For, As I Have Said To You Before, The Half
Of The Firmament Is Between Those Two Stars, The Which Halvendel I
Have Seen.
And of the tother halvendel I have seen, toward the
north under the Transmontane, sixty-two degrees and ten minutes,
and toward the part meridional I have seen under the Antarctic,
thirty-three degrees and sixteen minutes.
And then, the halvendel
of the firmament in all holdeth not but nine score degrees. And of
those nine score, I have seen sixty-two on that one part and
thirty-three on that other part; that be, ninety-five degrees and
nigh the halvendel of a degree. And so, there ne faileth but that
I have seen all the firmament, save four score and four degrees and
the halvendel of a degree, and that is not the fourth part of the
firmament; for the fourth part of the roundness of the firmament
holds four score and ten degrees, so there faileth but five degrees
and an half of the fourth part. And also I have seen the three
parts of all the roundness of the firmament and more yet five
degrees and a half. By the which I say you certainly that men may
environ all the earth of all the world, as well under as above, and
turn again to his country, that had company and shipping and
conduct. And always he should find men, lands and isles, as well
as in this country. For ye wit well, that they that be toward the
Antarctic, they be straight, feet against feet, of them that dwell
under the Transmontane; also well as we and they that dwell under
us be feet against feet. For all the parts of sea and of land have
their opposites, habitable trepassable, and they of this half and
beyond half.
And wit well, that, after that that I may perceive and comprehend,
the lands of Prester John, Emperor of Ind, be under us. For in
going from Scotland or from England toward Jerusalem men go upward
always. For our land is in the low part of the earth toward the
west, and the land of Prester John is in the low part of the earth
toward the east. And [they] have there the day when we have the
night; and also, high to the contrary, they have the night when we
have the day. For the earth and the sea be of round form and
shape, as I have said before; and that that men go upward to one
coast, men go downward to another coast.
Also ye have heard me say that Jerusalem is in the midst of the
world. And that may men prove, and shew there by a spear, that is
pight into the earth, upon the hour of midday, when it is equinox,
that sheweth no shadow on no side. And that it should be in the
midst of the world, David witnesseth it in the Psalter, where he
saith, DEUS OPERATUS EST SALUTEM IN MEDIA TERRAE.
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