English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages (XIVth Century)Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)
History
English Wayfaring Life in the Middle Ages (XIVth Century)
Jusserand, J. J. (Jean Jules)
Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages -- England; England -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485; Travel, Medieval
He does not omit a sentence which must have been, and still is, of
especially frequent use: “I understond the not—_Apopon kystys_.” Wey
also gives a table of the rate of exchange for moneys from England
to Venice, Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus, and Syria; and a programme for the
employment of time, as now very parsimoniously distributed; he only
allows “thirteen or fourteen days” to see {411} everything and start
back again, specifying what should be seen each day. Lastly, he gives
a complete list of the towns to be traversed, with the distance from
one to the other, a map of the Holy Land with all the remarkable
places duly inscribed thereon,[588] a considerable catalogue of the
indulgences to be gained, and full details as to what is sacred or
curious in Palestine, or on the way thither, not forgetting the dogs
at Rhodes, who keep watch at night outside the castle, know perfectly
how to distinguish a Turk from a Christian, and who, if one of their
number “sleeps instead of taking his watch at night outside the
castle, kill him themselves,”[589] so great is their detestation of a
_slacker_.
Wey foresaw all the disagreeables to which the boorishness of the
captain of the galley might subject you; he recommends engaging a
berth in the highest part of the boat, “for in the lawyst [stage]
under hyt is ryght smolderyng hote and stynkynge.”[590] You must
not pay more than forty ducats from Venice to Jaffa, food included,
and should stipulate that the captain stop at certain ports to take
in fresh provisions. He is bound to give you hot meat at dinner and
supper, good wine, pure water, and biscuit; but it is well besides
to take provisions for private use, for even at the captain’s table
there is great risk of having bad bread and wine. “For thow ye
schal {412} be at the tabyl wyth yowre patrone, notwythstondynge,
ye schal oft tyme have nede to yowre vytelys, bred, chese, eggys,
frute, and bakyn, wyne, and other, to make yowre collasyun; for sum
tyme ye schal have febyl bred, wyne and stynkyng water, meny tymes ye
schal be ful fayne to ete of yowre owne.” It would even be prudent
to take some poultry: “Also by yow a cage for half a dozen of hennys
or chekyn to have with yow in the galey;” half a bushel of seed to
feed them must not be forgotten, nor what you will want to fry your
own bacon and drink your wine: “Also take with you a lytyl cawdren
and fryyng pan, dysches, platerrys, sawserys of tre (wood), cuppys
of glas, a grater for brede and such nessaryes.” You must also have
remedies, “confortatyvys, laxatyvys, restoratyvys,” saffron, pepper,
spices.[591]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account