The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight: Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreysMandeville, John, Sir
Religion
The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight: Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys
Mandeville, John, Sir
Voyages and travels -- Early works to 1800
I WILL report one thing more, which I saw, concerning the great Can.
It is an usuall custome in those parts, that when the foresayd Can
traveileth thorow any countrey, his subjects kindle fires before their
doores, casting spices thereinto to make a perfume, that their lord
passing by may smell the sweet and delectable odours thereof, and much
people come forth to meet him. And upon a certaine time when he was
comming towardes Cambaleth, the fame of his approch being published,
a bishop of ours with certaine of our minorite friers and myselfe went
two dayes journey to meet him: and being come nigh unto him, we put a
crosse upon wood. I my selfe having a censer in my hand, and began to
sing with a loud voice: Veni creator spiritus. And as we were singing
on this wise he caused us to be called, commanding us to come unto
him: notwithstanding (as it is above mentioned) that no man dare
approche within a stones cast of his chariot, unlesse he be called,
but such onely as keep his chariot. And when we came neare unto
him, he vailed his hat or bonet being of an inestimable price, doing
reverence unto the crosse. And immediately I put incense into the
censour, and our bishop taking the censer perfumed him, and gaue him
his benediction. Moreouer, they that come before the said Can, do
alwayes bring some oblation to present unto him, observing the ancient
law: Thou shalt not appear in my presence with an empty hand. And for
that cause we carried apples with us, and offered them in a platter
with reverence unto him: and taking out two of them he did eate some
part of one. And then he signified unto us, that we should go apart,
lest the horses comming on might in ought offend us. With that we
departed from him, and turned aside, going unto certaine of his
barons, which had been converted to the faith by certaine friers of
our order, being at the same time in his army: and we offered unto
them of the foresayd apples, who received them at our hands with great
joy, seeming unto us to be as glad, as if we had giuen them some great
gift. All the premisses above written frier William de Solanga hath
put downe in writing euen as the foresayd frier Odoricus uttered them
by word of mouth, in the yeere of our Lord 1330 in the moneth of May,
and in the place of S. Anthony of Padua. _Neither did he regard to
write them in difficult Latine, or in an eloquent style, but even as
Odoricus himselfe rehearsed them, to the end that men might the more
easily understand the things reported._ I Odoricus frier, of Friuli,
of a certaine territory called Portus Vahonis, and of the order of
the minorites, do testifie and beare witnesse unto the reverend father
Guidotus minister of the province of S. Anthony, in the marquisate of
Treviso (being by him required upon mine obedience so to doe) that
all the premisses above written, either I saw with mine owne eyes,
or heard the same reported by credible and substantiall persons. The
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville Knight: Which treateth of the way towards Hierusalem and of marvayles of Inde with other ilands and countreys — John Shaqi
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account