady;
and also no man may give convenable medicine, but if he know the
quality of the deed. For one sin may be greater in one man than in
another, and in one place and in one time than in another; and
therefore it behoveth him that he know the kind of the deed, and
thereupon to give him penance.
There be other, that be clept Syrians; and they hold the belief
amongst us, and of them of Greece. And they use all beards, as men
of Greece do. And they make the sacrament of therf bread. And in
their language they use letters of Saracens. But after the mystery
of Holy Church they use letters of Greece. And they make their
confession, right as the Jacobites do.
There be other, that men clepe Georgians, that Saint George
converted; and him they worship more than any other saint, and to
him they cry for help. And they came out of the realm of Georgia.
These folk use crowns shaven. The clerks have round crowns, and
the lewd men have crowns all square. And they hold Christian law,
as do they of Greece; of whom I have spoken of before.
Other there be that men clepe Christian men of Girding, for they be
all girt above. And there be other that men clept Nestorians. And
some Arians, some Nubians, some of Greece, some of Ind, and some of
Prester John's Land. And all these have many articles of our
faith, and to other they be variant. And of their variance were
too long to tell, and so I will leave, as for the time, without
more speaking of them.
CHAPTER XIV
OF THE CITY OF DAMASCUS. OF THREE WAYS TO JERUSALEM; ONE, BY LAND
AND BY SEA; ANOTHER, MORE BY LAND THAN BY SEA; AND THE THIRD WAY TO
JERUSALEM, ALL BY LAND
NOW after that I have told you some part of folk in the countries
before, now will I turn again to my way, for to turn again on this
half. Then whoso will go from the land of Galilee, of that that I
have spoke for, to come again on this half, men come again by
Damascus, that is a full fair city and full noble, and full of all
merchandises, and a three journeys long from the sea, and a five
journeys from Jerusalem. But upon camels, mules, horses,
dromedaries and other beasts, men carry their merchandise thither.
And thither come the merchants with merchandise by sea from India,
Persia, Chaldea, Armenia, and of many other kingdoms.
This city founded Eliezer Damascus, that was yeoman and dispenser
of Abraham before that Isaac was born.
