Part 6

AND ye shall understande that this is not the temple that Salomon made, for that temple lasted but a thousand, an hundred and two yeare. For Titus, Vespasianus Son, that was Emperour of Rome that layde syege about Hierusalem for to discomfyte the Jewes, for they hadde put Chryst to death without leave of the Emperour, and when he had taken the citie he did brenne the temple and caste it downe, and toke all the Jewes and put to death CXIM and the other he put in prison, and solde xxx for a peny for they sayd that they bought Jesu Christ for xxx pence. And sithen[1] gave Julian Apostata leve to y^e Jewes to make the Temple of Hierusalem againe for he hated christen men, and yet he was Chrysten, but he forsoke his lawe. And whan the Jewes hadde made the Temple, then came an earthe quacke (as God woulde) and caste downe all that they had made. Sythen Adryan the Emperour that was of them of Troye made Hierusalem againe and the Temple in that same maner that Salomon made it, and would that no Jewe should dwell there but all christen men, for if all it were[2] so that he was not chrystened, he loved the christen men more than other men, save men of his owne fayth. And this emperour dyd enclose and wall the church of the holy sepulcre within the citie, that before was farre without the citie, and he would have chaunged the name of Hierusalem and called it Helyam,[3] but that name lasted not longe. And ye shall wete[4] that the Sarasins do greate worship to that Temple and they saye that place is right holy, and when they go therein they go bare foote and knele many times downe. And when I and my felowes came therein, we did of[5] our harnesse[6] and came bare foote into the Temple & thought that we should doe as much or more than they that were mistrowing.[7] And this Temple is three score[8] and three cubites of wydenesse and as much of length and xxxii[9] cubites in height and covered with lead and it is within full of pillers of Marble. And in the middes of the Temple is a stage of twenty[10] and foure greces of height and good pillers all about. This place called of Jewes _Sancta Sanctorum_. That is to say Holy of Holyest and in that place cometh none but their prelate that maketh theyr sacrafyce, and the people standeth all about in divers stages, after they are[11] of dignitie and worshippe, and there be foure entrings into that Temple and the dores are of Cipres well dighte,[12] and within the East dore our Lord sayd, here is Hierusalem. And on the northe syde within the dore is a fountaine but it runneth not; of the which holy writ speaketh & saith thus--_Vidi aquam egredientem de templo_. That is to saye, I saw water comming out of the temple. And upon the other side is a roche that men calle sometyme Moryach, but after it was called Belet,[13] or the arke of God, with the reliques of the Jewes. Thys arke did Titus cary with him to Rome when he had discomfited all the Jewes. In that same arke were the ten commandementes and Aarons rodde and Moyses rodde with which he departed[14] the red sea, when the people of Israell passed through on dryefoote & with that rod he did many wonders, and there was the vessell of gold ful of manna, & clothing & ornaments & the tabernacle of Aaron, and a table square of golde with twelve precious stones, & a box of Jasper graven with four figures & eight names of our Lorde within, & seven candlesticks of golde, & foure sensers of golde, and an aulter also of fine gold & foure lions of gold, uppon the which they had Cherubin of gold twelve spanne long, & a tabernacle of golde & also twelve[15] trumpets of silver & a table of sylver & seven barly loves and all other reliques that were