This is an Elizabethan translation of a 14th century travelogue, allegedly composed by one Sir John Mandeville. According to the book, John de Mandeville crossed the sea in 1322 and travelled through Turkey, Tartary, Persia, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Chaldea, Amazonia, India and many countries about India. In his day, he was considered the foremost travel authority, but much of the imaginative accounts were debunked during the later ages of travel. While much of the information within the book is of a fantastic and unreliable nature, it has been a source of inspiration for poets and mined by scholars throughout the centuries. - Summary by Daniel Davison and TriciaG
Chapters
1 The Prologue 8 min 2 Chapter 1: To Teach you the Way out of England to Constantinople 4 min 3 Chapter 2: Of the Cross and Crown of our Lord Jesu Christ 9 min 4 Chapter 3: Of the City of Constantinople, and the Faith of the Greeks 10 min 5 Chapter 4: [Of the Way from Constantinople to Jerusalem] Of Saint John the Evangelist. And of the Ypocras Daughter, transformed from a Woman to a Dragon 7 min 6 Chapter 5: [Of diversities in Cyprus; of the Road from Cyprus to Jerusalem, and of the Marvel of a Fosse full of Sand] 11 min 7 Chapter 6: Of many Names of Soldans, and of the Tower of Babylon 19 min 8 Chapter 7: Of the Country of Egypt; of the Bird Phoenix of Arabia; of the City of Cairo; of the Cunning to know Balm and to prove it; and of the Garners of Joseph 15 min 9 Chapter 8: Of the Isle of Sicily; of the way from Babylon to the Mount Sinai; of the Church of Saint Katherine and of all the marvels there 17 min 10 Chapter 9: Of the Desert between the Church of Saint Catherine and Jerusalem. Of the Dry Tree; and how Roses came first into the World 14 min 11 Chapter 10: Of the Pilgrimages in Jerusalem, and of the Holy Places thereabout 13 min 12 Chapter 11: Of the Temple of our Lord. Of the Cruelty of King Herod. Of the Mount Sion. Of Probatica Piscina; and of Natatorium Siloe 29 min 13 Chapter 12: Of the Dead Sea; and the flome Jordan; of the Head of Saint John the Baptist; and of the Usages of the Samaritans 16 min 14 Chapter 13: Of the Province of Galilee, and where Antichrist shall be born. Of Nazareth. Of the age of Our Lady. Of the Day of Doom. And of the customs of the Jacobites, Syrians; and the usages of the Georgians 20 min 15 Chapter 14: 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 19 min 16 Chapter 15: Of the Customs of the Saracens, and their Law. And how the Soldan reasoned me, Author of this Book; and of the beginning of Mohammet 20 min 17 Chapter 16: Of the lands of Albania and of Libia. Of the wishings for watching of the Sparrow-hawk; and of Noah's ship 15 min 18 Chapter 17: Of the land of Job; and of his age. Of the array of men of Chaldea. Of the land where women dwell without company of men. Of the knowledge and virtues of the very diamond 17 min 19 Chapter 18: Of the customs of Isles about Ind. Of the difference betwixt Idols and Simulacres. Of three manner growing of Pepper upon one tree. Of the Well that changeth his odour every hour of the day; and that is marvel 18 min 20 Chapter 19: Of the Dooms made by St. Thomas's hand. Of devotion and sacrifice made to Idols there, in the city of Calamye; and of the Procession in going about the city 10 min 21 Chapter 20: Of the evil customs used in the Isle of Lamary. And how the earth and the sea be of round form and shape, by proof of the star that is clept Antarctic, that is fixed in the south 16 min 22 Chapter 21: Of the Palace of the King of the Isle of Java. Of the Trees that bear meal, honey, wine, and venom; and of other marvels and customs used in the Isles marching thereabout 20 min 23 Chapter 22: How men know by the Idol, if the sick shall die or not. Of Folk of diverse shape and marvelously disfigured. And of the Monks that gave their relief to baboons, apes, and marmosets, and to other beasts 17 min 24 Chapter 23: Of the great Chan of Cathay. Of the royalty of his palace, and how he sits at meat; and of the great number of officers that serve him 16 min 25 Chapter 24: Wherefore he is clept the great Chan. Of the Style of his Letters: and of the Superscription about his great Seal and his Privy Seal 19 min 26 Chapter 25: Of the Governance of the great Chan's Court, and when he maketh solemn feasts. Of his Philosophers. And of his array, when he rideth by the country 32 min 27 Chapter 26: Of the Law and the Customs of the Tartarians dwelling in Cathay. And how that men do when the Emperor shall die, and how he shall be chosen 18 min 28 Chapter 27: Of the Realm of Tharse and the Lands and Kingdoms towards the Septentrional Parts, in coming down from the Land of Cathay 6 min 29 Chapter 28: Of the Emperor of Persia, and of the Land of Darkness; and of other kingdoms that belong to the great Chan of Cathay, and other lands of his, unto the sea of Greece 11 min 30 Chapter 29: Of the Countries and Isles that be beyond the Land of Cathay; and of the fruits there; and of twenty-two kings enclosed within the mountains 9 min 31 Chapter 30: Of the Royal Estate of Prester John. And of a rich man that made a marvellous castle and cleped it Paradise; and of his subtlety 19 min 32 Chapter 31: Of the Devil's Head in the Valley Perilous. And of the Customs of Folk in diverse Isles that be about in the Lordship of Prester John 17 min 33 Chapter 32: Of the goodness of the folk of the Isle of Bragman. Of King Alexander. And wherefore the Emperor of Ind is clept Prester John 15 min 34 Chapter 33: Of the Hills of Gold that Pismires keep. And of the four Floods that come from Paradise Terrestrial 10 min 35 Chapter 34: Of the Customs of Kings and other that dwell in the Isles coasting to Prester John's Land. And of the Worship that the Son doth to the Father when he is dead 17 min
