Costantynoble is a fulle fayr cytee, and a gode and a wel walled, and it is three cornered. And there is an arm of the see Hellespont: and sum men callen it the mouthe of Costantynoble; and sum men callen it the brace of Seynt George: and that arm closethe the two partes of the cytee. And upward to the see, upon the watre, was wont to be the grete cytee of Troye, in a fulle fayr playn: but that cytee was destroyed by hem of Grece, and lytylle apperethe there of, be cause it so longe sithe it was destroyed. Abouten Grece there ben many iles, as Calistre,[Footnote: Calliste, one of the Cyclades.] Calcas, [Footnote: Colchos.] Critige, [Footnote: Cerigo.] Tesbria, [Footnote: Resorio.] Mynea, [Footnote: Mynia is a town in the Island of Amorgos.] Flaxon, [Footnote: Flexos.] Melo, [Footnote: Milo.] Carpate, [Footnote: Carpathos, probably.] and Lempne. [Footnote: Lemnos.] And in this ile is the Mount Athos, [Footnote: Athos is on the main land, on a promontory S.E. of Solonica.] that passeth the cloudes. And there ben many dyvers langages and many contreys, that ben obedyent to the Emperour; that is to seyn Turcople, Pyneynard, Cornange, and manye othere, at Trachye, [Footnote: Thrace.] and Macedoigne, of the whiche Alisandre was kyng. In this contree was Aristotle born, in a cytee that men clepen Stragera, a lytil fro the cytee of Trachaye. And at Stragera lythe Aristotle; and there is an awtier upon his toumbe: and there maken men grete festes of hym every zeer, as thoughe he were a seynt. And at his awtier, thei holden here grete conseilles and here assembleez: and thei hopen, that thorghe inspiracioun of God and of him, thei schulle have the better conseille. In this contree ben righte hyghe hilles, toward the ende of Macedonye. And there is a gret hille, that men clepen Olympus, [Footnote: The altitude is 9753 feet.] that departeth Macedonye and Trachye: and it is so highe, that it passeth the cloudes. And there is another hille, that is clept Athos, [Footnote: It is only 6678 feet. This is the old Greek verse: [Greek: Athoos kaluptei pleura lemnias boos.]] that is so highe, that the schadewe of hym rechethe to Lempne, that is an ile; and it is 76 myle betwene. And aboven at the cop of the hille is the eir so cleer, that men may fynde no wynd there. And therefore may no best lyve there; and so is the eyr drye. And men seye in theise contrees, that philosophres som tyme wenten upon theise hilles, and helden to here nose a spounge moysted with watre, for to have eyr; for the eyr above was so drye. And aboven, in the dust and in the powder of the hilles, thei wroot lettres and figures with hire fingres: and at the zeres end thei comen azen, and founden the same lettres and figures, the whiche thei hadde writen the zeer before, withouten ony defaute. And therfore it semethe wel, that theise hilles passen the clowdes and joynen to the pure eyr.