with us 2 worthi men, Frere Menoures, that
weren of Lombardye, that seyden, that zif ony man wolde entren, thei wolde
gon in with us. And when thei hadden seyd so, upon the gracyous trust of
God and of hem, wee leet synge masse, and made every man to ben schryven
and houseld: and thanne wee entreden 14 personnes; but at oure goynge out,
wee weren but 9. And so we wisten nevere, whether that oure fellowes weren
lost, or elle turned azen for drede: but wee ne saughe hem never after: and
tho weren 2 men of Grece and 3 of Spayne. And oure other fellows, that
wolden not gon in with us, thei wenten by another coste, to ben before us,
and so thei were. And thus wee passeden that perilous vale, and founden
thereinne gold and sylver and precious stones and riche jewelles gret
plentee, both here and there, as us semed: but whether that it was, as us
semede, I wot nere: for I touched none, because that the develes ben so
subtyle to make a thing to seme otherwise than it is, for to disceyve
mankynde; and therfore I towched none; and also because that I wolde not
ben put out of my devocioun: for I was more devout thanne, than evere I was
before or after, and alle for the drede of fendes, that I saughe in dyverse
figures; and also for the gret multytude of dede bodyes, that I saughe
there liggynge be the weye, be alle the vale, as thoughe there had ben a
bataylle betwene 2 kynges and the myghtyest of the contree, and that the
gretter partye had ben discomfyted and slayn. And I trowe, that unethe
scholde ony contree have so moche peple with in him, as lay slayn in that
vale, as us thoughte; the whiche was an hidouse sight to seen. And I
merveylled moche, that there weren so manye, and the bodyes all hole, with
outen rotynge. But I trowe, that fendes made hem semen to ben so hole, with
outen rotynge. But that myghte not ben to myn avys, that so manye scholde
have entred so newely, ne so manye newely slayn, with outen stynkynge and
rotynge. And manye of hem were in habite of Cristene men: but I trowe wel,
that it weren of suche, that wenten in for covetyse of the thresoure, that
was there, and hadden over moche feblenesse in feithe; so that hire hertes
ne myghte not enduren in the beleve for drede. And therfore weren wee the
more devout a gret del: and zit wee weren cast doun and beten down many
tymes to the hard erthe, be wyndes and thondres and tempestes: but evere
more God of His grace halp us: and so we passed that perilous vale, with