For Man Should Not Devise Ne Ask Greater Beauty, Than God
Hath Ordained Man To Be At His Birth.
The earth ministereth to us
two things, - our livelihood, that cometh of the earth that we live
by, and our sepulture after our death.
We have been in perpetual
peace till now, that thou come to disinherit us. And also we have
a king, not only for to do justice to every man, for he shall find
no forfeit among us; but for to keep noblesse, and for to shew that
we be obeissant, we have a king. For justice ne hath not among us
no place, for we do to no man otherwise than we desire that men do
to us. So that righteousness ne vengeance have nought to do among
us. So that nothing thou may take from us, but our good peace,
that always hath dured among us.
And when King Alexander had read these letters, he thought that he
should do great sin, for to trouble them. And then he sent them
sureties, that they should not be afeard of him, and that they
should keep their good manners and their good peace, as they had
used before, of custom. And so he let them alone.
Another isle there is, that men clepe Oxidrate, and another isle,
that men clepe Gynosophe, where there is also good folk, and full
of good faith. And they hold, for the most part, the good
conditions and customs and good manners, as men of the country
abovesaid; but they go all naked.
Into that isle entered King Alexander, to see the manner. And when
he saw their great faith, and their truth that was amongst them, he
said that he would not grieve them, and bade them ask of him what
that they would have of him, riches or anything else, and they
should have it, with good will. And they answered, that he was
rich enough that had meat and drink to sustain the body with, for
the riches of this world, that is transitory, is not worth; but if
it were in his power to make them immortal, thereof would they pray
him, and thank him. And Alexander answered them that it was not in
his power to do it, because he was mortal, as they were. And then
they asked him why he was so proud and so fierce, and so busy for
to put all the world under his subjection, right as thou were a
God, and hast no term of this life, neither day ne hour, and
willest to have all the world at thy commandment, that shall leave
thee without fail, or thou leave it. And right as it hath been to
other men before thee, right so it shall be to other after thee.
And from hence shalt thou bear nothing; but as thou were born
naked, right so all naked shall thy body be turned into earth that
thou were made of. Wherefore thou shouldest think and impress it
in thy mind, that nothing is immortal, but only God, that made the
thing. By the which answer Alexander was greatly astonished and
abashed, and all confused and departed from them.
And albeit that these folk have not the articles of our faith as we
have, natheles, for their good faith natural, and for their good
intent, I trow fully, that God loveth them, and that God take their
service to gree, right as he did of Job, that was a paynim, and
held him for his true servant. And therefore, albeit that there be
many diverse laws in the world, yet I trow, that God loveth always
them that love him, and serve him meekly in truth, and namely them
that despise the vain glory of this world, as this folk do and as
Job did also.
And therefore said our Lord by the mouth of Hosea the prophet,
PONAM EIS MULTIPLICES LEGES MEAS; and also in another place, QUI
TOTUM ORBEM SUBDIT SUIS LEGIBUS. And also our Lord saith in the
Gospel, ALIAS OVES HABEO, QUE NON SUNT EX HOC OVILI, that is to
say, that he had other servants than those that be under Christian
law. And to that accordeth the avision that Saint Peter saw at
Jaffa, how the angel came from heaven, and brought before him
diverse beasts, as serpents and other creeping beasts of the earth,
and of other also, great plenty, and bade him take and eat. And
Saint Peter answered; I eat never, quoth he, of unclean beasts.
And then said the angel, NON DICAS IMMUNDA, QUE DEUS MUNDAVIT. And
that was in token that no man should have in despite none earthly
man for their diverse laws, for we know not whom God loveth, ne
whom God hateth. And for that example, when men say, DE PROFUNDIS,
they say it in common and in general, with the Christian, PRO
ANIMABUS OMNIUM DEFUNCTORUM, PRO QUIBUS SIT ORANDUM.
And therefore say I of this folk, that be so true and so faithful,
that God loveth them. For he hath amongst them many of the
prophets, and alway hath had. And in those isles, they prophesied
the Incarnation of Lord Jesu Christ, how he should be born of a
maiden, three thousand year or more or our Lord was born of the
Virgin Mary. And they believe well it, the Incarnation, and that
full perfectly, but they know not the manner, how he suffered his
passion and death for us.
And beyond these isles there is another isle that is clept Pytan.
The folk of that country ne till not, ne labour not the earth, for
they eat no manner thing. And they be of good colour and of fair
shape, after their greatness. But the small be as dwarfs, but not
so little as be the Pigmies. These men live by the smell of wild
apples. And when they go any far way, they bear the apples with
them; for if they had lost the savour of the apples, they should
die anon.
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