outen perile and with outen encombrance. Thanked be alle myghty Godd.

Aftre this, bezonde the vale, is a gret yle, where the folk ben grete
geauntes of 28 fote longe or of 30 fote longe; and thei han no clothinge,
but of skynnes of bestes, that thei hangen upon hem: and thei eten no
breed, but alle raw flesche: and thei drynken mylk of bestes; for thei han
plentee of alle bestaylle. And thei have none houses, to lyen inne. And
thei eten more gladly mannes flessche, thanne ony other flesche. In to that
yle dar no man gladly entren: and zif thei seen a schipp and men there
inne, anon thei entren in to the see, for to take hem.

And men seyden us, that in an yle bezonde that, weren geantes of grettere
stature: summe of 45 fote, or 50 fote long, and as some men seyn, summe of
50 cubytes long: but I saghe none of tho; for I hadde no lust to go to tho
parties, because that no man comethe nouther in to that yle ne in to the
other, but zif he be devoured anon. And among tho geauntes ben scheep, als
grete as oxen here; and thei beren gret wolle and roughe. Of the scheep I
have seyn many tymes. And men han seyn many tymes tho geauntes taken men in
the see out of hire schippes, and broughte hem to lond, 2 in on hond and 2
in another, etynge hem goynge, alle rawe and alle quyk.

Another yle is there toward the northe, in the see occean, where that ben
fulle cruele and ful evele wommen of nature; and thei han precious stones
in hire eyen: and thei ben of that kynde, that zif thei beholden ony man
with wratthe, thei slen him anon with the beholdynge, as dothe the
basilisk.

Another yle is there, fulle fair and gode and gret, and fulle of peple,
where the custom is suche, that the firste nyght that thei ben maryed, thei
maken another man to lye be hire wifes, for to have hire maydenhode: and
therfore thei taken gret huyre and gret thank. And ther ben certeyn men in
every town, that serven of non other thing; and thei clepen hem Cadeberiz,
that is to seyne, the foles of Wanhope. For thei of the contree holden it
so gret a thing and so perilous, for to haven the maydenhode of a woman,
that hem semethe that thei that haven first the maydenhode, puttethe him in
aventure of his lif. And zif the husbonde fynde his wif mayden, that other
next nyghte, aftre that she scholde have ben leyn by of the man, that is
assigned therefore, perauntes for dronkenesse or for some other cause, the
husbonde schalle pleyne upon him, that he hathe not don h