Part 5

THE cause is, for as much as a fayre maiden y^t was blamed wyth wrong that she hadde done fornication, for the which cause she was demed[1] to dye and to bee brente[2] in that place to the which she was ledde. And as the woode began to brenne about hir, she made hir prayer to our Lorde as she was not gyltie of that thing, that he would helpe hir that it might be knowne to all men. And whan she had thus sayde, she entred the fyre and anone the fyre went out, and those braunches that were brenninge became red Roses and those braunches that were not kindled became white Rosiers[3] full of white roses, and those were the fyrst roses and rosyers that any man sawe, and so was the mayden saved through the grace of God, and therefore is that felde called the feeld of God florished, for it was full of Roses. Also besyde the quire of that Church aforesayd at the right side as men come downwarde xii[4] grees[5] is the place where our Lorde was borne that is now full well dyght[6] of Marble & full rychely depaynted of golde, sylver and asure and other colours. And a lyttle thens by three paces is the crybe[7] of the Oxe and the Asse, and besyde y^t is the place where the sterre[8] fell that lede the three Kinges Jasper, Melchior and Balthasar, but men of Grece call the Kinges thus, Galgalath, Saraphy, Malgalath. These three Kinges offered to our Lorde, Encence, Gold & Mirre and they came together through myracle of God, for they mette togither in a citie that men call Chasak, that is liii journeys from Bethleem, and there they were at Bethleem the fourth[9] daye after they hadde seene the sterre. And under the cloyster of this church xviii grees[10] at the righte syde is a great pytte where the bones of the Innocentes lie, and before that place where Chryst was borne is the tombe of Sainct Jerom that was a priest and a Cardinal that translated the Byble and the Sauter[11] from Hebrew into Latyn, and beside that church is a Church of Saynte Nycolas, where our Lady rested hir whan she was delivered of chyld, and for as much as she had so much mylke in hir pappes that it greved hir, she mylked it out 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._

FOR to speake of Hierusalem, ye shall understande that it standeth fayre among hylles, and there is neither ryver nor well, but water commeth by conduit from Ebron, and ye shall wete that men called it first Jebus and sythen it was called Salem unto the time of King David, and he set those two names togither and called it Hierusalem and so it is called yet. And aboute Hierusalem is the Kingdome of Surry, & thereby is the lande of Palestyne and Askalon, but Hierusalem is in the lande of Jude, and it is called Judee, for Judas Maccabeus was King of that lande, and also it marcheth afterward on the Kingedome of Araby, on the South side on the lande of Egipt, on the west side on the great sea, on the north syde on the Kingdome of Surry and the sea of Cipres. About Hierusalem are these cities. Ebrone at viii[1] myle, Jerico at vi myle Barsebe at viii myle Askalon xviii[2] myle, Jaffa at xxv[3] Ramatha at iiii[4] mile. At Bethlem towarde the South is a church of saint Markerot,[5] that was abbot there, for whom they made much sorow when he should dy & it is painted there how they made dole[6] when he dyed, and it is a piteous thing to beholde. This lande of Hierusalem hath ben in dyvers nations hands, as Jewes, Cananens, Assyrians, Percians, Macedons, Grekes, Romayns & Chrysten men, Sarasins, Barbaryans, Turkes & many other nacions. For Chryste wyll not that it be long in the handes of traytours ne sinners be they Christen or other. And now hath the mistrowing[7] men holden that lande in theyre handes Lx yeare & more, but they shall not holde it long and if[8] God wyll.

[Footnote 1: Other editions say respectively 7, 17, 16.]

[Footnote 2: As Footnote #1.]

[Footnote 3: As Footnote #1.]

[Footnote 4: Other editions say 3 miles.]

[Footnote 5: Variously written, Markertot, Karitot, Karscati, and Mercaritot.]

[Footnote 6: Grieved, from _Lat._ Dolor.]

[Footnote 7: Unbelieving, or heathen.]

[Footnote 8: Unless it is God's pleasure.]

[Decoration]

CAP. XX.

_Yet of the holy citie of Hierusalem._

AND ye shall understand that whan men fyrst come to Hierusalem, they go fyrste a pylgrimage to the Church, where that the holy grave is, the whiche is out of the citie on the North syde, but it is now closed in with the wall of the towne, and there is a full fayre church rounde, all open aboue, and well covered with leede and on the west syde is a fayre toure and a strong for belles.