before the nativitie of Jesu. Also upon this roch slept Jacob, when he sawe Aungels go up and downe, and sayde, _Vere locus iste sanctus est, et ego ignorabam_, That is to say Forsooth this place is holy & I wist[16] it not. And there the Aungel chaunged Jacob's name and called him Israell. And in that same place David saw the aungell that slew the people with a sworde, and put it all blody in the shethe. And in this roch was saynct Symeon when he received our Lorde into the temple, and on this roch he set him when the Jewes would have stoned him and the roch rived in two and in that refte[17] he hid him and after a sterre came downe & gave him light. And on this roch sat our Lady and learned hir sauter.[18] And there forgave our Lord the sinnes of the woman that was taken and found in adoultry, and there was our Lorde Jesu Christ circumcised, and there the Aungell denounced to Zachary the nativitie of sainct Jhon Baptist, and there offred fyrst Melchisedech bread and wine and water to our Lorde in tokening of the sacrament that was to come, and there fell Davyd, praying to our Lorde for mercy for him and for his people, when he sawe the Aungell slea[19] his people, and our Lorde anon herde his prayer, & therefore woulde he make the Temple in that place, but our Lorde Jesu Christ forbadde hym by an Aungell, for he had done treason when he did slea Euryas, a good knight, for to haue his wyfe. And therefore all that he had ordeined for to make the Temple he betoke[20] it to Salomon hys sonne, and he made it, and he prayed our Lorde, that all those that prayed in that place devoutly, and wyth good hearte, that he woulde heare theyr prayer and graunt that they asked ryght wysely, and our Lorde graunted it, and therefore Salomons son called it the Temple of counseyll and helpe of God. Wythout the dores of that Temple is an auter, where Jewes were wont to offer doves[21] and turtylles, and in that Temple was Zachary slayne, and on that pynacle the Jewes sette Sainct James that was the fyrst Byshoppe of Hierusalem. And a lyttle from this temple on the right syde, is a church covered with lead, that is called the scole[22] of Salomon. And toward the south is the temple of Salomon that is full fayre, and a greate place, and in this place dwell knightes y^t are called Templars and that was the founder thereof and of theyr order and in that Templum Domini dwell Chanons. From this Temple towarde the East xxvi[23] paces in a corner of the citie, is the bathe of our Lorde, and (_in_) thys bath was wont to go[24] to Paradise & beside is our Ladies bed and nere there is the tombe of Saynt Symeon. And without the Cloyster of the Temple towarde the North is a ryght fayre Churche of Sainct Anne our Ladies mother, & there was our ladye conceyved, and before that churche is a great tree that began to grow that same nighte. And as men go downe from y^t Church xxii greces lieth Joachim our ladyes father, in a tombe of stone and there nere was layde sometyme sainct Anne, but saint Eleyne did translate hir to Constantinople. In this churche is a well in maner of a cesterne that is called _Probatica piscina_ that hath five entrings, and in that cesterne was wont an Aungell to discende and sterre the water, and what man that bathed him firste therein after the morning,[25] was made hole that was sicke, what sycknesse so euer he had, and there was the man of the palsye made hole, that was sicke xxxviii yeare and our Lorde sayde to him in this maner of wyse _Tolle grabatum tuum et ambula_. That is to say, take thy bed and go. And there besyde, was the house of Pylate and a little thence was the house of Kinge Herode that dyd slea the Innocentes.

