And From That Isle Men Go By Sea, From Isle To Isle, Unto An Isle
That Is Clept Tracoda, Where The Folk Of That Country Be As Beasts,
And Unreasonable, And Dwell In Caves That They Make In The Earth;
For They Have No Wit To Make Them Houses.
And when they see any
man passing through their countries they hide them in their caves.
And they eat flesh of serpents, and they eat but little.
And they
speak nought, but they hiss as serpents do. And they set no price
by no avoir ne riches, but only of a precious stone, that is
amongst them, that is of sixty colours. And for the name of the
isle, they clepe it Tracodon. And they love more that stone than
anything else; and yet they know not the virtue thereof, but they
covet it and love it only for the beauty.
After that isle men go by the sea ocean, by many isles, unto an
isle that is clept Nacumera, that is a great isle and good and
fair. And it is in compass about, more than a thousand mile. And
all the men and women of that isle have hounds' heads, and they be
clept Cynocephales. And they be full reasonable and of good
understanding, save that they worship an ox for their God. And
also every one of them beareth an ox of gold or of silver in his
forehead, in token that they love well their God. And they go all
naked save a little clout, that they cover with their knees and
their members. They be great folk and well-fighting. And they
have a great targe that covereth all the body, and a spear in their
hand to fight with. And if they take any man in battle, anon they
eat him.
The king of that isle is full rich and full mighty and right devout
after his law. And he hath about his neck 300 pearls orient, good
and great and knotted, as paternosters here of amber. And in
manner as we say our PATER NOSTER and our AVE MARIA, counting the
PATER NOSTERS, right so this king saith every day devoutly 300
prayers to his God, or that he eat. And he beareth also about his
neck a ruby orient, noble and fine, that is a foot of length and
five fingers large. And, when they choose their king, they take
him that ruby to bear in his hand; and so they lead him, riding all
about the city. And from thence-fromward they be all obeissant to
him. And that ruby he shall bear always about his neck, for if he
had not that ruby upon him men would not hold him for king. The
great Chan of Cathay hath greatly coveted that ruby, but he might
never have it for war, ne for no manner of goods. This king is so
rightful and of equity in his dooms, that men may go sikerly
throughout all his country and bear with them what them list; that
no man shall be hardy to rob them, and if he were, the king would
justified anon.
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