the schippes, grewen suche buscaylle and thornes and breres and grene
grasse and suche maner of thing; and of the mastes and the seylle zerdes;
it semed a gret wode or a grove. And suche roches ben in many places there
abouten. And therfore dur not the marchauntes passen there, but zif thei
knowen wel the passages, or elle that thei han gode lodes men. And also
thei dreden the longe weye: and therfore thei gon to Cathay; for it is more
nyghe: and zit is not so nyghe, but that men moste ben travayllynge be see
and lond, 11 monethes or 12, from Gene or from Venyse, or he come to
Cathay. And zit is the lond of Prestre John more ferr, be many dredfulle
iourneyes. And the marchauntes passen be the kyngdom of Persie, and gon to
a cytee that is clept Hermes: for Hermes the philosophre founded it. And
aftre that, thei passen an arm of the see, and thanne thei gon to another
cytee that is clept Golbache: and there thei fynden marchandises, and of
popengayes, as gret plentee as men fynden here of gees. And zif thei will
passen ferthere, thei may gon sykerly i now. In that contree is but lytylle
whete or berley: and therfore thei eten ryzs and hony and mylk and chese
and frute.

This Emperour Prestre John takethe alle weys to his wif, the doughtre of
the grete Chane: and the gret Chane also in the same wise, the doughtre of
Prestre John. For theise 2 ben the grettest lordes undir the firmament.

In the lond of Prestre John, ben manye dyverse thinges and many precious
stones, so gret and so large, that men maken of hem vesselle: as plateres,
dissches and cuppes. And many other marveylles ben there; that it were to
cumbrous and to long to putten it in scripture of bokes.


CAPVT 42.