The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09: Asia, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
And so we wisten nevere, whether that oure fellowes weren
lost, or elle turned azen for drede: but wee ne saughe hem never after: and
tho weren 2 men of Grece and 3 of Spayne. And oure other fellows, that
wolden not gon in with us, thei wenten by another coste, to ben before us,
and so thei were. And thus wee passeden that perilous vale, and founden
thereinne gold and sylver and precious stones and riche jewelles gret
plentee, both here and there, as us semed: but whether that it was, as us
semede, I wot nere: for I touched none, because that the develes ben so
subtyle to make a thing to seme otherwise than it is, for to disceyve
mankynde; and therfore I towched none; and also because that I wolde not
ben put out of my devocioun: for I was more devout thanne, than evere I was
before or after, and alle for the drede of fendes, that I saughe in dyverse
figures; and also for the gret multytude of dede bodyes, that I saughe
there liggynge be the weye, be alle the vale, as thoughe there had ben a
bataylle betwene 2 kynges and the myghtyest of the contree, and that the
gretter partye had ben discomfyted and slayn. And I trowe, that unethe
scholde ony contree have so moche peple with in him, as lay slayn in that
vale, as us thoughte; the whiche was an hidouse sight to seen. And I
merveylled moche, that there weren so manye, and the bodyes all hole, with
outen rotynge. But I trowe, that fendes made hem semen to ben so hole, with
outen rotynge. But that myghte not ben to myn avys, that so manye scholde
have entred so newely, ne so manye newely slayn, with outen stynkynge and
rotynge. And manye of hem were in habite of Cristene men: but I trowe wel,
that it weren of suche, that wenten in for covetyse of the thresoure, that
was there, and hadden over moche feblenesse in feithe; so that hire hertes
ne myghte not enduren in the beleve for drede. And therfore weren wee the
more devout a gret del: and zit wee weren cast doun and beten down many
tymes to the hard erthe, be wyndes and thondres and tempestes: but evere
more God of His grace halp us: and so we passed that perilous vale, with
outen perile and with outen encombrance. Thanked be alle myghty Godd.
Aftre this, bezonde the vale, is a gret yle, where the folk ben grete
geauntes of 28 fote longe or of 30 fote longe; and thei han no clothinge,
but of skynnes of bestes, that thei hangen upon hem: and thei eten no
breed, but alle raw flesche: and thei drynken mylk of bestes; for thei han
plentee of alle bestaylle. And thei have none houses, to lyen inne. And
thei eten more gladly mannes flessche, thanne ony other flesche. In to that
yle dar no man gladly entren: and zif thei seen a schipp and men there
inne, anon thei entren in to the see, for to take hem.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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