Fro thens, men gon be see toward Ynde the more, to a cytee that men clepen Sarche, that is a fair cytee and a gode; and there duellen many Cristene men of gode feythe: and ther ben manye religious men, and namely of Mendynantes. Aftre gon men be see, to the lond of Lomb. In that lond growethe the peper, in the forest that men clepen Combar; and it growethe nowhere elle in alle the world, but in that forest: and that dureth wel an 18 iourneyes in lengthe. In the forest ben 2 gode cytees; that on highte Fladrine, and that other Zinglantz. And in every of hem, duellen Cristene men, and Jewes, gret plentee. For it is a gode contree and a plenteyous: but there is over meche passynge hete. And zee schulle undirstonde, that the peper growethe, in maner as dothe a wylde vyne, that is planted faste by the trees of that wode, for to susteynen it by, as dothe the vyne. And the fruyt thereof hangethe in manere as reysynges. And the tree is so thikke charged, that it semethe that it wolde breke: and whan it is ripe, it is all grene as it were ivy beryes; and than men kytten hem, as men don the vynes, and than thei putten it upon an owven, and there it waxethe blak and crisp. And there is 3 maner of peper, all upon o tree; long peper, blak peper, and white peper. The long peper men clepen sorbotyn; and the blak peper is clept fulfulle, and the white peper is clept bano. The long peper comethe first, whanthe lef begynhethe to come; and it is lyche the chattes of Haselle, that comethe before the lef, and it hangethe lowe. And aftre comethe the blake with the lef, in manere of clustres of reysinges, alle grene: and whan men han gadred it, than comethe the white, that is somdelle lasse than the blake; and of that men bryngen but litille into this contree; for thei bezonden with holden it for hem self, be cause it is betere and more attempree in kynde, than the blake: and therfore is ther not so gret plentee as of the blake. In that contree ben manye manere of serpentes and of other vermyn, for the gret hete of the contree and of the peper. And summe men seyn, that whan thei will gadre the peper, thei maken fuyr, and brennen aboute, to make the serpentes and cokedrilles to flee. But save here grace of alle that seyn so. For zif thei brenten abouten the trees, that beren, the peper scholden ben brent, and it wolde dryen up alle the vertue, as of ony other thing: and han thei diden hemself moche harm; and thei scholde nevere quenchen the fuyr. But thus thei don; thei anoynten here hondes and here feet with a juyce made of snayles and of othere thinges, made therfore; of the whiche the serpentes and the venymous bestes haten and dreden the savour: and that makethe hem flee before hem, because of the smelle; and than thei gadren it seurly ynow.