And in the middes of the church is a Tabernacle made like a little house, in maner of halfe a compasse, ryght well and richly of gold and asure and other coloures well dyght & on the ryght syde is the sepulchre of oure Lorde, and the tabernacle is viii foote long and v fote wide and xi fote of height. And it is not longe sythen the sepulchre was all open, y^t men might kysse it and touche it: but for men that came thether payned[1] them to breake the stones in peces or pouder, therefore the Soudan hath made a wall about the sepulchre that no man may touch it. On the lefte syde is no wyndowe, but therein is many lampes light, and there is a lampe that hangeth before the sepulcre lyght brenning and on the fryday it goeth oute by itselfe, and lyghteth againe by itselfe at the houre that our Lorde rose from death to life. And within that church upon that right side is the mount Calvary, where our Lord was done on the crosse, and the crosse was sette in a morteys[2] in the roche that is white of coloure, and a lyttle redde medled[3] with, and upon that roche dropped the bloude of the woundes of our Lord whan he was pained on the crosse & that is called Golgatha and men go up to that Golgatha upon greces.[4] And in that mortays was Adams head founde after Noyes flood, in token that the sinnes of Adam, shoulde bee boughte in the same place, and aboue that roche made Abraham sacryfice to our Lord, and there is an auter,[5] and before that auter lyeth Godfry of Boleyn,[6] Bawdewyn[7] and other that were Christen and kinges of Hierusalem. And ther as our Lord was done[8] upon the crosse, is thys wrytten in greke, _Otheos[9] basylon, ysmon persemas, ergaste sothyas oyos_. That is to say in latine, _Hic Deus Rex noster ante secula operatus est salutem in medio terræ_, That is to saye, This God our King before worldes, hath wrought healthe in the myddes of the earth. And also upon the roche where the crosse was fyxed is wrytten within the roche, _Eros[10] guyst basys, thou, pestes, thoy, thesmoysy_. That is to say in latin, _Quod vides est fundamentum totius mundi et hujus fidei_. And it is to saye, that thou seest, is grounde of all the world and of this faith. And ye shall understande that our Lorde whan he dyed was thyrty & two[11] yeare olde and three monethes and the prophecie of David sayth that he should haue xl yeares, when he saith thus. _Quadraginta annis proximus fui generatione huic_, that is to say, fourtie yeare was I neighbour to this kinde, and thus it should seme that prophecie were not sothe,[12] but it is. For in olde time men called yeares of ten monethes of the which Marche was the fyrst & December the last. But Cayus Cezar[13] that was Emperour of Rome dyd sette to these two moneths Januarie & Februarie and ordeyned the yere of xii months. That is to say ccc[14] dayes without lepe yere the proper course of the sonne and therefore after the accompting of x moneths to the yeare, he dyed in xl yeare and three moneths.

Also within mounte Calvary at the ryghte syde is there an aulter where the piller lyeth that our Lorde was bound to when he was scourged and thereby are three[15] other pyllers that alwaye drop water, and some saye that those pyllers weepe for our Lords death, and neare this aulter in a place xlii grees[16] depe was founde the verye crosse by the assent[17] of sainct Eleyn[18] under a roch where the Jewes had hydde it and it was assayed, for they founde three crosses, one of our Lorde and two of theves. And Saint Elene assayed them on a dead body that rose as sone as the very[19] crosse of our Lorde was laid on him. And thereby, in the vale, is the place where the foure nayles of our Lord were hyd, for he had two nayles in his handes and two in his fete, and one of those nailes the Emperour of Constantinople[20] dyde make a bridell for his horse to beare him in bataile, for by[21] the vertue that it had, he overcame his enimies, and wan[22] all the land of Asye, Turky, Damasse the more[23] and the lesse, Surrey and Hierusalem, Araby, Percy, and Mesopotamy, the Kingdome of Alabe,[24] Egipt the high and the lowe, and other kingdomes many full nyghe all unto Ethyope the low, and also unto Inde the lesse, that then was chrysten. And there was in that tyme many good men and holy hermits, of whome the booke of[25] the fathers lyves speaketh, and they are now in Paynims & Sarasins handes, but whan God will righte[26] as these landes are lost through sinne of Christen men, so shall they be won againe by christen men throygh the helpe of God. And in the myddes of this Church is a compasse,[27] in the which Joseph of Armath[28] layd the body of our Lord whan he had taken him of[29] the crosse & upon the same place dyd he wash the fete of our Lorde, & that compasse men say is in the myddes of the world.

[Footnote 1: Tried hard.]

[Footnote 2: Mortise.]

[Footnote 3: Mixed.]

[Footnote 4: Steps.]

[Footnote 5: Altar.]

[Footnote 6: Bouillon.]

[Footnote 7: Baldwin.]

[Footnote 8: Placed.]

[Footnote 9: Should read "[Greek: Ho Theos Basileus hêmôn pro aiônôn eirgasato sôtêrian en mesô tês gês.]"]

[Footnote 10: Should read "[Greek: Ho eides, esti Basis tês pisteôs holês tou kosmou toutou.]"]

[Footnote 11: Other editions have 33 years and 3 months.]

[Footnote 12: Sooth, true.]

[Footnote 13: Caius Julius Cæsar.]

[Footnote 14: Other editions give the proper number of days, _viz._, 365.]

[Footnote 15: Other editions say four, which is the number represented in the engraving.]

[Footnote 16: Paces.]

[Footnote 17: Perception, or sagacity. _Lat._, sensus.]

[Footnote 18: Helena, mother of Constantine.]

[Footnote 19: True, veritable.]