[Footnote 1: Since then.]

[Footnote 2: For even if he were not baptised.]

[Footnote 3: Ælia.]

[Footnote 4: Know.]

[Footnote 5: Put off.]

[Footnote 6: Armour.]

[Footnote 7: Unbelieving.]

[Footnote 8: Other editions say, respectively, 64, 120, and 14.]

[Footnote 9: As Footnote 8.]

[Footnote 10: As Footnote 8.]

[Footnote 11: According to their dignity, &c.]

[Footnote 12: Finely ornamented.]

[Footnote 13: Bethel.]

[Footnote 14: Divided.]

[Footnote 15: Other editions say 2.]

[Footnote 16: Knew.]

[Footnote 17: Rift or cleft.]

[Footnote 18: Psalter.]

[Footnote 19: Slay.]

[Footnote 20: Bequeathed.]

[Footnote 21: Pigeons and turtle doves.]

[Footnote 22: School.]

[Footnote 23: Other editions say 120.]

[Footnote 24: Others say, "wont to come water _from_ Paradise."]

[Footnote 25: _Pynson_ has it "moving."]

[Decoration]

CAP. XXIIII.

_Of Herod the King._

THIS King Herod was a full wycked man and a fell,[1] for he did firste and formost slea his wife which he loved full well, and for the greate love of hir, he went out of his witte,[2] and so was he a long time, and afterwarde he came againe to himselfe. And sythen he did slea his own children that he had gotten of that same wyfe, and after he made slea[3] the other, his second wife & a son that he had gotten of that same wyfe, and after he did slea his owne mother, & he wold also haue slaine his owne brother, but his brother died sodeinly, and thus he did all the yll that he might. And then he fell syke and when he sawe that he should dye, he sent for his sister, and all the great lordes of that countrie, and when they were there, he did put all the Lordes into a toure and sayde to his syster, he wist well that the men of the countrey should make no sorowe for him when he was deade, and therefore he made hir for to sweare unto him that she should[4] do smite of the heads of his lordes every one, after his death and then shoulde men of the countrey make sorowe for his death or else they woulde not sorowe and then he made his testament. But his sister fulfylled it not as of that thing that pertayned unto the lordes, for, as sone as he was deade, she delyvered the lordes out of the toure, and sent every one home to theyr houses, and tolde them what hir brother would that she do unto them. And ye shall understande that in that tyme was three Herodes of great name. This of whome I speake, men called him Herode Ascolonite, and he that did smite of Saint John Baptist heade, was called Herode Antipa and the thirde was called Herode Agrypa that did sleay Saint James and put Saint Peter in prison.

[Footnote 1: Crafty.]

[Footnote 2: In _Pynson's_ version it is "and for the greate love that he had to hir, whan she was dede, he behelde her, and want out of his wyt."]

[Footnote 3: Killed.]

[Footnote 4: Cause to be smitten off.]

[Decoration]

CAP. XXV.

_Of Saynte Salvators church._

A LYTTEL within the citie is saynct Salvatours church & therein is Saint Jhon Crysostoms arme, and the most part of Sainct Stephens head.

And on the other syde towarde the south as men go to mount Syon is a fayre church of sainct James where his head was smitten of, and there is mounte Syon and there is a fayre church of God and of our Lady where she was dwelling and dyed, and there was sometime an Abbey of Chanons regulers and from that place she was borne of the Apostles unto the Vale of Josaphat. And there is the stone that y^e aungel bare to our ladye from mount Synay & it is of that colour that the roche of Sainct Katheryne is of, and there besyde is the gate where our Ladye when she was with Childe went through to Bethlem. Also at the entrynge of Mount Syon is a chappell and in that Chapell is that stone greate and large, with which the Sepulcre was covered when Christe was layde therein, the which stone as it is wrytten y^e three Maryes saw turned upward when they came to the sepulcre, and they found an Aungell that sayd to them, that Christ was rysen from death to lyfe. And there is a litle piller to the which our Lord was bounde and scourged, and there was Anas house that was bishop of the Jewes in that time, and in that same place forsoke Saint Peter our Lord thrise before the Cocke crewe. And there is a part of the table on the which God made his maunde with his disciples & yet is there the vessell with water out of the which his disciples feete were washed, and thereby is Sainct Stephens grave and there is the Aulter where our Lady heard the Aungels sing masse and there appeared Christ fyrst to his disciples after his resurrection, and when the gates were sperde,[1] and sayde _Pax vobiscum_. That is to saye, Peace be to you. And on that Mount apeared Christ to Sainct Thomas, and badde him assaye hys Wounde, and that was the viii daye after his resurrection and then he beleved perfectly & sayde _Dominus meus & deus meus_. That is to say in English, My Lorde & my God. In that same Chappell behind the highe aulter were all the Apostles on Witsonday, when the holy ghoste descended on them in likenesse of fyre, and there made God Paske[2] with his disciples, and there slepte Saynt Jhon the Evangelyst on our Lordes breast and saw sleping many privy things of heaven. And mount Syon is within the Citie, and it is a lyttle hygher than the other syde of the Citie, and that Citie is stronger on that one syde than on the other, for at the fote of mount Syon is a fayre Castell & strong which the Soudan did cause to be made there. On mount Syon was King David buried and Salomon and many other Kings of Hierusalem, and here is the place where saint Peter wepte full tenderly when he had forsaken our Lorde, and a stones cast from that is another place where our Lord was judged, for that time was there Caiphas house & betwene that Temple (_of_) Salomon and Mount Sion is the place where Christ raysed the mayden from death to lyfe. Under mount Syon toward the vale of Josaphat is a well that men call Natatorium[3] Sylo, there was our Lord washed after he was baptized. And thereby is the tree on which Judas hanged himselfe for dispaire when he had soulde Christ. And thereby is the synagoge where the Bishops of Jewes and the Pharyses came to hold theyr counsel and there Judas cast the xxx pence before them & said _Peccavi tradens sanguinem justum_, That is to saye, I haue sinned in betraying the innocent bloude.

