uppon the redde stones of Marble, so that yet may the traces bee seene whyte uppon the stones. And ye shall understande that all that dwell in Bethleem are Chrysten men, and there are fayre vynes all aboute the citie and great plentie of wine, for their booke that Mahomet betoke[12] them, the which they call Alkaron and some call it Massap and some call it Harme, forbiddeth them to drinke any wyne, for in that booke Machomet curseth all those that drynke of that wyne and all that sell it, for some men saye that he onse slewe a good hermite in his dronkennesse which[13] he loved much, and therefore he cursed the wyne, and them that drynke wyne, but his malyce is torned to hymselfe, as holye writ sayth "_Et in verticem ipsius iniquitus ejus descendit_," That is to say in Englyshe, His wickednesse shall descende on his owne head. And also the Sarasins bringeth forthe no geise,[14] ne they eate no swines fleshe, for they say it is brother to manne and that it was forbidden in the olde lawe. Also in the lande of Palestine ne in the lande of Egypte they eate but lyttle veale and beefe but it be so olde that it may no more travayll[15] ne werke, not that it is forbidden but they kepe them to tylling of their lande. In this castell of Bethleem was Kyng David borne and he had Lx wives and ccc lemmans. From Bethleem to Hierusalem is two myle, and in the way of Hierusalem halfe a myle from Bethleem is a Church where the aungell sayd to the shepherdes of the bearing of Christ. In that waye is the tombe of Rachel that was Josephs mother the Patryarke and she dyed as soone as she hadde borne Benjamyn and there she was buried, and Jacob hir husbande set xii great stones upon hir in tokening that she had borne xii children. In this way to Hierusalem are many Christen churches by the which men go to Hierusalem. [Footnote 1: Condemned.] [Footnote 2: Burnt.] [Footnote 3: Rose bushes.] [Footnote 4: Other editions say 16.] [Footnote 5: Steps.] [Footnote 6: Adorned.] [Footnote 7: Crib or Manger.] [Footnote 8: Star.] [Footnote 9: Other editions say "thirteenth."] [Footnote 10: Paces.] [Footnote 11: Psalter.] [Footnote 12: Gave.] [Footnote 13: Whom.] [Footnote 14: Breed no pigs.] [Footnote 15: Plough or draw loads.] CAP. XIX. _Of the citie of Hierusalem._