[Sidenote: Chap. XVII.] Fro that contree go men be the see occean, and be many dyverse yles, and be many contrees, that were to longe for to telle of. And a 52 iorneyes fro this lond, that I have spoken of, there is another lond, that is fulle gret, that men clepen Lamary. In that lond is fulle gret hete: and the custom there is such, that men and wommen gon alle naked. And thei scornen, whan thei seen ony strange folk goynge clothed. And thei seyn, that God made Adam and Eve alle naked; and that no man scholde schame, that is of kyndely nature. And thei seyn, that thei that ben clothed ben folk of another world, or thei ben folk, that trowen not in God. And thei seyn, that thei beleeven in God, that formede the world, and that made Adam and Eve, and alle other thinges. And thei wedden there no wyfes: for all the wommen there ben commoun, and thei forsake no man. And thei seyn, thei synnen, zif thei refusen ony man: and so God commannded to Adam and Eve, and to alle that comen of him, whan he seyde, _Crescite et multiplicamini, et replete terram_. And therfore may no man in that contree seyn, this is my wyf: ne no womman may seye, this is myn husbonde. And whan thei han children, thei may zeven hem to what man thei wole, that hathe companyed with hem. And also all the lond is comoun: for alle that a man holdethe o zeer, another man hathe it another zeer. And every man takethe what part that him lykthe. And also alle the godes of the lond ben comoun, cornes and alle other thinges: for no thing there is clept in clos, ne no thing there is undur lok; and every man there takethe what he wole, with outen ony contradiccioun: and als riche is o man there, as is another. But in that contree, there is a cursed custom: for thei eten more gladly mannes flesche, than ony other flesche: and zit is that contree habundant of flesche, of fissche, of cornes, of gold and sylver, and of alle other godes. Thidre gone Marchauntes, and bryngen with hem children, to selle to hem of the contree, and thei byzen hem: and zif thei ben fatte, thei eten hem anon; and zif thei ben lene, thei feden hem, tille thei ben fatte, and thanne thei eten hem: and thei seyn, that it is the best flesche and the swettest of alle the world. In that lond, ne in many othere bezonde that, no man may see the sterre transmontane, that is clept the sterre of the see, that is unmevable, and that is toward the northe, that we clepen the lode sterre. But men seen another steere, the contrarie to him, that is toward the south, that is clept Antartyk. And right as the schip men taken here avys here, and governe hem be the lode sterre, right so don schip men bezonde the parties, be the sterre of the southe, the whiche sterre apperethe not to us. And this sterre, that is toward the north, that wee clepen the lode sterre, ne apperethe not to hem. For whiche cause, men may wel perceyve, that the lond and the see ben of rownde schapp and forme. For