The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08: Asia, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
But fast besyde that yle, for to passe be see, is a gret yle a gret
contree, that men clepen Java: and it is nyghe 2000 myle in circuyt. And
the kyng of that contree is a fulle gret lord and a ryche and a myghty, and
hathe undre him 7 other kynges of 7 other yles abouten hym. This yle is
fulle wel inhabyted, and fulle wel manned. There growen alle maner of
spicerie, more plentyfous liche than in ony other contree; as of gyngevere,
clowegylofres, canelle, zedewalle, notemuges and maces. And wytethe wel,
that the notemuge berethe the maces. For righte as the note of the haselle
hathe an husk with outen, that the note is closed in, til it be ripe, and
aftre fallethe out; righte so it is of the notemuge and of the maces. Manye
other spices and many other godes growen in that yle. For of alle thing is
there plenty, saf only of wyn: but there is gold and silver gret plentee.
And the kyng of that contree hathe a paleys fulle noble and fulle
marveyllous, and more riche than ony in the world. For alle the degrez to
gon up into halles and chambres, ben on of gold, another of sylver. And
also the pavmentes of halles and chambres ben alle square, on of gold and
another of sylver: and alle the walles with inne ben covered with gold and
sylver, in fyn plates: and in tho plates ben stories and batayles of
knyghtes enleved. And the crounes and the cercles abouten here hedes ben
made of precious stones and riche perles and grete. And the halles and the
chambres of the palays ben alle covered with inne with gold and sylver: so
that no man wolde trowe the richesse of that palays, but he had seen it.
And witethe wel, that the kyng of that yle is so myghty, that he hathe many
tymes overcomen the grete Cane of Cathay in bataylle, that is the most gret
emperour that is undre the firmament, outher bezonde the see or on this
half. For thei han had often tyme werre betwene hem, be cause that the
grete cane wolde constreynen him to holden his lond of him: but that other
at alle tymes defendethe him wel azenst him.
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