[Footnote 1: Shut.]

[Footnote 2: Kept the Passover.]

[Footnote 3: The Pool of Siloah.]

CAP. XXVI.

_Of the feelde of Acheldemack[1] which was bought with the xxx pence._

ON the other syde of mount Syon towarde the South a stons Cast, is the feeld that was bought with those xxx pence for which Christe was sold, that men call Acheldemack, that is to say the feeld of bloude, in that feelde is many tombes of Chrysten men for there bee many pylgrims graven.[2] And also in Hierusalem toward the weast, is a fayre churche where the tree grew of which the crosse was made and thereby is a fayre churche where our lady mette with Elizabeth when they were both with Chylde & sainct Jhon styrred in his mothers wombe and made worship to our Lord his maker, and under the aulter of the church is a place where Sainct Jhon was borne and thereby is the castell of Emax.[3]

[Footnote 1 Aceldama.]

[Footnote 2 Buried.]

[Footnote 3: Emmaus.]

CAP. XXVII.

_Of mount Joye._

TWO myle from Hierusalem is the mounte Joye that is a fayre place and a liking, & there lieth Samuell the prophete in a fayre tombe, and it is called mount Joye for there many pylgrims se first Hierusalem. And in the middle of the Vale of Josaphat is a lyttle ryver that is called Torrens[1] Cedron, and over thwart this laye a tree, of the which the crosse was made, that men passed over on. Also in y^e vale is a churche of our lady, and there is the sepulchre of our lady, and our lady was of age when she dyed, lxxii yeare. And there nere is the place where our Lorde forgaue Sainct Peter all his sinnes and mysdedes that he had done. And beside that is a chappell where Judas kissed our Lorde, that men call Getsemay,[2] and he was taken of the Jewes, and there lefte Christ his disciples before his passion, when he went to praye, and seyd, _Pater si fieri potest, transeat a me calix iste_, that is to say in English, Father if it may be done, let this chalice go from me. Also thereby is a chapell where our Lord swet both bloud & water and there is the tombe of King Josaphat, of whom the Vale had the name, and on the syde of that Vale is the mount Olivet, and it is called so for there groweth many Olive trees, and it is higher than Hierusalem & therefore from that hill men may see into the streetes of Hierusalem. And betwene that hill and the citie is nothing but the vale of Josaphat and that is not full large, and uppon that hyl stode our Lorde when he went into heaven, and yet semeth there the steppe[3] of his left foote in the stone. And there is an Abbey of black chanons that was great sometime, but now there is but a church. And but a little thence xviii paces is a chapell, and there is the stone on the which our Lord God sate and when he preched, and sayde thus, _Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum_. That is to saye in English, Blessed be they that are poore in spirite, for theyrs is the Kingdome of heaven, and ther he taught his disciples theyr _Pater noster_. There also is a churche of that blessed woman Mary Egypcian, and there is she buryed. And uppon the other side towarde the East three bow shotes from thence, standeth Bethephage, where our Lorde Jesu Christ sente Sainct Peter and saynte James, for to fetch an asse on Palme Sonday.

[Footnote 1: The Brook Kedron.]

[Footnote 2: Gethsemane.]

[Footnote 3: Footprint.]

[Decoration]

CAP. XXVIII.

_Of the Castell Bethania._

THERE toward the East is a castel, that men call Bethania and there dwelled Symon the lepruse, that harborowed[1] our lord, and them that were Baptysed of his disciples, and he was called Julyan and was made Bishop and that is he that men call on for good harborow.[2] In that same place our lord forgave Mary Magdeleyne hir sinnes, and there she washed his fete with teares & wiped them with hir here & there was Lazarus raised that was foure dayes deade.

[Footnote 1: Lodged.]

[Footnote 2: Protection.]

CAP. XXIX.

