d in many parties. And also in the see, he hathe fulle manye yles. And
the beste cytee in the yle of Pentexoire is Nyse, that is a fulle ryalle
cytee and a noble, and fulle riche. This Prestre John hathe undre him many
kynges and many yles and many dyverse folk of dyverse condiciouns. And this
lond is fulle gode and ryche; but not so riche as is the lond of the grete
Chane. For the marchauntes come not thidre so comounly, for to bye
marchandises, as thei don in the lond of the gret Chane: for it is to fer
to travaylle to. And on that other partie, in the yle of Cathay, men fynden
alle maner thing, that is nede to man; clothes of gold, of silk, and
spycerie. And therfore, alle be it that men han grettre chep in the yle of
Prestre John, natheles men dreden the longe wey and the grete periles in
the see, in tho parties. For in many places of the see ben grete roches of
stones of the adamant, that of his propre nature drawethe iren to him. And
therfore there passen no schippes, that han outher bondes or nayles of iren
with in hem: and zif there do, anon the roches of the adamantes drawen hem
to hem, that never thei may go thens. I my self have seen o ferrom in that
see, as thoughe it hadde ben a gret yle fulle of trees and buscaylle, fulle
of thornes and breres, gret plentee. And the schipmen tolde us, that alle
that was of schippes, that weren drawen thidre be the adamauntes, for the
iren that was in hem. And of the rotenesse and other thing that was with in
the schippes, grewen suche buscaylle and thornes and breres and grene
grasse and suche maner of thing; and of the mastes and the seylle zerdes;
it semed a gret wode or a grove. And suche roches ben in many places there
abouten. And therfore dur not the marchauntes passen there, but zif thei
knowen wel the passages, or elle that thei han gode lodes men. And also
thei dreden the longe weye: and therfore thei gon to Cathay; for it is more
nyghe: and zit is not so nyghe, but that men moste ben travayllynge be see
and lond, 11 monethes or 12, from Gene or from Venyse, or he come to
Cathay. And zit is the lond of Prestre John more ferr, be many dredfulle
iourneyes. And the marchauntes passen be the kyngdom of Persie, and gon to
a cytee that is clept Hermes: for Hermes the philosophre founded it. And
aftre that, thei passen an arm of the see, and thanne thei gon to another
cytee that is clept Golbache: and there thei fynden marchandises, and of
popengayes, as gret plentee as men