[Sidenote: Cap. XII.] Now because that I have spoken of Sarazines and of here contree, now zif zee wil knowe a party of here lawe and of here beleve, I schalle telle zou, aftre that here book, that is clept Alkaron, tellethe. And sum men clepen that book Meshaf: and sum men clepen it Harme, aftre the dyverse langages of the contree. The whiche book Machamete toke hem. In the whiche boke, among other thinges, is written, as I have often tyme seen and radd, that the gode shulle gon to paradys, and the evele to helle: and that beleven alle Sarazines. And zif a man aske hem, what paradys thei menen; thei seyn, to paradys, that is a place of delytes, where men schulle fynde alle maner of frutes, in alle cesouns, and ryveres rennynge of mylk and hony, and of wyn, and of swete watre; and that thei schulle have faire houses and noble, every man aftre his dissert, made of precyous stones, and of gold, and of sylver; and that every man schalle have 80 wyfes, alle maydenes; and he schalle have ado every day with hem, and zit he schalle fynden hem alle weys maydenes. Also thei beleeven and speken gladly of the Virgine Marie and of the Incarnacioun. And thei seyn, that Marye was taughte of the angel; and that Gabrielle seyde to hire, that sche was forchosen from the begynnynge of the world; and that he schewed to hire the incarnacioun of Jesu Crist; and that sche conceyved and bare child, mayden: and that wytnessethe here boke. And they seyn also, that Jesu Crist spak als sone as he was born; and that he was an holy prophete and a trewe, in woord and dede, and meke and pytous and rightefulle and with outen ony vyce. And thei seyn also, that whan the angel schewed the Incarnacioun of Crist unto Marie, sche was zong, and had gret drede. For there was thanne an enchantour in the contree, that deled with wycche craft, that men clepten Taknia, that he his enchauntementes cowde make him in lyknesse of an angel, and wente often tymes and lay with maydenes: and therfore Marie dredde, lest it hadde ben Taknia, that cam for to desceyve the maydenes. And therfore sche conjured the angel, that he scholde telle hire, zif it were he or no. And the angel answerde and seyde, that sche scholde have no drede of him: for he was verry messager of Jesu Crist. Also here book seythe, that whan that sche had childed undre a palme tree, sche had gret schame, that sche hadde a child; and sche grette, and seyde, that sche wolde that sche hadde ben ded. And anon the child spak to hire and comforted hire, and seyde, Modir, ne dismaye the noughte; for God hathe hidd in the his prevytees, for the salvacioun of the world. And in othere many places seythe here Alkaron, that Jesu Crist spak als sone as he was born. And that book seythe also, that Jesu was sent from God alle myghty, for to ben myrour and ensample and tokne to alle men. And the Alkaron seythe also of the day of doom, how God schal come to deme alle maner of folk; and the gode he schalle drawen on his syde, and putte hem into