_Of Jerico and other things._

IN the returning to mount Olivet, is the place where oure Lorde wept uppon Hierusalem and thereby[1] our Lady apeared to Sainct Thomas after hir assumption and gave him hir gyrdell and thereby is the stone on the which our Lorde sat often upon and preched and thereon he shall syt at the day of Judgement, as himselfe sayd. And there is mount Galile where the appostels were gathered when Mary Magdelein tolde them of Christe's rising. Betwene mount Olivet & mount Galile is a church, where the Aungell sayde to our Lady when she should die. And from Bethany to Jerico is fiue myle. Jerico was sometime a little citie but it was wasted, and now it is but a lyttle towne, that towne toke Josue through miracle of God, & bydding of the aungell, and destroyed it, & cursed all those that builded it againe. Of that citie was Raab that common woman, that received messengers of Israel & kept them from many perils of deth, & therefore she had a good rewarde, as holy writ sayth "_Quando accepit prophetum in nomine meo mercedem prophetæ accipiet_." That is to say, He that taketh a prophet in my name, he shall take mede of a prophet.[2]

[Footnote 1: Close by.]

[Footnote 2: Matt. x. 41, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward."]

CAP. XXX.

_Of the holy place betwene Bethany and flom Jordane and other things._

ALSO from Bethany men go from Jordan thorow the Wildernesse and it is nere a daies journey betwene. Toward the East is a great hill where our Lord fasted XL dayes & upon this hill was Christ brought of the fende[1] of Hell, & sayd to him thus, _Dic ut lapides isti panis fiant_. That is to say, Commaund that these stones be made bread. And there is an Hermitage wher dwelled a maner of Christen men called Georgins[2] for sainct George converted them, and upon that hill dwelled Abraham a great whyle. Also as men go to Jerico, in the way sate many sicke men crying, _Jesu fili David, misere nobis_. That is to say, Jesu the sonne of David have mercie upon us. And two myle from Jerico is flom[3] Jordan & ye shall wete the dead sea departeth the lande of Jude and of Araby and the water of the sea is right bitter and this water casteth out a thinge that men call _aspatum_[4] as great pieces as a horse. And Hierusalem is cc furlonges from this sea, and it is called the dead sea, for it runneth not, nor no man, ne beast, that hath life, that is therein, may lyve, and that hath bene proved many times, for they have cast therein men that were judged to death, nor no man may drinke of that water & if men cast yron therein it commeth up againe, and if a man cast a fether therein it goeth to the grounde, and that is against kinde.[5]

And there about grow trees that beare fruite of faire color and seme rype, but when a man breaketh them or cut them, he findeth naught in them but coales or asshes, in tokening that throughe the vengaunce of God these cities were brent with the fyre of hell. And some men call that lake the lake of Alphytedde,[6] and some call it the flome of the divell, and some call it the stinking flome, for the water thereof stynketh. There sanke these five cities through the wrath of God, that is to saye, Sodome, Gomor,[7] Aldema,[8] Solome,[9] and Segor, for the sinne that raigned in them, but Segor through the prayer of Loth, was saved a great while, for it sat on an hyll, and yet apeareth much thereof above the water, and men may see the walles in cleare weather. And in this citie of Segor, Loth dwelled a great while . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and at the ryght side of this see dwelled Lothes wife in a stone of salt for that she looked againe when the citie sanke downe.

[Footnote 1: Fiend.]

[Footnote 2: Georgians.]

[Footnote 3: River. _Lat._, Flumen.]

[Footnote 4: Asphaltum.]

[Footnote 5: Nature.]

[Footnote 6: Assa f[oe]tida.]

[Footnote 7: Gomorrah.]

[Footnote 8: Aldama.]

[Footnote 9: Seboym.]

CAP. XXXI.

_Of Abraham and his generation._

AND ye shall understande that Lothe was Arons sone, Abraham's brother, and Sara Abraham's wyfe was Loths syster, and Sara was xc yere olde when she gate Ysaac and Abraham had another son named Ismael that he had gotten on his mayden Ager. And when Ysaac was viii days olde he was circumcised and his other son Ismaell was cyrcumcised the same day and was xiiii yeare of age, therefore the Jewes that be of the generation of Isaac do circumcyse them at the viii day of theyr age and the Sarasyns that be of Ismaels kinde doe cyrcumsise them at theyr xiii yeare of age. And into that dead sea aforesayde runneth flome Jordan and maketh there an ende and this is within a myle of saint Jhons church & a lyttle beneth that same church Westward, were the Christen men are wont to bath them & a myle thence is the river Loth, through which Jacob went when he came from Mesopotamye.

CAP. XXXII.

_Of the river Jordan._