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 whan thei werren, thei werren fulle wisely, and alle weys don here
besynes, to destroyen hire enemyes. Every man there berethe 2 bowes or 3,
and of arwes gret plentee, and a gret ax. And the gentyles han schorte
speres and large, and fulle trenchant on that o syde: and thei han plates
and helmes, made of quyrboylle; and hire hors covertoures of the same. And
who so fleethe fro the bataylle, thei sle him. And whan thei holden ony
sege abouten castelle or toun, that is walled and defensable, thei behoten
to hem that ben with inne, to don alle the profite and gode, that it is
marveylle to here: and thei graunten also to hem that ben with inne, alle
that thei wille asken hem. And aftre that thei ben zolden, anon thei sleen
hem alle, and kutten of hire eres, and sowcen hem in vynegre, and there of
thei maken gret servyse for lordes. Alle here lust and alle here
ymaginacioun, is for to putten alle londes undre hire subieccioun. And thei
seyn, that thei knowen wel be hire prophecyes, that thei schulle ben
overcomen by archieres, and be strengthe of hem: but they knowe not of what
nacioun, ne of what lawe thei schulle ben offe, that schulle overcomen hem.
And therfore thei suffren, that folk of alle lawes may peysibely duellen
amonges hem.
Also whan thei wille make hire ydoles, or an ymage of ony of hire frendes,
for to have remembrance of hym, thei maken alle weys the ymage alle naked,
with outen any maner of clothinge. For thei seyn, that in gode love scholde
be no coverynge, that man scholde not love for the faire clothinge, ne for
the riche aray, but only for the body, suche as God hathe made it, and for
the gode vertues that the body is endowed with of nature; but only for fair
clothinge, that is not of kyndely nature.
And zee schulle undirstonde, that it is gret drede for to pursue the
Tartarines, zif thei fleen in bataylle. For in fleynge, thei schooten
behynden hem, and sleen bothe men and hors. And whan thei wil fighte, thei
wille schokken hem to gidre in a plomp; that zif there be 20000 men, men
schalle not wenen, that there be scant 10000. And thei cone wel wynnen lond
of straungeres, but thei cone not kepen it. For thei han grettre lust to
lye in tentes with outen, than for to lye in castelle or in townes. And
thei preysen no thing the wytt of other naciouns. And amonges hem, oyle of
olyve is fulle dere: for thei holden it for fulle noble medicyne. And alle
the Tartarienes han smale eyen and litille of berd, and not thikke hered,
but schiere. And thei ben false and traytoures: and thei lasten noghte that
thei behoten. Thei ben fulle harde folk, and moche peyne and wo mow suffren
and disese, more than ony other folk: for thei ben taughte therto in hire
owne contree, of Zouthe: and therfore thei spenden, as who seythe, right
nought.
And whan ony man schalle dye, men setter a spere besyde him: and whan he
drawethe towardes the dethe, every man fleethe out of the hous, tille he be
ded; and aftre that, thei buryen him in the feldes.
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