English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources
And þough þei wolden putten hem into þat see, þei ne wysten
neuer where þat þei scholde arryuen. And also þei conen no langage but
only hire owne, þat no man {185} knoweth but þei: and þerfore mowe þei
not gon out. And also ȝee schull vnderstonde þat the Iewes han no
propre lond of hire owne, for to dwellen inne, in all the world, but
only þat lond betwene the mountaynes. And ȝit þei ȝelden tribute
for þat lond to the queen of Amazoine, the whiche þat {190} maketh hem
to ben kept in cloos full diligently, þat þei schull not gon out on
no syde, but be the cost of hire lond. For hire lond marcheth to þo
mountaynes. And often it hath befallen þat summe of þe Iewes han gon vp
the mountaynes, and avaled down to the valeyes: but gret nombre of folk
ne {195} may not do so. For the mountaynes ben so hye, and so streght
vp, þat þei moste abyde þere, maugree hire myght. For þei mowe not
gon out, but be a litill issue þat was made be strengthe of men; and
it lasteth wel a four grete myle. And after is þere ȝit a lond all
desert, where men {200} may fynde no water, ne for dyggynge, ne for non
other þing: wherfore men may not dwellen in þat place. So is it full of
dragounes, of serpentes, and of oþer venymous bestes, þat no man dar not
passe, but ȝif it be be strong wynter. And þat streyt passage men
clepen in þat contree 'Clyron'. And þat {205} is the passage þat the
Queen of Amazoine maketh to ben kept. And þogh it happene sum of hem,
be fortune, to gon out, þei conen no maner of langage but Ebrew, so þat
þei can not speke to the peple. And ȝit natheles, men seyn þei schull
gon out in the tyme of Antecrist, and þat þei schull maken {210} gret
slaughter of Cristene men. And þerfore all the Iewes þat dwellen in all
londes lernen allweys to speken Ebrew, in hope þat whan the oþer Iewes
schull gon out, þat þei may vnderstonden hire speche, and to leden hem
into Cristendom, for to destroye the Cristene peple. For the Iewes seyn
þat {215} þei knowen wel be hire prophecyes þat þei of Caspye schull gon
out and spreden þorghout all the world; and þat the Cristene men schull
ben vnder hire subieccioun als longe as þei han ben in subieccioun of
hem. And ȝif þat ȝee wil wyte how þat þei schull fynden hire weye,
after þat I haue herd {220} seye, I schall tell ȝou. In the tyme of
Antecrist, a fox schall make þere his †trayne†, and mynen an hole,
where Kyng Alisandre leet make the ȝates: and so longe he schall
mynen and percen the erthe, til þat he schall passe þorgh towardes þat
folk. And whan þei seen the fox, they schull {225} haue gret merueylle
of him, because þat þei saugh neuer such a best. For of all oþere bestes
þei han enclosed amonges hem, saf only the fox. And þanne þei schulle
chacen him and pursuen him so streyte, till þat he come to the same
place þat he cam fro. And þanne þei schulle {230} dyggen and mynen so
strongly, till þat þei fynden the ȝates þat King Alisandre leet make
of grete stones and passynge huge, wel symented and made stronge for the
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