[Footnote 20: Another is said to be incorporated in the so-called Iron Crown of Lombardy. Guisto Fontanini, Archbishop of Ancyra, gives a list of twenty-three places claiming to have a nail--Venice having _three_. M. Rohault de Fleury gives six more--whilst, according to tradition, Helena sent two to her son, and threw one in the sea to still a storm, thus leaving but one to meet all demands.]

[Footnote 21: Through.]

[Footnote 22: Won or conquered.]

[Footnote 23: Greater.]

[Footnote 24: Aleppo.]

[Footnote 25: The Vitæ Sanctorum Patrum, many old printed copies of which exist.]

[Footnote 26: When God thinks fit.]

[Footnote 27: A linen swathing-band.]

[Footnote 28: Arimathæa.]

[Footnote 29: Off.]

CAP. XXI.

_Of the church of the holy sepulchre._

IN that Churche of the sepulcre on the north syde is the place where our Lord was done[1] (_in_) prison, and there is a part of the cheyne with which he was bound, and there he appeared fyrst to Mary Magdeleyne when he was risen from death and she trowed[2] that he had bene a gardeiner. In the Church of the sepulcre was wont to be[3] Chanons of sainct Benet and they had a pryour; but the Patryarke was theyr soveraigne.

And without the dores of the Churche on the righte syde as men go up xviii grees,[4] our Lorde sayde to his mother[5] _Ecce filius tuus_. That is to say, Woman beholde thy sonne, _De inde dixit discipulo, Ecce mater tua_. That is to say, Then said he to his disciple, Behold thy mother.[6] And these wordes he sayde when he hanged upon the crosse. And upon these greces went our Lorde when he bare the crosse uppon his shoulder, and under these greces is a Chappell where the priestes synge, but not after our lawe, and alway they make theyr Sacrament of the aulter of bread, say _Pater noster_ &c., and other prayers, as with the which thing they say the wordes of whome the sacrament is made, for they know not of the addicions that many Popes haue made but they singe in good devocion. And nere there is the stone wher our Lord rested him when he was wery for bearing of the crosse. And ye shall understand that before the Churche of the Sepulcre is the citie most strong[7] for the great playne that is betwene the citie & the church; on the East side without the walles of the citie is the vale of Josaphat that commeth to the walles. In that vale of Josaphat without the citie, is the churche of sainct Stephen where he was stoned to death, and thereby is the gate gylted that may not be opened. Through this gate our Lord entred on palme Sonday upon an asse, and the gate opened against him whan he would go to the Temple, and yet are the steppes of the asse sene in three places the which stand[8] in full harde stones. Before the churche of the sepulcre two hundred paces, is a great hospitall of Sainct John, in the which hospytall are liiii pyllers made of stone.

And to go towarde the East from the hospitall is a righte fayre churche that men call our lady the greate, and then is there another church after that, that men call our lady of the latyn,[9] and there it was Mary Cleophe and Magdeleyne drew[10] theyr here whan oure Lord was put to death.

[Footnote 1: Put.]

[Footnote 2: Thought or believed.]

[Footnote 3: Were formerly Canons of the Order of St. Benedict.]

[Footnote 4: Should be _greces_ or steps.]

[Footnote 5: The printer has omitted the word "_Mulier_ ecce," &c.]

[Footnote 6: Gospel according to St. John, cap. 19, vv. 26, 27.]

[Footnote 7: _Pynson_ says, "most wake" or weak, and other editions say, "feeble."]

[Footnote 8: _Pynson_ has this passage: "The wyche are full of harde stones."]

[Footnote 9: _Pynson_ says "Nostre dame de Vatyns."]

[Footnote 10: Tore.]

CAP. XXII.

_Of the Temple of God._

AND from the churche of the sepulcre towarde the East at xviii[1] paces is _Templum Domini_. That is a fayre house and it is all rounde and ryghte high & covered with leed,[2] and it is well paved with white marble, but y^e Sarasins wyl suffre no christen men ne Jewes to come therein, for they say that so[3] foule men should not come into that holye place, but I came therein and in other places where I woulde, for I had letters of the Soudan, wyth hys great seal, and, commonly, other men but have of his signet, and men beare hys letter with his seale before them hanginge on a speare, and men do great worship thereto, and kneele against[4] it as it were against God's body: for those men that it is sent to, before they take it, they encline[5] thereto and then they take it, and laye it upon their heads, and afterward they kisse it, and then they reade it, all enclining with great worship, and then they profer[6] them to do all that the bringer will. And in this Templum Domini were wont to be Chanons regulers, and they had an Abbot to whome they were obedient, in this Temple was Charlemaine when the Aungell brought him the prepuis of our Lorde when he was circumsised, and after King Charles brought it to Acon[7] into our Ladies Chapell.

[Footnote 1: Other editions say 160 paces.]

[Footnote 2: Lead.]

[Footnote 3: Such unclean.]

[Footnote 4: Before.]

[Footnote 5: Bow.]

[Footnote 6: Proffer or offer.]

[Footnote 7: _Pynson_ and others say Paris.]

CAP. XXIII.

_Yet of the temple of God._