lomb, with outen
wolle. And men eten bothe the frut and the best: and that is a gret
marveylle. Of that frute I have eten; alle thoughe it were wondirfulle: but
that I knowe wel, that God is marveyllous in his werkes. And natheles I
told hem, of als gret a marveylle to hem, that is amonges us: and that was
of the Bernakes. For I tolde hem, that in oure contree weren trees, that
beren a fruyt, that becomen briddes fleeynge: and tho that fellen in the
water, lyven; and thei that fallen on the erthe, dyen anon: and thei ben
right gode to mannes mete. And here of had thei als gret marvaylle, that
summe of hem trowed, it were an impossible thing to be. [Footnote: The
Barnacle-bearing trees are said to have grown in Ireland.] In that contree
ben longe apples of gode savour; where of ben mo than 100 in a clustre, and
als manye in another; and thei han gret longe leves and large, of 2 fote
long or more. And in that contree, and in other contrees there abouten,
growen many trees, that beren clowe gylofres and notemuges, and grete notes
of Ynde and of canelle and of many other spices. And there ben vynes, that
beren so grete grapes, that a strong man scholde have y now to done, for to
bere o clustre with alle the grapes. In that same regioun ben the
mountaynes of Caspye, that men clepen Uber in the contree. Betwene the
mountaynes, the Jewes of 10 lynages ben enclosed, that men clepen Gothe and
Magothe: and thei mowe not gon out on no syde. There weren enclosed 22
kynges with hire peple, that duelleden betwene the mountaynes of Sythye.
There Kyng Alisandre chacede hem betwene tho mountaynes; and there he
thoughte for to enclose hem thorghe werk of his men. But whan he saughe,
that he myghte not don it, ne bryng it to an ende, he preyed to God of
Nature, that he wolde parforme that that he had begonne. And alle were it
so, that he was a Payneme and not worthi to ben herd, zit God of his grace
closed the mountaynes to gydre: so that thei dwellen there, alle faste y
lokked and enclosed with highe mountaynes alle aboute, saf only on o syde;
and on that syde is the see of Caspye. Now may sum men asken, Sithe that
the see is on that o syde, wherfore go thei not out on the see syde, for to
go where that hem lykethe? But to this question, I schal answere, That see
of Caspye gothe out be londe, undre the mountaynes, and rennethe be the
desert at o syde of the contree; and aftre it strecchethe unto the endes of
Persie. And alle thoughe it be c