Literature, Medieval -- Translations into English; Tales
From thence he went to Vienna in Austria; the town is of great
antiquity, that it is not possible to find the like. "In this town,"
said the spirit, "is more wine than water, for all under the town are
wells, which are filled every year with wine, and all the water that
they have runneth by this town; this is the river Danubius."
From thence he went into Prage, the chief city of Bohemia; this is
divided into three parts, that is old Prage, little Prage, and new
Prage. Little Prage is the place where the emperor's court is placed;
upon an exceeding high mountain there is a castle, where are two fair
churches; in the one he found a monument which might well have been a
mirror for himself, and that was the sepulchre of a notable conjurer,
which by his magic had so enchanted his sepulchre that whosoever set foot
thereon, should be sure never to die in their beds. From this castle he
came and went down over the bridge; this bridge has twenty-four arches,
and in the middle of the bridge stands a very fair monument, being a
cross builded of stone, and most artificially carved. From thence he
went into the old Prage, the which is separated from the new Prage, with
an exceeding deep ditch, and round about enclosed with a wall of brick;
unto this is adjoining the Jews' town, wherein are thirteen thousand
men, women, and children, all Jews; there he viewed the college and the
gardens, where all manner of savage beasts are kept; and from thence he
fetched a compass round about the three towns, whereat he wondered
greatly to see so mighty a city stand all within the walls.
From Prage he flew into the air, and bethought himself what he
might do, or which way to take; so looked round about, and behold he
espied a passing fair city, which lay not far from Prage, about some
four-and-twenty miles, and that was Bressaw in Silesia, in which when he
was entered, it seemed to him that he had been in Paradise, so neat and
clean were the streets, and so sumptuous were their buildings. In the
city he saw not many wonders, except the brazen Virgin that standeth
on a bridge over the water, and under which standeth a mill like a
paper-mill, which Virgin is made to do execution upon those disobedient
town-born children that be so wild that their parents cannot bridle
them; which, when any such are found with some heinous offence, turning
to the shame of their parents and kindred, they are brought to kiss the
Virgin, which openeth her arms. The person then to be executed kisseth
her, then doth she close her arms together with such violence, that she
crusheth out the breath of the party, breaketh his bulk, and so he
dieth; but being dead she openeth her arms again, and letteth the party
fall into the mill, where he is stamped into small morsels, which the
water carrieth away, so that no part is found again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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