Zates: and so longe he schalle mynen and perce the erthe, till
that he schalle passe thorghe, towardes that folk. And whan thei seen the
fox thei schulle have gret marveylle of him, be cause that thei saughe
never suche a best. For of alle other bestes, thei han enclosed amonges
hem, saf only the fox. And thanne thei schullen chacen him and pursuen him
so streyte, tille that he come to the same place, that he cam fro. And
thanne thei schullen dyggen and mynen so strongly, tille that thei fynden
the zates, that Kyng Alisandre leet make of grete stones and passynge huge,
wel symented and made stronge for the maystrie. And tho zates thei schulle
breken, and so gon out, be fyndynge of that issue.
Fro that lond, gon men toward the lond of Bacharie, where ben fulle
cruelle. In that lond ben trees, that beren wolle, as thoghe it were of
scheep; where of men maken clothes, and alle thing that may ben made of
wolle. In that contree ben many Ipotaynes, that dwellen somtyme in the
watre, and somtyme on the lond: and thei ben half man and half hors, as I
have seyd before: and thei eten men, whan thei may take hem. And there ben
ryveres of watres, that ben fulle byttere, three sythes more than is the
watir of the see. In that contree ben many Griffounes, more plentee than in
ony other contree. Sum men seyn, that thei han the body upward, as an
eagle, and benethe as a Lyoun: and treuly thei seyn sothe, that thei ben of
that schapp. But o griffoun hathe the body more gret and is more strong
thanne 8 lyouns, of suche lyouns as ben o this half; and more gret and
strongere, than an 100 egles, suche as we han amonges us. For o griffoun
there will bere, fleynge to his neste, a gret hors, or 2 oxen zoked to
gidere, as thei gon at the plowghe. For he hathe his talouns so longe and
so large and grete, upon his feet, as thoughe thei weren hornes of grete
oxen or of bugles or of Kyzn; so that men maken cuppes of hem, to drynken
of: and of hire ribbes and of the pennes and of hire wenges, men maken
bowes fulle stronge, to schote with arwes and quarelle. From thens gon men,
be many iourneyes, thorghe the lond of Prestre John, the grete Emperour of
Ynde. And men clepen his Roialme, the Yle of Pentexoire,
END OF PART II.
MANDEVILLE'S VOYAGES.
PART III.
Tertia pars.
CAPVT. 41.
De magnificentia Imperatoris Indiae et preciositate Palatij.
[Sidenote: Seu Pentoxoria Ciuitas Nyse] Cum in praecedentibus Imperator
Indiae dictus si
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